Need a tow vehicle...

[TheJDMan]

I also have an 07 Silverado Classic Duramax/Allison EC SB. I have a 20' enclosed trailer and I can tell you that trailer was scarey behind my old 1500 but I can't even tell it is behind the Duramax. I recommend you go diesel, you will not regret it.

[Vinz68]

I bought a new silverado 1500 crew cab with a 5.3 in 07 sold it 10 months later and bought a 08 GMC Duramax 2500hd crew cab short bed. The duramax is the best truck I'v ever owned!!!!!! I tow all kinds of stuff with it and its awesome!! Get a Diesel you won't regret it

[Blown73]

If you can afford it, duramax is the way to go if you plan on towing. Keep in mind though, they are more expensive to insure, register, operate, and maintain. If you are only towing a few times a year, a 2500 w/6.0 Gas is not a bad option.

If a duramax is out of your budget, look at the Superduty trucks with the powerstroke. I am on my 2nd diesel and love them. Lots of power, good economy, and is a comfortable ride even though it is lifted. And you are probably 2/3 the cost of a duramax.

Just my .02.

[vintageracer]

Given the price difference when purchasing the truck new or used, given the price difference purchasing fuel and given the price difference for maintainance/service the ONLY way to justify the purchase of Duramax diesel over a 6.0 gas LS engine is to DRIVE the truck over 200,000 miles just to BREAK EVEN on the purchase.

EVERYONE says they will keep their truck and drive it until the wheels fall off however the reality is they do not. Most guys who buy a diesel truck have NO NEED for a diesel engine since all they do is ride around and MAYBE pull a trailer once a month but it sure is cool to have a diesel truck.The cost difference between a larger displacement gas engine truck and the diesel engine truck from any of the Big 3 is between $8K-$10K new and $4K-$6K for any late model used truck. Given the price difference in fuel and maintainence you will never drive out the cost difference when purchasing your "New To You" truck.

A larger displacement gas engine like a 6.0 GM (3/4 or 1 ton) engine truck will PULL & STOP just as good as any Duramax diesel (3/4 or 1 Ton) truck with an enclosed trailer. The same is true with Ford and Dodge. Yes a diesel is COOL however it makes absolutely NO SENSE from a DOLLARS & CENTS, Pulling, Stopping and Safety perspective for the average enthusiast to even consider buying a new or used late model diesel truck!

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A GAS TRUCK!

[parsonsj]

Given the price difference when purchasing the truck new or used, given the price difference purchasing fuel and given the price difference for maintainance/service the ONLY way to justify the purchase of Duramax diesel over a 6.0 gas LS engine is to DRIVE the truck over 200,000 miles just to BREAK EVEN on the purchase.

I think you left out that the Duramax will be more valuable at trade-in or sell time, and are discounting the quality/peace of mind a diesel brings to the towing experience.

[shortrack]

Given the price difference when purchasing the truck new or used, given the price difference purchasing fuel and given the price difference for maintainance/service the ONLY way to justify the purchase of Duramax diesel over a 6.0 gas LS engine is to DRIVE the truck over 200,000 miles just to BREAK EVEN on the purchase.

EVERYONE says they will keep their truck and drive it until the wheels fall off however the reality is they do not. Most guys who buy a diesel truck have NO NEED for a diesel engine since all they do is ride around and MAYBE pull a trailer once a month but it sure is cool to have a diesel truck.The cost difference between a larger displacement gas engine truck and the diesel engine truck from any of the Big 3 is between $8K-$10K new and $4K-$6K for any late model truck. Given the price difference in fuel and maintainence you will never drive out the cost difference when purchasing your "New To You" truck.

A larger displacement gas engine like a 6.0 GM (3/4 or 1 ton) engine truck will PULL & STOP just as good as any Duramax diesel (3/4 or 1 Ton) truck with an enclosed trailer. The same is true with Ford and Dodge. Yes a diesel is COOL however it makes absolutely NO SENSE from a DOLLARS & CENTS, Pulling, Stopping and Safety perspective for the average enthusiast to even consider buying a new or used late model diesel truck!

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A GAS TRUCK!

Right on the money!

I cant believe nobody has asked the obvious first question....is the truck going to be your daily driver???.....how many miles a week are you going to put on the truck????....it all falls in to place after that

[SicMonte]

I am trading in my daily driver(HHR) to get this truck. I have a company vehicle for during the week so the "new to me" truck will be used on the weekends and for towing the monte to different events.

[olason]

Get a Duramax if you can, I grew up on a farm and people have mixed views. Any Duramax owner will not trade their's for a different build of diesel. My dad has 247k miles on his 2002 and he has had injectors go bad under warranty, other than that nothing but normal wear and tear on it. Sees a lot of gravel and fields, and pulling fuel trailer or header trailers, etc.

[Off Duty]

I know I know...trailers are for boats. I get it. I just like the security of knowing that if I do break down then my a$$ is covered!!

That being said I am in the market for a truck. I am a chevy guy so I am looking at a 1500 or 2500. It needs to be 4x4 and that is my only need. This opens up the discussion as to what model to get?? Gas vs Diesel...Crew cab vs Ext cab....long bed vs short bed vs the "bath tub" 5.5 bed.

What do you all have and just give me some of the pros and cons as to what you have.

Thanks!!

There's a lot to be said for trailering, especially to shows and events.
Less maintenance, easier to keep clean, yada yada yada.

As for the rig, they all have their pros and cons.

The engine configuration IMO, would depend more on what (weight) you tow, and where?
If you're going to tow heavy, think 5th wheel, large toy hauler, etc., or spend a lot of time running up and down mountain passes (it's the "up" part that sucks!), then i'd go diesel without thinking about it twice.

For just towing a standard hot rod around, especially of you stay out of the mountains, the gasser should do you well also.
Don't misunderstand, both can do the job, but you'll notice the power loss if the gasser in the passes and under heavy load.

In general you'll get better fuel economy, more torque, and longer life from a diesel rig over a similarly equipped gasser.

As for the number of doors, again it all depends on your needs.
If you're going to be hauling a family, crew or friends, you'll want more doors

With the Gm lineup, in diesel, you're pretty well limited to the duramax crew cab for new vehicles.
There's always the older rigs though, the old MIL-Spec blazers and crews, and a ton of Government vehicles coming off the line. They're usually in pretty decent condition, and you can get them cheap.
The diesel Suburban's are roomy, pull/haul well, and have a lot of creature comforts. With the IFS 4wd, while not the best for any serious off roading, they're great on the road, in the sand and at the boat ramp.

If you weren't a Chevy guy, I'd suggest the MEGA CAB from Dodge.
It's probably the largest of the "crew type" cabs under the 650, on the market.
Very comfortable and with the Cummins diesel, "should" give you a lot of trouble free driving.

If you have need to haul more than 5 adults including the driver, I'd consider an older 7.3 Excursion.
Its a workhorse of an engine with huge reliability, and the "bus" can haul 8-9 people with ease.
If you want to stay GM, there's the older diesel "Burbs" as well, 80's models, and the newer, very nice riding Suburbans. But remember, the new ones are gassers.

Gas vs. Diesel?
Eh, it's tit for tat for the reasons given above.
Diesels are a bit more maintenance intensive and less forgiving (again IMO) when neglected.
In the dead of winter, the gasser can usually be fired right up without issue as long as the batteries are still charged.
the diesel usually requires some prep for the colder climates.

Hope some of this babble helped?

[shortrack]

I am trading in my daily driver(HHR) to get this truck. I have a company vehicle for during the week so the "new to me" truck will be used on the weekends and for towing the monte to different events.

IMO the 6L gas is the way to go for you.....a bit hard on fuel but your company car is your DD

Diesel's are nice but its insane to own any modern diesel truck out of warranty....so one with a warranty would be an expensive truck just to drive on weekends......an injector change or injector pump repair cost can easily top 5 g's for a single repair on a diesel.....for that you could buy an entire new 6L longblock and have a new engine!.....everything is great on a diesel till something goes wrong then look out.

your in the same "boat" as me with a company vehicle for a DD....I have an 01 2500HD quad cab with the 496 gas for towing my 9500lb boat....tows like a bear, I love it.....it sits for weeks/months at a time and I go out and just turn the key and go....in general diesels dont like to sit for long periods of time.....been there....the 496 gas mi doesnt change much loaded or unloaded the 6L gets noticeably better mil unloaded

If your going to spend money spend it on the quad cab.....If you have a wife and kids overall more practical than the standards or ex cabs....

If you do go diesel the Dmax is the only way to go...the 6.5/6.2 cant pull worth a damn.

[vintageracer]

I think you are discounting the quality/peace of mind a diesel brings to the towing experience.

I am curious as to the "quaility/peace of mind" a diesel brings to the towing experience. Both a 3/4 or 1 ton gas or diesel truck will SAFELY pull, stop and ride him down the road in comfort all while pulling his ONE car enclosed trailer with his car inside.

Did I miss some type of ZEN experience the last time I drove my 17 year old diesel truck pulling one of my trailers?

[parsonsj]

Did I miss some type of ZEN experience the last time I drove my 17 year old diesel truck pulling one of my trailers?

Who said ZEN?

Let me clarify what I meant...

Quality/peace of mind that a diesel truck brings to the towing experience:
1. More torque to pull up mountains without needing 4000+ rpm.
2. More torque to get up to speed faster when pulling onto the highway.
3. Fewer fuel stops due to the 80% increase in fuel mileage while towing.
4. Reduced stress on the drivetrain (think Allison) due to the beefier nature of the rest of the powertrain.

It's just another way of saying that diesel trucks are available from GM/Ford/Chrysler precisely because they are better at towing, and that has value that wasn't in your original argument. They have higher resale too, for the same reasons, and that wasn't in your original argument either.

[andrewb70]

As always, another perfect example of "subjective value." :-)

Andrew

[vintageracer]

All that is fine but STILL takes over 200,000 miles or more of driving and YEARS of time driving a diesel truck for anyone just break even from a monetary standpoint to even think about the added up front expense of a diesel engine. And INCLUDES the diesel engine truck being worth more used at trade in time!

The fact of the matter is still the same that you still get there in same Safety and comfort with a gas truck versus a diesel truck for a lot less money! REMEMBER the thread starter is only pulling a one car enclosed trailer every now and then. It VERY hard to overcome the $0.50+ per gallon difference in fuel cost AND the outrageous upfront extra cost for the diesel engine. It takes time and lot's of miles to do that. Far more miles that most anyone drives any single vehicle they own must less a pickup truck!

[parsonsj]

another perfect example of "subjective value."

I'm not familiar with that term. It that the marketing term for "some value it more than others"?

[TheJDMan]

I am curious as to the "quaility/peace of mind" a diesel brings to the towing experience. Both a 3/4 or 1 ton gas or diesel truck will SAFELY pull, stop and ride him down the road in comfort all while pulling his ONE car enclosed trailer with his car inside.

Did I miss some type of ZEN experience the last time I drove my 17 year old diesel truck pulling one of my trailers?

Engine braking! The gas engine has none, neither does your 17 year old diesel. By comparison, a 2012 3500HD Duramax can maintain a steady speed on a 6% downgrade with a 19,000# trailer on the hitch with no braking. Here is a recent comparison test nick named "King of the Hill" done by Diesel Power Magazine which compared the big three diesel pickups.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur...h/viewall.html

BTW, your 17 year old diesel just proves the point of diesel longevity. However, your 17 year old diesel is no comparison performance wise to the moden diesels currently on the market.

Here is an excerpt from an earlier "King of the Hill" shootout done by Diesel Power Mag.

"The exhaust brake test brought out similar success for the Duramax and Allison combo. As we began our downhill run, the Ford descended the western slope well but required an average of 14 applications of the truck's brake pedal to hold the vehicle speed between 50 and 60 mph. The exhaust brake was clearly working, but the nearly 28,000 pounds (with four people in the truck) was more than the Ford could control without driver input.

The Chevy, on the other hand, crested the top of the hill feeling like a totally different kind of vehicle. Just by the exhaust noise we could tell the Duramax's Garrett turbo offered far more exhaust braking than the Garrett unit the Power Stroke uses. Going downhill in the Chevy, the driver had far less work to do. While the Super Duty managed the load by hitting the brakes 14 times, the Chevy only required 1 brake application for the entire 8-mile downhill run. While the difference in hillclimbing between the Chevy and the Ford is impressive, the exhaust braking advantage of the Silverado is staggering.
Exhaust Brake Test Winner: Chevrolet Silverado 3500"



Read more: http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur...#ixzz1eBsaibTv

[shortrack]

Engine braking! The gas engine has none, neither does your 17 year old diesel. By comparison, a 2012 3500HD Duramax can maintain a steady speed on a 6% downgrade with a 19,000# trailer on the hitch with no braking. Here is a recent comparison test nick named "King of the Hill" done by Diesel Power Magazine which compared the big three diesel pickups.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur...h/viewall.html

BTW, your 17 year old diesel just proves the point of diesel longevity. However, your 17 year old diesel is no comparison performance wise to the moden diesels currently on the market.

so you suggest the OP buys a $60000+ truck to pull a single car trailer on weekends to get the latest technology????

were trying to give realistic suggestions.....

[vintageracer]

so you suggest the OP buys a $60000+ truck to pull a single car trailer on weekends to get the latest technology????

Apprently So!

[TheJDMan]

What I'm saying is that once you own a diesel, even the big displacement gas engines feel like toys.

[parsonsj]

Steve and I are saying that a diesel provides a better towing experience for a variety of reasons, several of which can't be quantified by purchase price, or maintenance or fuel costs, but do provide value. And so far, nobody has acknowledged that a diesel truck is worth more at trade-in than one with a gasoline engine. It's important to factor those elements when making purchases. Otherwise, you'll be making a decision without considering all the variables.

But anyway, to the OP, have we helped?