[redlinebmx2007]

Well a little change of plans. I got offered a place to store my jeep indoors for the winter so I dont need to rush into buying a tow rig. Im going to drive the tahoe this winter and just bank all the extra money (Im paying off all my debt with part of my reenlistment bonus). This will let me build up a good down payment, plus I can shop around a little more without rushing in.

[HEEPJEEP]

redlinebmx2007, on Oct 28 2009, 12:22 AM, said:

Well a little change of plans. I got offered a place to store my jeep indoors for the winter so I dont need to rush into buying a tow rig. Im going to drive the tahoe this winter and just bank all the extra money (Im paying off all my debt with part of my reenlistment bonus). This will let me build up a good down payment, plus I can shop around a little more without rushing in.

Called it! Good plan!

[ben]

mytoyz, on Sep 24 2009, 10:47 AM, said:

whereas a hemi or 6.0 will see 160K or so before its tired.

I'd take a 100K mile diesel over a 50K mile gasser, all else being the same every day of the week, no matter what I was going to do with it.


[

I completely disagree. I dont know about the dodge hemi's but the GM Generation III small blocks will last FOREVER. I know of plenty with 300-400k+. My dads 03 tahoe has 180k on it and hes never even changed the plugs in it. Friends avalanche had 342k on it when he totaled it.

ben

[ben]

cheech, on Sep 25 2009, 01:56 PM, said:

I have a Sierra Denali 6.0 AWD no rear steer tows great.It also doesn`t wake up my neighbors like the diesels do.

duramax's do not wake up neighbors...... the CR cummins's are quiet also.

12v, 24v, or powerstroke, forget it. You are going to wake everyone up.

[ben]

Archie_Gallup, on Sep 28 2009, 01:44 PM, said:

Huh? the 3/4T Suburban is the same chassis as the 1T long bed trucks with a different body - I know because it hits me in the wallet when I had the front brakes redone.....
My guess is that its de-rated to 3/4T due to not being able to haul a gooseneck..... but there is a big difference between the 1/2T and 3/4T Burbs....

mmmm nooooo way its not...they are completely different!! Look at a 3/4 ton burban frame and look at a 2500HD or 3500 pickup frame and tell me they are the same. Theres a reason the 3/4 ton burbans are 8600lbs gvwr and the pickup trucks are 9200-9900-11400lbs GVWR.......

ben

[wayoffroad]

If I could buy anything I wanted, I would buy a diesel 06 or older. I think the safest bet is a Duramax. That being said, I just bought a Cummings. Ford would be my last choice because the 6.0 was so problematic, but if the head studs and gaskets were replaced, the motor had some pretty good stats MPG, HP, torque ect. I came very close to buying an 04 King Ranch that had just had the heads done from the factory, but in the end, it was too nice of a truck for a smuck like me, and the 6.0 was just a risk I was not willing to take.

[redlinebmx2007]

Probably going to go for an 06 or early 07 cummins, but it is all on hold until I come back from Afghanistan.

[HEEPJEEP]

wayoffroad, on Jul 17 2010, 01:12 PM, said:

If I could buy anything I wanted, I would buy a diesel 06 or older. I think the safest bet is a Duramax. That being said, I just bought a Cummings. Ford would be my last choice because the 6.0 was so problematic, but if the head studs and gaskets were replaced, the motor had some pretty good stats MPG, HP, torque ect. I came very close to buying an 04 King Ranch that had just had the heads done from the factory, but in the end, it was too nice of a truck for a smuck like me, and the 6.0 was just a risk I was not willing to take.

Cummins....

[jesse]

After driving a 24 valve around for the last couple years I would probably have to say go with the newest GM truck you can get. Dodges fall apart, GMs last. Gas or diesel is really up to you, diesels are really cool but I really wouldn't mind being able to buy gas from any gas station in town and not having to go look around for a diesel pump.

[jesse]

But I do love my cummins

[mkozlows]

jesse, on 30 July 2010 - 07:42 PM, said:

After driving a 24 valve around for the last couple years I would probably have to say go with the newest GM truck you can get. Dodges fall apart, GMs last. Gas or diesel is really up to you, diesels are really cool but I really wouldn't mind being able to buy gas from any gas station in town and not having to go look around for a diesel pump.

Really, I live up a very steep wash boarded dirt rd, (Not much better than a goat trail) that is just torture on vehicles. So far the Dodges are the only vehicle that survives the day to day beating. I chuckled a bit because my expierences are the Chevys and GMC front ends litterly destroy themselves within 10,000 miles. At least on the 2500 and 3500`s with the Duramax engines. Put a plow on them and its even worst. The Dodges are certainly not as Car like as the GM products and they do rattle and shake, but they keep on going.

The Fords have some pretty serious engine problems along with the Steering box issues. One of the construction company owners in town bought a new 6.0 Diesel and drove it out west with his horse trailer.. The truck blew up in Iowa.. 6 weeks later he got his truck back from Ford... Resale values on these trucks has taken a serious hit. Hopefully the new Ford diesel works out for them.

[nofender]

I'm on my third Dodge in a row. I have to say i am really pleased with the quality so far. After just under 200K i have replaced the following:

brake pads
1 tail light
2 front axle u-joints

That's really about it. MAybe i ahve been lucky. The current rig has just under 90K. We'll have to see what the next 90K are like. Maybe i will be cursing the thing in the end. But - so far so good.....

[ben]

nofender, on 10 August 2010 - 07:12 AM, said:

I'm on my third Dodge in a row. I have to say i am really pleased with the quality so far. After just under 200K i have replaced the following:

brake pads
1 tail light
2 front axle u-joints

That's really about it. MAybe i ahve been lucky. The current rig has just under 90K. We'll have to see what the next 90K are like. Maybe i will be cursing the thing in the end. But - so far so good.....

original wheel bearings? Original ball joints? Original steering box? Original track bar? With 200k miles????? WOW!!!

Ben

[nofender]

ben, on 15 August 2010 - 08:35 PM, said:

nofender, on 10 August 2010 - 07:12 AM, said:

I'm on my third Dodge in a row. I have to say i am really pleased with the quality so far. After just under 200K i have replaced the following:

brake pads
1 tail light
2 front axle u-joints

That's really about it. MAybe i ahve been lucky. The current rig has just under 90K. We'll have to see what the next 90K are like. Maybe i will be cursing the thing in the end. But - so far so good.....

original wheel bearings? Original ball joints? Original steering box? Original track bar? With 200k miles????? WOW!!!

Ben

I really wasn't clear about that. That's the three trucks combined. The current rig, 04 Cummins has 90K on it. When I replaced the u-joints, I replaced the unit bearings, rotors and pads as a matter of course. They weren't worn out - just preventative. I could have re-installed those parts as they were servicable. That was at 80K. Original ball joints, track bar etc. Steering box - yep original. Running Amsoil through it since nearly new. I still have the original rear brakes on the thing. I haven't even had a head or tail light burn out. Like i said - maybe I'm lucky.

[MoparManiac]

I bought an '01 2500 Cummins (NV4500) Laramie. All the bells and whistles. Drove it home with 86k on it for $13.5k.

I've done some preventative things and some items that came up.

Preventative:
- Front u-joints ($80)
- SSI 3rd gen track bar and steering box brace ($700)
- FASS 95gph lift pump ($400)

Things that have worn out or have had to be replaced:
- Clutch master/slave ($150)
- Radiator/fan blade and clutch (Clutch wore out, didn't notice, threw the blade into the radiator...sucked. Cost me about $500 for all the parts including new coolant, radiator hoses)
- Batteries ($380 - dual Diehard Platinums)
- Front ball joints ($120 for ALL 4 - Spicers from Jeff at Crown)
- Front hub bearing ($130)

I've sunk some money into it, but the lift pump and front end parts I planned on as well as the batteries. The only thing that really threw me off was the radiator/fan incident and the clutch master/slave. Those both happened right around 100k.

Other than all of that, I've put 30k miles on it since I bought it last october. I was regularly towing with it starting in January probably about every other weekend, including a trip towing down to Raush Creek loaded with my XJ and another trip down a month later unloaded. I drive it like I stole it everyday to work so I'd say for the most part it's treated me well.

Unloaded I average about 21 mpg on my commute to work, and anywhere from 14-16 towing my XJ (Probably about 7-8k lbs total with the trailer)