Newbie Hd Questions

dgeesaman · January 4, 2009

Hello all.

I'm looking for a pickup for towing in the 3/4 to 1 ton range. Single wheel, 4x4, Crew cab or Ext Cab. Newer is better because I want max towing capacity and I've had enough with rust.

I haven't decided between the diesel or the big gasser, and since I'm shopping for a deal (under $15k would be great) I think the gasser would be just right.

Trouble is, there is no easy way to find the 8.1's. I suspect a lot of ads don't even want to mention the big engine, and the majority of the gasser's out there are the 5.3L, which I'm not interested in.

Any suggestions how I could go about finding an 8.1L for sale? Are they out there?

Dave

dietz4ibanez · January 4, 2009

Hello all.

I'm looking for a pickup for towing in the 3/4 to 1 ton range. Single wheel, 4x4, Crew cab or Ext Cab. Newer is better because I want max towing capacity and I've had enough with rust.

I haven't decided between the diesel or the big gasser, and since I'm shopping for a deal (under $15k would be great) I think the gasser would be just right.

Trouble is, there is no easy way to find the 8.1's. I suspect a lot of ads don't even want to mention the big engine, and the majority of the gasser's out there are the 5.3L, which I'm not interested in.

Any suggestions how I could go about finding an 8.1L for sale? Are they out there?

Dave

Your best bet is finding one on craigslist or ebay and traveling to go look at it, ect...

You can have the GM pre-owned dealer locate you one but it will be cheaper if you find it yourself... Would you consider the 6.0L Gasser... They are pretty hefty and strong towing about 10,000lbs... If you want more than that you would have to go with the 6.6 Duramax Diesel!!!

dietz4ibanez · January 4, 2009

Welcome to the site BTW!

dgeesaman · January 4, 2009

No I definitely want the capability to go 10000+. I will mostly use this truck to tow, so I don't see the point in buying any less truck than I can stuff into my budget.

Diesel is obviously a perfect fit but it will cost more upfront and has higher maintenance costs too. While I'm not a fan of burning gallons and gallons of gas, we only put 5k / year on our truck.

So I've tried looking on craigslist, autotrader, ebay, etc and none of them make it easy to find an 8.1. Autotrader lets you pick engine type by "V8" which means nothing since the 6.0 and 8.1 are both V8s. I wonder if sellers are afraid to mention it because most buyers don't want one.

Edit: if they post the VIN I can figure out which V8 it has. Unfortunately I have not found one VIN decoder for the whole year range I'm looking at so this process is a minor PITA, and very few private party ads include the VIN.

whmayhew · January 4, 2009

The 6.0 will make you plenty of power with a tune from Jesse Bubb. You will end up with about 350hp and it will tow great.

deepblue HD · January 4, 2009

I just went to auto trader for you and found alot of 8.1 gassers for 15000 and under. Do a search and at the bottom of the page click on the more search criteria. then put the v8 option and put 8.1 in the key word box.

I have to agree the 6.0 is a great engine and it pulls great for me. My trailer is 8000 lbs loaded and it wont slow below the speed limit on any hill I have gone up.

dgeesaman · January 4, 2009

The 6.0 will make you plenty of power with a tune from Jesse Bubb. You will end up with about 350hp and it will tow great.

What then about tuning an 8.1? What kind of torque can you get without sacrificing reliability or tossing the tranny?

dgeesaman · January 4, 2009

I just went to auto trader for you and found alot of 8.1 gassers for 15000 and under. Do a search and at the bottom of the page click on the more search criteria. then put the v8 option and put 8.1 in the key word box.
I have to agree the 6.0 is a great engine and it pulls great for me. My trailer is 8000 lbs loaded and it wont slow below the speed limit on any hill I have gone up.

LOL, the closest 8.1 I found that way from me (zip 17112) is 275 miles.

I did find one on craigslist locally that's an 8.1. The only way I figured that out is by plugging in the VIN.

Right now my trailer weighs about 6000, but in the future I want to handle a trailer weighing up to 14000. Since I don't need to daily drive it, I see no reason to consider a 6.0.

Dave

Bruce03Silverado · January 5, 2009

I just went to auto trader for you and found alot of 8.1 gassers for 15000 and under. Do a search and at the bottom of the page click on the more search criteria. then put the v8 option and put 8.1 in the key word box.
I have to agree the 6.0 is a great engine and it pulls great for me. My trailer is 8000 lbs loaded and it wont slow below the speed limit on any hill I have gone up.

LOL, the closest 8.1 I found that way from me (zip 17112) is 275 miles.

I did find one on craigslist locally that's an 8.1. The only way I figured that out is by plugging in the VIN.

Right now my trailer weighs about 6000, but in the future I want to handle a trailer weighing up to 14000. Since I don't need to daily drive it, I see no reason to consider a 6.0.

Dave

I'd consider a diesel then if you are looking to tow up to 14,000lbs. Just my opinion.

wlvrn1215 · January 5, 2009

The 6.0 will make you plenty of power with a tune from Jesse Bubb. You will end up with about 350hp and it will tow great.

I agree on the tune just not from Jesse Bubb...the guy is a joke, and an a$$hole to boot

Kodiak450 · January 5, 2009

The 6.0 will tow 12,500, the 8.1 more, and the diesel even more. Also depends what rear you get with the 6.0, 4:10's tow much better then say the 3:73 option on the 6.0. And with payload, adding an extra spring helps out alot, and I am not talking about a sissy helper spring.