RV MAIL
LETTERS FROM THE ROAD
WONDERING ABOUT WEIGHBRIDGES
Your article ‘ Ratings and Masses Reminder ’ is interesting but one question arises : when are you required to put your caravan or motohome on a weighbridge ?
D ' Arcy Mayo
Hi D ’ Arcy . You ’ re not required , as such . However , that does not mean you shouldn ’ t . As we always say , when your van and vehicle are loaded for a trip , now and again head to a weighbridge to ensure the van is within ATM , the vehicle is within GVM , the towball mass is within spec of the vehicle ’ s TBM , and that both van and vehicle are within GCM .
magazine , we ’ d like to hear it ! Email your feedback to info @ gorv . com . au
WHAT ABOUT THE BOX ?
I was very interested to read the ‘ petrol vs diesel ’ article in issue 57 . We have been driving a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee towing a 2.9t van for over 100,000km around Australia . It never missed a beat .
One major component missing in the article is the matching of engine to transmission . A great motor of any kind is useless without combination gearbox and diff ratios .
In one area , you are right : not much had changed until Jeep slipped an eight-speed gearbox married to a 3.6L petrol in 2013 .
So , with an eight-speed transmission instead of four or five , low-down torque is significantly improved . In fact , it ’ s such a game changer that most vehicles now have six-plus gears . The new Ford Ranger boasts a 2.2L turbo-diesel with a 10-speed box .
In my humble opinion , talking about an engine without including transmission capabilities is a bit like talking about apple pie without ice cream and a bowl .
Ian Urquhart
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