CAFE and the future of towables

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Jammer

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Dec 20, 2009
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Despite the inroads that Class C motorhomes have made, the first RV owned by many people of moderate means is a pop-up or TT, or perhaps a smaller 5er.

The SUV era gave us vehicles that could realistically tow 4,000-6,000 pounds, enough for all but the largest pop-ups.  While the towing ability of full-size sedans is controversial, there are many people towing popups and small TTs with them.  And 1/2 ton extended-cab trucks have been the first choice of people moving into small 5ers and large TTs.

The CAFE standards are pushing us towards a world where most people drive a Prius or something similar -- low-performance sedans incapable of towing so much as a pop-up.  Some pundits see midsize and large SUVs all but disappearing and full-size pickups having 50%+ price increases that make them the sole province of building contractors.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/10/how-cafe-killed-compact-trucks-and-station-wagons/

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/12/the-full-sized-future/

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-cafe-numbers-game-making-sense-of-the-new-fuel-economy-regulations-feature

Will people jump straight to a class C instead?  Or will this be yet another blow to the RV industry?
 
CAFE regulations have been around since 1975, and for the most part manufacturers have managed to hit the numbers at each step up, while still producing the vehicles the marketplace wants. I fully expect they'll do the same for the new numbers. If the demand is there, RV manufacturers will do their part by producing lighter weight more aerodynamic products.
 
We have already seen the death of the big block GM V8 engine and limited availability of the Ford V10 and we can expect that trait to continue. Small diesels might pick up some of the load when the US market finally gets some, but I see a problem in the near term. Trailers, especially 5W, have become consistently very heavy, yet the trucks needed to pull them are getting both scarcer and more expensive.

On the plus side, much of America's pick-up population isn't really hauling anything, or carrying all that much either. That segment of the truck market can be downscaled in weight and engine size/type so the "daily driver' pick-up can continue as part of American lifestyle. But that same slimmed down truck will reduce the market share of the big truck needed for trailer towing, while result in a further price increases as sales decline. It's gonna get tough out there.  And that same big block V-engine is what powers the Class A & C gas motorhome
 
Interesting question; I think what we are going to see is fewer SUV type that can pull smaller trailers and the same is going to be true with PU trucks but we are also going to have to change the way we look at the ones we will have left. In years past its been all about HP & torque at the flywheel but now with all the improvements in transmissions and running gear in general we will have to start looking at the power available at the wheels not at the flywheel. What we are seeing even now is smaller motors with transmissions with more speeds to keep the motors in their power range (both gas and diesel) so more power can be delivered to the wheels. When my beloved 460 went by the wayside I didn't know what I was going to do until I bought my first V10 work truck shortly after that I replaced our 460 pulling truck with a V10 that we still have. Now we are looking at replacing our V10 and after looking a F450 so I can keep the V10 with a 5 speed and a F350 with a 6.2 V8 with a 6 speed transmission the 6.2 delivers about the same power to the rear wheels as my 2 valve V10 does but at a higher rpm, overhead cams will take the higher rpm so that is no concern to me. Just think about how hard your motor is working after you get up to speed where it spends most of its time, it takes very little power at that time, so if you have transmissions with more speeds it will allow you to have less power at the flywheel but multiply that power at the wheels when needed. Also with the new transmission that comes with the 6.2 has 2 overdrive gears so when empty if will get better mileage than motors have in the past. The biggest complaint I have heard with the newer transmission is they shift to much but that's something we will have to live with.

Denny             
 
My dad has used a 2500 diesel pickup as his commuter car for YEARS.  He needs to have a large truck to pull his TT but only a couple of weeks per year.  The wear and tear on in addition to the fuel cost have recently changed his mind.  He now only drives that car when he needs to haul something or he needs the four wheel drive because of snow.  Most days he drivs a Z3.  Not an economy car, but much cheaper to drive than the Dodge Cowboy Cadilac he has been driving around.

I dont like to have other people make my decisions, and I dont like to make decisions for other people.  So if you want to drive an 12 mpg vehical everyday instead of a 30 mpg vehical knock your self out.  But at 12000 miles per year and $4 per gallon the cost difference will be: $2500 per year.  You can pay 33 cents per mile at 12 mpg or 13 cents per mile at 30 mpg.  It aint my money.  I may be wrong but I think most of those massive soccer mom SUVs I see around my neighborhood get either 12 or less MPG, and I know my RAV-4 that very comfortably carries a family of 4 (Even with 2 carseats) gets 32 mpg. 

Jeff
 
A fact to consider is that the initial popularity of SUVs and midsize pickups (in the 1980s) was itself due to a regulatory environment that exempted these vehicles from a number of costly safety mandates as well as the CAFE standards of the day.  Unanticipated effect of the regulation.

In 1975 nobody drove to work in a pickup unless they needed their pickup for work.

Funny thing I've noticed is that the people who really need a pickup for the work they do almost always drive a sedan on social or leisure occasions.
 
In Australia Gas engines are dying as Tow vehicle alternatives for relatively"small"  Pickups. US style Pickups are are about 9/10ths bigger i.e. F150. Yes I  have noticed most people in the US are using these as "SUV's with Beds" even in Texas. When you get a State like California,( 35 million people) , rarely using Pickups as they were  intended, then it stands to reason this segment is going to shrink and be replaced by smaller vehicles. The difference here People do use 3 Litre diesel pickups  as intended but a lot use them as "lifestyle vehicles " as in the US. Imported US Pickups are ALL "Lifestyle vehicles" here, they are used specifically for RV use, or as "shiny beds" just to drive around.
Most US imports are HD Diesels.
A Mazda BT 50 diesel towing a 26ft lightweight Airstream Caravan. Someone has started importing them, but in our oversubscribed towable market they are a novelty item here.
 
 

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