Help with truck trade/purchase?

aimcat · May 22, 2017

My husband and I currently own an 08 Dodge Ram 1500, Laramie, 128k miles, 4wd, hemi. It's a good truck but I don't know we are kind of scared of the trucks reliability.

We are purchasing a camper, it's 5800lbs loaded.

We have considered trading for the following:

13 silverado crew 100k miles 5.3 4wd

14 silverado crew (new design) 5.3 4wd 143k

10 silverado 2500 crew 6.0 108k 4wd

09 Denali sierra awd 6.2 120k

2012 f150 crew 5.0 and 3.5 100k-120k 4wd

We also considered an 09 dodge hemi because we thought they were somewhat more reliable based on things we read?

The thing I've wondered is these have 3.42 or 3.55 gears. Our dodge has 3.92. Will this be a downgrade for pulling?

I want some opinions and see others thoughts. Another minor reason we wanted to upgrade was also for a crew cab vs our quad cab.

Thanks in advance.

007matman · May 22, 2017

My husband and I currently own an 08 Dodge Ram 1500, Laramie, 128k miles, 4wd, hemi. It's a good truck but I don't know we are kind of scared of the trucks reliability.

We are purchasing a camper, it's 5800lbs loaded.

We have considered trading for the following:

13 silverado crew 100k miles 5.3 4wd

14 silverado crew (new design) 5.3 4wd 143k

10 silverado 2500 crew 6.0 108k 4wd

09 Denali sierra awd 6.2 120k

2012 f150 crew 5.0 and 3.5 100k-120k 4wd

We also considered an 09 dodge hemi because we thought they were somewhat more reliable based on things we read?

The thing I've wondered is these have 3.42 or 3.55 gears. Our dodge has 3.92. Will this be a downgrade for pulling?

I want some opinions and see others thoughts. Another minor reason we wanted to upgrade was also for a crew cab vs our quad cab.

Thanks in advance.

The '10 Chevy 2500 hands down. It'll walk all over those 1500's all day long. You'll probably also see better fuel economy there as well. I was told plan on an additional 1000 lbs for gear. That'll put you at almost 7k .

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dasimmon · May 22, 2017

going from a 3.92 rear to 3.42 or 3.55 will definitely be a difference in towing, but not a HUGE one imo. I would personally stay away from any f150 eco-boost (3.5), especially with that many miles (problems for a lot of ppl). the 6.0 2500 and 6.2 denali are pretty bulletproof motors. im sure i will get slack for saying this, but be careful if purchasing a 2014 chevy/gmc, those have some issues like headlights, shaking, etc. (usual for a 1st year body style)

good luck

007matman · May 22, 2017

My husband and I currently own an 08 Dodge Ram 1500, Laramie, 128k miles, 4wd, hemi. It's a good truck but I don't know we are kind of scared of the trucks reliability.

We are purchasing a camper, it's 5800lbs loaded.

We have considered trading for the following:

13 silverado crew 100k miles 5.3 4wd

14 silverado crew (new design) 5.3 4wd 143k

10 silverado 2500 crew 6.0 108k 4wd

09 Denali sierra awd 6.2 120k

2012 f150 crew 5.0 and 3.5 100k-120k 4wd

We also considered an 09 dodge hemi because we thought they were somewhat more reliable based on things we read?

The thing I've wondered is these have 3.42 or 3.55 gears. Our dodge has 3.92. Will this be a downgrade for pulling?

I want some opinions and see others thoughts. Another minor reason we wanted to upgrade was also for a crew cab vs our quad cab.

Thanks in advance.

Here's my reasoning..

Purchased a used camper.. was told it was "around 6k". No manufacturers weight sticker at the time of purchase. Found it a couple weeks later and found out it was actually 6700 when new. Since then, it's gained about 400 lbs combined with the gear I put in there (basics really) I'm at 7400.

Tow capacity on my '10 Escalade is probably similar to the Denali you're talking about at 7800. I'm almost there as is.

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have purchased this camper. However, since I did now I'm looking at a new truck (probably something similar to the '10 Chevy 2500 you're looking at.

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aseibel · May 22, 2017

how often and how far do you pull the camper? if you're on the road all summer, you need more pulling power. If you pull it 2 hours up north on Memorial day, 4th of July and Labor day, and that's it- i would not over purchase a truck just for that.

also my opinion, cross the denali off your list. any bells and whistles that were new in 09 are now old news and you are just paying a premium for some chrome. use your savings toward getting a newer truck with lower miles.

Last tip- test drive anything you are serious about before you narrow it down. Pay attention to shifting and vibrations that some are scared of. Maybe even hook up your trailer and get a feel for it. that will help you avoid disappointment after you get it home.

aimcat · May 22, 2017

We will be towing once a weekend once a month maybe 8 months a year.

intheburbs · May 22, 2017

Agree with the 2010 2500 as the best choice. Completely bulletproof truck.

And I still like the bells and whistles on my '09 Denali. Especially the big bell under the hood, and the whistle under the rear bumper. ;-) The Denali would be my second choice.

Scratch off the '14 Silvy - first year of a new platform, lots of transmission issues.

The 5.3 Silverados scare me because of AFM (Google it if you don't know what it is).

The Ecoboost 3.5 scares me for longevity of the turbos. Ford recommends replacing the turbos at 150k, and I'm sure that's not cheap.

The 5.0 F150 would be a good choice, too.

Gears won't be that big of an issue, since most of those trucks have at least 6-speed transmissions. Gear ratios were more of an issue if you only had 4 gears.

aseibel · May 22, 2017

and the whistle under the rear bumper.

all of those trucks have the same hitch. denali does not have any advantage over the other trucks in the hitch department. Only thing different is the 6.2 engine. The towing ability of a truck is limited as much by the suspension and brakes as the engine. If frequent towing demands a beefier truck, the 2500 is the answer.

aimcat · May 22, 2017

In terms of price I can get the 2013 silverado and the 09 Denali for about the same price with my trade in factored. The others are a little more maybe 1500 more. Does the Denali the one with AWD steering? Do you think overall the dodge is a better truck than any of these? We have in the past as well as my family had gm including several 6.0 and 5.3 and had hardly any issues at all from them!

diyer2 · May 22, 2017

2500

NEFisher11 · May 22, 2017

The only truck on that list worth getting with that high of miles is the 2500. You couldn't give me a 14 or 13 5.3 Silverado. Have you had issues with your truck? The ram is a nice truck in my book.

03blackz71 · May 23, 2017

Hands down the 2010 silverado 2500.

007matman · May 23, 2017

In terms of price I can get the 2013 silverado and the 09 Denali for about the same price with my trade in factored. The others are a little more maybe 1500 more. Does the Denali the one with AWD steering? Do you think overall the dodge is a better truck than any of these? We have in the past as well as my family had gm including several 6.0 and 5.3 and had hardly any issues at all from them!

I've had an 04 Denali Yukon XL and now a '10 Escalade ESV and I can attend that the 6.0/6.2 is an absolute beast of an engine. The Yukon had almost 200k on it when we sold it. Never a lick of trouble from anything on it.

I'd completely disagree that the Denali is a waste of money. I'd take the 6.2 over the 5.4 any day of the week. Tons more power and torque than the 1500 Silverado.

The engine in the 2500. (if it's gas) is pretty much the same as the Denali. Only thing is you'll get the much stronger tranny the 6L90e instead of the 6L80e, better axles and improved brakes. From what I understand, the 90 is a really good transmission. My 6L80e in the Escalade was replaced last week (under warranty). I really think it was due to the PO maintenance as the fluid was black (it's supposed to be red) and according to the dealership it didn't look like it had ever been changed (with 100k on the clock).

I don't have a ton of experience with the Hemi other than that I have heard that they're not as solid as the GM 6.0/6.2.

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michigan2500hd · May 23, 2017

My vote would be for the 2010 2500 for towing. I believe that truck was reworked in 2011 which would be a little more desirable. The 6.0 in it is one tough engine although they're quite different then the 6.2 that is much more powerful yet for the most part only available in loaded luxury trucks. Unless your lucky enough to find a 2010-2013 1500 6.2 max tow in a LT trim.

I would stay away from the 3.5 Ford as others have said. Good luck to you!!

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intheburbs · May 23, 2017

all of those trucks have the same hitch. denali does not have any advantage over the other trucks in the hitch department. Only thing different is the 6.2 engine. The towing ability of a truck is limited as much by the suspension and brakes as the engine. If frequent towing demands a beefier truck, the 2500 is the answer.

Dude, relax. I was talking about the exhaust pipe (the "whistle," get it?). I do know a little bit about towing. I've towed 7k-8k trailers all over the country, including the Rockies, with both half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks.

I've had an 04 Denali Yukon XL and now a '10 Escalade ESV and I can attend that the 6.0/6.2 is an absolute beast of an engine. The Yukon had almost 200k on it when we sold it. Never a lick of trouble from anything on it.

I'd completely disagree that the Denali is a waste of money. I'd take the 6.2 over the 5.4 any day of the week. Tons more power and torque than the 1500 Silverado.

The engine in the 2500. (if it's gas) is pretty much the same as the Denali. Only thing is you'll get the much stronger tranny the 6L90e instead of the 6L80e, better axles and improved brakes. From what I understand, the 90 is a really good transmission. My 6L80e in the Escalade was replaced last week (under warranty). I really think it was due to the PO maintenance as the fluid was black (it's supposed to be red) and according to the dealership it didn't look like it had ever been changed (with 100k on the clock).

I don't have a ton of experience with the Hemi other than that I have heard that they're not as solid as the GM 6.0/6.2.

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No, it's not the same engine, and that's a BIG difference. The Denalis get an all-aluminum 6.2, and the 3/4-ton trucks get the iron block 6.0. Don't get me wrong, I love driving my Denali, and I certainly enjoy the extra 50 HP, but the 6.0 is going to be more durable.

And GM uses the 5.3 in half-tons, it's the blue oval that uses a 5.4.