tow vehicle
11-27-2010, 04:22 PM
#1
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tow vehicle do you guys think that the 2010/2011 chevy 1500 silverodo is a strong enuff truck to pull a 8000 pound trailer with a car in it.need somthing to pull to possibly up to 500 to 1000 mile trips.may be buying a truck this comeing summer.
11-27-2010, 04:42 PM
#5
That's kool man I bet you could find something used and save a little money. But a halfton can handle that weight but if MPG isn't a big deal I would look at a 2500 model gas or diesel. I would go with a Duramax I've had one and loved it never had problems with it pulled damn good as so do the 6.0's and 8.1's but there the older models that you don't like. Are you thinking of a four wheel drive or just going with a two wheel drive it just depends on were you plan on going and what time of the year and your area as well.
11-27-2010, 05:16 PM
#7
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I dislike diesels also, once you drive one with a load, youll never go back. A 2500 hd(what i just got rid of) will downshift from 3rd to 4th a lot, get terrible mileage(like 8) A gas motor only makes a certain hp at a certain rpm, a diesel makes boost and will make from nothing to damn near full TQ at any rpm. Its nice to set the cruise at 80 with a 12000 pound camper behind it and go up and down the hills in south Texas without dowshifting at all. I also dont have to watch the trans temp anymore. Way more power, and better mileage.
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11-27-2010, 05:56 PM
#8
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Ive towed with both, and if this is strictly a tow/errand truck do yourself a favor and get the diesel or get used to manually shifting an auto everytime you get a change in road pitch with a gas engine :/
11-27-2010, 08:21 PM
#9
That many miles and an 8000 lbs trailer isn't a good idea for a gas 1500. Your best bet and it will pay you back in millage to get a D-maxx. Any gas isn't going to get much better then 12 and probably less. The diesel should get near 20 trailer or not.
If you can only afford a 1500 then an over sized trans cooler is an absolute must.
I have to say you are crazy because the new trucks are butt ugly in my opinion and the everything before is way better looking.
If you can only afford a 1500 then an over sized trans cooler is an absolute must.
I have to say you are crazy because the new trucks are butt ugly in my opinion and the everything before is way better looking.
11-27-2010, 08:23 PM
#10
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I have a 2009 2500HD with the 6.0L. I wish i would have saved for a few more months and get the diesel.
I get 10 MPG around town and with a trailer.
A 1500 will never last pulling that trailer. Even with 4:56 gears.
Heres my truck.
I get 10 MPG around town and with a trailer.
A 1500 will never last pulling that trailer. Even with 4:56 gears.
Heres my truck.
11-27-2010, 08:49 PM
#11
Get a 2500HD, doesnt matter whether gas or diesel at an 8000 lb trailer..... but the brakes are worlds better, and the trailer wont push you around as much. I tow a 40' 5th wheel two car trailer behind a 2500 hd with a 6.0 and a 5 speed manual... Mileage isnt that bad, unless I have two cars on it (18,500+ gcvw)
11-27-2010, 09:19 PM
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i think im leaning towerds a 2500.i realy dont know how often ill be going on long travels but all i know is i want to go to the next lsx shoot out. but got to get the car done first.
11-27-2010, 11:35 PM
#14
like everyone said, get a duramax. If you don't like noisy engines, the good news is the duramax is about the quietest diesel out there. Once you go duramax you'll be realy thankful. 2500 HD would be a great truck to daily drive and use for towing.
11-28-2010, 07:19 AM
#15
I just went thru this about 2 years ago... so here's my input:
I had a 1/2 ton ram (I have had VERY good luck with dodge truck over the last 10 years, everyone has their preferance) with the 4.7 motor. My old open car trailer (1700 lbs empty) and the car (3075 without driver) and probably 100 lbs of tools, fuel, nitrous bottles, etc in the bed, and 2 guys in the cab, was about all that truck wanted to do. Granted a hemi would have been alot better I'm sure... but the one thing that I learned, is that the truck itself, suspension wise, load carrying ability, was not happy.
january of 2009 I bought a 2500HD ram with the 6.7 cummins. This thing is like driving a bulldozer LOL. I test drove a ford, dodge and chevy before I bought it, the ford interior was by FAR the best one out of all of the trucks I looked at, but power wise, that 6.4 was terrible. The chevy with the dmax had good power, interior was o.k. but I didnt' like how the truck felt, the thing did not have the solid feel that the dodge and ford had. The dodge, power wise I think was comparable to the chevy, a TON better then the ford for sure, interior, I am farmiliar with as it changes a little but not night and day from year to year, ride was stiff, but it felt SOLID, like the thing was built with ALOT of steel.
So far with my experience, the truck towing, does NOT CARE what is on the back of it period. It does NOT shift, just locks up and goes, and with the tow/haul mode and teh diesel exhaust brake, the thing slows itself down REALLY GOOD with both no load and with the trailer on the back of the truck, brake pad life is gonna be good with this truck, that I'm 100% on. Fuel mileage, I'm seeing usually around 15 around town, on the highway if you set the cruise or manually keep it at about 70 I have seen it get up into the high 19 range and hold there. With the trailer on, towing from tennessee to CT when I brought it home the trick got about 13 to 13.5 depending on what state and how many hills we saw.. I wouldn't expect much more then 12 to 13 loaded with everything in the trailer.
Granted, I haven't done anything to the truck, it has all the new 2008 mandated emmissions crap, it can be deleted, but to do that you have to use a tuner, void the 300K warrenty on the motor, and put it back to stock every other year here in CT to get it thru emmissions.... I haven't had any emmissions related probelms with it, and I think as long as you drive it hard enough, you won't have any. I know there's a good 2 to 4 mpg better mileage with it all off... I just don't want the headache of putting it all back every other year. The new chevy's and new ford's also have all that crap on them, and would be the same deal, have to put it back to stock every other year if you have emmissions to deal with. The comptuer's, are now pretty tight (can't really crack them like you used to be able to) so it's not something you can just trick as easy as you could in the past. Plus, they all save a log now with ever change you make, so if you do something, the dealer will be able to tell, if you try to warrenty something.
Hope this helps.
I had a 1/2 ton ram (I have had VERY good luck with dodge truck over the last 10 years, everyone has their preferance) with the 4.7 motor. My old open car trailer (1700 lbs empty) and the car (3075 without driver) and probably 100 lbs of tools, fuel, nitrous bottles, etc in the bed, and 2 guys in the cab, was about all that truck wanted to do. Granted a hemi would have been alot better I'm sure... but the one thing that I learned, is that the truck itself, suspension wise, load carrying ability, was not happy.
january of 2009 I bought a 2500HD ram with the 6.7 cummins. This thing is like driving a bulldozer LOL. I test drove a ford, dodge and chevy before I bought it, the ford interior was by FAR the best one out of all of the trucks I looked at, but power wise, that 6.4 was terrible. The chevy with the dmax had good power, interior was o.k. but I didnt' like how the truck felt, the thing did not have the solid feel that the dodge and ford had. The dodge, power wise I think was comparable to the chevy, a TON better then the ford for sure, interior, I am farmiliar with as it changes a little but not night and day from year to year, ride was stiff, but it felt SOLID, like the thing was built with ALOT of steel.
So far with my experience, the truck towing, does NOT CARE what is on the back of it period. It does NOT shift, just locks up and goes, and with the tow/haul mode and teh diesel exhaust brake, the thing slows itself down REALLY GOOD with both no load and with the trailer on the back of the truck, brake pad life is gonna be good with this truck, that I'm 100% on. Fuel mileage, I'm seeing usually around 15 around town, on the highway if you set the cruise or manually keep it at about 70 I have seen it get up into the high 19 range and hold there. With the trailer on, towing from tennessee to CT when I brought it home the trick got about 13 to 13.5 depending on what state and how many hills we saw.. I wouldn't expect much more then 12 to 13 loaded with everything in the trailer.
Granted, I haven't done anything to the truck, it has all the new 2008 mandated emmissions crap, it can be deleted, but to do that you have to use a tuner, void the 300K warrenty on the motor, and put it back to stock every other year here in CT to get it thru emmissions.... I haven't had any emmissions related probelms with it, and I think as long as you drive it hard enough, you won't have any. I know there's a good 2 to 4 mpg better mileage with it all off... I just don't want the headache of putting it all back every other year. The new chevy's and new ford's also have all that crap on them, and would be the same deal, have to put it back to stock every other year if you have emmissions to deal with. The comptuer's, are now pretty tight (can't really crack them like you used to be able to) so it's not something you can just trick as easy as you could in the past. Plus, they all save a log now with ever change you make, so if you do something, the dealer will be able to tell, if you try to warrenty something.
Hope this helps.
11-28-2010, 07:52 AM
#16
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I have a 03 2500 hd 6.0 auto gas and they pull great and less mainteance cost than the diesel. Fuel cost around here regular gas is 30-40 cents less that diesel and my truck will pull 12-14k fairly easily. The most I have grossed with it was 22k (16k on trailer) and power wise was fair but more than the chassis / tires /brakes wanted
11-28-2010, 08:04 AM
#17
I haven't found the maintenance cost of my diesel to be that bad. Oil gets done every 5000 rather then 3000, yeah it's 12 qts instead of the 7 a hemi holds, filter is a buck or so more, overall the oil change isn't too much different. Fuel filter, every 12000 miles... that's a little $, but other then that the maintenance (once a year I bring it into the dealer, and they do every fluid in the truck, tranny, diff's, transfer case, check the coolant) and the bill was withing a hundred of my old truck. I do that, just so if there is ever a warrenty problem, I have redord of maintenance being done. That, and it's probably a good idea anyway.
11-28-2010, 08:45 AM
#18
How do you get gas mileage out of a diesel? Just giving you crap because FUEL millage is a big petpieve of mine.
11-28-2010, 09:51 AM
#19
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Get a 2500HD, doesnt matter whether gas or diesel at an 8000 lb trailer..... but the brakes are worlds better, and the trailer wont push you around as much. I tow a 40' 5th wheel two car trailer behind a 2500 hd with a 6.0 and a 5 speed manual... Mileage isnt that bad, unless I have two cars on it (18,500+ gcvw)
11-28-2010, 11:35 AM
#20