intheburbs

This is a perfect example of what I would buy for $10k - sorry for the FB marketplace link 2004, 2500, 8.1, 114k miles, fully optioned-out, $9500 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1716439075226122/ I bought my 2008 2500 with 106k miles. I drove it to 200k miles over a period of 7 years for a TOTAL of about $300 in repairs, and of course the cost of fluid changes. The 3/4-ton trucks are going to be MUCH more durable than the half-tons. My 2009 Sierra Denali is already a money pit at 130k miles - front diff, suspension, front axle half-shafts, brakes, etc. - I'd be petrified of what it'll be like at 250k.

Well, the front diff is really expensive to replace. It's unique to the Denalis. Ask me how I know, and it happened at a lot less than 250k. At 250k, a lot of other major components are going to need replacing, if not now, soon - suspension, steering, hubs/bearings, etc. A friend's son recently bought a 2011 Suburban with 156k miles for $10k. He's already thrown another $4k in repairs into it, and is still chasing a low oil pressure problem. Lastly, the 6.2 is an aluminum-blocked hot-rod motor, not an HD motor like the cast-iron 6.0 in the 2500 Suburbans. Now is not the time to be buying a used vehicle. But if it was me, given a $10k budget, I'd be looking older with fewer miles, even GMT800, maybe 2004-2006. Just my $.02

My Denali, I do every 50k. Easy to remember. I don't tow with it, but I do drive it kinda hard. Power corrupts. ? My Suburban, if I'm towing with it a lot, I've done it as frequently as every 30k. I basically check the fluid every few fuel fills, letting it drip onto a clean, white piece of paper towel. Still pinkish red, still smells detergenty? GTG Brown and sorta burned smelling? Time to flush. My '01 has 275k hard miles on it, still the original 4L60E, despite blowing up three rear ends because I was towing really heavy stuff. A friend now owns it. The '08 2500 has 205k, all original, and still runs flawlessly. The Denali has 125k, also the original trans, though I just had to replace the front diff.

I do flushes. Have never had transmission issues on 3 trucks, totaling 600,000 miles. It's the only time I bring them to a dealership.

75W-90 synthetic, no modifier needed. The G80 doesn't utilize clutch packs the way a standard limited-slip does. You don't have to worry about clutch chatter.

Well, the front diff in my '09 Sierra Denali ****** the bed earlier this year, just shy of 120k miles. The AWD front diff is MUCH more expensive than a regular 4WD diff. Best I was able to find was a used diff with 70k miles, $1800. Add another $400-$500 for labor if you don't do it yourself. I'm super-****** about changing fluids, the front diff fluid was changed at 100k, by a Chevy Dealer. ETA: Geez, they got the censor dialed up pretty high on this site. Didn't like the "s" word, and even didn't like word that's the first four letters of "analysis."

Bilstein 4600s. Search on any rv-type forum. Hands-down, the best shocks for towing. Made a huge difference on my Suburban 2500.

The weakest link in the half-ton trucks, IMHO, is the rear axle. Weak semifloater, that doesn't handle the combination of speed, weight and heat well. My '01 half-ton Suburban has its original engine and transmission with 275k miles on it, but is wearing rear axle number four - precisely because of towing heavy. That's the main reason I upgraded to the 2500. 7,000 is a lot for a half-ton. I'd look into a rear diff cover, aluminum, with extra cooling fins. Maybe even one that would increase the fluid capacity. And change your fluids more frequently when towing, specifically rear axle and transmission.

Not sure what you're asking. Your truck doesn't have a center differential, so when you're engaged in 4wd it's going to resist tight turns, even on grass or sand. That's normal behavior. With regards to the 2wd light on the switch, perhaps there's a problem with the switch itself?

The only time my two trucks cast a shadow on dealer service bay floors is for a trans flush. I do it on both, religiously, every 50k miles. Suburban just rolled 200k miles, still runs perfectly and is all-original.

I think you need to find a better body shop. As a father of three college-age kids, I have a little bit of experience with body shops from the past 5-6 years. The shop I use has what seems to be a color-matching camera. They place it on the body panels adjacent to the ones to be replaced/repainted, and it matches the color perfectly. They've done four of my vehicles - white, red, blue and black - varying years from 2001 to 2015, and the paint has been matched perfectly every time.

I've logged tens of thousands of miles, towing right at max GCWR, a lot of it in the Rockies, and have never, once, experienced anything that would make me doubt using anything but 87 octane (or 85 in higher elevations like CO). That includes situations where I have the pedal pressed to the floor, in second gear, engine at 4000 RPM, climbing 5% or even 7% grades, over a stretch of 8 or 10 miles (Eisenhower Tunnel approaches). Waste of money, IMHO. If your engine is pinging on regular (assuming it's not a high-compression engine where premium is recommended, like the 6.2 L9H in my Denali), the problem is your engine, not the gas. "Hot" like this? Never pinged once... And is this "heavy" enough?

I tow a 32', 8600-lb trailer with my Suburban 2500. Which, underneath the body, is the same thing as the 1500HD pickups. I've pulled it to Yellowstone, through the Eisenhower Tunnel (elev 11,000'), and to the Grand Canyon. It's done everything I've needed it to do. You'll be fine with that tow vehicle. My rig:

2500 is always better than 1500. Heavier-duty components, more durable. As long as you can confirm it wasn't abused and always towing big, heavy stuff, a 2500 will serve you well. I have a 2008 Suburban 2500 that just rolled 200k miles - it's all original and runs perfectly. My 1500 became quite a money pit once I rolled 150k.

I don't mess with the A/C belt until it breaks. Too much of a PITA. I can live without A/C. Serpentine replacement is cheap insurance. Instead of just blindly replacing the tension/idler pulley, check it while the belt is off. Do they spin tightly, make any noise, or feel crunchy as they spin? If they feel tight and smooth, leave them alone and put on the new belt and call it done.