04 & up 3500 SRW

nsmilligan · April 1, 2005

I have an 04 3500 SRW, and with a price difference over an identically equipped 2500HD of only about $100, I can't beleive there's not more of them out there. Anyone have production #'s for the SRW, or anuone else running on. It's a great truck for me

Bill

Truckman031 · April 2, 2005

My friend's dad has an 04.5 3500 SRW Crew Cab LT 4x4 D/A. He's got the Hypertech programer on it. He loves the truck. I don't see why more people don't buy them, maybe because GM doesn't market them that much.

PeterbiltChrome · April 2, 2005

Friend of mine got a '04 reg cab SRW DMax/Ally 4x4 when he sold his '92 454 5sp dually. He hauls his Holsteins with a bumper pull and it was a good deal for him. He said the spring pack had more capacity than the 2500hd, so $100 was an easy selling point in that regard.

Trouttrooper · April 2, 2005

I did quite a bit of research before buying and discovered that when equipped with the same bells and whistles the ONLY difference between a 2500HD and 3500 SRW is the 3500 SRW has the extra leaf spring and it's tire size has about 400 lbs more weight rating.

There's only 700 lbs difference in GCWR between the two and it comes from the overload spring and higher rated tires.

I think for some reason a lot of people figure they don't want/need a "big" 1 ton pickup, so they get the 2500HD not realizing that in all reality it is a 1 ton pickup.

I would suspect that GM's surveys indicated something along those lines when they went to the new style in '99 because they sure screwed up the name plate vs. GCWR compared to the past 30 years.

jake111 · April 2, 2005

For several years I investigated and worked out what I really wanted (ok, I'm a little slow) and came up with 2500HD D/A 4wd, blah blah blah. Then just as I seriously tried to locate one I discovered the 3500 SRW and I just had to have that instead. So last summer I started searching (Internet).

FWIW, I wanted to find inventory in my area, and found this very round-about way to get it . . . maybe somebody knows any easier way, but it worked for me.

I got the best results with www.gmbuypower.com BUT you have to work your way through the website to get to the useful list of new stock. From the home page, "New Vehicle Search" at the top, then enter info and "Submit", then select the truck you want (model tab), and then "Search Dealer Inventory" and select more model details, and then "Continue to Style", and select the trim package and "Continue to Inventory", and select any dealer "Search Inventory", and then (FINALLY!!) "Search Nearby Dealerships". You should now have a nice list of inventory in your area where you can look at the window stickers.

Last summer I found the almost-an-exact match of what I wanted and contacted the dealer via email. They would sell it for $1200 over invoice (plus there were rebates). At first they were confused because 'net salesman didn't even know about the truck because it showed up on gmbuypower while it was still in transit to the dealer. I drove to the dealer (50 miles away) on a Friday evening. The truck still had plastic on the seats and was dirty from transit when we did the test drive. They cleaned it up while we did paperwork and drove home an hour later. Best buying experience I've ever had with a dealer!!

So, yes, I love the 3500 SRW!!! But as pointed out by others, there's very little difference with the 2500HD.

builderpaul · April 2, 2005

I did quite a bit of research before buying and discovered that when equipped with the same bells and whistles the ONLY difference between a 2500HD and 3500 SRW is the 3500 SRW has the extra leaf spring and it's tire size has about 400 lbs more weight rating.

There's only 700 lbs difference in GCWR between the two and it comes from the overload spring and higher rated tires.

I think for some reason a lot of people figure they don't want/need a "big" 1 ton pickup, so they get the 2500HD not realizing that in all reality it is a 1 ton pickup.

I would suspect that GM's surveys indicated something along those lines when they went to the new style in '99 because they sure screwed up the name plate vs. GCWR compared to the past 30 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Prices are very comperable

I shopped both last year and ordered an HD.

My state registration is based on GVW so the 3500 costs more each year to register. Same with my insurace.

I don't need the extra gvw (my last 3 trucks have been 3500srw in the obs they were 9200gvw)

I wanted chome wheels the 3500 are painted. I upgrade tires anyway so the dif size didn't matter.

Even though the purchase price is about the same I don't need the extra capacity and the 3500 will cost me more to operate every year so I got the HD.

You are right, people think of the 3500 as big truck. At resale time I have always found it easyer to sell a 2500 than a 3500. People think that 3500 must have been worked hard.

2002HeavyChevy · April 2, 2005

To add to that i believe in some peoples minds also, that the "HD" portion may be a little more appealing to the eyes and ears of those buying and those who are glaring at what a nice ride you have! 3500HD, that just sounds badass! I think they should go with it.

.02

Chris

Mattt · April 2, 2005

I did quite a bit of research before buying and discovered that when equipped with the same bells and whistles the ONLY difference between a 2500HD and 3500 SRW is the 3500 SRW has the extra leaf spring and it's tire size has about 400 lbs more weight rating.

There's only 700 lbs difference in GCWR between the two and it comes from the overload spring and higher rated tires.

I think for some reason a lot of people figure they don't want/need a "big" 1 ton pickup, so they get the 2500HD not realizing that in all reality it is a 1 ton pickup.

I would suspect that GM's surveys indicated something along those lines when they went to the new style in '99 because they sure screwed up the name plate vs. GCWR compared to the past 30 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

different rated tires........as in different size other than 245/75-16? Or just a heavier tire than the std. load range E tire? Do they make a LR F tire? Ive never seen one.

Trouttrooper · April 2, 2005

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

different rated tires........as in different size other than 245/75-16? Or just a heavier tire than the std. load range E tire? Do they make a LR F tire? Ive never seen one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are both "E" rated tires, but the 265/75-16 tire on the 3500 SRW is rated for more weight than the 245/75-16 on the 2500HD.

It was news to me, but I looked up a bunch of different tires on tirerack.com and it's consistant with every brand.

Mattt · April 3, 2005

Thanks. Im sure we all think the 2500HD should come with the 265s as well. It makes no sense whatsoever to have the biggest truck possible come with dinky little tires, even smaller than a 1/2t x-cab tire. But, thats GM for you, never quite having it figured out.....