HD and or 2500 or 3500

Big Boy · May 3, 2002

How many of you HD and or 3/4 and or 1 ton owners use the full capacity (or near) more than 3-4 times a year? Loading or Towing?

What do you do with it?

I guess what I'm getting at is; would a lighter duty do all the work you need on a regular basis.

Thinking about "upgrading" and wondering if I want to go HD or bigger?

2001 HD · May 3, 2002

2001 HD, 6.0, auto, Leer XL100 camper shell. Haul/Tow #2200 Trailer every weekend up to 300 miles. HD doesn't even know it's there! Pastures and un-inproved roads. Camping trips. Cruising. Daily driver.

I wanted a V-8 regular cab. Traded in a 2000 V-6 regular cab short bed. Priced a 2002 reg cab V-8 short bed and it was about the same price as the 2001 2500 HD reg cab long bed. 6.0 vs 4.8. Torsion bar vs coil springs. So I get more truck for my buck. And I fell in love with the front end and hood on the HD's. Got 0.9% on the 2001 vs 4.9% on the 2002.

Jpshostr · May 3, 2002

Nothing less than a HD would work for us, at times we could use a bit more. Illustrated below are a few examples.

Now these two are not at full capacity, but it sure goes up from there.

Colorado Kid · May 3, 2002

Wanted/Needed more room for the kids.

Wanted Diesel.

Prefer to shift for myself.

Gets about the same milage as the '91 C1500 V-6.

Does a much better job towing the 8500# 5th Wheel.

(Just Kidding, never towed the 5er with the C1500 but it does do a nicer job than my father-in-law's C2500 350 V-8)!

In reality an extended cab Sierra 1500 would prbably meet all my needs, a 1500HD or 2500HD 6.0L 5 Speed would cover most of my wants too, and I seriously considerred that last two before I orderred. I descided the D-max would pretty much prevent any future "I wish I had a bigger truck so I could..." and that I would probably own it much longer than I would either of the gassers. It also keeps me from having take fuel consumption into consideration when deciding which vehicle to take, so I get to use it more. (Gets almost identical mileage to the Honda Odyssey my wife drives, except above 80 MPH, where the Honda does significantly better.)

So no, I don't use a high percentage of the capacity often, but towing about 1/2 the max rated trailer makes for a much more relaxing vacation. The Old 2500 was rated for 9,000 lbs, and towing the 5er it slows down and heats up on grades, the trans (TH-700R4) has failed twice on the road and it gets about 8 mpg towing at 60-65 mph. I haven't taken any long trips with the D-max and 5th Wheel yet, but on the nearby trips (50 miles) it feels very much like I'm nowhere near the limits. Maybe I need a bigger camper... :sarcasm:

2001 HD · May 3, 2002

Hey Jpshostr, where did you get that bailer mod. Looks cool!

Bet it's good for at least 25 hp! HeeHee!

Big Boy · May 3, 2002

Jpshostr - I figured you were the one who really needs it.

What exactly are the tow/haul capacities on the 1500 anyway. I know it used to be 1000lb haul but thought someone told me it was really closer to 1500?? Haven't seen towing capacity.

Jpshostr · May 3, 2002

Jpshostr - I figured you were the one who really needs it.

What exactly are the tow/haul capacities on the 1500 anyway. I know it used to be 1000lb haul but thought someone told me it was really closer to 1500?? Haven't seen towing capacity.

For the capacities listed below, I used regular cab 4x4 trucks with automatic transmissions. For extended cab models subtract ~200lbs, for 2WD models, add on ~350lbs or so.

The 1500 will give you up to 9200lbs towing capacity, with an HD you can go up to 12000lbs. Sure there is only 3000lbs difference in those two numbers, but if you are going to be going much towing at all go HD. There is a reason you don't see many goosenecks on half tons, they just don't work as well. I've seen a few at fairs dragging around GN stock trailers and with only some tack and two steers in them the rear end is almost completely stuffed into the wheelwells. Now that same load on ours only causes a slight sag at the rear end, even when we load ours up with 8 fat steers for the trip to the salebarn we don't get an excessive amount of sag.

Now for hualing stuff, the 1500 will let you pack up to 1886lbs of payload, HDs go to 3153lbs with the 2500HD and 5220lbs with the 3500. Here is where the differences are higher and where you will see even more difference in load height. In that picture of ours I had 25 bags of soybean seed on there if I remember right, 1250lbs. You can tell the truck hardly has any sag at all, try that with a halfton, that sure won't be the case. In past years we've had 75 bags on there with no problem, the sag was the most we've given it, but was still acceptable. Too bad we went to bulk bean seed this year so we don't get to carry those little 50 pounders around by hand and throw them on and off a truck (sense the sarcasm?) and instead we get to pull a wagon with a vacuum on it to fill our planter.

Jpshostr · May 3, 2002

Hey Jpshostr, where did you get that bailer mod. Looks cool!
Bet it's good for at least 25 hp! HeeHee!

For $25-30K you can get your own! Just drive on down to your friendly local Gehl dealer if you want one like ours, you could also stop by a Deere, CIH, NH, Claas, or Vermeer dealer for their versions. Of course, if you want to use it to its full capability you'll need to whole rig.

odoh · May 4, 2002

In the course of a lifetime, I rationalized myself into '--this is good enuff for me ~ most of the time-- ' too many times.

What I've learned along the way was that regret makes a poor lifes partner. Lifes too short. Avoid it if you can. My DuraMax will arrive at the dealer next week. If I wanna tow, pull stumps or run down to 31 flavors - - I can. ~ odoh

JEBar · May 4, 2002

I traded in a perfectly good '99 Z71 on my current '02 3500 Duramax/Allison crewcab HD 4X4. I pull 7 different trailers but estimate that most of the time I am running the truck with nothing attached. The Z71 could pull all of them but the 3500 pulls all of them with much more ease. One of the rigs I pull is a very heavy 26' boat and I'm prone to take off from NC and pull it to SD at least once (often twice) a year. All this is to say, I could have gotten by with the Z71 but couldn't be happier I traded it in for an HD. :blush:

demeat · May 4, 2002

i'm a carpenter who is always hauling something around. i also have a 30' camping trailer. so with that , i couldn't settle for anything less than a 2500hd. like i always say, it's better lookin' at it than lookin' for it. good luck.

2001 HD · May 4, 2002

Big Boy? How much weight do plan to tow/haul? How often? These HD's ride a little rough when unloaded. My camper shell actually improved the ride on my truck. The 1500 HD or 2500 LD may have a smoother ride and might be an option. I like what someone said earlier about being at about %50-60 of load capacity. Less stress on the engine and drivetrain.

Jpshostr-Guess I've been out of the bussiness too long! The only names I recognized are Deere and New Holland.

Can I get that rig in Indigo Blue Met? Chrome wheels?

Shaners · May 4, 2002

I wanted a truck that I could comfortably haul the family in hence I needed a crewcab. I also tow an 8000 lb travel trailer.

I would have been OK with either the 1500HD or the 2500HD. There is only 600 lb GVW difference between the 2 trucks. My dealer couldn't get the 1500HD on a dealer trade, so he made me a very good deal on the 2500HD that I bought. I have a fiberglass cap on the bed, and i think the truck rides actually pretty well for what is basically a single rear wheel 1 ton.