Donstar

Yes, my suggestion was more about getting a professional opinion as to your most viable option. You may find that your current engine may benefit from some love and another component of your truck would benefit more from replacement. After an engine replacement the rest of your powertrain still will have high mileage. I say this from personal negative experience on a previous truck. "Beaters" can be a very expensive luxury. A $300 utility trailer can be equally handy with home renovations. ?

FWIW. - In manual mode the truck will not go into a higher gear than the one you've selected but will continue to automatically shift between the lower gears. I think the term "manual" is misleading.

I have become a little more obsessive over annoyances now that I have the time to follow-up on such issues. My mantra once upon a time was "Don't sweat the small stuff". My truck has run flawlessly but several months ago, a random clunk was causing me concern. It hasn't happened for awhile but I wanted it addressed before my powertrain warranty expired. I had it checked again on Saturday. The tech commented, "no faults seen at this time.". There was no mention of my "clunk" concern on the work order and the inspection was visual. This response was inconsistent with the level of my concern over a potential future major problem. I decided to compose a lengthy note to the service manager and politely express my disappointment over such a cursory investigation into my problem. Well, he must read this forum because the first thing he wants me to do is to bring the truck back for a re-torque of the leaf springs! If I wasn't an avid fan of this forum, I would have thought this to be a bizarre response! Anyway, he assured me if this doesn't help, they'll proceed to the next step. Now, at least, I'm in their sequence of events to eradicate my phantom clunk!

We can't comment if a rebuild is a good idea without more information. Installing a new engine is a major investment and I wouldn't look for a replacement with anywhere near 100k. I would go to a place that specializes in rebuilt engines and get their professional opinion and an estimate. The initial cost will be higher than a DIY but it will include a guarantee, peace of mind and be a whole lot easier!

Our stage in life and having children living in other countries prevented us from having family at our Thanksgiving meal we enjoyed last night. Covid kept friends and neighbors in their own homes. This did not prevent Mrs. Donstar from preparing a Turkey dinner like we were entertaining a full family gathering. Dinner was fabulous and eaten while we sat in our recliners enjoying each other and our memories. I know Thanksgiving is over a month away for most members of this forum but I wish to share my experience. I can honestly tell you, without reservation, that funneling all of the love and effort generally intended for many into each other made for an unforgettably enjoyable and powerfully moving experience. In anticipation of the event your mind tells you that you need to have others at your meal. Your planning is consumed with thoughts of how to make the event special for your guests. Allow yourself the freedom to focus your attention on the one(s) in your home who mean the most. You may surprise yourself with a most unforgettably fabulous event! We did!

I bought my last cell phone about 5 yrs ago and my wife has had good service from her phone for over 10 years. Our internet provider is offering an unbeatable deal on cell service so we decided it was time to upgrade our service and phones. I knew this would be a time consuming task but I'll never get more time than I have now! ? The task had an added variable of us purchasing identical, unlocked phones. I spent an inordinate amount of time researching and sorting through the myriad of available choices. As with everything these days, I'm in no rush! Thursday, we made our decision and were both delighted with our choice. Friday morning I was up at 4:30am personalizing my phone. I went on a quick errand around 9:00am and dropped my brand new phone on the driveway upon my return. The lens shattered and casing was bruised. The height of the drop was from the seat of my truck and the phone was completely covered in the holster I often clip to my belt. (I'm old) I keep thinking of my last phone flying off the back of my motorcycle in this same case without receiving any marks. This happened twice before I changed my habits. I spent so much time making sure we were up to date with technology and I didn't think to compare physical strength between phones. Anyway, a new lens has been ordered by our local cell phone repair shop and heavy duty protective cover is coming from Amazon. It just goes to show you that you can't judge a cover by its book!!! (sorry) Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

My experience with Michelins and snow have all been positive. I have used them exclusively for the past 20 winters. However, I have had no experience with the "Energy Saver" line. I believe the issue is more about tire compound and tread design. We often envision big aggressive lug type tires paddling their way through the snow. When bias ply tires were normal I use to put large deep tread lug tires on the back of my two wheel drives, along with copious amounts of weight in the box. Then I moved up to northern Canada where snow on the ground was more common than not. The locals were driving two wheel drive pickups with unassuming tires. It was from them that I learned deep treads don't mean better snow traction. Look at dedicated winter automotive tires and they don't look any more aggressive than factory tires. Try your factory tires first. You might get a pleasant surprise!

I'm a little early on an oil change but my powertrain expires on Saturday so I went to my dealership to make a service appointment. Normally I'd expect an appointment for the next day or very soon. Due to Covid19 (he said) they're booking for two weeks away. I told him that I needed a thorough check-over before the warranty expires. He managed to fit me in this Saturday, the day of warranty expiration. The interesting part of this was I said, "I am particularly concerned about the occasional clunk and want this investigated." He said, "They all clunk and it's normal. It's just things catching-up." I look forward to hearing the technician's explanation of what things are having trouble keeping up with what other things! Its funny that I love the sound of my Harley clunking into first, but get no thrill hearing it from my truck!

Again, you've made a comment that I could have written. Does Coronation St. fall into the brain cell zapping category? I hear the theme music to such shows and my shoulders raise to my ears...

New stock trickles into my local dealer as Covid19 plays havoc on my Sunday afternoon truck shopping routine (Dealership closed). They now have a 2020 red Trail Boss LT in stock. WOW! I never was interested in getting away from the more traditional trim packages but that is a very nicely equipped truck, imo! This would be fun to drive! Last night I shared my enthusiasm with Mrs. Donstar and she did her job of bringing me back to reality. I'll now refer to my current truck as "Trail Staff" as management is not worth the stress!

Hulu plus is not available in Canada but I know there are enough options available to cut cable service. I've tried to keep it simple over the years but my new Roku TV pushed me out of my comfort zone. Over the past several months, our "screen time" has increased significantly yet time on "cable tv" has become minimal. At the very least, my cable provider has to offer me better incentives to continue with their TV package. I too dealt with an 87+ year old on a bi-weekly basis. I found that big button remotes with minimal options reduced phone calls.

YouTube has been a go to resource for quite awhile but it has recently turned into regular nightly viewing in my living room. Watching less polished works by regular people can be very entertaining. Ryan's submitted a good example.^^^ I am currently deliberating whether to switch cable/internet providers. I am thinking that I should not worry about cable and go with the best internet offer. I remember when it was a special treat to get cable tv in your home but I'm now questioning whether or not it is needed anymore. We have Roku, Netflix, Prime and (obviously) internet. I suspect cable tv is like a home phone. Some of us are hesitant to let go but are becoming increasingly aware of the redundancy of such services.

Thanks. Every time I start to feel good about my garage, you submit a picture of yours and then I want to sell my house! ? Is the garage to the right hers?

Our local home schooling programme is bursting at the seams. Students enrolled in home school have teachers they can contact for help but because of high numbers, sparked by Covid, this help is not always readily available. I was asked to help a neighbour with their grade 8 math assignment last night. Wow! How did I manage to pass grade 8 pre-internet!? Or later teach this stuff? I found myself helping him refine his "search" skills more than his math skills!

From a cost perspective, you will likely be better off to maintain your current truck. Creating a list of problems helps justify buying something different. This is something we all do and is fine as long as we can afford the added expense . Last week I mentioned to my wife that I'm thinking of new tires for winter. Yesterday, I mentioned that it looks like the truck will need a battery soon. Apparently after 45 yrs. she claims to know this "list" strategy and I got a firm lecture from my chief financial advisor and needed co-signer. ? (I have also mentioned there is a very nice 2020 Diesel at our local dealership and our powertrain warranty expires this month.) ) It looks like I'll be shopping for a new battery now and new tires next winter!

Good plan. This vehicle has good mileage for its age but it is still a well used vehicle with aging parts. Plan for potentially costly repairs and make sure the purchase price makes such repairs tolerable. No matter how carefully you scrutinize a vehicle, new or used, it can still give you unwanted surprises.

Nice looking combo! Is that a cargo trailer camper conversion?

I find this is the most effective strategy to get me out of my passion for a new truck. Spending money on my current truck will usually rekindle my appreciation for my truck. Yesterday, I discovered a no cost performance enhancement for my V6! my local gas bar now has fuel for E85 vehicles. After owning flex fuel vehicles for over 10 years, I topped of my tank with this fuel for the first time. I am looking forward to my daily rounds today!

The certainty of these uncertain times is their uncertainty. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) I am a less than two weeks away from the 5 yr. anniversary of my truck purchase. It is going in for a thorough inspection as my powertrain warranty also expires on this date. I feel this would be the optimal time to get the best trade-in price and the best purchase price on the outgoing 2020's. This was the time and type of deal I made on my two previous trucks. A new truck always brings me a great deal of pleasure and excitement but I am hesitant to add a loan payment to our budget. My dealer currently has a SLE 1500 Diesel with max tow that is getting a lot of my attention! So far, a paid for '15 V6 6spd. is beating a'20 Diesel 10spd. with a lien! I truly appreciate how fortunate I am to have such a dilemma!

Many years ago we found the big extended family dinners were losing their charm. They were a lot of work for a few and not really fun for all. We found small, immediate family, dinner(s) much more enjoyable. Also, weather or family illness has found my wife and I alone on Christmas (except for Skype) a couple of times in recent history. I must admit those alone times have a very special place in my memories. However, I think our copious amount of alone time over the past several months may take some of the intimacy away from a quiet Christmas. ? Regardless, the inside and outside of our home will be decorated as if we had a house full of excited children!

"All dressed up and nowhere to go!" I find myself organizing for activities or events that have a strong likelihood of never occurring. There is an inherent amount of this from being in the post-work stage of life but Covid19 has really altered planning for the near future. Christmas travel plans, for example, would already be in place. Family would often come here or we'd go there. We're all fully committed to doing our part to reduce the potential for spread and are all planning for spending the time celebrating with our respective home-based family. I am fine with doing things differently and will make the best of my additional free-time. However, my kids are going to inherit some really clean tool boxes! ?

Sounds good to me. Congratulations on starting a family! Having a new vehicle with a fresh bumper to bumper warranty will add peace of mind during this exciting time. The only caveat I will add is that this is assuming your finances are solid. A baby's needs are your highest priority and cannot take second place to a car payment. If your finances are already tight, then I highly recommend not adding to a vehicle payment.

For example, in the Google search box type 2020 silverado max tire size gm forum You will get plenty of hits including this thread.

Great picture c/w new GM truck! This is exceptionally common and reminds me of a personal story. In '78 we bought a '78 Econoline van. We bought it specifically to allow us and our two toddlers to sleep in on long trips. My new job took us 1k miles from both of our large families so this trip was made often. One night we pulled into an empty mall parking lot at about 3 AM. We had both worked the day before and were exhausted. We woke up to a car door banging on the side of our beautiful van! In the time it took us to get ourselves and the kids ready for travel we took at least three hits! (both sides) The resulting dings blended in nicely with rock chips from travelling the then unpaved Alaska Highway! ?

Broaden your 17" search to GMC wheels. I have stock wheels similar to the "last example" except with 6 spokes. Tire threads are popular (plentiful) on this forum and I always like to put a plug in for Costco Michelins. This has been my preferred combination for over twenty years. I've never turned away from an unplowed road and I've never found myself stuck or at the roadside with a flat. I've had their M/S tires in P and LT ratings and found no advantage to the heavier tire. The extra unnecessary unsprung weight of a LT will be noticed at the pump. Of course this is not much of an issue when fuel is cheap, but I enjoy $5 + us gal. prices!