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2500HD Gas towing...
My last 2 trucks have been a 2500HD and a 3500HD DRW with the duramax in each one. I’m considering switching to a 2015 or newer 2500HD with the gas 6.0 and was wondering how it tows. My boat currently weighs in around 13k. I don’t plan towing a lot with it, just enough to get to the lake and back. I’m pretty much done with towing, just need something to get me through a couple months. My DRW is a rough ride to work and want to switch back to the SRW 2500 ride.
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I'd go with a 2500 SRW long bed diesel if I were you.
I don't think you need a dually. |
It will do fine. I hauled our 37 AT all over with my 2500 6.0. Make sure you find one with 4.10 gears though.
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I have a 2016 Silverado 3500 as my work truck at the marina I work at. I tow all the time with it and all over the place. (Longest tow is New York to Florida and back.) It has the 6.0 liter gas motor and I have no problem with the motor. The damn transmission on the other hand … Getting it to upshift and hold a higher gear is a total PITA. On the Florida trip I mentioned, I was towing a 22' twin tube pontoon boat with a 150 HP outboard on a tandem axle bunk trailer. One would think that a relatively light load like that (even though it had a decent amount of aerodynamic drag) wouldn't tax the truck too much. Wrong. Even feather footing the throttle wouldn't coax the thing to upshift and hold a higher gear for miles on end. And let me tell you, 3,500 - 4,000 RPM gets real tiring, real soon. I tried Tow / Haul mode, manually trying to shift the transmission and everything else I could think of. Sometimes it worked (briefly) and other times I just had to wait for the next downhill section. I averaged 7 MPG.
When I got back, I asked my boss about it and he said every 6.0 liter gas motor he's driven did the same thing. Not so with the diesels he's driven. Oh well, that's my 2 cents. |
I had a 2002 6.0 and towed a pop up camper from Ohio to Bristol TN, and I noticed the same thing. It did something weird like it would down shift going down hills then upshift going up them. I thought for a minute it was trying to help control the speed going down hill but every time I went up a hill it did the opposite. It was confusing and annoying. I was kind of hoping the new 6 speed transmissions would have been better. Most of my towing will be flat back road. How is the braking with the 6.0s I noticed a huge difference with the Allison and the duramax, almost like it slows down for you. Does the gas do anything like that? |
I have an old 2500 HD with the Allison. It has the 8.1. That package is easily the best gas combo they ever had in terms of GM. I also had a 3500 dually with the 8.1. Problem is that those trucks are old and hard to find. The one I currently have, I bought with 59k miles last year. Almost impossible to find under 100k and no rust. I pull the playboy cig with the 2500HD....plenty of truck. I pulled the straight bottom TopGun with the dually 3500. Transmissions always shifted like they should have. Get about 7-9 mpg. I know it’s low but here gas is 2.65 gallon and diesel is 3.20. Not to mention maintenance schedule. Just thoughts. I have also had diesel trucks. I don’t tow more then 4-5 hrs for poker runs. Usually 5 minutes to local ramp |
I have been towing with a 2500 Duramax since 2008. Prior to purchasing my current 2016, I considered switching to a gas. We have a Chevy dealership in the family and the consensus was I'd be extremely disappointed going from the diesel to a gasser. The torque is like day & night. The issue with todays trucks is they are trying to eek out the most gas mileage so the trans is constantly trying to stay in the optimal RPM range. Hence the non-stop shifting. The 6.0 will certainly tow just fine, but if you're used to the Duramax/Allison, you will not love the gasser. My 2016 D-Max is amazing.
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Originally Posted by MonkeySea2
(Post 4660794)
I have been towing with a 2500 Duramax since 2008. Prior to purchasing my current 2016, I considered switching to a gas. We have a Chevy dealership in the family and the consensus was I'd be extremely disappointed going from the diesel to a gasser. The torque is like day & night. The issue with todays trucks is they are trying to eek out the most gas mileage so the trans is constantly trying to stay in the optimal RPM range. Hence the non-stop shifting. The 6.0 will certainly tow just fine, but if you're used to the Duramax/Allison, you will not love the gasser. My 2016 D-Max is amazing.
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Ultimately I decided to go with a new Ram 2500 with the 6.4 and 4.10 gears. Night and day between that and my old 2001 2500HD 6.0. GM sucks hind tit when it comes to the 3/4 ton gas. Should have never axed the 8.1 option. No one is buying 2500 and 3500 trucks for gas mileage.
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I keep saying I'm going to sell this 8.1/Allison, but I can't bring myself to do it.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9933906e8.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...175d1761a.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...37e2ea560.jpeg Member "Cignificant" went from a 2000 7.3L PSD Ford F350 CC LB 4x4 DRW to a 2017? 6.0 2500HD Chevy CC SB. He says he loves it. He has a 5th wheel RV and a 33' Donzi ZX that he tows now, and says the truck is perfect for his needs. |
Originally Posted by Sydwayz
(Post 4661037)
I keep saying I'm going to sell this 8.1/Allison, but I can't bring myself to do it.
Member "Cignificant" went from a 2000 7.3L PSD Ford F350 CC LB 4x4 DRW to a 2017? 6.0 2500HD Chevy CC SB. He says he loves it. He has a 5th wheel RV and a 33' Donzi ZX that he tows now, and says the truck is perfect for his needs. |
The shifting even on my Z71 was insufferable until I used a Bully Dog flash tuner and it made all the difference. I’d go to mash the throttle and it would upshift and cut four cylinders at the same time and it literally felt like I turned the key off. I turned off that stupid cylinder dropping program and it changed the shift points to where it drives like it’s in “sport mode.” Im a little Leary of such hand held units but it made the truck drivable. A good shop can do a real custom tune and make the tranny do whatever you want. It seems like the shifting issue is an easy one to remedy? |
Originally Posted by Nice Pair
(Post 4661093)
Clearing the diesel smell ... one Ford at a time. ;-)
My 7.3L PSD didn't smell bad at all. I had a tuner on it and obviously no emissions. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bb8a9566bc.jpg But this new one has a smell only when it's in regeneration: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ce7e8dc3fc.jpg |
Wtf is that a half ton 😂😂😂 keepers add some leafs dodge boys. I’d be disappointed with that load n sitting that low already. Just saying. Maybe you got that dodge air bag system. And it’s aired down in the rear 😁😁😁😁 |
Originally Posted by ROB FREEMAN
(Post 4661146)
Wtf is that a half ton 😂😂😂 keepers add some leafs dodge boys. I’d be disappointed with that load n sitting that low already. Just saying. Maybe you got that dodge air bag system. And it’s aired down in the rear 😁😁😁😁 It’s really not squatting much. The truck is pointing uphill a bit. I am putting on a lift and bags soon, and will have to redo my WD hitch setup. |
I was just joking around. You know that. 😁 nice truck. Rams interiors are top notch too these days. 👍👍 |
Originally Posted by ROB FREEMAN
(Post 4661218)
I was just joking around. You know that. 😁 nice truck. Rams interiors are top notch too these days. 👍👍 This is the 1-year only trim level I special ordered for mine. The interior caliber and quality is one of the main reasons I purchased an FCA product. As soon as I saw that 2-tone I was SOLD. I’ve only seen one other SouthFork edition in Metallic Silver, and that was only online, and a dually. It’s probably not 1 of 1, but I know I got a rare bird. https://www.ramtrucks.com/limited-editions/southfork.html (FWIW, Ford would not build you a King Ranch in Silver, nor could you get a Dilver GMC Denali HD with Silver paint and their Cocoa/Dune interior. I really wanted brown/tan leather in a silver truck.) |
Originally Posted by Sydwayz
(Post 4661037)
I keep saying I'm going to sell this 8.1/Allison, but I can't bring myself to do it.
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Originally Posted by Rookie
(Post 4662950)
I love my 8.1L Avalanche. Very underrated engine. I couldn't find a decent 8.1L HD 2500 Allison truck when I bought my Avalanche.
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A buddy with a good sized landscaping business only buys the 2500 with 6.0 for work trucks. Says there is nothing can touch them for cost and reliability. They spend their whole lives with big trailers on the back.
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Originally Posted by Wobble
(Post 4663028)
A buddy with a good sized landscaping business only buys the 2500 with 6.0 for work trucks. Says there is nothing can touch them for cost and reliability. They spend their whole lives with big trailers on the back.
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Originally Posted by Sydwayz
(Post 4663031)
And his team likes them because they get paid by the hour, not the job! :D |
Originally Posted by cigrocket
(Post 4663002)
Yes the Avalanche was a cool package for the 2500 series. Sad thing was that it didn't have the Allison Transmission which makes a huge different in towing. But still a great Gas Option for sure
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I tow with an 8.1/Allison in a 2500 HD. Will pull a 40ft enclosed to 98 miles and hour and nose over when you get there. Almost a quarter of a million miles but every time I think of trading, I have sticker shock. May just freshen this ole girl when it comes time...
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