A lot of good advice on here. You can't have too much truck.

Please, despite whatever the manufacturers try to say in their ads, half ton rigs have no business at all towing much over maybe 7000 on the highway. Can you hitch up 9500 and make it a few blocks on flat ground? Yes, but you just can't put enough tongue weight on one to carry a really heavy load safely at high speed, even with load levelers.

Also, try pulling 9500 lb with any half ton up Donner pass or something similar. You are probably costing yourself much more in driveline damage than saving by not just buying a 2500 or 3500 rig for that purpose. Big difference between a small block gas rig screaming uphill in second gear at 5000 rpm and a nice diesel growling up it at 2000.

I've been through two 2500 diesel rigs, (a Chevy and a Dodge, both great), and now have a C4500 Kodiak/Duramax. I also drive a Dodge 1500 hemi as a daily driver, but can't imagine towing much with it.

A first generation Escalade is a great truck for everyday use and has been a great truck for towing. They are GMC Denali's
with a little more wood inside and caddy badges. 99 and 2000's parts are interchangeable with GMC's I think tow weight is 6000 lbs. Good luck with your search

I pulled a 28 Pantera single engine with my 2001 Chevy 2500HD CC with the 8.1/allison. It was a great truck and my daily driver. I liked it so much, I bought a 2007 Classic with the same package. The last year of the 8.1/allison was in the 2007 Classic trucks. You should be able to get a low mileage one in your budget easily. They are hard to find though. I had to drive 250miles to get mine.

If you only have to drive 4-5 miles to work, I would go with the exact truck Griff has! No question about it.

I have a 2500 avalanche with a 496 I get 12-13 mpg which isn't great but my fiends new dodge diesel only gets 14 so how long before you make up the fuel savings The savings

Guys thank you. It nice to get all this help and advise. So after speaking with my brother last night who has a 2003 chevy 2500 6.0 xtra cab 4wd gas burner. My new daily driver/tow rig will be a 3/4 crew cab 4wd, after reading the posted and listening to my brother I am thinking I will much better off in long run with a diesel. I like the way the super duty looks, Dodge not so much and GMs look good plus I have heard great thinks about the duramax/allison combo. I am thinking maybe little bigger tires but not anything hardcore or a lift. I am thinking intake and exhaust upgrades and maybe a power tuner for all the right reasons.

I tow my 292 Fastech with a 2008 Silverado 2500HD D-Max with Allison trans and love it. Most of the time I don't even know its back there.

No offense, but I wouldn't tow more than a 22ft boat with a escalade. They are great for hauling the kids to soccer practice, but that's about it. The rear suspension is nothing more than a glorified set of air shocks.

I would tow a 28 with a v10 excursion or 2500 suburban 8.1 though

Package deal on a 29' Phantom and 2002 7.3 F350?! :drink:

The Duramax will probly be better suited to your short daily drives than the Cummins. Go to the Dmax forum sites and talk to those guys they will steer you on the right path.