Introducing Hermann - no really...

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Very sadly a close relative died recently

it was George who got traded

So please meet Hermann.

I feel sorry for your losses ...

... and for your gains.

On the medium side his gears can be selected with "flappy paddles" but there are restrictions - e.g. changing up to anything under 1200 RPM is verboten.

Don't fight the DSG.
You'll pay dearly in diesel when you do.
Even though driving slower, I used more diesel with one than its owner ...

Use its quirks to your advantage.

They don't really like manual downshifts, for instance.
Just let it roll .

From experience VAG MPG calculators are as optimistic as Lord Haw Haw - hence the SG2.

Mine is 10% too optimistic on average.
Sometimes even more.
Sometimes it's spot on ...

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by Xist

What about (when idling switching to) Park?

It idles free in Park too. Problem with Park is that you get there through R so it makes the reverse lights flicker. That usually unnerves people behind you.

I used D/N toggle for speed control in a traffic jam today.
At a cetrain point it will no longer auto-stop when you keep rolling and braking. Switching to N instead of braking then saves some energy.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Daekar

I have literally never seen a European post about their work vehicles.

That's normal. They're for work ...
And mostly owned by the company one works for.
Even self-employed people will seldom drive their work vehicles for fun.

Surely a few of them here or there have trucks

Not what you'd call a truck, i.e. pick up truck.
Pick up trucks are rare here, and usually NOT used for work - just used by people caught with the American virus ... or for tax-evasion.
A US style pimped out pick-up is often the cheapest way to have a V8 - the tax folks have already cut down on the fake "van" conversions of estates, SUVs, Cayennes and the like ...

OTOH, seemingly half of Denmark is driving around in ageing van conversions of regular cars, because the regular cars are taxed so horribly .


We mostly drive vans for work.
Like the Fiat Fiorino, Ford Transit or VW transporter.
You can get most of them with a cargo bed, but those versions are relatively rare. And definitely not something you'd drive around in your leasure time.

Well, maybe the old VW T1 Pritsche qualifies for that

Is there no remaining tradition of small-scale agriculture or rural land ownership that would necessitate the private possession of true utility vehicles similar in function to our pickups in this country?

What necessity

Even in that line of work, pick ups are relatively rare.
You might be surprised by the tiny size of them, too.
Like this Dacia Logan or maybe a Toyota HiLux or even a Nissan Navara.

They often drive "jeeps" , i.e. 4x4s , with a trailer if need be.
Or a panel van / cargo bed van.
With 4x4 if needed.


As much as the Yanks like their pick-ups, they're largely impractical and not all that good as utility vehicles.

That Dacia Logan might do as a light runabout utility truck.
They jumped in the gap VW left with their Polo or Golf mini pick up.

For the heavier stuff, we resort to proper - but small - cab-over-engine trucks.
Lorries as the English would call them.
And once more, those'd be strictly for work.
Folks working in agriculture would use the tractors + trailer that they have anyway, for the bigger jobs.
They'd not get a bigger pick-up ...

[Xist]

We had a Soldier in Germany that had the Army ship over his old truck and he said that he was stopped every time that he left and returned post for having an obviously American vehicle, but they subsidized gas at the shoppette, so we paid US prices.

I really wonder how it would have worked if they left us to fend for ourselves!

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by others about pickups

<stuff about pickups>

The home of the pickup truck is really the US (or North America). Elsewhere it hasn't really caught on - the US car market is detached from the rest of the world for whatever reason you can think of - cheap petrol being one reason, legislation, import controls etc.

Whilst the US was happy with muscle cars of the late 60s or big boats of the 50s absolutely nowhere else in the world thought "we should copy that". That is the reason why the US models are more or less unheard of outside North America - ford, GM and Chrysler all sold mostly different cars elsewhere. For example, go to deepest Africa or the far east and they will use Landrovers or (more recently) Toyotas and Nissans - Jeeps are nowhere.

I had this debate a while ago and someone said they could buy a pickup here - and you can if you want to. I can also buy a chainsaw, or a cement mixer, or a van, or any other power tool you can think of. Do I need one ? No, not really or maybe once every 2-3 years. Should I buy one for that once in 24 months event or just hire one if I need it, or more likely just pay someone to come and shift stuff.

If I own a vehicle here (and elsewhere in the EU) I have to tax it (annual) and insure it (continuous insurance is a requirement here). Even if I don't use it.

Back to Hermann

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

The home of the pickup truck is really the US (or North America). Elsewhere it hasn't really caught on - the US car market is detached from the rest of the world for whatever reason you can think of - cheap petrol being one reason, legislation, import controls etc.

Even back here where US-style trucks were quite popular and started to decline only in mid-90s, they started to get different engine options more suited to South-American regional needs. 4-cylinder Diesels, no V8 at all, and manual transmissions were prevalent.

Back to Hermann

Have you been aware of any manual transmission suitable for a swap into Hermann, while still retaining the V6 TDI?

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by euromodder

...loss...

Thanks. Glad you noticed it. Will have to check our your Up! thread if there is one.

Originally Posted by euromodder

Don't fight the DSG....

Still experimenting with it for this tank to get some kind of idea of what works and what doesn't . It does seem pretty good and bad for MPG when left alone but we all like as much control as possible.

Good
On the good side it matches up-shifts to throttle quite well - go with a light throttle and it will upshift at under 2k.

It also holds a gear well - e.g. accelerate gently at 50 in 6th and it will hold 6th and use the engine torque instead of kicking down. The family Prius wants to kick down all the time the engine screaming quite a lot of the time.

6th is also very long - 2K rpm is about 74 on the speedo. On slowdown it does hold the engine in DFCO quite well too - shifting down from 6th down to 3rd until you go under 20 then it disengages.

Bad
On the bad side leaving it in D consumes twice as much as N at lights or in long lines. The only advantage of P is that the brake is also engaged so I stick with N.

It doesn't roll in N very well - gumball sized tyres ?

That last point could be a problem - there is a noise like a wheel bearing or similar at speed - no loose bearings as far as I can tell so it could be a binding brake or similar.

It goes to the specialists I trust (looked after Helga) on Tuesday but before that we are taking Hermann on his first long trip down south to sort out more Family issues over this weekend. That will probably empty the tank or reduce it enough for a refill and we can calculate the financial damage.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Have you been aware of any manual transmission suitable for a swap into Hermann, while still retaining the V6 TDI?

Yep I would prefer a manual.

There was a 6 speed manual offered here but it was very rare (as in next to none sold - the auto was the standard option) and I have no idea of the costs and parts needed to swap it over.

As it is rare then it wouldn't come up on ebay or breakers often. I suspect also it would take several years to pay for if I did decide to swap it.

BTW Hermann was £39K (~$50k) when new.

On the positive side the "Tiptronic" trans in the V6 models is more reliable than the "Multironic" unit in the 4 cyl models from what I have read - so lucky there.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

The home of the pickup truck is really the US (or North America). Elsewhere it hasn't really caught on - the US car market is detached from the rest of the world

One of the US trends that we did pick up (pun intended) was the MPV - i.e. Iacoca's Chrysler Voyager, but downsized to fit Europe.
Those are some of the most efficient multi-purpose vehicles, with not too many big drawbacks regarding MPG - well, if you leave out the car that started it all
More practical than even the estates / breaks and hardly consuming more fuel.


And, unfortunately, the SUV-trend, even if that too often gets downsized.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Still experimenting with it for this tank to get some kind of idea of what works and what doesn't .

Big low profile tyres won't help.
They may need more pressure than advertised , too.

The lower the profile, the more pressure they need.
I got that lesson early on when I put Hagar on 50 profile 17" rubbers ... and it started wandering about on the road.



Yeah, I know, I really should start a thread on the Dwarf