Silverado Crew Cab 2500 HD

rb2boxer · 12-09-2016, 12:37 PM

I currently have a 2002 Suburban 2500 with the 8.1L which I absolutely love however over the summer bought a new Eagle 314BHDS. Now while the Suburban tows it great, I am a bit concerned with its age and we want to start doing some longer trips with this camper. With all the deals right now I am really thinking about taking the plunge into a new truck. Although I would love it, I can't afford the diesel so that's not an option at this time. Just looking to see if anyone has a similar combination and if you're happy with the performance from the truck.

Thanks!

blujay40 · 12-09-2016, 03:06 PM

I have a 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 HD CC with a short bed, 6.0 gasser w/4:10 rear. I just finished towing our 2017 Eagle 330RSTS from Michigan to Florida this past month down I-75 with a scaled weight of just under 11,000#. Ran it in tow/haul mode with the cruise set as much as possible.

Overall, I was pleased pulling that much weight with a 6 liter.

Did it downshift going up hill? Yep, just about every hill bigger than an overpass. In the bigger hills in Ky/Tn, it downshifted to 4th but when it did, I actually picked up speed so it still had something left to give.

Did the trans downshift to enable engine braking going downhill? Yep, once traversing Jellico otherwise, the engine braking in 6th gear was sufficient to slow us down.

Got about 7 mph on average.

Would a diesel do it better? Sure, but since we plan to do more seasonal, longer stays in Florida during the winter and Michigan in the summer, I don't think I need a diesel.

BUT........If I were planning on trips out west, or off the Interstate's even on the east coast, I probably would reconsider a diesel. As everyone says, "You can't have enough truck".

Edd505 · 12-09-2016, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb2boxer

With all the deals right now I am really thinking about taking the plunge into a new truck.

Likely don't have to mention genitally used vs new, might find an almost new diesel. And on age; I still tow 10K+ with a 2000 F250 over 7000 miles round trip last summer, NM, CO, UT, OR, WA, ID, MO, SD, IO, IL, MO, OK, TX, NM. Well cared for older works for me, I cringe looking at the price of new.

jbrnigan · 12-09-2016, 04:25 PM

I was towing my 29RKS with a Toyota Tundra, and although the the tow weight of the trailer was well withing the tow rating of the Tundra, it worked very hard on uphills and got about 8-9 mpg. I "exchanged" the Tundra for an '02 Avalanche - 8.1L, 4x4 (basically your Suburban). I am very happy with the Avalanche, because, there is no "replacement for displacement" and the mpg is about the same. I looked at turbo diesels and other gas alternatives, but, I got the Avalanche for about a third of the price of a good used late model anything. I only tow a few thousand miles a year and the Chevy will be used ONLY for towing, so, whatever the maintenance or repair costs are, will more than offset by the difference between what I sold the Tundra for and what I paid for the Avalanche. There is just no substitute for cubic horsepower and torque.

clubhouse · 12-09-2016, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb2boxer

I currently have a 2002 Suburban 2500 with the 8.1L which I absolutely love however over the summer bought a new Eagle 314BHDS. Now while the Suburban tows it great, I am a bit concerned with its age and we want to start doing some longer trips with this camper. With all the deals right now I am really thinking about taking the plunge into a new truck. Although I would love it, I can't afford the diesel so that's not an option at this time. Just looking to see if anyone has a similar combination and if you're happy with the performance from the truck.

Thanks!

I would drive the wheels off that suburban while making a car payment to yourself; then buy a diesel.

By the way we recently bought a Suburban, not for towing however, its the family hauler on non-camping trips. Love it.

With all the car buying programs these days; Costco, Truecar, local credit union arrangements, employee pricing, etc...its not hard to get the a very very good purchase price without spending days negotiation. So really the year end specials are rebates or Zero Interest loans. These are typically available during any "car holiday". tax returns time, holiday weekend sales and year end. So in my analysis the big hype for model year end specials might really only result in $1k-$2k additional savings over all the other promotional times. Don't let $1000 on a $45k purchase force you to move to quickly or make an emotional decision.

So if you want to buy a truck I don't blame you. A 2500 will pull that trailer beautifully, Diesel would be better but its you money.

But don't do it just because you tuned into the current deals.

There is always a deal.

clubhouse · 12-09-2016, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb2boxer

I currently have a 2002 Suburban 2500 with the 8.1L which I absolutely love however over the summer bought a new Eagle 314BHDS. Now while the Suburban tows it great, I am a bit concerned with its age and we want to start doing some longer trips with this camper. With all the deals right now I am really thinking about taking the plunge into a new truck. Although I would love it, I can't afford the diesel so that's not an option at this time. Just looking to see if anyone has a similar combination and if you're happy with the performance from the truck.

Thanks!

I would drive the wheels off that suburban while making a car payment to yourself; then buy a diesel. The difference between gas and diesel could easily be overcome making a car payment to yourself for another 6 months to a year.

By the way we recently bought a Suburban, not for towing however, its the family hauler on non-camping trips. Love it.

With all the car buying programs these days; Costco, Truecar, local credit union arrangements, employee pricing, etc...its not hard to get the a very very good purchase price without spending days negotiation. So really the year end specials are rebates or Zero Interest loans. These are typically available during any "car holiday". tax returns time, holiday weekend sales and year end. So in my analysis the big hype for model year end specials might really only result in $1k-$2k additional savings over all the other promotional times. Don't let $1000 on a $45k purchase force you to move to quickly or make an emotional decision.

So if you want to buy a truck I don't blame you. A 2500 will pull that trailer beautifully, Diesel would be better but its you money.

But don't do it just because you tuned into the current deals.

There is always a deal.

culleokapapa · 12-09-2016, 07:04 PM

I have a 2001 gmc 2500 hd with 138,000 miles on it pulling my 2016 27.5 rkds (31 ft) WE plan to pull it 7000 miles next year. I would not think of trading it in . I am just breaking it in.

Shorty Cox · 12-10-2016, 11:20 AM

To quote a saying my Grandfather said, "It only cost a few dollars per month to go first class" By that he meant, If one has to finance an item, get what you need, it will only add a few dollars to the monthly payment.

Having said that: When my family got a 10,000 lb. bumper pull Jayco Designer several years ago (getting that camper is a story in itself) all I had to pull it with was a 2001 Yukon XL I had. It pulled it, but was a wimp. After contending with it for 4/5 years, I realized I needed more. Long story short, a used 2007 2500 HD Duramax two wheel drive with only 13,000 miles on it found me. The towing difference was like day and night. For towing I would not go back to gas.

I would highly recommend getting a two wheel drive Duramax.

Shorty

campingn.c. · 12-11-2016, 10:20 AM

Honestly, even though you're stepping down in power (maybe) you're going from a 4 speed to a 6 speed. I think your towing experience will be very similar.

I had a 2005 2500HD with the 6.0 gasser and the newer 6 speed version a buddy had was night and day different towing.

If you had the 8.1 in a truck with the Allison it'd be a little different but you've got the 4L80e, great transmission but no comparison to the newer ones.

Add to that if you go with a CCLB the truck will handle the long camper 1,000 X's better than the burb.

dalebra · 12-11-2016, 12:30 PM

I had a 2004 2500HD 6.0 CC and it pulled my 26Y Octane with no issues on the flat. However any kind of incline it down shifted and RPM's were high. Gas mileage was terrible. 4-6 mpg. depending on grade and wind.
So in 2015 I upgraded to a 2015 2500HD CC Duramax and I have determined that as long as I'm pulling an RV I won't go back to gas. The Duramax and Allison transmission is awesome!

rb2boxer · 12-16-2016, 02:26 PM

Thanks all for your comments. I love to hear all the stories of the older trucks still out there just getting broken in. I agree, if I'm going to make the leap to a new or newer truck I really want a diesel. With that being said, I think for now I will keep what I have since the extra for a diesel just isn't in the budget at this time.

Happy Holidays to all!!!!

bzeller · 12-19-2016, 08:54 AM

For the last year I pulled my 314BDS with my '15 2500 Dmax. I recently traded that in on a new Titan XD diesel. I was $8-10K less than a equally optioned 3/4 ton and the Titan XD is a great tow vehicle for 8K-11K lbs. worth a look.

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doo800XRS · 12-28-2016, 11:03 AM

I have a well maintained 02 2500hd 6.0 4x4 ec that is pushing 300k and tows about 7000# 5-6 times a year with no issues. These things are built to last.. I tell my wife I will upgrade to a duramax when this truck dies, I don't see it happening for a while.

Everybody loves their diesels until they get hit with a large repair bill whether it be for aftertreatment issues or injectors, it's a matter of when not if.

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