modern diesel for overlanding in developing countries - post your solutions

[Dan Grec]

A 3.6L Wrangler should be a lot better than 11 though, 20 at least on the highway...no? Fuelly says overall average ~18 vs ~22 for the diesel.

Not when aired down to 18psi and crossing well over 1200 extremely soft sand dunes.

(Also that was a Gladiator, but I bet a Wrangler would have been very similar)

I just had the EcoDiesel Wrangler in the dunes in the Sahara, mileage was close to 20 while aired down in the very, very soft sand

-Dan

 

[jkam]

My buddy has a 14 Grand Cherokee with the diesel engine.
It was the first year they offered it and he loves it.
It has had a few recalls but overall it has performed very well.
It can get as good as mid 30's mpg when on the highway for long distances.
We have put 748 miles on it that way.
Around town it gets mid 20's mpg which is fine.
We don't use it to tow or go off road much, but it is rated to tow up to 7500 lbs.

At some point he wants to do the delete on it to get rid of all the crap.
Kits are now available and since it's registered in South Dakota, no emission check.

 

[jkam]

I believe it has an Italian engine with a German transmission.

 

[Dan Grec]

I believe it has an Italian engine with a German transmission.

The engine in the diesel Gladiator / Wrangler is a VM Motori (italian) V6 3.0. It has the ZF 8HP75 auto transmission. Extremely good transmission used on an insane number of vehicles all around the world.
Same engine newer Grand Cherokees, RAM 1500, etc. I think it's no longer in any of those vehicles current model. Still used overseas in a lot of different vehicles.

The engine in the diesel Grand Cherokee from around 2014 is a Mercedes OM642 with a Mercedes 722.6 5 speed auto, commonly called a "NAG1" in North America.
That engine was in the sprinter for a long time, among many other vehicles.

-Dan

 

[Dan Grec]

I should add another reason I want a diesel vehicle is that in essentially every country I've ever been to, diesel is at worst the same price as gas, often cheaper. In many countries it's about half price.

-Dan

 

[casioqv]

I was recently in the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico, and saw modern diesels everywhere- much much more than in the USA. Lots of cool European 4x4s we don't get in the USA like the VW Amarok 3.0 TDI. I wonder/suspect this means ULSD is becoming common in Latin America, and may not be the issue it once was.

 

[casioqv]

For the long distance remote crossings I like to make (i.e. world's most remote road video below), I have to carry an insane about of gasoline when the vehicle gets around 11 US mpg.
With my diesel Wrangler I'm getting 22 -25 US MPG.

I'm skeptical you're getting anything close to that in any vehicle in remote places that presumably involve a lot of creeping slowly in low range over rough terrain.

To me that's where a modern diesel really shines- I never average under ~10mpg in my diesel VW Touareg even on the roughest offroad trails creeping at sub walking speeds, and it has a 26.4 gallon tank. 10mpg is phenomenal in those conditions, and means these diesel vehicles can easily get remote places without any spare fuel, that you could only access with a vehicle full of jerry cans (e.g. no room for other gear/supplies) using a gasoline vehicle.

 

[kmcintyre]

I was recently in the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico, and saw modern diesels everywhere- much much more than in the USA. Lots of cool European 4x4s we don't get in the USA like the VW Amarok 3.0 TDI. I wonder/suspect this means ULSD is becoming common in Latin America, and may not be the issue it once was.

Having just got back too from Baja, ULSD is difficult to find (or it's not listed or it's just everywhere) but the Mexican government has postponed the mandate many times. Having said that, I found a few stations that consistently had ULSD all the way down to the Cabo area. I'm sure at times I didn't get ULSD and had no issues but I tried to find stations that had it. Some of the stations had it listed on their signs, others you had to check the pump.

 

[gnel]

Having just got back too from Baja, ULSD is difficult to find (or it's not listed or it's just everywhere) but the Mexican government has postponed the mandate many times. Having said that, I found a few stations that consistently had ULSD all the way down to the Cabo area. I'm sure at times I didn't get ULSD and had no issues but I tried to find stations that had it. Some of the stations had it listed on their signs, others you had to check the pump.

I have found that most all Arco,Mobil, Chevron, Repsol and OXXO gas stations have ulsd. For the rest just look for UBA (ultra bajo azufre) on their signs.

 

[casioqv]

Having just got back too from Baja, ULSD is difficult to find (or it's not listed or it's just everywhere) but the Mexican government has postponed the mandate many times. Having said that, I found a few stations that consistently had ULSD all the way down to the Cabo area. I'm sure at times I didn't get ULSD and had no issues but I tried to find stations that had it. Some of the stations had it listed on their signs, others you had to check the pump.

Did you end up finding any ULSD on the east coast of Baja along BC5 or along BC1 between El Rosario and El Rosarito? Thinking about towing a sailboat down to sail on the Sea of Cortez with my diesel Touareg, but wondering if there's much chance of finding a put-in where I can refuel the tow vehicle.

 

[charlieaarons]

I was recently in the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico, and saw modern diesels everywhere- much much more than in the USA. Lots of cool European 4x4s we don't get in the USA like the VW Amarok 3.0 TDI. I wonder/suspect this means ULSD is becoming common in Latin America, and may not be the issue it once was.

Many non USA mfgs of both diesel cars and trucks make 2 engine versions: latest emission controlled (Euro 6/VI), and latest version not needing any sulfur restriction (3/III). The latter can use high SAPS lube oils to neutralize H2SO4.

 

[gnel]

Did you end up finding any ULSD on the east coast of Baja along BC5 or along BC1 between El Rosario and El Rosarito? Thinking about towing a sailboat down to sail on the Sea of Cortez with my diesel Touareg, but wondering if there's much chance of finding a put-in where I can refuel the tow vehicle.

I'll chime in here. Most all places close to the border have ulsd.For highway 5 There is ulsd in San Felipe at Arco for sure. I´ve bought diesel many times in Gonzaga Bay but I'm not sure if it was ulsd.

Are you asking about Rosarito Beach to El Rosario on highway 1? If yes there is plenty of usld.

Over on "TalkBaja" there are peeps who claim all of Baja is usld since 2022.

I've driven the length of Baja a couple of times a year (since 2014) in my diesel trucks and have never had an issue.

 

[gnel]

Many non USA mfgs of both diesel cars and trucks make 2 engine versions: latest emission controlled (Euro 6/VI), and latest version not needing any sulfur restriction (3/III). The latter can use high SAPS lube oils to neutralize H2SO4.

Many non USA mfgs of both diesel cars and trucks make 2 engine versions: latest emission controlled (Euro 6/VI), and latest version not needing any sulfur restriction (3/III). The latter can use high SAPS lube oils to neutralize H2SO4.

The 3.0 v6 Amarok he mentioned has always been a def vehicle.

 

[kmcintyre]

Did you end up finding any ULSD on the east coast of Baja along BC5 or along BC1 between El Rosario and El Rosarito? Thinking about towing a sailboat down to sail on the Sea of Cortez with my diesel Touareg, but wondering if there's much chance of finding a put-in where I can refuel the tow vehicle.

I don't remember exactly if I found it or not but I had no issues. I suspect I found it. They call it something other than ULSD (ultra bajo azufre or UBA) so look for that on the signs or pump. If you ask a station attendent if it's ULSD, the answer will probably, always be, Si.

 

[kmcintyre]

I'll chime in here. Most all places close to the border have ulsd.For highway 5 There is ulsd in San Felipe at Arco for sure. I´ve bought diesel many times in Gonzaga Bay but I'm not sure if it was ulsd.

Are you asking about Rosarito Beach to El Rosario on highway 1? If yes there is plenty of usld.

Over on "TalkBaja" there are peeps who claim all of Baja is usld since 2022.

I've driven the length of Baja a couple of times a year (since 2014) in my diesel trucks and have never had an issue.

I'd say "all of baja has ULSD" isn't true. I think in BOLA at the bottom of the hill, the station on the left had it... BTW, diesel in Baja is more expensive than in the US.