Probable upgrade time (Karl gots a new truck)

[geektoad]

I can speak to this.
I was a long time advocate of the gas engine, and for the few thousand miles of towing per year, it did fine.

Now, listen...

If you are planning a toy hauler with a 10k GVW, the reality is you are going to overload it. Don't say you won't.

If hills are a lot of your camping plan, the diesel is much less stressful on you at the end of the trip. A tuned 6.0 will spend the bulk of its towing life at 4K

If you can afford it, go diesel. If not, you will be fine brother

I was hoping you would respond

So...define hills. Alaska/Rockies hills? if so, then no. It will be mostly Appalachian nubs out east here.

I guess my question for you would be: if you hadn't upgraded to towing a small mansion and if you didn't do any work related towing...if it was just your old travel trailer and nothing more (at least nothing bigger than that) do you think you would have upgraded from the gasser?

As far as GVW: understood. it will get over loaded for sure, which is why i'm looking to go 3/4 ton rather than try to mod the 1/2 to do the job. at 10k, i've got 3k head room with the 6.0L, I hope that would be enough.

I can afford the duramax, i just really really don't want to (unless I can get a dealer to nosedive on a '16, now that it's known that the 17s are going to have a new dmax config).

Since your one of the few i know that has real experience with both trucks:

everyone likes to bring up "extra maintenance costs" on the Dmax as a con...so yeah, it takes more oil, big deal. it requires DEF...anything else that's really a concern specific to the diesel?

and of least concern to me, but still a curiosity: fuel mileage. did you tow the previous travel trailer with both the gas and the dmax? how did they do?

finally, what had you done to the 6.0 for mods, what have you done to the dmax?

thanks!

 

[PenguinLTZ]

It was a 10k trailer loaded, and I towed it with both trucks. Night and day is the only way I can put it. The Allison/ engine brake combo made the braking completely uneventful

My 2500 gassers were good trucks, don't get me wrong, but there is something to be said for climbing a 6% grade for 3 miles and never coming out of overdrive towing a travel trailer

In the hills is where the diesel shines, the turbo never runs out of air

Fuel mileage? Twice the gasser unloaded, nearly. I have 27K on it with a 14.9 average. Speed is the killer of mileage. My 5th wheel weighs 14K most of the time and I get 13 if I keep at 60. My gasser got 6 pulling 9-10k at 55

Gasser was only BB tuned, exhaust and intake. Diesel is stock.
I daily drive it without issue. Maintenance and DEF is not a concern, at least for me. I am old, my comfort now has more value than it used to. Today's modern diesel pickups are a no brainier to own. All the DPF nightmares you hear about are in the past. Will I remove it when the warranty runs out? Probably. I have sold probably a half million dollars worth of them since inception, so it still makes me wary of a turbo failure, etc

 

[66nova]

While I don't have a 2500hd (my old man does with a dirtymax) i do have a supercharged 6.0 with a 4L80, headers, exhaust and a BB tune. If I was going to buy today based on towing 8,000ish lbs I would buy a duramax twice.


I love my truck. It runs like a raped ape for what it is. When I hook a trailer up, I would take my dads truck any day of the weeks and holidays.

When I pull the trigger on the next one, if it's a truck and not an SUV it will most likely have a diesel. The upfront cost will be mostly made up in three ways.

1. Mileage
2. Enjoyment factor while towing
3. Resale

 

[geektoad]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys, i really appreciate it

 

[Black02Silverado]

I say go with the 6.0 unless you are planning on towing more than a few times a year.

I'd love to have a Dmax but man that extra cost just is hard to accept.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

I am checking to see pics of your new Duramax

 

[Darkanion]

 

[Black02Silverado]

Should we start a wheel thread?

 

[geektoad]

Should we start a wheel thread?

Probably.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

Haha congrats!