Believe it or not, autumn is upon us. Are you getting out for some fall camping? If you’ve been watching our Facebook posts, you know some of us here at Hensley have. It’s the best time of year for a little awning time in some nearly empty campgrounds. This is also the time of year when Hensley runs some sales to clear out inventory. Be sure to check out our coupon code below for McKesh Mirrors. And if you haven’t taken the plunge on a new hitch yet, we’ve got some great package promotions going. Give us a call today to find out more. Or visit our brand new website here!
Are small diesels the next trend?
Mention the word “diesel” and the average forty-something American will conjure the image of a rumbling smelly truck and short prayers for a gas station that provides diesel before you’re left stranded.
That was then.
We recently acquired a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 3.0 liter diesel engine. As of this writing, we’ve taken about five trips with it and our 29 foot Flagstaff with a dry weight of 5700 lbs. We also tested the Jeep with a 30 foot 1972 Airstream, weighing it at over 9000 lbs.
The little Jeep hardly noticed a difference.
The Jeep did not hesitate off dead stops and took the hills with no problem. It comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission, but allows you to manually downshift with the press of a button. I played with that (what man wouldn’t?), but found that the automatic shifting was flawless, even on steep bridges.
And here’s the best part. While towing the Flagstaff, we averaged 14 MPG. Which is close to what a gas engine truck gets without a trailer attached. When we weren’t hooked to a trailer, we averaged 35 MPG. That, my friends, is amazing. Even if the price of diesel fuel hangs in at 10-20% more than gas, as it often does, you’ll save a lot of money on fuel, towing or not towing.
Those of you who’ve been following Hensley for a while know that we preach getting the vehicle you can afford to use for everyday use, not just towing, which takes up a very small percentage of your driving time. It would appear we finally have vehicles to fit the best of both worlds.
The tow rating on the Jeep 3.0 Liter is 7400 lbs. But I saw no hesitation with the 9,000 Airstream.
As of this writing, all the major pick-up manufacturers are offering or plan to offer small diesel engines in their vehicles. Dodge trucks are now available with the same engine as the one in our Jeep. Do your research, new vehicles are coming on board all the time. We haven’t caught up to our European friends yet, but my hope is that small diesels will become a standard.
The biggest downside right now is the price. You’ll pay an extra $5000 or more for a small diesel. Up to $10,000 more for a large one, which is a perfect fit for a big 5th-wheel owner.
Of course, the return to smaller tow vehicles like the Jeep means that sway elimination is crucial. That’s where we come in. When you’re checking out the small diesel tow vehicles, be sure to pair it with an Arrow or Cub to keep your high-tech vehicle between the lines. Also note that a small SUV will return you to standard car-sized side mirrors. We’ve got that covered, too. Check out the sale on our McKesh Mirrors below.
If any of you have small diesels now, we’d love to hear your towing experience. Shoot us a note or post it on our Facebook page.
As always, we’ll be seeing you under the awning.
Received in the monthly email from Hensley Mfg.
