2500 HD Silverado 6.0 V8

[Jake]

FWIW I've personally towed 7500lbs with the Tundra 5.7 and it was excellent. I'd have no problem pulling that load across the country. Furthermore, it easily out accelerated any of the Diesel HD's with that same load in tow. Our crew cab model had a 10,200lb towing capacity.

Not to mention it costs much less than the HDs, brakes much better, and gets far better fuel economy of even the Diesels.

Jake

[pballance]

A couple of data points for you. A buddy bought an '03 8.1 Crew Cab 2500 2wd this year and I bought an '03 Duramax Crew Cab 2500 4wd. Same bed length on both (6.5&#39

He tows an enclosed 24' tag with a DSR in the back. I tow an 18' open with tire rack/boxes/ and a Z car.

He has some troubles on some of the hills and with aero at interstate speeds. I have no problems with either thanks to the diesel and open trailer. He gets about 8 mpg towing and 12-13 in town. I have seen has high as 18 towing but it is normally around 16 and I get 19-20 in town.

I looked for an 8.1 gas burner but they are few and far between. He paid about 17k for his and I paid 23k for mine. Both had about 80k miles. So about a 6k difference in price.

I think the really good thing with the HD series is the Allison tranny. It is absolutely great. For me it was the deciding factor. If I could have found a gas burner I would have bought it but like was said before they are hard to come by right now.

FWIW, I have 3 F350 duallies that we use at work. All are 2008 and my '03 Chevy will run circles around them. The Ford is good but I still like the chevy tranny. If we could get an Allison tranny with a 7.3 Ford Diesel it would be sweet.

YMMV

[JoshS]

the 8100 is one bad mutha. too bad it's thirstier than a biker in a harley bar on dollar-draw night.
[/b]

No doubt. I have a 3/4-ton Suburban with the 8.1L and 4.10 rear end, which is good for towing 12K lbs as a tag. Most trucks support that much weight only as a gooseneck/5th wheel.

I am averaging, long-term, 11.6 mpg without the trailer, in mixed driving, and 7.8 mpg with the trailer, which is a TPD enclosed triple-axle 24', weighs probably 7500lbs, and has extra height. But yeah, the towing performance is amazing. Prior to this trailer I was towing a 40' aluminum gooseneck with 2 cars, towing with a Chevy Duramax diesel, and let me say that I think that this 8.1L tows every bit as well as that diesel did. Of course, the fuel mileage isn't as good.

Unfortunately to get the 8.1L now, you have to buy used.

[944-spec#94]

Back in 2002 I was looking for a tow vehicle. I wanted diesel, but the cost was too high even used.

I fould a 99 Dodge 2500 with 8.0L V10. I got that for 2/3 the price of a diesel. I love it for towing.

That motor makes 300 hp and 450ft-lbs of torque. Same torque as the diesels of the day and more hp. The motor is very smooth and very quiet. I can find gas anywhere and it is cheaper than diesel. It has the same chassis as a diesel, but with less overall weight. It pulls very well.

The only downside is that it uses gas. 9-10 mpg towing an open trailer with lost of stuff under the contractor shell at 65-75 mph and about 12-13 mpg empty.

[jlucas]

Chris, I've also been looking into 2500HDs (older ones though). The 6 speed automatics on the new trucks will help the fuel economy over the number people have been getting with the prior transmissions.

[mowog]

I have a 2005 Chevy Dually, my significant other has a 2003, both have the 8.1 gas motor and Allison transmission. Although 2 years apart, they are virtually identical . Both of us have 20' trailers we tend to overload, and we both carry lots of stuff in the truck bed (trucks have caps). Gas mileage is between 8 mpg (75+mph) and almost 10 mpg (50-55 mph). We both love them as tow monsters, but otherwise keep them parked as much as possible. They ride very well, and no complaints about brakes. I don't even mind when I have to drive the truck to work - but then it's a large parking lot, so docking it isn't a big deal. I do avoid driving to lunch though - it's that parking thing. This would be less of an issue with SRW and maybe a shorter bed or cab. The only problem I've had is the extending mirrors - they hang up, and alignment issues that have eaten my front tires. Another racer who owns a retail tire business recently advised me to put lots of weight in the back and get it realigned, seems to be a common problem when the vehicle is almost exclusively used for towing something with heavy tongue weight. My other half has had some air conditioner problems and electrical gremlins, all fixed under warranty. We probably average 7000 or more towing miles each year. When I'm ready to buy another tow truck, I'll be buying another Chevy.

[tnord]

The 6 speed automatics on the new trucks will help the fuel economy over the number people have been getting with the prior transmissions.
[/b]

great point. i totally forgot the 6sp were coming out soon. hopefully i can get a couple more years out of mine and then step up to one of those

[x-ring]

... but then it's a large parking lot, so docking it isn't a big deal... [/b]

I almost spit coffee on my screen when I read that. You need to put a warning up before you post something like that, Chris.

I know where you're coming from, though. I tow with an F350 long bed crew cab, and I too leave it at home as much as I can.

[zchris]

I have a 2500HD 6.0 standard cab 2wd standard cab. 8mpg towing a 20' enclosed at 75 mph. The ride is horrible unloaded. They are less expensive than the 1500. I payed 17.6k for mine new in 03. I bought it for the big tranny that went bad in less than 10k miles. Has 65k miles now with no other problems. Tried the Bilstiens to help ride quality. Did not help do anything but lighten my wallet. If I did not need the trailer to double as a garage, I would go back to an open trailer and a 1/2 ton pickup. Much better mileage and a smoother ride. I may consider an garage addition soon.
Chris Howard

[tnord]

I have a 2500HD 6.0 standard cab 2wd standard cab. 8mpg towing a 20' enclosed at 75 mph. The ride is horrible unloaded. They are less expensive than the 1500. I payed 17.6k for mine new in 03. I bought it for the big tranny that went bad in less than 10k miles. Has 65k miles now with no other problems. Tried the Bilstiens to help ride quality. Did not help do anything but lighten my wallet. If I did not need the trailer to double as a garage, I would go back to an open trailer and a 1/2 ton pickup. Much better mileage and a smoother ride. I may consider an garage addition soon.
Chris Howard
[/b]

chris -

would you think the 6.0 in a 1500 would be 'the best of both worlds' option?

[spnkzss]

chris -

would you think the 6.0 in a 1500 would be 'the best of both worlds' option?
[/b]

That is my goal I think. I kicked aroound the idea of the 2500 for quite a while. WOuld love the diesel, but can't justify the extra $7000-$8000 more when I tow 6-8 times a year. I love my '02 Z71 with the 5.3. I actually tow a 20' enclosed that acts as a garage. I don't have too much trouble other then braking with it. I find just stick it in 3rd gear, hit the tow button and maintain 60-65mph and I'm good. 9.5mpg.

[tnord]

i think any gasser towing an enclosed will get 9mpg.

i'm hauling an 18' open with a tire rack and a miata on the deck between 72-75mph on pretty flat land in 4th and get 11mpg. this is assuming there's not much wind though, which hardly ever happens in the Kansas/Nebraska/Iowa region i mostly tow in. 2200-2500rpm range in 4th at 72-75mph seems to be the sweet spot for revs vs wind resistance.

[Beran]

Gas is not good for towing anything more than 3,500lbs - just not going to get any gas mileage.
Diesel is the way to go. A diesel engine is 30% more efficient then the gas one of the same displacement due to the high compression ratio. I purchased an 05 crew cab silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.6 work truck... It has NO options except AC. The sticker was amazing cheap. It turned out that this work truck new was cheaper than most used trucks. Look at the chevy work truck.. they are hard to find but you can find them. (rubber floor etc.)
It tows awesome and I get great gas mileage. Without towing I can get over 19MPG. I have owned 7+ chevy trucks over the years and this motor and tranny combination is amazing. The alison has a "tow" setting and it down shifts to slow you down etc. Best tranny I have ever had.
It is a full size truck so it's bigger then the 1500 but when it comes to towing the full size pays off. Round town its probably bigger then you want. Gas mileage is going to always be 30% better with the diesel.
just my .02

[tnord]

Gas is not good for towing anything more than 3,500lbs - just not going to get any gas mileage.
Diesel is the way to go. A diesel engine is 30% more efficient then the gas one of the same displacement due to the high compression ratio. I purchased an 05 crew cab silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.6 work truck... It has NO options except AC. The sticker was amazing cheap. It turned out that this work truck new was cheaper than most used trucks. Look at the chevy work truck.. they are hard to find but you can find them. (rubber floor etc.)
It tows awesome and I get great gas mileage. Without towing I can get over 19MPG. I have owned 7+ chevy trucks over the years and this motor and tranny combination is amazing. The alison has a "tow" setting and it down shifts to slow you down etc. Best tranny I have ever had.
It is a full size truck so it's bigger then the 1500 but when it comes to towing the full size pays off. Round town its probably bigger then you want. Gas mileage is going to always be 30% better with the diesel.
just my .02
[/b]

at least in my case, my truck does daily duty as well as towing. getting something as bare bones is that isn't too liveable on a daily basis. not to mention many of us can't plop down 20k for something we'll use about 8x/year.

[Rabbit07]

Thanks agian for everyone's comments. I am going to go ahead and buy the truck. I can't see any cons in my case. The fuel economy and HP are better than I have now and the price is right. I did look into the work truck and a new work truck doesn't have the incentives the truck I am going to buy has. I am getting a truck that stickers at close to 30K for 2/3 the cost. If I need more power I'll just have to put a hair dryer on it!

Anyone want a 1996 G30 with 100 K on it? I'll even wash it first

[jlucas]

I love my '02 Z71 with the 5.3. I actually tow a 20' enclosed that acts as a garage. I find just stick it in 3rd gear, hit the tow button and maintain 60-65mph and I'm good. 9.5mpg.
[/b]

Anybody with a 2500HD that can share what their fuel economy is towing an enclosed? (truck year, 2wd/4wd, trailer size, and tow speed are all important to know, thanks)

Getting real close to pulling the trigger on an 04 2500HD, 6.0L, 2wd, work trim grade that my brother in law has for sale. He hasn't used it much for towing at all and he's got an extended warranty.

[zchris]

Jeremy, read post 29.
Chris

[jlucas]

Jeremy, read post 29.
Chris
[/b]

Yup, caught that one. I was hoping for some more reports.

[Rabbit07]

Yup, caught that one. I was hoping for some more reports.
[/b]

Jeremy,

Give me a couple weeks and I'll have some answers for you.

[jlucas]

Yours will be too new.

Couple of reports I've gotten recently:
2004 2500HD extended cab, 6.0, 4wd - 75-80mph towing flatbed with 5000lb Econoline van on it = 10-11mpg
Also 28 ft enclosed same fuel economy, but economy drops to 9-10 if the speed drops to 70-75 (yes, I double checked, evidently above 75 is a sweet spot that keeps the tranny humming along in overdrive and doesn't require much downshifting) Only mod is K&N intake but that had a noticeable fuel economy benefit (almost 1mpg).

Met someone at Barber this weekend who tows a 2 car open trailer with a 2000-2003 generation 2500HD extended cab and said he liked it better than the v10 he had previously but did not track fuel economy.

BTW, I've heard good things over on the gm-truck forum about some ECU tuning that helps with fuel economy.