V6 in CC 4x4 with full size bed?

Donstar · January 18, 2017

When working in the Bahamas last month, my truck was a mid '90s Ford F350 flatbed with 300ci I-6, a 5 speed, and 285k miles, hauling almost 3000lbs every day. I love Chevy, but no 4.3 will be doing that with that weight, at that mileage, in those conditions. ;)

Time will tell!

Brian S. · January 18, 2017

Leave your inferiority complex comments at the door, Dr. Freud. I made do with my V6 '84 S15 for years (and still have it) until it just couldn't do the long-range 3000 lb towing anymore. My point is that if shelling out $40k for a truck, don't limit yourself with what you can do with it. If you think that a V6 full size can do the job, that's the only job it'll ever do. A V8 '80s fullsize Chevy with a 350 has a higher tow rating than a 2017 V6 silverado crew cab. Those are published numbers. A V8 will suffer less wear from repeated hard work than a V6, that's a mechanical fact. If a V6 full-size is all that is needed, I stand by my statement that a V6 or Duramax Colorado (both of which can tow 1500-2000 lbs more than said V6 Silverado) is the better choice.

There are other advantages to a full size truck.

1. The reason the Colorado can tow more is partially because it weighs less. Bigger vehicle is nice to have if you are unfortunate enough to get in a crash.

2. Bigger vehicle has more passenger room.

3. To me, the 6'6" full size truck bed is a deal maker/breaker. My ice shanty is 6' long, my canoe is 16'6". My jon boat (that I have no trailer for) fits in the bed. Try stacking some OSB in a Colorado bed. Etc. I have the canoe and ice shanty in the back more than I tow the 150hp boat.

16LT4 · January 18, 2017

My mistake; quick Google search showed a 5500 lb tow rating but going in to the Chevy site shows 7000.

Donstar · February 14, 2017

Is there a member who has towed a travel trailer for long distances with the 4.3? I am looking at a trailer that will put me close to my maximum 7,000 lb tow limit and am interested in hearing from those with first-hand experience!

Silverado Steve · February 14, 2017

Yet another reason to pick the 5.3 over the 4.3. Unless you have the 3.08 gears, if you had the 5,3, this wouldn't be an issue....carry on

Is there a member who has towed a travel trailer for long distances with the 4.3? I am looking at a trailer that will put me close to my maximum 7,000 lb tow limit and am interested in hearing from those with first-hand experience!

JoJoSilverado · February 14, 2017

Yet another reason to pick the 5.3 over the 4.3. Unless you have the 3.08 gears, if you had the 5,3, this wouldn't be an issue....carry on

Honestly, the same thing happens to 5.3 owners who purchase trailers too large for their engines, then people tell them, "Should've got the 6.2"

Or if 6.2 people have a sudden event in life that they need/want very large trailer 2-3 years after purchasing the truck, they're told, "Should've gotten a diesel"

When the truck was purchased, it was more than adequate. No need to rag on him for his choice of an engine. Perhaps the purchase of this trailer was unforeseen, or not even a thought at the time of purchasing his truck.

Silverado Steve · February 14, 2017

The answer to that is obvious. I don't know many people who just have to buy a travel trailer on a whim....most people plan for that....like when you retire....people plan on a retirement right? As others have said, if I wanted mid size capability like that the 4,3 offers, I would have bought a mid size truck. If I needed to tow over 9,000 pounds, I would have bought a HD. If I needed cabin space, I would of bought a Tahoe.....simple. The whole argument that the 4.3 is great because it offers the same power of something from 1990 is simply ridiculous and a poor man's argument. I just find it ironic that two of the biggest proponents of the 4.3 crowd...one traded his in for a 5.3 less than a year after he bought his 4.3 and the other is asking about towing close to his tow rating.....ironic....

Honestly, the same thing happens to 5.3 owners who purchase trailers too large for their engines, then people tell them, "Should've got the 6.2"

Or if 6.2 people have a sudden event in life that they need/want very large trailer 2-3 years after purchasing the truck, they're told, "Should've gotten a diesel"

When the truck was purchased, it was more than adequate. No need to rag on him for his choice of an engine. Perhaps the purchase of this trailer was unforeseen, or not even a thought at the time of purchasing his truck.

JoJoSilverado · February 14, 2017

The answer to that is obvious. I don't know many people who just have to buy a travel trailer on a whim....most people plan for that....like when you retire....people plan on a retirement right? As others have said, if I wanted mid size capability like that the 4,3 offers, I would have bought a mid size truck. If I needed to tow over 9,000 pounds, I would have bought a HD. If I needed cabin space, I would of bought a Tahoe.....simple. The whole argument that the 4.3 is great because it offers the same power of something from 1990 is simply ridiculous and a poor man's argument. I just find it ironic that two of the biggest proponents of the 4.3 crowd...one traded his in for a 5.3 less than a year after he bought his 4.3 and the other is asking about towing close to his tow rating.....ironic....

I can't speak to the proponents of the 4.3 crowd portion, but perhaps he never needed to tow over the 9,000 pounds, or simply thought whatever he did tow wouldn't come close to the tow rating anyways so it was sufficient at the time. Tahoes aren't as easy to toss furniture or other "large" but light items into.

I understand that a lot of people use their truck to "work", but even more people drive trucks simply for the convenience of having a bed if ever needed. I highly doubt that the ~2,000,000 (estimating with the number of Ford/GM/Ram/Toyota/Nissan sales numbers each year) truck buyers every year are ALL using their trucks to use as a work horse.

Many times the bed is just convenient for moving household furniture or some wood, none of which is likely to exceed 2,000-3,000 in one truck bed load.

As for towing, I rarely ever see trucks utilizing their trailer hitch receiver for much more than decorative accessories for their favorite sports teams or light up additional brake lights. Granted, there are a good number that tow, but I doubt even 1/8th of half-ton owners had a trailer even cross their mind when they purchased their truck. You'd probably see a lot more trucks without trailer hitches if it became more of an option than a "standard".

Not trying to start an argument by any means. Just don't see the need in making snide comments about what he (or anyone else for that matter) has for an engine, even if it might be due to being budget-friendly when he purchased it. Until the engines collectively start showing genuine problems, there's no real need to attack them. Think of how many pristine Denali GMCs do you see on this forum sporting a 6.2? Now, how many of those do you think use their truck to work with that huge/powerful engine choice?

It may be a "poor-person" choice, but for many people the 4.3 is adequate, or even above and beyond, what they will use the truck for weight-wise, but the freedom of being able to put multiple tall items into the bed is convenient. Not all tall items weigh a lot just because they are tall.

Again, just trying to express that he may have just purchased it as a family hauler that can be used for light utilities, not thinking he'd ever even purchase a trailer. I can honestly say that it's rare that I (and many other owners) ever use my/their 5.3 to the fullest of it's ability.

beerguy214 · February 14, 2017

My lease was up on my 14 4.3 and got a good deal on a 16 with 5.3 and there is a heck of a difference in power.I have a 3200 lb travel trailer and with the 4.3 it towed it fine but that thing really revved high in the tow haul mode and was going thru gas like a v12.lol.My new 5.3 doesn't even come close to the revs the 6 had and gets a heck a lot better mpg when towing.If you never tow anything the 6 is fine but even if it is only a couple thousand pounds you are going to want to go with the 5.3.I've had both and man that 5.3 is night and day

Silverado Steve · February 14, 2017

Sorry you are sensitive and find my comments snide, but if you go back and read all the arguments that the 4.3 is good enough you perhaps will understand where I am coming from. To caveat, I too don't tow much, but guess what I had planned back when I bought my truck in Dec 2013 that when I retired from the military in 2016, that I was thinking of to buying a travel trailer at some point and guess what I planned for it. So at the time, I didn't need to tow over 7,000 pounds. I had the foresight to plan and think what I might need in the future. Spend some time on this board and see all the people who make arguments "I don't need 4x4 or Crew cab, or 5.3...etc and then go back and see all the people who say "Trading my truck in for a crew cab from double cab" "Need to upgrade to a V8" "How much is it to add 4wd?" So justify the argument all you want. Who really needs to buy a travel trailer last minute or a boat? I'll wait, those are items of want, not need. The issue with that is a $15,000 trailer now becomes a $60,000 purchase because you have to buy a vehicle to pull it? Who does that? People who plan poorly, that's who. Now, I'm not knocking Donstar as he's a legit poster, but I just find it highly ironic that after all this defense of the 4.3, he needs more than what it offers when he has claimed its all most people needs... As the saying goes, "Measure twice, cut once"

I can't speak to the proponents of the 4.3 crowd portion, but perhaps he never needed to tow over the 9,000 pounds, or simply thought whatever he did tow wouldn't come close to the tow rating anyways so it was sufficient at the time. Tahoes aren't as easy to toss furniture or other "large" but light items into.

I understand that a lot of people use their truck to "work", but even more people drive trucks simply for the convenience of having a bed if ever needed. I highly doubt that the ~2,000,000 (estimating with the number of Ford/GM/Ram/Toyota/Nissan sales numbers each year) truck buyers every year are ALL using their trucks to use as a work horse.

Many times the bed is just convenient for moving household furniture or some wood, none of which is likely to exceed 2,000-3,000 in one truck bed load.

As for towing, I rarely ever see trucks utilizing their trailer hitch receiver for much more than decorative accessories for their favorite sports teams or light up additional brake lights. Granted, there are a good number that tow, but I doubt even 1/8th of half-ton owners had a trailer even cross their mind when they purchased their truck. You'd probably see a lot more trucks without trailer hitches if it became more of an option than a "standard".

Not trying to start an argument by any means. Just don't see the need in making snide comments about what he (or anyone else for that matter) has for an engine, even if it might be due to being budget-friendly when he purchased it. Until the engines collectively start showing genuine problems, there's no real need to attack them. Think of how many pristine Denali GMCs do you see on this forum sporting a 6.2? Now, how many of those do you think use their truck to work with that huge/powerful engine choice?

It may be a "poor-person" choice, but for many people the 4.3 is adequate, or even above and beyond, what they will use the truck for weight-wise, but the freedom of being able to put multiple tall items into the bed is convenient. Not all tall items weigh a lot just because they are tall.

Again, just trying to express that he may have just purchased it as a family hauler that can be used for light utilities, not thinking he'd ever even purchase a trailer. I can honestly say that it's rare that I (and many other owners) ever use my/their 5.3 to the fullest of it's ability.

JoJoSilverado · February 14, 2017

Sorry you are sensitive and find my comments snide, but if you go back and read all the arguments that the 4.3 is good enough you perhaps will understand where I am coming from. To caveat, I too don't tow much, but guess what I had planned back when I bought my truck in Dec 2013 that when I retired from the military in 2016, that I was thinking of to buying a travel trailer at some point and guess what I planned for it. So at the time, I didn't need to tow over 7,000 pounds. I had the foresight to plan and think what I might need in the future. Spend some time on this board and see all the people who make arguments "I don't need 4x4 or Crew cab, or 5.3...etc and then go back and see all the people who say "Trading my truck in for a crew cab from double cab" "Need to upgrade to a V8" "How much is it to add 4wd?" So justify the argument all you want. Who really needs to buy a travel trailer last minute or a boat? I'll wait, those are items of want, not need. The issue with that is a $15,000 trailer now becomes a $60,000 purchase because you have to buy a vehicle to pull it? Who does that? People who plan poorly, that's who. Now, I'm not knocking Donstar as he's a legit poster, but I just find it highly ironic that after all this defense of the 4.3, he needs more than what it offers when he has claimed its all most people needs... As the saying goes, "Measure twice, cut once"

I'll definitely agree with you on the planning portion. For instance I bought the double cab as I'm still young, so the smaller (but usable) backseat was good enough at the time (and still is) and the longer bed was more desirable at the time, as I'm still fairly young. I see myself doing more moving at this age than family commutes. I know the cc is possible with the standard bed, but I personally didn't want a boat. Kids aren't in the near future, so hopefully it comes in tandem with time to purchase a new truck which will then be a crew cab, but accidents happen and plans can change, so if a kid comes sooner then I guess I'll be in a bit of a situation in regards to not having as much equity/cash to put down on a cc, but that's a risk I'm willing to take at the moment.

Although you probably don't care, just figured I'd share my thoughts with you as you shared yours with mine.

I enjoyed the quick debate though, you made very valid points and such. I'd rather have a conversation with different opinions that way instead of hearing something like, "yeah but 5.3 is better than everything because chevy" lol.

Good talkin' with ya bud!

Donstar · February 14, 2017

Thanks for the discussion regarding my post about the 7,000 lb trailer! Beerguy214's comparison with his 3200 lb trailer is probably applicable to a 7,000 lb. trailer. The 4.3 will suffice but will take a lot of fuel. This trailer is larger and heavier than I want or need but it is one of those special deals that seem to appear when you're not looking! I respect the other comments about planning etc. as you can only speculate as to my situation. The 5.3 is not the answer to my question as I intentionally chose the 4.3. A comparison to older V8's is a fair reference as the same issue of increased gas consumption would apply when pulling heavier loads. I definitely have the truck that I want and either have to pay more for gas or more for the "light series" of trailers!

Silverado Steve · February 15, 2017

Looks like you might miss out on a killer deal on a travel trailer then cause you skimped on the engine on your truck. I work on computers for a living and i think the apporach when purchasing a computer makes snese in this application....buy the computer with the most processing power and highest bus on the motherboard you can because software applications will quickly eat up that capability....case in point why skimp on the engine? You're talking maybe $15/month over the course of a 5 year loan. You can never have too much power, especially when you consider the toys you might want.

When you look at the facts:

Comparible gas mileage between 4.3 and 5.3

$750 up charge across all trims

Higher tow rating in a mid size vs the 4.3

Lower resale

The 4.3 option makes less sense and can be rarely justified. It even makes less sense hate to say it when you take an honest look at Ford's 2.7 ecoboost option.

KARNUT · February 15, 2017

Maybe he got a killer deal on his truck. When I bought my 14 I was there to buy a left over Denali with the 6.2. I'm sure if it was a few dollars more he'd bought one with the 5.3. All things being equal.

Silverado Steve · February 15, 2017

Point noted. But he has made it clear the 4.3 is all he wanted or needed. I think a fair comparison is to look at the All Star trimmed or Texas edition LT model trucks. Both are volume sellers, both can be equipped equally with either the 5.3 or 4.3. I've seen both advertised within less than a thousand of each. The 5.3 is the volume engine by far. Close to 60% sold have 5.3. With that many 5.3 i cant see how the del would be so signicantly better with the 4.3 unless you were looking for a bare bones truck.

Maybe he got a killer deal on his truck. When I bought my 14 I was there to buy a left over Denali with the 6.2. I'm sure if it was a few dollars more he'd bought one with the 5.3. All things being equal.