6.6 Gas tow 8k lbs up to 10k feet. Rocky Mtn High

[2018GMC]

Thought this was a good video. He previously had a 6.0 which he references.

 

 

[Cowpie]

I was favorably impressed with the video maker's comments on how well the 6.6 did.  At least some average guy type of towing and not some polished magazine style review like TFL.  TFL does pretty good, but it is the comments by real world users that really tell the story.

[Colossus]

 If it wasn't so ugly of a truck it would be something worth cheering about..  The GMC might grow on me though but the Chevy is just too ugly.

 

[Colossus]

The Duramax is much funner to drive on that route.. i've done it many times

 

[greatmizzou]

Trust me, it drives noticeably better.  Yes its still ugly!

 

TFL had one review lauding the gas mileage performance then ripped it to shreds on its ike run.    Its kind of not fair when they load it with 85 octane gas and leave it in Drive without tow haul.   But they I guess try to be consistent by not fine tuning each different truck.  
 

I think the 3.73 gears hurt it, but gas owners seem to care more about non towing performance then diesel owners.

[Cowpie]

And most pickup truck owners rarely tow anything.  So buying the Dmax version is usually scratched off the list.  Heck, I hardly ever tow with my 2500, but I do haul heavy often enough that a 1500 just does not cut it. Just like most of the commercial users do not tow anything very often. So the gasser can be a real value and, commercially, the gasser HD's have outsold the Dmax versions by at least a 3 to 1 margin. 

 

And also, most of the people in the country are not towing up in the Rockies.  The mean elevation of the country is under 3000 ft.  Only 9 states out of the 50 states have a mean elevation greater than 3000 ft.   Again, the gasser makes a very good choice when towing similar to what the guy was in the video... about 8K.  

 

Some get the idea that buying a 2500/3500 even a dually has to do with towing.  Heck, there are guys who buy 5 axle dump trucks that never tow anything with them.  Not everyone who gets a 2500 is towing, and then, nowhere near the capability of the pickup so the gasser makes a better choice.  Some like to throw a Lance camper in the bed for their RV use.  The gasser has more available payload than  the Dmax version.   Now that can make a difference to someone..... like me.  I often haul to the GVWR of my pickup.  No Dmax is going to be "funner" to drive doing that.  Especially since the Dmax version is $9-$10K more in price and diesel is higher price, usually the cost per mile is close to the same... gas or diesel... even with the diesel getting better mpg.

Edited November 2, 2019 by Cowpie

[CRApex]

6 hours ago, Colossus said:

 If it wasn't so ugly of a truck it would be something worth cheering about..  The GMC might grow on me though but the Chevy is just too ugly.

 

I thought it was ugly at first too.  I've done a complete 180 though and think it looks bad ass now.  And it drives much better than the outgoing truck..

[Rory Blaze]

i was in the same boat a few weeks ago. wanted an 18-19' duramax. then i saw some videos and comments about the gasser 6.6    it would take approximately 80,000 miles or so to make up the $10,000 option charge for the d-max.  i cant justify that anymore. now im deciding what to buy-  the Denali or the AT4

 

 

[ShotgunZ71]

Someone had a breakdown of the recovery costs of the gas vs diesel using a few different scenarios. The minimum was like 150,000 miles if towing and hauling most of the time and the far end was pretty much never. I've owned both and really enjoyed both. I put about 12,000 miles a year on my truck and of that, maybe 3,000 is towing. Most trips are in the coastal plain and piedmont region, so the diesel isn't really a necessity. For my normal, day to day driving and the occasional tow, gas was the smarter option. If I were in the mountains and towed there frequently, it'd be an entirely different matter.

[Cowpie]

12 hours ago, Rory Blaze said:

i was in the same boat a few weeks ago. wanted an 18-19' duramax. then i saw some videos and comments about the gasser 6.6    it would take approximately 80,000 miles or so to make up the $10,000 option charge for the d-max.  i cant justify that anymore. now im deciding what to buy-  the Denali or the AT4

 

 

I am not convinced that even in 80,000 miles one could make up the difference in cost.  Sure, the Dmax would get a little better MPG, but the fuel cost more to begin with.  Essentially making the cost per mile for fuel a wash.  Factor in several other aspects  about  the diesel version compared to the gasser, and one would be hard pressed to ever make up the cost difference. 

 

And from a look at NADA trade in values, the Dmax pickups aren't retaining as much of their value as the gassers.  Sure, they are still valued more than the gassers, as they were when new, but the value spread between them shrinks over time so the diesels are actually losing more value.  Probably due to the emissions component problems that occur further down the road.  And now that the EPA has gone totally in on stopping emissions component deleting and delete tuning, one is stuck with the factory setup. Factor that in to the equation and one is going to have a tough time actually making up the cost difference.  

 

Just not worth it unless one has a definitive need for the diesel version on  a frequent basis.

Edited November 3, 2019 by Cowpie

[2018GMC]

13 hours ago, CRApex said:

I thought it was ugly at first too.  I've done a complete 180 though and think it looks bad ass now.  And it drives much better than the outgoing truck..

You own the gas 6.6? When you say drives much better. Steering, suspension, turning radius, viewing angles? Or just that the 6.6 is a improvement over the 6.0?

[i82much]

I bought a 2500 so I could look tough.

[jd64]

4 hours ago, 2018GMC said:

You own the gas 6.6? When you say drives much better. Steering, suspension, turning radius, viewing angles? Or just that the 6.6 is a improvement over the 6.0?

New 6.6, steering ,suspension,turning radius, the entire truck,  is much better. the technology is great. i owned a 15 and a 18 HD gas. no comparison at all.  much quieter and smoother ride. very responsive in the handling. gas engine does well with the trailer.  

[SierraHD17]

I could maybe get over the ugly part in time... but from what I have seen I can't option one the way I want it and you can't modify them in any way because tuning support is likely a never thing for the 6.6 gas.  Oh well.

[CRApex]

11 hours ago, 2018GMC said:

You own the gas 6.6? When you say drives much better. Steering, suspension, turning radius, viewing angles? Or just that the 6.6 is a improvement over the 6.0?

I have a Duramax as my daily and we just got a 2020 6.6 gas for my business.  To answer your question though, all of the above are improved with the exception of the turning radius..They both ride noticeably smoother..  Time will tell if the 6.6 gas Is as durable as the 6.0’s have been for us.