mpg

[THE BIGPUNN]

i really appreciate all the help i have gotten so far. my wife and i talked today and decided w/i the next 3yrs were gonna upgrade to a 2500hd cc auto 4x4 6 1/2 bed. i cant decide between the 6.0, 8.1 or duramax. i need help. and gas cost along with maintainance will be the deciding factor. i thought the 6.0 gets better mpg. am i wrong. i'll use the truck as a daily driver in city and tow a tt which loaded weighs about 7000 lbs. any advice appreciated.

[Shaners]

The diesel will get better fuel milage than the 6.0L.  It will pull your trailer better too...

 

However it is a lot of $$$ up front for the diesel and fuel is more costly too.  Over a period of 4-5 years you will probably recover the cost of the diesel through better MPG's and resale value.

 

When you buy the Dmax it is actually a $6-7K option when you figure in the Ally tranny.  That's not cheap.  However the Dmax will outlive the gasser in the long run.

 

I would love to have a Dmax, but the short trips I make would kill it...  

[THE BIGPUNN]

shaners, i drive in city mostly and work is only 5-7 minutes away. i dont do much highway driving and our favorite campsites are about 20 minutes away. so i guess the diesel wouldnt be best for me. i think i need to decide between the 6.0 or 8.1. the 8.1 is an $800 option. any more advice?

[Professor]

The 8.1 is about $2000 MSRP (1750 invoice) if you want an automatic. The 8.1 requires an upgrade from the 4L80e to the allison which is another $1200

[Shotgun]

I pull an 8,600lb travel trailer and I also pull my Deere on A gooseneck which weighs 11,300 and I don't have any probelms at all and i can pull it as fast as I want to.I would buy the 6.0 if i had to do it all over again.In 3 years you may be able to get the nuclear powered hydromax engine....Gun

[Shaners]

This is what I pull with my 6.0L crewcab.

 

 

The trailer is a 32 footer with a 14' slideout.  The GVW on the trailer is around 9700 lbs. so I figure I'm pulling 8500 lbs with the holding tanks dry.  Since the trailer has a slideout, it sits quite abit higher than most travel trailers.  I have three steps outside and one inside before you are standing on the floor.  So I have alot of wind-drag.  The truck pulls super on the flatland but I'll drop down into the upper 50s mph on a hill unless I kick it down into 2nd gear.

[hdmax]

shaners, i drive in city mostly and work is only 5-7 minutes away. i dont do much highway driving and our favorite campsites are about 20 minutes away. so i guess the diesel wouldnt be best for me. i think i need to decide between the 6.0 or 8.1. the 8.1 is an $800 option. any more advice?

With the type of driving you seem to do, I would say stay away from a Diesel. They need to warm up completely every time. And the mileage will not be much better then the 6.0L with mostly city driving.

 

 The Diesel is for the people that drive open road a lot, and put 25 miles or more each time they drive. If you drive less then 20,000 miles per year get a gasser.

 

 The 8.1L would get very bad  shot trip mileage in the city. But with the driving you do, it shouldn`t break the bank. Also, the 8.1L will cost you about $3600 on a LS model with the automatic transmission.

[Colorado Kid]

I would think that, for what you plan to do, a 1500HD like Shotgun's would work just fine.  It only comes with the crew cab and has mostly the same components as the 6.0L 2500HD does.  

Same:

Engine

Trans

Wheels

Tires

Axels

Brakes (I think...if they aren't the same they are very close)

 

Can have Autotrac transfer case. (2500HD can't)

Has slightly softer springs = less payload

Has pretty much exact same trailer rating

Can have Quadra-Steer ($$$$ )

 

The "advantages" of a 2500 HD are:

Can have 8.1L or D-max

Can Have Manual Trans (5 speed with 6.0L or 6 speed with 8.1L/D-max)

With 8.1L or D-max has heavier rear axel and higher tow rating.

Higher GVWR (9200# vs 8600#)

bigger number on the door

 

If you're not going to use any of the "advantages" then they aren't advantages for you.

 

I don't know why GM chooses to call the 1500HD what it does.  It is a no excuses 3/4 ton pickup.  In fact 2000 model pickups with 8600# GVWR were called 2500HD, as some of the 2000 2500s only had 7700# ratings.

 

Edited to remove unintended emoticon  

[gomer]

on my 99chevy 3/4 6.0 i get if i am lucky 10mpg in town and on highway. when i tow the race car i get 15 mpg. now i have heard of this but have never experienced this untill now.kind of odd i get better mpg pulling a trailer.

[cdhd2001]

This is what I tow with my 6.0L.  

 

 

It is a 1996 Alfa Ideal 30ft double slide that loaded weighs over 11,000 lbs.  Unloaded I get 14mpg/12mpg.  Towing I get 8 mpg.  In stock form it towed very well in the flats and the Texas hill country (+100 F temp).  In the mountains I would slow up some, but still did OK.  Since I added the s/c in november 2002, I haven't been able to stop playing with it to get a good milage number, but in town is still at least 12 mpg.

 

2001 Chevy 2500HD 6.0L/auto/4.10

Powerdyne supercharged

[sutak]

shaners, i drive in city mostly and work is only 5-7 minutes away. i dont do much highway driving and our favorite campsites are about 20 minutes away. so i guess the diesel wouldnt be best for me. i think i need to decide between the 6.0 or 8.1. the 8.1 is an $800 option. any more advice?

If you're not going to haul a big load a lot of miles I would recommend the 8.1 with the Alli tranny. To save your truck I would get an old clunker for the short runs.

I take mine out once a week and drive my old Bonnie to work.

Larry.

2001 CC k3500 LT 8.1L Ally T. 10000 miles.

[SxViper]

I was in your shoes not to long ago. My work is less than 5 mins away. So I drive maybe 5 to 10 miles a day. I tow a 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailer behine my 2500HD CC Long Box without a problem. Plenty of power pulling up the hills to. The trailer right now is about 5,000 I would think. I could not even tell it was back there towing it!!!!! I had a hard time keeping the speed down for the break in period when towing.. I get about 13 mpg mixed driving and about 13.5 or a little better open road and 10 towing the trailer...  I had the hardest time picking out a truck(0.0% for 60 months made me make up my mind real quick). I had the choice between a 8.1L with 3.73 and a 6.0L with the 4.10. Basically the same truck expect for a few minor options. I went with the 6.0L because you do save a little on gas. If your not going to be towing a ton go with the 6.0. Even if your towing a good amount I don't think the 7,000 pounds will really give the truck that much trouble. I am going to be putting a slide in camper in the back of mine when I am towing the sleds in the next few years. Now that should really work the motor...