2500HD Gas towing...
11-24-2018, 07:15 AM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
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.
11-24-2018, 06:45 PM
#4
Gold Member
Gold Member
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.
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.
11-25-2018, 07:46 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
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?
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?
11-25-2018, 08:19 AM
#6
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
11-25-2018, 08:57 AM
#7
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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.
11-25-2018, 10:12 AM
#8
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.
11-25-2018, 02:30 PM
#9
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iTrader: (2)
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.
11-26-2018, 06:01 PM
#10
VIP Member
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.
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.
Last edited by Sydwayz; 11-27-2018 at 12:34 PM.
