6.0 Liter Engine Suitable

[jefftb]

Ok, I need to replace my VW Touareg with new truck (I've had other brands before in HD's-2 to be exact).

 

New truck will be used for nearly everything I do, sales calls, light off road use, family hauler, daily driver, equipment tow-er since I sell environmental equipment and own a utility construction business as well.

 

My towing duty maxes at about 11,000 pounds with mini-ex, skid steer on equipment trailer. That will probably occur no more than 10-12 round trips a year with numerous other towing situations running 5-8,000 lbs. Mileage right now tops out at around 20,000 miles a year for all of the above. Region is semi-mountainous area of East Tennessee (well that's mountains to us Southerners-no offense to those in Colorado, Montana, etc.) so there are hills involved. I'd say out of the year that towing does not exceed 5,000 miles of the 20,000-that equates to towing about 25%.

 

I cannot seem to make the economics work for the DMAX or any diesel at those numbers. So, I'm asking the group if they think the 6.0L engine with 4.10 rear (maybe 4.30 upgrade) will handle this without too much difficulty. I'm really not too concerned with being able to barrel down the road with trailer behind at excessive speed because I've got a torque filled truck.

 

To me the diesel breaks even around 200,000 miles and I might not even own the truck then. Since GM abandoned the 8.1 the only other gasser is the F250 Triton. Please no flame wars on the F250, I've driven it, and liked it.

 

Is the 6.0 overwhelmed in this application on a 2500HD?

[Jimmy J]

Why not get the Dmax as a tax write off for your business. The Dmax will certainly get the job done, and has a much better resale value, better gas mileage. If it was me that's the route I'd go!

[davefr]

Why not search for a new '06/'07 w/8.1. The '06's also have a $5500 incentive.

 

 

The 8.1 is a superior engine.

[Shaners]

The 6.0L will probably do the job, but don't be in a hurry! My buddy used one for his concrete edging business and it was adequate, but it struggled under the heavier loads.

 

The Dmax would be my choice for your stiuation. When you figured up your numbers did you figure in the better resale value of the Dmax/Ally combo over the 6.0L/4spd auto?

 

The difference in trade in value for my '05 Dmax versus a similarly equipped 6.0L is around $6K. I think that is about the same as what I had to pay for the Dmax brand new, so I guess if I traded right now, the only money the Dmax costed me was the extra interest I paid on the loan ( I probably recovered some of that $ with better MPG's).

[way_out_there]

I'm gonna say no, it is not adequete. Here is my reasoning:

 

1: My parents live in north central Tennessee, and I've been there many times. Also have gone to Bristol. I've seen your "hills".

 

2: I have experience with the 6.0, my work truck is a 2006 GMC Savanna 3500. It has approximately 2500 lbs. of equipment and material on it at all times (scale verified). I occasionally tow equipment and material behind it, the heaviest was a 6500 lb. load, not including the trailer, maybe add 1K for that (it's a twin axle flatbed, suitable for skid steers and such). With this payload, it felt pushed to the limit. I was the guy in the right lane, motor screaming, trying to maintain freeway speed. And it is not that hilly around here. Oh yeah, and then mileage is about 6-7 MPG!

 

I would have concerns about transmission durability in your situation, as the 6.0 won't be backed by something as stout as the Allison. With the workload you are describing, an 8.1 is the minimum I would be comfortable running, and the Duramax would be ideal. I'd do as earler suggested, looking for new 06 and 07 Classics. There were quite a few of those around with Duramax's when I was shopping, unfortunately 8.1's are scarce. If it has to be a gasser, and you can't find an 8.1 equipped GM that is suitable, I'd have to say go to the (gulp) Ford.

[ZZ327]

6.0L will be fine, but get a 4.56 gears for the rear end. Just like they had back in 01

[Trouttrooper]

The 6.0 with 4:10 rear end will handle what you need to do. I had a '99 GMC 2500LD with the 6.0/4:10 and it hauled my loaded horse trailer just fine up to 65 mph. I wouldn't worry about the tranny either. The 4L80E is very durable.

 

For a daily driver I'd avoid getting the 8.1 just due to the fact they don't do well in the mpg dept. in stop and go situations. If you were constantly hauling heavy loads that would be another story.

[way_out_there]

Ok, I'll add another 2 cents.

 

I'm not sure how everyone decides on what is considered adequete, or what is correct, or reasonable.

 

I know that the ratings for most vehicles are stretched to the limit. The question I have would be: what kind of driver are you?

 

I EXPECT the most from my truck, if it fails to deliver, it is for one of 2 reasons: I was mislead by the numbers, or I was being cheap. If you want to have it all, get the stronger power train. If you don't mind being stuck in the right lane at all times, base powertrains will get you by. Trust me, I fought through this, and though my regular trailer weight is under 6K, I still went diesel(although I shopped for an 8.1, couldn't find what I wanted). I don't like being underpowered, especially on a long trip. It is a tough decision, so please don't take this personally. If you want it all, buy it all.

[HDdave]

Well I just got done reading a review on the new 6.0 with the new 6 speed tranny... It sounds like it has improved a lot. They started at 45mph with a 6% grade and 9000lb trailer with a windscreen, and hammered it, the chevy destroyed the dodge hemi, and the for v-10 took the lead from 45- 52, then the chevy pulled ahead by a truck legnth and stayed there. It sounds like that new 6 speed is the way to go, because the v-10 has a lot more torque than the 6.0.

 

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2007/gm/fi...e/hd/page5.html Here is the article about the towing..

[svensk]

But that gas hog V-10 runs out of pull on the high-end compared to the 6.0L. The 6.0 will just keep pulling all the way to redline if you need it from her.

[cbxeric]

Get the Diesel, It will pay for itself. The duramax gets better mileage, stouter driveline, almost as quiet as a gas engine and better re-sale. And when you are in the hills....if you want the power.......its there.

Also when you are at the pumps with the machine in tow, only one fuel type to purchase, one less mistake to make.

 

Good luck. Eric.

[THE BIGPUNN]

here is how if feel. if you even have to debate to yourself which one to get, get the most you will need if you can afford it. i would get the dmax if you dont want an '06 8.1L. you'll be much happier with the mpg the dmax will get you too, and the fact that you'll never have to look back. what if your business needs change and volume gets bigger? with the 6.0L you'll be back at square one, with the dmax you'll already have a motor to handle increased volume forever.

[jefftb]

Thanks to HDdave for the link to PUTC on the new review post. Very interesting comparo between the V10 and th 6.0 with 6 speed transmission. I quite liked the V10 throttle/engine response but obviously was unladen during the test drive.

 

Interesting comment from Eric on the fill-up situation. I agree that its only one type of fuel but at some pump locales you can actually park the truck with trailer and fill the gas to the truck and the diesel to the machine due to pump spacing w/o moving. Going all diesel you need to fill truck and then move trailer to fill machine. I've actually had two situations were I somehow managed to incite the dis-satisfaction of the people behind me because when I moved the truck to fill the machine I was not leaving the pumps completely-they actually blew the horn at me in anger.

 

I generally do not worry about being in the right lane while towing anything. In fact I generally target that and let the traffic pass me by. Its the only time I really have no issue with "living life in the slow lane" at 65 MPH. I've seen GM/Ford/Dodge 3500 series trucks maintain speed with me at 75-85 MPH-this while me not towing and them pulling a 14K trailer with 10,000 lbs on it. That is insane!

 

All that being said, when I want/need to merge into traffic its nice to know its there and I thing the V10 can do it. I know any diesel can do it. But when you factor in maintenance costs, fuel costs, capital cost, resale value, perform TVM analysis, and finally the option cost/opportunity value of the money difference between diesel and gas, for this amount of towing, the diesel takes a long time to begin to pay back. I said it before, I might not even own the vehicle at that point

 

As far as the 6.0 engine doing it, I believe it will with 4.10 rear but not very well with 3.73. Probably a little better with the 4.30 but then we're getting into higher "R's" all the time.

 

One of my good sub-contractors pulls everything with the 5.4 Ford. His first 5.4 got 273,000 miles on the engine and 165,000 on the transmission before rebuild. His second 5.4 has 95,000 miles on it with nothing done to either. I'm not praising the Ford product here but more as a testament to the ability of these engines & transmissions to last.

 

I'm going to drive the 6.0 HD product because I think the 6 speed manumatic option on the transmission and trailer brake controller may just be a great combination.

 

Thanks for all of the great comments-negative & positive.

[mini1]

Ok, I need to replace my VW Touareg

 

Yes, yes you do!!! How many times has the "bad boy" been in the shop since you got it???

[jefftb]

Ok, I need to replace my VW Touareg

 

Yes, yes you do!!! How many times has the "bad boy" been in the shop since you got it???

 

 

Umm, once. I had all of the TSB's done at one time (all in one day) when my headlight lamp failed. That's the only thing that is beyond the TSB's for me.

 

Car has been great-I'm replacing it because I need a truck and my family is growing to 5 and I cannot fit three in the back of it. I was going to get a truck when I bought it but my wife talked me out of it.....