2500hd hp question

beaner · July 11, 2005

i'm buying a new 2500hd. i'm comparing engines. i'm leaning towards the 6.0L because the truck will be the wife's daily driver (2 kids: soccer, daycare, etc; work 7 miles from home, yada yada) but i will use the truck 6-10 times a year to pull a 30ft travel trailer weighing in around 7500 lbs loaded. i live in oregon, lots of hills you easterners call mountains so the torque of a big block or diesel would ne nice, but on a daily basis doesn't make sense.

so i'm looking at the 6.0L as i already stated, and i'm wondering if i chip it along with maybe a few other inexpensive mods, can i get enough horsepower to get me there when i need to, or do i need to get a big block and pay at the pump every week instead? i can't find any data on the stock hp/tq gains on chips, and i have been searching for a few hours here but as you can see by the post count, i'm brand-spankin new on this site. oh...gm says 300hp/360tq but when i see chip data it lists it in RWhp/RWtq...can someone either tell me what the stock RWhp/RWtq of 6.0L vs Dmx vs 8.1L ? or show me some chip data in hp/tq as the factory states it?

Thank you

dewfpo · July 11, 2005

I think you're on the right track with the 6.0L and say a Westers dual octane custom programing tune. That way you can run reg. gas daily and get 'decent' daily commute mileage and then when you need to tow you can run premium in it and get extra zoot.

Read this note about Wester's. At the bottom it talks about the HP gains.

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...55entry292655

DEWFPO

Shaners · July 11, 2005

I sold my '01 6.0L to a friend of mine. It had the Westers tune and ran very well... I have a 32.5' Jayco TT and it pulled it well, but I wasn't a rocket ship either.

My friend just loaned my old truck to his buddy to tow his Nationally Ranked "Mudbogger" (the Mudgician), from Western PA to Bloomsburgh PA across I-80. His buddy said the truck pulled nice and his trailer weighs in around 10K lbs with his bogger, 4-wheeler, generator, comperessor, etc...

builderpaul · July 11, 2005

No need to do any modifications. 7500 lbs a few times a year is cake for that truck. Do you pull the trailer with the mentioned Tahoe? The HD will out pull the Tahoe. I pull a 9000lb dump trailer 2-3 times a month and we have some good "hills" up here in the Adirondacks.

beaner · July 11, 2005

No need to do any modifications. 7500 lbs a few times a year is cake for that truck. Do you pull the trailer with the mentioned Tahoe? The HD will out pull the Tahoe. I pull a 9000lb dump trailer 2-3 times a month and we have some good "hills" up here in the Adirondacks.

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no we have a 6500lb fully loaded 24' trailer that i pull with the tahoe. but it's time for bigger and better so we are stepping up on both sides of the hitch.

thanks everyone for the replies

2004GMC2500HD · July 12, 2005

If you are going to spend the money on a new truck, get the 8.1 if you want gas or go with the Dmax. The 8.1 doesn't cost much more plus you can get the allison tranny. Gas mileage will suck on the 8.1, but it won't be all that much worse then the 6.0 and possibly better while towing. When it comes time to tow you will be much happier with the 8.1 or Dmax. I just figure when you buy a new truck get the most heavy duty one you can. Either way a new truck is still a nice treat.

MrQuadrasteer · July 12, 2005

If you are going to spend the money on a new truck, get the 8.1 if you want gas or go with the Dmax. The 8.1 doesn't cost much more plus you can get the allison tranny. Gas mileage will suck on the 8.1, but it won't be all that much worse then the 6.0 and possibly better while towing. When it comes time to tow you will be much happier with the 8.1 or Dmax. I just figure when you buy a new truck get the most heavy duty one you can. Either way a new truck is still a nice treat.

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Freyguy · July 12, 2005

Here's my numbers after my PCM4LESS 93 octane tune. Not the same tune that you would get for towing performance. I told him I only tow an 8,000 lb boat a couple times a year, and a light aluminum boat at other times. The driveline loss is supposed to be about 20% which would make it 240hp. I'm a slight bit more, but I also have an intake and exhaust.

The numbers in the graph are wrong because the lines are in the wrong place. The correct before/after numbers are at the bottom.

If I had to do it all over again, and wanted gas, I'd probably get the 8.1 because it's much more power and the fuel mileage isn't much worse than the 6.0. Mine now is 12.5-13mpg with the tune, 4.10's and 285's, and prior to the tune it was 11.5 on 87 octane. But, after reading soo much on the internet, my next truck is gonna be a diesel.