Still havent bought my truck yet. This is beginning to be much more complicated than it should be... lol

Anyway, any new dirt on the 6.0's? How do you all feel that it would do as a daily driver/7000lb occasional travel trailer hauler? I know it can get the job done, but is it really worth it when for a few hundred dollars or so more, one could potentially get either an 8.1 or another makes V10..?

This would be in a GMC crewcab 2500 4x2. My problem is that this is absolutely one of the finest trucks that ive yet to see, but i'm weary of laying out the cash just because of the niceness of the truck without being 100% sold on this engine..
Being that i'm also looking at a Ford V10, (dont ban me)
But I cant help but to compare every truck I drive to the power and towing ability of the Ford V10.
From what I read, the Big V8's as well as the Ford V10 will get just about the same mileage as the smaller V8's but have the benefit of Hp and Tq to spare...
Thanks again for the help, and yes, i'm still even considering the diesel I asked about, but thats another thread...lol

Edited by: DLayman

I have to tell you, I bought a 2001 2500 6.0 gasser and had it 10 months. I took one trip with my trailer and was very disatisfied with the performance of engine. It just didn't feel that strong. My trailer is a 8000 lb fifth wheel and it was a nerve wracking experience. I was exhausted after doing the drive. Everyone at the dealership told it would pull it with no problems. On long flats with no head wind it did ok but any head wind or uphill and it was over. I traded up to a 2002 Duramax and it was the best thing I could have done. I got 12-12.5 mpg with the 6.0 and now get 15.5 to 16.5 driving around town. Towing I get about 10 to 12.5 while I was getting around 6 to 8 with the 6.0. If you can go the extra for the diesel I would jump all over it. You won't be sorry.

Take a look at the 8.1 in the hd trucks.... I have it in the wifey's suburban and it pulls almost as good as the D-max..... just at higher RPM's

The only drawback is it can't pass a gas station without having to fill up.... 8 to 9 miles to the gallon... 11 on the highway.....

A plus... It has an Allison behind it.......

At least consider it before you buy a V10 Ford IMHO.

SteveEdited by: Blinky

I have the 6.0L gasser and to be honest I believe it is a good strong motor for a work truck. I have pulled 7000-8000# loads a few times and it did better than I expected. Of course it doesn't pull like a freight train but it is not struggling for power.


When driving empty, it can be quite quickly at acceleration from stop. Usually when that happen, you would break the traction first (stupid factory tires).


How often and how far do you travel with the trailer? Maybe you should go up to 8.1L - I heard that they can throw you back to the seat. Most people reported that 8.1L burns 1 MPG less than the 6.0L motor. Edited by: wxmn6

If you have atleast a 4.10 gear behind a 6.0 and do not have oversized tires, it will do a pretty fair job up to 7000 or 8000lbs trailer weight. If you dropped it to a 4.56 (which would be easy in a 2wd truck) you could stretch it to maybe 10,000lbs or so. The 6.0 is a strong engine but it needs to wind up a bit to makes its best power, hence the need for deeper gears than with a 8.1.

My wife's '04 Sub has the 6.0 in it and if I had it to do over I would have opted for the 4.10s instead of the 3.73s. The Sub is very sluggish off the line, but does OK once up to speed. I believe the torque doesn't peak until 3500 RPMs and who drives around town at that speed?....HotRodders need not respond...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif. Also, that kind of RPMs on the highway makes for pitiful fuel mileage. At the very least get 4.10's, I would consider a DMAX if you are going to be pulling.


JP

One other thing, I noticed you mentioned just a few more bucks for the 8.1, keep in mind you must also get the "Auto Ride" suspension with the 8.1, an $1100 add on option. And, my '01 3500 dually DMAX get's better fuel mileage around town and on the highway than my wife's 6.0 Sub. Food for thought.


JP

Ok, now I found a 8.1 in a 2001 GMC 2500 crewcab. Fully loaded with leather. Beautiful truck.
The 8.1 puts out more horses and Torque than the Ford V10, and it does it at lower rpm's as well....

The problem with this one is the mileage. 100k miles....
It's a 2001. Truck is in very nice shape and I could possibly pick it up for $16,500 - $17k....
But I keep asking myself: "why the heck would I pay close to 20k for a vehicle with over 80k miles"....

Good point! For a 4 year old truck with 100k I would say 15K or less is a lot more realistic (13 or 14K even better) because there is no warranty on that baby and if tranny goes out next month you will have at least another 2 to 3 grand in it to fix it! (your are in a hot climate too that is hard a A/C's, engines and trannys too) The 2005 are around the corner making 01's worth even less very soon. If you really like the truck, I would low ball them a bid and take a walk if they do not bite. Push comes to shove you might get it a lot cheaper than you think. About 3 years ago a friend of mine bought a clean 95 1 ton GMC van that came from AZ with 80k miles (he still drives it for work) within a month of getting it we had to replace, A/C compressor and condensor as well because the heat and the elements had really beat it down.Edited by: snoman