2500 HD Dmax?s

Prokopchuk_9 · September 19, 2013

For me if I want fast its going to be a car. 6000+Lbs truck, yes they can be mad to go fast, but again not my thing. My whole statement was about how one of the two reasons to get a DMax is the better fuel mileage, but after reading this post, the mileage is not that much better. Do I believe a DMax is a better truck? Yes I do, but in my case buying my truck brand new for $20k out the door and it being a gasser fit my needs. You have to admit all the haters saying that the DMax gets so much better mpg, well it looks like not so much when the trucks are unloaded or lightly loaded. That's all.
And just of note my first car was a 1995 camaro z28 that I put a ATI Procharger on, now that was fast!

Ya I hear ya...it's sad watching an otherwise great engine get destroyed by emissions laws. The old LB7's get amazing economy compared to the new ones, strip all the emissions off of them an they still get amazing economy. If I'm towing under 4k I don't even notice a diff in economy really...

Same goes for me, could I have saved alot of money bought gasser?? Ya for sure. Probly get the job done just as good too, but I could afford it. And you are %100 right the new gas trucks are getting better fuel economy every year...more powerful too. I came from an 06 1500hd with 6.0, that thing was terrible on fuel. Never got over 10mpg towing anything and never seen over 13-14 mpg driving like a grandpa. That was tuned too with CAI and exhaust.

IMO it's all about what a fella really wants, diesels are fun. The aftermarket world is amazing and the power these things can put to the ground is simply amazing.

LongrangeLauber · September 19, 2013

Yeah I'm in the same boat. I don't exactly need a diesel cause I don't tow much over 5000lbs. but I just want one to make a lot of power and have fun. It would be more of a fun truck than anything

Prokopchuk_9 · September 19, 2013

Yeah I'm in the same boat. I don't exactly need a diesel cause I don't tow much over 5000lbs. but I just want one to make a lot of power and have fun. It would be more of a fun truck than anything

That's what I say...it's fun. It's like having a w/t, tow beast and race car all in one big heavy package

ujtruck · September 19, 2013

That's what I say...it's fun. It's like having a w/t, tow beast and race car all in one big heavy package

+ 1000

I didn't need Diesel, and can't afford it, but still bought it for fun + motivate me to get up and go to work so its MPG+Fun+Food on the table

johnnyg123 · September 21, 2013

just traded my 03 duramax chevy for a 13 sierra duramax both crewcabs and 4x4. i knew going in the milage would be less on the newer truck but the power increase seems amazing to me . i tow a 10,000 lb boat package around a few times a year and wanted to go duramax again. with the rebates and gm supplier pricing i was over 9500 off sticker before the trade. the 03 was a little beat up with some previous body work coming back through and was still on the 1st set of injectors so i decided it was time .

Prokopchuk_9 · September 21, 2013

just traded my 03 duramax chevy for a 13 sierra duramax both crewcabs and 4x4. i knew going in the milage would be less on the newer truck but the power increase seems amazing to me . i tow a 10,000 lb boat package around a few times a year and wanted to go duramax again. with the rebates and gm supplier pricing i was over 9500 off sticker before the trade. the 03 was a little beat up with some previous body work coming back through and was still on the 1st set of injectors so i decided it was time .

Wow how many miles on the lb7 injectors?? Did you try anything different for filtration?

The reason I ask is because I want to get one for a bush truck. I've read a guy can get more mileage out of injectors by deleting factory filter and run a lift pump with water separater and 3 micron filter. Or run "nicktane" cat filter adapter on the stock housing... I've also read it doesn't matter what the hell you do. I've just been asking people over on DF and gettin mixed answers.

You try anything?

johnnyg123 · September 21, 2013

had 134,000 on the 03 with original injectors.i was the only driver and never pushed the truck hard. kept the air filter clean and fuel filter changed every 10,000 miles. i did have a problem last winter with my fuel lines clogging. had to have tank dropped and cleaned. replaced the sending unit and the fill pipe to tank which had some flaking going on inside of it. i had got into an accident when it was 2 years old. lady crossed over double yellow came at me head on and took out from behind the rear door to the back.i think the fill neck took a good shot and repair shop never picked up on the damage thats why it was flaking apart and getting into my fuel. the body work repairs started coming back through under the rear door and bed combined with i knew i had an injector job in my future it was time to work a trade

Prokopchuk_9 · September 21, 2013

had 134,000 on the 03 with original injectors.i was the only driver and never pushed the truck hard. kept the air filter clean and fuel filter changed every 10,000 miles. i did have a problem last winter with my fuel lines clogging. had to have tank dropped and cleaned. replaced the sending unit and the fill pipe to tank which had some flaking going on inside of it. i had got into an accident when it was 2 years old. lady crossed over double yellow came at me head on and took out from behind the rear door to the back.i think the fill neck took a good shot and repair shop never picked up on the damage thats why it was flaking apart and getting into my fuel. the body work repairs started coming back through under the rear door and bed combined with i knew i had an injector job in my future it was time to work a trade

So you basically just had a stock truck? No fuel delivery mods at all and stock filtration??

Pretty good, usually from what I've read they shit the bed at about 150k miles...start makin oil

johnnyg123 · September 21, 2013

thats correct all stock had plenty of power for what i needed and with the known injector issue i didnt want to put a tune on it . loved the truck had it over 10 years but if i had to do the body work injectors and needed new tires i would have been over 8 grand into it . was only a work truck model with nothing extra but tow package .

Prokopchuk_9 · September 21, 2013

thats correct all stock had plenty of power for what i needed and with the known injector issue i didnt want to put a tune on it . loved the truck had it over 10 years but if i had to do the body work injectors and needed new tires i would have been over 8 grand into it . was only a work truck model with nothing extra but tow package .

awesome, ya injector jobs are $$$$$ as hell. i wanna find an 03 LB7 with the zf6 6 speed!! even if it needs an injector job, ill get it for cheap throw some sticks in it and put some 35's and its gonna be my hunting truck!! Leave it bone stock

gotcha · September 25, 2013

well I still have not pulled he trigger on a new duramax, will a tune help with an increase in mileage (MPG)

doverarjim · September 25, 2013

Don't wait, when you finally do get one you will want to kick yourself in the butt for not doing it sooner!!!

As far as mileage goes I just finished a 4,600 mile trip with mine.

15.690634
18.458781

16.467391

18.765328

18.26942

18.053846

20.736893

11.116071

18.595458

17.642276

16.912838

17.337176

This is the hand figured milages for each tank of fuel and then the average MPG for the whole trip.

Prokopchuk_9 · September 25, 2013

Don't wait, when you finally do get one you will want to kick yourself in the butt for not doing it sooner!!!

As far as mileage goes I just finished a 4,600 mile trip with mine.

15.690634

18.458781

16.467391

18.765328

18.26942

18.053846

20.736893

11.116071

18.595458

17.642276

16.912838

17.337176

This is the hand figured milages for each tank of fuel and then the average MPG for the whole trip.

Same here jim!! I averaged 18mpg in about 2800kms!

ujtruck · September 25, 2013

Loaded Bed avg: 1000 to 5000 lbs

Driving style: Grandmoma to Race Car driver

MPG:16 to 18 over here

still a fresh truck 5600km

dreaming to hit 20+ one day

SWDoodle · September 25, 2013

Don't wait, when you finally do get one you will want to kick yourself in the butt for not doing it sooner!!!

As far as mileage goes I just finished a 4,600 mile trip with mine.
15.690634
18.458781

16.467391

18.765328

18.26942

18.053846

20.736893

11.116071

18.595458

17.642276

16.912838

17.337176

This is the hand figured milages for each tank of fuel and then the average MPG for the whole trip.

What kind of driving? All highway, mixed, how fast? That is great mileage. However, I think so many times we get caught up in these mileage debates and there are so many variables. Mine is a farm pickup that I use as a daily driver as well. So I can do highway miles, farm chores (slow/lots of idling), and pulling a trailer any given day. With that type of driving I consistently get 13-14 mpg. I guess I would consider mine real world driving for a pickup truck? Rarely have I ever taken an unloaded long trip (>300mi) as I will just take my Yukon. So I really can't say that this pickup wouldn't see 18 mpg, but I would assume only think a small percentage of us would use a HD pickup as an unloaded daily driver? I realize you can delete the emmsions stuff off and gain some mileage, but at least in my experience all my friends that have done that have had issues with throwing codes, overheating problems, etc. Maybe they just didn't know what they were doing but that's why I've kept mine stock. That said if the emmisions ever fails it will likely go. Maybe we're just the unlucky ones out here as most all my friends Duramaxs get about the same as I mine. Not complaining because it is 20% better than my old gasser.