Chevy 3500 or 2500 for towing a 35 Fountain?
11-08-2013, 11:50 PM
#11
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I would want diesel and 4wd. I would tow 1 to 2 times a month. Most of the towing I would do would be an 1 hour to an 1hour 30mins depending where I boat at. Such as the Illinois Chain, Illinois River, and Lake Michigan. That would be the closest bodies of water by Batavia, IL. Yes I'll be moving to Batavia. On the bucket list of places I want to go at are: St. Johns River in Florida, Lake Superior in Michigan, Whitefish Chain in Crosslake, MN and 1000 Island Poker Run in Kinston, ON on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Last edited by Captain Nick; 11-09-2013 at 08:02 AM.
11-09-2013, 02:01 AM
#12
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I would want diesel and 4wd. I would tow 1 to 2 times a month. Most of the towing I would do would be an 1hour to an 1hour 30mins depending where I boat at. That would be the closest bodies of water by Batavia, IL. Yes I'll be moving to Batavia. On the bucket list of places I want to go at are: St. Johns River in Florida, Lake Superior in Michigan, Whitefish Chain in Crosslake, MN and 1000 Island Poker Run in Kinston, ON on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
11-09-2013, 07:59 AM
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I wouldn't want to boat the Fox River. I was talking the Illinois River, Illinois Chain, and Lake Michigan. I should've been more clear.
11-09-2013, 08:31 AM
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A 2500 will do fine. The 3500 is a dually and that has all kids of ramifcations. A dually is near impossible to use in a drive thru bank, etc. Your real question is gas or diesel. Diesel will give you all the power you need and then some. The gas will do the trick though too. Used 2500's in the newer body style (2009 or later) with a Dmax are available for around 40k in really good condition. BUt you gotta look hard. New they are really pricey - around 55-60.
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I bought the 3500 because it was a small price increase from a 2500 and figured the resale would hold up better, and for the ratings on a gooseneck. I am towing a bit heavier than you are, however, I always believe in getting above and beyond what your requirement is, if you can afford it. Good lick with your truck hunt. Don't rule out Ford or Dodge, they all have their good and bad years. I would own any of the three....
Last edited by frickstyle; 11-09-2013 at 08:34 AM.
11-09-2013, 04:16 PM
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I have an 05 2500 Duramax that i tow with. I run slightly more power than stock with a PPE programer and a straight pipe exhaust. It tows very well andthe ride is not bad at all. I would suggest an 08 or newer only because they dont have the transfer case issue that the older trucks have. There s a thread somewhere around here that discusses that. I'd also like to add that the modern diesel trucks are highly programmable and huge gains in power and economy can be made from a simple exhaust upgrade and careful programming. Well worth the added expense for th duramax. You will save that extra 7k in fuel over the lifetime of the truck
11-09-2013, 07:56 PM
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about the only difference from 2500hd to 3500 srw are 6 leaf rear springs vs 5, and front hub assemblies are beefier than 2500, interchangeable but not the same. Spec'ed different from GM both Timken and National confirmed this. BTW 6.0l with a tune is no slouch either
11-09-2013, 08:19 PM
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Just my two cents, but I have a 2005 2500HD Duramax that I bought new a year before I bought my 35' Lightning. I lived in Michigan at the time and now live in South Carolina and have towed the boat to Lake of the Ozarks and Lake Cumberland several times, not to mention half a dozen trips back and forth from Michigan to South Carolina. This means going through the Smokey Mountains no matter what way you take. I can personally say you will be just fine towing with a 2500. I have towed up to 14,000#s going through the Smokey's when I had to deliver a tractor to Michigan and the load was so well distributed that it actually towed better than the Fountain does! That is the key, I have a double axle Myco Trailer and it is a little tongue heavy, but it still tows and rides great. I get about 11mpg towing and 17mpg empty and cannot say enough good things about the truck and how it rides and tows (I had a 2001 Dodge Cummins before the Duramax and it rode like a lumber truck). I'll sell the Fountain before I sell the truck, and I can only imagine how much better a newer one is! Good Luck with your search.
