[Vwdiesel] new towing mpgs and a neat TDI sighting

[dieseltdi at verizon.net]

I have been on and off list for the last several weeks so I have been  
trying to catch up.  First of all for the TDI sighting.  I was in  
Ruidoso, NM this week and saw a TDI Touran (sp?). It is the European  
VW minivan.  It had Mexican plates so it had come up from below the  
border.  Was a nice looking little vehicle, much better than the  
Eurovan.

Now for the towing mpgs.  As many of you know, last year the wife and  
I took a 6500 mile trip in our 04 PD-TDI Passat towing a 1400 lb  
trailer.  I reported at that time on the towing mpgs.  Well that trip  
showed us a lot of short comings in the pop-up camper that we owned  
at the time so late last year we replaced it with a bigger model.   
This one weighs 1625 lbs empty, has electric brakes, AC and all.  It  
is 10" taller and almost a foot wider than our old popup so I was  
interested in how it would perform.  We have taken it out a couple of  
times before now but always on short trips that did not really lend  
themselves to determining mpg.  However, it seemed that the mpgs  
towing would be in the 24-25 mpg range here in Texas.  Well over the  
last 3 weeks the trailer has been towed about 1500 miles behind the  
Passat and I now have a good idea of how it does.  There is one  
difference however from the short trips and the trip last year,  the  
car is now fitted with one of the Diesel Power Tuning boxes that I  
sell.  Results?  Well first of all, it towed fine.  Plenty of power  
to cruise on the highway or climb several steep hills in the Texas  
hill country.  MPG, outstanding:  First tank was 65 mph all  
interstate - 27 mpg.  Second tank, 1/2 interstate at 65 half on back  
roads with varying speeds and driving conditions - 28 mpg.  Third  
tank, all back roads, some hill climbing, varying speeds - 29 mpg.   
We then did two long runs on the interstate at 70 mpg just to see.   
The first was into a continual headwind of about 20 mph.  That tank  
sucked, getting only 23 mpg but the return trip at the same speeds  
got 25 mpg (no wind at all).  I am much pleased and when I told  
several people the mileage towing that I was getting, they couldn't  
believe it.  Well, I have more catching up to do and a lot of "honey  
do's" to finish.  Later, Hayden

TX AND US DISTRIBUTOR FOR DIESELPOWER TUNING BOXES.  GO TO  
www.dieseltuning.com, LOOK AT THE INFORMATION AND THEN EMAIL ME TO  
MAKE YOUR PURCHASE.  MORE POWER, MORE TORQUE, GUARANTEED!!!!

Visit my website at:  http://mysite.verizon.net/resosxp8/mydieselpages/
Proud owner of:
2004 Passat TDI GLS, 2.0l, 8 valve, 134 HP, 247 lb/ft of torque, Blue  
Graphite, Anthracite leather interior, ABS, ESP.
1998 Jetta TDI (Wetterauer Chipset, 2 1/2" exhaust, K&N Filter, 119K+  
miles, and running biodiesel)
1981 Rabbit Pickup -Awaiting a TDI engine swap with a 96 Passat 1Z  
engine.
And many, many, many VWs; from a 1946 Beetle (11 Beetles total), to  
Vans (5 - 3 splitties, 2 bay window), Rabbits (3), Karmen Ghia (1),  
Jettas (5), Passat (1), Dasher (1), New Beetle (1), and Rabbit  
Pickups (3) most now gone but not forgotten.