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Tips | Suggestions | Advice - Looking at buying a Chevy/GMC truck. What should I watch out for the GOOD and BAD?

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SlowerTrafficKeepRIght Enthusiast

SlowerTrafficKeepRIght

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What suggestions or advice is available for buying a GMC | Chevy truck? What should I watch out for -- the GOOD and BAD? 

 

I want to come back to the GMC | Chevy family. For over 20 years, we owned a 98 GMC Suburban, putting over 230k miles on it myself, and I LOVED that truck. Other than typical wear and tear -- I never had any problems or issues with my Suburban.

 

I am looking at 2016-2022 -- GMC | Chevy 1500 | 2500 series, all trims (4x4), except the base models. My budget is around $35k plus'ish; yes, I understand my budget limits what I can get. I am a USAF retired veteran living off a fixed income.

 

Yes, we tow hitch pull RVs and various trailers, but not as often as before. What are the GOOD, BAD, and UGLY these days on the GMC | Chevy trucks? Is the additional price for either diesel and/or 2500 worth it?

 

SHORT STORY: so, a few years ago, I bought a 2015 Ram 1500 4x4 EcoDiesel 6cyl w/turbo Lonestar -- well, I have been disappointed with Chrysler | Fiat (FCA). They lied about the EcoDiesel, and after forced recall ECM updates, they sucked all performance and mpg from the truck. Buying a newish GMC | Chevy, I do not want to fall into what happened with my 2015 Ram. When I had my suburban, I never had so many recalls, been lied to, and never had poor performance.

 

Thanks for any suggestions that you will provide -- Gary (ExFalconFxr)

 

shakenfake Senior Enthusiast

shakenfake

Posted
Posted

I would stick with a 2016-2018 truck. I think they look the best and they seem to be the last truck platform before we start to hit space age tech and what not. Saying that though a T1XX, 2019-Now, has some great engine and trans packages.

 

If you do tow your RVs I would definitely suggest buy a 2500 truck. Diesel is worth it if you tow all the time but if not then I would skip it. It seems the gasser 6.6L in the T1XX trucks is a pretty damn good engine.

 

If you go with a 1500 K2XX, 2016-2018, watch out for the transmissions. They are not that great.

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MThomas3 Enthusiast

MThomas3

Posted
Posted

I have a 2020 Silverado 1500 4X4 3.0 Diesel, tow a 2021 Coleman lantern 6500lb, the 10 speed Alison is the best I have ever owned. 25 city 34 Highway 14+ towing

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KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
Posted

Rent a RV when you want to travel and buy a pre 06 GM truck. On a 2500 any clean 6.0 truck. There’s not much that would get me out of my 02 Avalanche. 

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