Just bit the big bullet....bought an '08 2500 HD 4X4 Crew Cab. It has the Allison/Duramax combo. Thought I'd always have Dodge trucks but they ride soooo rough. Always had good luck with them though. A couple of my friends have newer Chevy trucks and have also had really good luck. I have a 32' fifth wheel so I was sold on a diesel this time around. After test driving the Chevy for a good long while, I was sold. Ride is perfect, and I love the interior layout. Torque is amazing! For fuel mileage, first tank I did alot of using the truck on the job (setting cones, pulling arrow boards, alot of starting and stopping) and got almost 16 mpg. My trucks spend alot of time idling and driving at 5 mph. My friend is getting 19 to 20 on his Duramax on mostly highway, some city driving. Ooh...and it's Blue Granite Metallic with 2 tone (tan/black) split interior. I always buy used trucks and don't get too concerned with color but I couldn't be happier to find the truck I want in the color I like.

I have to apologize for not being on here much lately though....work crazy busy, spent alot of time getting the D44 in the vette and fixing the trans valvebody, then I bought a house 4 weeks ago to fix up and rent out. Now, I have to install mudflaps, nerf bars, and 5th wheel hitch in the new truck. I need to find more time to relax and read threads on here!

Congrats on the truck. My next one will be a used Silverado too, but, I expect many more miles out of my current 2000 Silverado. Bouht it with 64k miles (towed a 8000 lb RV for ost of them). Now it has 135k. In that time, it need a front wheel brg. and 2 EGR check valves, total $- $250.
5.3 Vortec, 24mpg on a trip.
Love these trucks.

Post a pic when you can.

Attach file:

---

  Silverado.jpg (0.00 KB)

I bought an 09 2500HD 4x4 myself
Great truck
Your going to love owning it

It's funny you say that. Because I think GM has turned me into an all Ford guy.

Quote:

Don't mean to be negative but I have to agree, had always owned Ford trucks, then decided to give Chevy trucks a try, got rid of it within 1 year..Back to Ford I went...Happy again...WW

Quote:

Chevy turned me into a Nissan guy after my last brand new monte carlo. Corvette is probably the only GM product I'd own right now.

Matthew

Quote:

Nothing negative there, ya like what ya like.

When I was at the race shop, the owner had a car dealer friend that made him a very good deal on a 07 Expedition and a F250, he traded in a Duramax. After a year, both were traded in for GMs.
I did a bunch of towing with both and wasn't wild about either. They did the job OK but I liked new Duramax better.
Just a matter of taste, I guess.

Well, I was always a Ford guy in the past, Mustangs and Trucks mainly. Owned many GT's (1983, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996), modded many of them, never liked one as much as I like the 'vette.

For trucks, I have had many F-250's and an F-150. I had a 1997 with tons of problems, a 1999 V-10 Super Duty with a handful of problems, and a 1998 that broke the camel's back. Went to Dodge, had a 2003 1/2 ton with no problems at all. Went to a 2004 1/2 ton, went to 86,000 miles trouble free. Bought a 2005 3/4 ton and had very few issues up through 132,000 miles. Happy with Dodge but can't stand the rough ride anymore.

My mom buys Taurus's but will never buy another after the loads of issues she has had on the last 2 she has owned.

My brother and dad both have Chevy 3/4 ton trucks with gas engines and have had great luck. Have a friend with a Duramax that loves it and has had no issues. Figured I'd give one a try.

Congrats on the new to you truck. I hope you get a lot of good use out of it.

Congrats on your purchase. Always have been a GM guy..dad former GM mechanic..started off with Pontiacs..shame GM don't have these anymore...I "probably" will never switch to anything else..

The GM D/A combination is IMHO the best there is available at this time if you are using your truck to pull or haul anything. The Cummons in the Mopars is a good set up but you have to buy a Dodge to get it. Ford has got nothing at this time but is coming with a new package that will be good I'm sure.

The Dodge driveline is the only one which meets the new Fed clean air pak without injected Urea. I may end up with a Dodge after all.

We have a 2005 Silverado 2500 Quad Cab with the DuraMax 6.0 turbo. I love that truck. I'd buy another one to replace my 99 Yukon. Total, 4 GM trucks, two GM cars and two German sportscars rounds out the stable. Yep I like GM. The trucks treat me fine. It's the Vettes that always need attention. The Porsches aren't near as much trouble as people said they'd be and the parts aren't much more than Vette parts.

Well....been modding the truck. Put a full 4" turbo back exhaust on it, scrapped the cat and the particulate filter. Put in a Quadzilla programmer and have been running it on the 90 RWHP setting. Talk about torque! Man, this truck is amazing. I won't go any higher with the programmer because I'm afraid of smoking the trans.

I don't drive the truck hard normally, babying it I can get about 16.5 mpg average, and get almost 19 mpg mostly highway. Bone stock was in the 13.5 to 14.5 mpg range.

Can't wait to tow with it. Going to the Richmond race at the end of the month. Gotta turn the programmer down for towing, but I'm ready to try it out! Thanks for all the replies guys.

Very cool. You can't go wrong with the Duramax and Allison. That's better mileage than any of those 1/2 ton gas pickups will get, despite what the MPG rating claims.

Quote:

Well, that depends on the truck.
My 5.3 Vortec gets 19 around town,24 on trips.

I unplugged my egr valve (which my programmer allows me to do without throwing any codes) to see how it was. It black smokes less at heavy load low rpms, but my mpg's went down by about 2. Been averaging 16.5 give or take, they went down to about 14.5. Plugged the EGR back in, mpg back up to 16.5 or so. It only black smokes when I lug it so I'm leaving it plugged in. Always thought the egr was hurting mpg's but at least on diesels I'm now sure it helps mileage.

Also, I can get 22 mpg on all highway use as long as I run 65 mph or less. Amazing.


For a 'vette update, I got my nitrous bottle filled and put the 200 shot to it for the first time this year and the first time on the 3.45 gears and the first time since I raised the shift rpms from 6200 to 6500+. WOW. This thing pulls HARD. I know I'm shifting it a hair high for the powerband, but it seems to me wringing it out helps keep the rpms up after the shift and keeps me from falling too far below the powerband for too long. Can't wait to get it to the track, it is running 100% perfect, not a hiccup or stutter or anything. FINALLY DIALED IN!

Quote:

Yup. One of the reasons I went Dodge. I liked the Chevy's performance but just can't get behind the styling. It probably shouldn't matter but it does.

The Dodge is a champ with or without the 10,000 lb trailer behind it, but with the new emissions standards gas mileage took a major hit. The same motor (Cummins 6.7L) on the previous gen trucks got 4 - 6 mpg better. Makes me naseated to think about.

...So...we're reducing sulfer emissions (which are not nearly as harmful as CO, by the way) but requiring 50% more fuel to do so. I guess the extra drilling, shipping, refining, and transport costs of the oil are not included in the environmental impact calculations.