Another JR

I think we’re kind of saying the same thing, but I’ll say it a little differently. Setting aside the licensing and insurance cost differences that may vary by location, I would not recommend simply defaulting to a 3500 because it has more payload capacity. The ride is noticeably stiffer on a 3500. If you know you don’t need the payload, a 2500 will be more comfortable. It’s worth taking a good look at your needs and deciding if you really need the extra stiffness and 600 or so lbs of extra payload rating. It sounds like the OP needs it.

I agree with the spray in liner it’s a non-issue, but they are talking about trucks that don’t have the spray in liner. I have a 2021 with factory sprayed liner and a 3/8 inch thick GMC accessory mat. There’s no way that setup will ever wear to the metal, if it wears at all. I had an aftermarket plastic bed liner in my 1993 K2500 since new. It rubbed through the paint, primer, and was working on the metal in a few small spots by ten years. The rust was very minor because the rubbing kept it clean and it was garaged most of the time. I had Line-X installed about 3 years ago and did not reinstall the bed liner. They did not need to do any metal repair. Just sprayed on the coating as far as I know. They did a beautiful job. I wouldn’t worry about rust with a rubber mat and no spray in liner, but you may get some paint damage over the years from dirt getting under it. If you want to avoid that, have Line-X installed. It cost $400 in 2021 for a long bed under-the-rail installation.

The one in my 1993 K2500 still works with the original bulb!

In some states the 3500 costs a lot less to license because its gvwr puts it in the commercial truck range.

Ad blocker plus makes them disappear, at least on my iphone

I don’t know the answer, but I’ll teach a man to fish … This kind of question is usually easy to research yourself by going on a website for a gm parts dealer, entering the two truck models, and looking up the part to see if the part number is the same for the two trucks. If they are different, once you have the part numbers, the site can tell you if the different part number is compatible with your truck.

I would say at 275 lbs and stepping up and down there would be a risk of hitting it. I don’t know if they had the mp tailgate in mind when they designed it. It’s solid forged steel, so they may have forged it that way to keep the ball in close without excessive angles.

Here’s a photo. The clearance is about 5/8 inch without any weight on the tailgate. I think if a 220 lbs person stood on the step and jumped it might hit, but it certainly protects you from an accidental deployment of the inner tailgate with the ballmount in place. Clearance from the top of the ball to the gate is about 3.5 inches unloaded, which should protect against striking most trailer couplers. I would say this ball mount is good protection for an accidental deployment, but marginal if someone heavy wants to be stepping on the inner tailgate step when the ballmount is installed.

I can send a picture in a bit. At the time this contact issue was first being talked about on the forum a few years ago, this was the first ball mount that was identified that didn’t have the contact issue. The reviews on the Northern Tool site also note that this works with the multipro tailgate.

This one works with the multipro without the inner gate hitting. It’s a fixed 6 inch drop. I have one. https://www.northerntool.com/products/ultra-tow-heavy-duty-forged-steel-ball-mount-class-iv-6in-drop-17-000lb-tow-weight-9-1-2in-shank-32712

Yes, that is all you need to do from a functional standpoint. However, cleanly connecting your new cable to the main battery fuse block and routing it out of the cover can be a challenge.

I haven’t tried to look at the parts catalog pictures, but I’m quite sure the wire from the main battery fuse block to the main fuse box is not branched off the inter-battery cable. The fuse box has its own supply wire all the way back to the start battery fuse block. The two wires might be bundled together, but are separate.

Mine is 2021, but heres my advice: You may want a lower trim for various reasons, but make sure you can live with the seats that go with it. When I drove an SLE with center jump seat I could tell the seats wouldn’t work for me on a long trip within 5 minute. I was thinking i wanted that jump seat like my previous trucks, but the seat is barely usable on these trucks anyway because it’s so high and in a fixed forward position. I am very happy with my SLT leather bucket seats with permanent center console. Everyone is different, but get some seat time in the one you think you want to buy. I am really glad i bought all the safety package features and surround camera. I have a feeling that as I get older (60 now) they will be an even greater benefit. The 18 inch wheels give a softer ride versus 20s. I am glad I went with 18s. The springs are stiff enough that reducing tire pressure when lightly loaded really helps. There were three levels of gage packages. The SLT has the mid level. Still has analog minor gages for the old school look but has a lot more features. Again, look at all three. You might decide a mid model is worth it. A gas truck sounds like the better choice for the plans you describe. I’m very happy I went with gas. Get the 220 amp alternator and consider the second battery. They will be nice to have for trailering and are cheap if part of the new truck order. Only get the second alternator if you know you are going to want it.

I was able to catch my neighbor just now and look at his truck. The wires themselves were completely closed up so I could not read wire gage or measure conductor diameter. FYI he has dual alternators. The 220 amp alternator connects to the main battery (passenger side) with a 250 amp fuse. The 170 amp alternator connects to the second battery with a 175 amp fuse. The fuses at each battery block for the battery connection wire were 400 amp fuses. If you size your wire for a peak 30 second current of 400 amps and a long term steady state current of at least 200 amps I suspect you will be fine. The part number of the cross battery wire is 84906880, which might allow you to find the gage, same part number as you posted above. It runs along the top of the firewall. It would have the angled crimp connectors used with the battery blocks. If you don’t want to buy a battery block for the second battery you’ll end up altering the wire assembly anyway for whatever connection you use, in which case I’d suggest making your own if you have a crimper, or have a local mechanic make you a cable. I have attached pictures of his battery blocks.

I don’t know the wire size or I would have posted it, but my neighbor has a 2021 3500 diesel dually. He might have the dual alternator setup but I don’t think that would make a difference. I’ll try to catch him today and see if I can tell the gage and fuse sizes. He won’t want me to disturb anything, so I may only be able measure wire conductor diameter rather than read the gage off the insulation. That should get you there, though.

I can answer some of your questions: Yes you can do a parallel battery installation. There should not be any charging issues - when charging it’s the same as an aux battery with the isolator closed. I don’t know what size wire to recommend, but you could do the same size as is used on the diesel version, which has a plain parallel setup. Connect the winch to the main battery. You want the shortest path for the current from the alternator to the winch, and you don’t want to have to size the second battery’s wires for the battery current plus the alternator current when winching. Ideally you want appropriately sized fuses on the positive wire that runs between the batteries at each of the two batteries in case you have a short to ground in that wire. The main battery fuse block may already have an appropriately sized unused fuse. Mine (2021 gas with 220 amp alternator and aux battery) has an unused 250 amp fused connection. Again, look to the diesel’s wiring for fuse and wire sizing clues.

You are correct about the OEM aux battery arrangement on the gas trucks. I think the OP knows the OEM aux battery arrangement, but wants to do a simple parallel battery arrangement to deliver high current to the winch.

My 2021 cclb SLT gas at 3 years and 11k miles has been trouble free, smooth, quiet, and powerful, and is a really comfortable and easy to drive highway vehicle. It’s huge though. I’ll point out that the gas hd truck subforum (this one) will often get up to 5 days with no posts. Very few appearances in the troubleshooting subforum as well. Gas-specific issues I remember seeing on here over the last 4 years: 1) Some people complaining about high oil consumption, with others saying they have almost no oil consumption. Mine is the latter. 2) A few reports of leaking oil cooler tube assemblies 3) Debates over whether one ought to add a catch can to the crankcase ventilation system (I haven’t and won’t) 4) People worried about whether direct injection will lead to heavy intake carbon deposits (hence the catch can debates). I would have no hesitation recommending the gas truck if it suits your needs. Buy the configuration (trim and options) you really want though. There are a lot of posts here from people who thought they could buy a lower trim truck and add features that are on the higher trim trucks, but find that many of those features can’t be added at reasonable cost or can’t be added at all. Make sure you sit in the seats before selecting which ones you want. There are big differences in shape, feel, and comfort that are subjective. I really like the seats in my SLT with leather bucket seats and console.

If you have not watched Parks and Recreation, you will have a great time discovering Ron Swanson! Youtube has loads of “best of Ron Swanson” videos.

There are very few issues that can’t be addressed by a Swansonism.

Does a 2024 Duramax have fewer emissions issues?

A typical camper-installed converter/charger like the DLS-30 will overload that outlet in bulk charging at 30 amps. The truck outlet is rated for 400 watts and doesn’t like inrush current demands above its continuous rating. A 20 amp or less charger may be ok.