Dr1ft3r

If you install bags on your 3500 it will never touch the overload springs again and it made an immediately noticeable ride quality improvement for me when not loaded down. Obviously, it also improves loaded ride quality too. I run my tires at 70 to 80 psi all the time and the ride is fine. YMMV

If you want a higher trim then you may have to order one. I ordered mine because I refuse to settle for anything less than exactly what I want. But that's your decision. I just made a 9 hour haul over to Seattle, WA. It was all interstate until the last 90 minutes of my trip (I-84, I-82 and I-90). My average MPG varied along the way depending on how rugged the terrain was. But the lowest mpg was 5.7 and the best was around 8. Keep in mind this trip has very little flat ground. I weighed before I left and as you can see I weighed in at 21,120. My truck weighed 9,020 and that's almost empty. So the trailer weighed 12,100. The tongue weight calculates to 1,540. I don't use a WDH and with 1,540 on my tongue my front axle weight only drops down to 4,400. I use bags to keep my rear end from squatting. I would like to see the stock front end weight as I have added a few hundred pounds to my front end. I'm betting that it's close to 4,500 without a 2nd battery. The best part of the trip is near the end (The area outside of Seattle is beautiful), but it was raining pretty hard at that point so I didn't get any good pics. There were a couple of times when I couldn't accelerate any faster due to the grade and the fact that I was towing at very close to the limit of my truck. But at no point did my speed drop below 55 mph (unless I chose to go slower than that). At no time did my transmission temperature get higher than 198 degrees. Those couple of times are when the diesel would have done better. Is that worth the $10k price tag and increased fuel costs with possible reduced reliability? Only you can answer that. For me? No.

I made my own mount, but I'm also not working with the factory bumper. My Ranch Hand bumper system certainly added some more room between the bumper and the radiator than that stock bumper. But it wasn't a winch ready bumper, they don't currently sell a winch ready bumper for our trucks. I used the feet forward winch mount from Warn, but modified it to suit my needs and bolted it to 3/8" cold rolled steel plate that I mounted directly to my bumper frame bolts (over the top of the Ranch Hand bumper steel plates that were bolted to the frame). That being said, there still wasn't a lot of room to fit my 12k winch in there. I don't think you can fit a winch that big behind the stock bumper very easily. You may have to use something like that Warn mount to install the winch on the outside of your bumper. The best option is to get an aftermarket steel bumper that accommodates a winch.

I tow a 13k# bumper pull toy hauler with my gasser in the Rocky Mountains (with a 6-speed). Unless you are towing that much, or more, weekly and over long distances then you don't need a diesel. Even then, a diesel isn't really a need. The gasser tows what it's rated for just fine. I daily drive my truck and definitely prefer the fuel savings.

If you need a drop only then this (they only have 8" drop in 2.5" receiver): https://www.amazon.com/CURT-45955-Rebellion-Adjustable-Receiver/dp/B08QMDDLJ6/ref=sr_1_1? I needed a rise for my toy hauler so that Curt wouldn't work. I went with this B&W since it can drop or rise, but no cushion (you can get it in various drop lengths): https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Hitches-TS20043B-Adjustable-Receiver/dp/B07Z8HS5MQ/ref=sr_1_10? My toy hauler weighs about 13k# fully loaded and the tongue weight varies between 1,500# and 1,900#.

I've had dealers ask for a deposit and dealers that didn't. I didn't put down a deposit on my 23 Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve. But I did put down a $1,000 deposit for this 23 GMC Sierra. However, I don't think they would have kept the deposit if I didn't pick up the truck. It's not like they can't sell it. The dealer even told me that they had 3 different people trying to buy it before I got there to pick it up (I was working a few states away and had to come home to get it). I put down a $1,000 deposit on a Lexus RCF a few years ago, but bailed on it when it arrived. They still gave me back my deposit even through the paper I signed said it was non-refundable.

I've always used Safelite too. My sheet quoted $1,400 for OEM replacement. I paid $0, but that's the most expensive windshield replacement I've ever had. Since your sheet quoted a lot less I was wondering if it was the same windshield. I have the Lane Departure Warning System which required the tech to connect his computer to the vehicle and I also have the HUD. I don't know if those options would be the reason for the difference in price of the windshield between us. Location could be another factor. I'm out here in the boonies of the Rocky Mountains. I contract all over the country and the fast food here is even more expensive than a lot of places. It takes a week+ for the local dealer to get my windshield shipped in.

You must have gotten a deal! Mine was $1400 for a factory replacement. Luckily I have a $0 deductible. (Do you have the lane departure assistance, or w/e it's called? That might explain the price difference.) To add insult to injury, that was a month ago. Yesterday a friggin boulder slammed my windshield and I have to make another claim. The old claim is still open... LOL! I feel that my 1st windshield was inferior. But the hit yesterday would have cracked bulletproof glass! So I can't comment on the strength of that windshield. Maybe 3rd times the charm...

I tow a toy hauler weighing 12k-13k through the Rockies with my gasser. It does just fine. No WDH either, just bags. High RPM is expected. Been on 8% grades with it. I don't wish for more gears either. But I will like the added torque from that Whipple SC as soon as they officially add support for my 23'.

As soon as they tell me that they can add it to my 2023, I'm all in for this. I'll bet the 6-speed tranny will be a perfect match for that blower. I have more than enough money to have paid the extra $10k for the diesel. I didn't want a diesel. One reason being that I spend a lot of time in subzero temps. Another reason is I have a lot of machinery that runs on gas. Generators, Quads, other vehicles, etc. It's very convenient to only have to carry 1 fuel type with me. That way it's all completely interchangeable. If anything runs out of gas, I have spare gas. I only buy ethanol-free gas for my storage tanks for this very reason. I have a Cummins Onan 4k generator on my toy hauler with a 40 gallon tank, it's filled with gas as well as it's not diesel either. While ethanol gas will not hurt my truck, I don't want to put ethanol gas in my small engines.

I finally got around to finishing my winch install.

Just added some Air Lift bags. I wish I had done them sooner.

You're free to theorize all you want. But there's a reason why almost every 18-wheeler on the road has a steel guard on the front of their trucks. I live in the country and most pickup trucks out here have steel bumpers as well. I know people that will swear that their steel bumper saved their life and their family's life. We don't have to theorize out here. We have personally seen what a steel bumper will do and what happens without one. Good day to you.

There's only one way to know for sure. Also, a 1,500-2,000 pound moose is closer to 1/4 the weight of my truck, not half. My truck weighs 7,450# according to my factory sticker. That was before I added a 270# front bumper and grille guard combo and a 107# rear bumper to my truck, as well as a ~250# bed cover. Now I have added another 80# from a new battery and soon will be adding another 200#+ from my new winch and mount. I expect the truck to weigh well over 8,000# before adding any cargo, including myself. As far as physics, my Ranch Hand Legend steel bumper is capable of supporting a winch with a weight capacity more than the GVWR of my truck (which means that it can hold the truck off of the ground). Any force strong enough to tear through my bumper will also have to bend the chassis frame of the truck. A very difficult task to accomplish on a direct hit. Deer will not do anything to the bumper, I know first hand. This is NOT a bumper guard. It replaces my stock bumper entirely and is directly tied to the frame of the truck with 12x grade 8.8 bolts. I've seen moose that were turned into ground beef by 18-wheelers and it didn't even bend the grille guard on their truck. Flesh has never faired well against steel. Our stock bumpers are tin foil. However, with our trucks it's much more likely that a moose will end up going through my windshield as I'll likely only hit the legs of an adult moose. But if I were to strike a 2,000# moose body dead on then the potential damage to my vehicle would depend on the speed I was travelling at when I made contact (I'd be hitting the brakes). At a speed under 40 mph, I'll bet against having any real damage. At a speed of 80 mph, I'm pretty sure that something would be damaged. That is for a dead on hit. If I hit it near one of my headlights then the damage potential will be worse at the given speed as the steel is not as thick there. Many people only buy the grille guard, and not the bumper with the grille guard welded onto it. So, when they hit something the grille guard is only attached at the bottom so it folds in due to forces pushing in at the top (think lever action). With the grille guard welded onto the bumper it is supported in the front by the bumper to help keep it from folding, but it is also welded to the bumper on the sides, which adds even more stability to the guard.

Finally got my aux battery secured (not hooked up yet). I work 12 hours per day every day of the week lately so it's hard to find the time. It took some planning to fit a group 31 battery in the aux tray.