Posted 2013-04-01 11:24 AM (#151024) Subject: Truck
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Wis.
Looking for opinions on a truck we are looking at purchasing. I haul a 3 horse Exiss XT306 MT with lq finished. Looking at purchasing a 2007 GMC Sierra 2500 HD 4x4, crew cab, reg. box, with the gas 6.0 gas motor. They have told me it has a 14,000 capacity for pulling and it seems like it has plenty of go in it. I only haul one horse so wondering if anybody else is pulling with this truck and if it has enough motor to handle my trailer. Thanks for any input.
I got a 2010 GMC 2500HD, ext cab, 6.0 gas, 4x4 and to me it's a little doggy in the hills pulling 6000#. It pulls good enough but the engine stays in the upper rpms alot, 4th and 5th gears. Flat ground it does pretty good. Put it in Drive, set cruise and Tow/Haul and let her rip!! I am usually driving a 2001 496/Allison powered 3500HD with 4.10 gears or a 2011 Duramax/Allison 3500HD.
Posted 2013-04-02 7:47 AM (#151047 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Wis.
Thanks for the input. That is exactly what I needed to know, living in WI you always are dealing with hills, and I have two really big ones that I drive frequently and I hate not having any motor to get up them. My deal fell through on this truck, so now rethinking if I really want to go gas route, or bite the bullet and find a diesel. Thanks again.
Posted 2013-04-04 8:38 AM (#151090 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Regular
Posts: 98 Location: MD
It's seems little known by most haulers and truck dealer sales reps but there's good educated people on this forum. It's all a very confusing calculation! I dug in to it myself which I'd recommend to everyone. Trailering weights and measurements add up quickly!
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) minus actual vehicle "Curb Weight" (truck loaded with nothing) = allowable cargo/payload, etc.
For example: F250 6.2L SuperCab newer models (CrewCab Curb wt would be more) - 10,000# GVWR - 6600# Curb Wt = 3400# which is where Ford gets their payload rating for that model. You add 600#'s of people and gear, the actual allowable is 2800#'s of which pin weight could occupy 1700#'s for a 2H GN weekender.
In the example above, the GCWR is 19,000#'s - 8900# (truck/people/gear/pin wt) and actual towing allowance is 10,100#.
Posted 2013-04-06 10:08 PM (#151128 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Veteran
Posts: 264 Location: Sumas Washington
If you are towing a lot of the time you will not regret buying a truck that is bigger than you think you need. Better than underbuying and feeling unsafe with your load.
Posted 2013-04-12 12:06 PM (#151254 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Wis.
Thanks again for the information, I ended up purchasing a 2010 GMC Sierra 2500 HD, 4x4, crew cab, 6.6 diesel. Now if it would ever quit snowing and raining I can hook up and do something. Thanks again.
Posted 2013-04-12 7:43 PM (#151263 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Regular
Posts: 79 Location: Alberta Canada
You made a good choice in a truck, particularly the DIESEL part. You will never regret the diesel if you pull any amount. Congrats on your new outfit and happy trailering.. bring Spring on...lol
Posted 2013-04-15 5:17 PM (#151325 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Veteran
Posts: 218 Location: Ohio
No one buys a one ton truck to save money. You buy them to pull something. The maint is more but there is absolutely no comparison when it comes to pulling power. JMHO
Posted 2013-04-16 2:21 PM (#151350 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Wis.
I bought it for the pulling and power part, was pulling with a gas 3/4 ton Ford, 5.4, not enough power for the hills in Wisconsin, and I also was getting 7 MPG. I also have blown three plugs out of the motor, so not really excited to stay with the Ford. I will be using it to just pull the trailer and an occasional weekend trip to our cabin, a week trip to Shawnee in the fall so its worth it to me to have a nice truck and dont mind the expense that goes with it. Thanks
Posted 2013-04-16 4:55 PM (#151355 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Veteran
Posts: 218 Location: Ohio
Huh, I wonder how the Chev 8.1 walks away from todays trucks when it has 340 horse power and 455 ft lbs of torque. My F350 has 400 horses and 800 ft lbs of torque. The new 2013 Dodge super duty 3500 beats that. I guess we should not get confused with facts...
Posted 2013-04-17 10:50 AM (#151361 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Member
Posts: 20
well the fact is that just because you put a number on a sheet of paper dont mean that it is the best at pulling a hill, shifting, managing the torque and horsepower. All I know is I pull with at least 4 2011 and newer dodge diesels and none of them get away from me. No one in the group has the new ford so I cant speak for that.
All I know is the big block pulls just as hard with the allison managing the power and torque. but we arent in the flat land like Ohio so maybe the ford is a great flatlander rig.
Posted 2013-04-17 11:26 AM (#151362 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
TKL... I got a 2001 8.1/Allison 3500 dually Chevrolet with 4.10's, a 2010HD 6.0 gas 2500 GMC 6 speed Hyda-matic with 3.73's and a 2011 GMC 3500 dually Duramax/Allison... The 8.1 does pull good, but it won't touch that Duramax on fuel mileage, pulling 15K up Black Mountain, flat ground, down the hill or wherever, so let up on how strong the 8.1 is, it won't pull with todays newer diesel powered pickups. My 8.1 gets 8.8 towing 15K 65 mph, My Duramax gets 11.2 pulling the same load 10 mph faster....
Posted 2013-04-17 2:54 PM (#151364 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
.30 a gallon here more for diesel. Oil change cost the price of three more quarts of Mobil 15/40 1300 Super... The Duramax is actually cheaper to service. I use Mobil 1 10W30 full synthetic in the 496, and 15W40 Mobil 1300 Super in the diesel. We change oil as per the trucks DIC which is around 8000 miles. Where is that $100.00 oil change, want to make sure I don't go there.
Mobil Super 1300 15W40 $12.47 a gallon, takes 10 quarts.
PF-2232 Delco oil filter $9.75.
Allison spin on trans filter $9.79, every 15000 miles.
Tube of chassis grease $2.00
Fuel filter $33.39.... Never changed it yet, still showing 72% capacity left.
Air filter $18.95, change when indicator say so... Maybe at 50000 miles.
So really the only difference in servicing my old 496 power truck and the 2011 Duramax in three quarts of oil and a fuel filter maybe every 30000 miles...
Posted 2013-04-17 3:34 PM (#151366 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
OH!! I had forgotten about the dreaded DEF..... $2.79 a gallon at the pump. $14.00 for a 2.5 gallon jug at Walmart.. Truck uses about 1 gallon every 1000 miles.
Posted 2013-04-17 3:43 PM (#151367 - in reply to #151366) Subject: RE: Truck
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by retento on 2013-04-17 3:34 PM
OH!! I had forgotten about the dreaded DEF..... $2.79 a gallon at the pump. $14.00 for a 2.5 gallon jug at Walmart.. Truck uses about 1 gallon every 1000 miles.
Which makes me like my 2007 and 2008 GMC Duramaxes even more...NO DEF...
Posted 2013-04-17 7:15 PM (#151369 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Veteran
Posts: 218 Location: Ohio
It may be a number on a sheet of paper, but those numbers do mean something. I don't care what combination you put together, doubling the torque from one truck to anther will increase the pulling ability. Physics does work.
As for pulling in Ohio, I suppose that would be a fine point if I drove around the block but if I was only doing that, I wouldn't need a truck. Having pulled from Colorado to Texas and all over the midwest, I will stick with my diesel. But feel free to keep your head in the sand and enjoy your 8.1 chev, oh thats right, thats just a number on a piece of paper.
Posted 2013-04-19 11:46 AM (#151409 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: high desert, CA.
Come to this part of California, and you will hate your gasser. From here it is uphill to all most anywhere, and at many places, over 5% grade for miles.
You cannot beat he torque of the diesel, and the mileage on the highway is so much better. I agree if you only drive/tow 3000 a year, you don't need a diesel, as it won't be far enough to make the difference. Most on here tow/drive in excess of 12,000 a year, and are loaded with horses, hay, water, ETC.
It is not unusual to go from 3000 ft where we live to the Grapevine, and over to Mt Alamo at 6000 ft. Or up the Sierras, at 9-12,000 ft, to ride and camp the high country.
Posted 2013-04-20 1:11 AM (#151429 - in reply to #151024) Subject: RE: Truck
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Southern Oregon
For the past ten years Diesel engines have gone through some major changes to meet environmental requirements. Since there are so many gas motors the technology to make them meet emissions is well developed. Diesels are a much smaller market. Because of the very high compression ratios and the type of fuel they have been big producers of NOX and soot. In an effort to reduce those emissions the efficiency of the trucks have suffered and they have some real maintenance issues. On paper they look pretty good but the reality is that they have some issues. Fuel economy is one, clogged up Diesel Particulate filters, and sooted up turbos is another. The new DEF equipped trucks seem to be much better in this regard with some of the efficiency coming back.
My 2007 Dodge 6.7 liter Cummins has had all the problems mentioned above. Those issues stopped when some equipment accidentally fell off the truck.12
Anyway, diesels are generally preferred over gas rigs when pulling very large loads. I'll pull the same hill as the guy with the 8.1 gas engine and he will not be passing me. I'll also burn less fuel and the economic life of the diesel is much longer. Also, diesels hold their resale much better.
Truck
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