I bought my current Silverado new back in '99 and have put only 37k miles on it (it hasn't been my primary driver). It's a 1500 4x4 EC SB with the 5.3 engine and it's been a great truck. Last fall, my wife and I bought a light weight (6000#) travel trailer and it got me thinking about buying a diesel. My current truck does decent pulling the trailer, but more power is always better, right? :cool:

I'm currently looking at a used '05 2500 4x4 D/A CC SB with about 21k miles on it and have some questions:

1.) I've seen fuel economy results all over the board for LLY trucks. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how fuel consumption compares between the 5.3 and the Duramax if you drive the trucks in a similar way. I currently get about 15-16mpg with my 5.3 doing a mixture of city/hwy/rush-hour type driving. I don't mash the pedal every time I accelerate, but I also don't drive like i've got eggshells between my foot and the pedal. What should I expect from a Duramax?

If I do buy a Duramax, I'll probably probably sell my daily driver car and drive the truck as a primary vehicle which will amount to about 18k-20k miles per year, so fuel economy is a big deal to me.

2.) I live in Minnesota, so it can get a little chilly in the winter. Even when it's not plugged in, my 5.3 warms up pretty fast. Do the diesels take a lot longer to start putting out heat? Do you have to be especially careful with the turbo to make sure you don't start getting on it too much before it's warmed up?

3.) I realize this is a somewhat biased group :D , but I'm wondering what other advice, pros/cons you can share with me on sticking with my 1500 vs. going to the Duramax.

I'm struggling with whether or not I should do the upgrade to the Duramax. Sorry for the long post, but I really appreciate your input!

They are slower to warm up but plugging it in will make it happen much quicker. I get 14 pulling a 13,300# 5th wheel. If you buy a Duramax you will probably never have another gasser. I wont.

What are your goals? Do you want to save money, or do you just want more power? You probably won't get what your truck is worth since it's a '99, so any fuel savings from the diesel will be negated by the extra you pay for in the trade. If you want more power, the difference would be like trading an S10 for your 5.3. The Duramax will pull that small trailer like it's not even there. As far as warm up, you can plug it in at night and there is a high idle mod in the DIY section that will warm it up quicker, as diesels do take awhile to get the heat going. Your fuel mileage should be better than you're seeing now, but again probably not enough to pay for the trade expenditure. I get 16.5 unloaded with about 90% stop and go city driving. I don't think you should trade for mileage reasons, but for power and towing stability, you can't go wrong. Then there is always the fact that diesels are just cooler, so you'd have that going for you too.

They are slower to warm up but plugging it in will make it happen much quicker. I get 14 pulling a 13,300# 5th wheel. If you buy a Duramax you will probably never have another gasser. I wont.

Come on and tell the truth. I will 100% guarantee Speed boy is NOT getting 14 MPG pulling 13,300 LBS. Censored Censored Censored
What is your point Speed boy?????? Even if you have the older LB7 you are still overstating the truth. Do you only drive down hill all the time?

Ok, as for you question about fuel mileage, you will get about the very same #s you posted while not towing. When towing your 6,000 lbs trailer you will see 11 mpg give or take a bit. They do like fuel, do a search and see all the people posting about Shi%%y fuel mileage. Ya there are some out there that either don't know how to figure mileage or are just BSers. The facts are the facts.

Just got rid of a 5.3 Z-71 '04 model for this D-max ! D-max is more sluggish taking off...........but once the turbo starts spooling up........it feels a lot faster/more powerful ! My 5.3 completely sucked at pulling anything above 2500 lbs ! I haven't towed with this one yet........but I know without a doubt it will be way more than I need towing !

Around town I am averaging about 16 mpg in this one and I was getting 14-14.5 mpg with my Z-71 !! I am much happier with this diesel !! Good luck !!

Come on and tell the truth. I will 100% guarantee Speed boy is NOT getting 14 MPG pulling 13,300 LBS. Censored Censored Censored
What is your point Speed boy?????? Even if you have the older LB7 you are still overstating the truth. Do you only drive down hill all the time?

Ok, as for you question about fuel mileage, you will get about the very same #s you posted while not towing. When towing your 6,000 lbs trailer you will see 11 mpg give or take a bit. They do like fuel, do a search and see all the people posting about Shi%%y fuel mileage. Ya there are some out there that either don't know how to figure mileage or are just BSers. The facts are the facts.

:exactly: 14mpg pulling 13K:blahblah::muahaha: whatever man. My wife barely gets that unloaded driving short trips around town and back and to work. If you are getting that kind of mileage, clue the rest of us in on what mods you've done.

1.) What should I expect from a Duramax?

Mileage varies with each truck and size of persons foot pushing the pedal. For a 6500+ lbs truck it gets ok mileage and just like any truck the mileage goes down when towing something however, you'll be able to tow pretty much anything and not worry about whether the truck can handle it. It was built for pulling/hauling.

2.) Do you have to be especially careful with the turbo to make sure you don't start getting on it too much before it's warmed up?

Just like any vehicle that is in cold climates, it will take a while to warm up ,but diesels naturally take longer to warm up than gassers. If its plugged in then it will probably help and shouldn't be an issue.


3.) pros/cons you can share with me on sticking with my 1500 vs. going to the Duramax.

Once you drive a Duramax you will wonder what took you so long to get one. The drive, the feel, the power..everything about it is leagues above a 1500 5.3 and with the prices being offered right now you'd be a fool not to get one if you have the chance.

$.02
good luck on your choice.

I bought my current Silverado new back in '99 and have put only 37k miles on it (it hasn't been my primary driver). It's a 1500 4x4 EC SB with the 5.3 engine and it's been a great truck. Last fall, my wife and I bought a light weight (6000#) travel trailer and it got me thinking about buying a diesel. My current truck does decent pulling the trailer, but more power is always better, right? :cool:

I'm currently looking at a used '05 2500 4x4 D/A CC SB with about 21k miles on it and have some questions:

1.) I've seen fuel economy results all over the board for LLY trucks. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how fuel consumption compares between the 5.3 and the Duramax if you drive the trucks in a similar way. I currently get about 15-16mpg with my 5.3 doing a mixture of city/hwy/rush-hour type driving. I don't mash the pedal every time I accelerate, but I also don't drive like i've got eggshells between my foot and the pedal. What should I expect from a Duramax?

I get 18-19mpg if I drive it like a granny (avg 32mph per tank both freeway and city driving). If I put my Pred on 40hp tune and the J/A on 5/5 I get 15.5mph driving it like I stole it. I had a 2000 5.3 half ton 2wd and got around 17mpg while driving it like I stole it.

If I do buy a Duramax, I'll probably probably sell my daily driver car and drive the truck as a primary vehicle which will amount to about 18k-20k miles per year, so fuel economy is a big deal to me.

2.) I live in Minnesota, so it can get a little chilly in the winter. Even when it's not plugged in, my 5.3 warms up pretty fast. Do the diesels take a lot longer to start putting out heat? Do you have to be especially careful with the turbo to make sure you don't start getting on it too much before it's warmed up?
Sorry no personal experience here. Many others live in cold climates and experience poorer fuel economy in the winter due to the winter blend of fuel.

3.) I realize this is a somewhat biased group :D , but I'm wondering what other advice, pros/cons you can share with me on sticking with my 1500 vs. going to the Duramax.

The only con's I can think of are that you need to replace the fuel filters more often and this truck will not stop as fast as the lighter 1500 series. You can add a lot more power for the $ on a diesel than you can on a gasser. The Allison will not like it if you add too much HP and will cost you if you need to upgrade it.

I'm struggling with whether or not I should do the upgrade to the Duramax. Sorry for the long post, but I really appreciate your input!

I love the DMAX. The 1500 was a nice truck but once you go Diesel you won't go back! I don't regret the upgrade. Just my .02

I have owned 3 different trucks pulling the same 8000+ TT. I got 8 mpg with the 1500 w/5.3, 9 mpg with 2500hd w/6.0, and currently get 11mpg with my lly. I will never go back to a gasser. Best I have got on the road so far is 20.2 mpg, I get about 14 in town. I do drive like i stole it though.

After reading speedster's post I was about to take my truck to the dealer and tell them mine is a POS. I'm glad wrat chimed in. I get 12-13 pulling a 4000lb boat. I get 18.5 taking it easy on the highway. I get about 15 around town. I also have a 2000 Z-71 w/5.3 and it gets about 17- 18mpg on the highway, but it gets 10-11 pulling the same boat while pulling it much slower.

Anyone getting 11mpg towing only 6,000 should get rid of the Dmax they have and get a new one. Thats piss poor mileage. Cruise control towing that I get 14-15 no problem, granted thats 65-70mph cruise flat ground here on the coast, all hand calculated and speedo checked. Around town empty about the same, if driven reasonably. Freeway empty cruise is easy 17-18.

Biggest thing is what others have noted, forget the fuel, it will tow so much better overall, and at only 6k, you will hardly notice its back there.

.

I did what you thinking about. The 5.3 1500 is a handful at freeway speeds with wind and toying mileage sucked with my 30' TT. The bigger truck will tow at better mileage than your 5.3, it will get going when you step on it.

I presently tow 15K Toyhauler with the 3500 dually and I get around 10 traveling 75 and below, above that knock off 1mpg per 6 or 7 mph. I wouldnt have anything else to tow with. Unloaded I am doing 15mpg with mixed driving.

I dont feel that 14-16 mpg is shi**y mileage for a 7500 lb. truck. My truck in between was a 454 truck, try 9 unloaded and 6.5 towing.

Keep in mind if you tow to a hot climate it will most likely overheat on you. My 04 with 5K in tow will overheat on demand. I would wait a bit to see what shakes out on the overheat issues. If it cannot be corrected (by GM) the value of your new truck could suffer.

As far as costs go you will not save any money over the 5.3 but you will love driving a diesel!!

Saying it will most likely overheat is a huge stretch. There is a problem with some trucks for sure, but its not even close to being a blanket issue.

.

Anyone getting 11mpg towing only 6,000 should get rid of the Dmax they have and get a new one. Thats piss poor mileage. Cruise control towing that I get 14-15 no problem, granted thats 65-70mph cruise flat ground here on the coast, all hand calculated and speedo checked. Around town empty about the same, if driven reasonably. Freeway empty cruise is easy 17-18.

Biggest thing is what others have noted, forget the fuel, it will tow so much better overall, and at only 6k, you will hardly notice its back there.

.

Man, with that kind of mileage, I wish I had some flat ground around me. I'll be towing about 6K this weekend about 150 each way. Minimum of 4 good climbs any way I go. I'll check mileage and report back on Sun-Mon.

Thanks for the input, guys.

Yup, I realize this upgrade isn't financially justifiable by looking at fuel cost savings. Moving to a diesel is definitely more of a "want" than a "need" for me, so I am trying to get some reassurances that I wouldn't be getting into a position where not only would I have the added expense of a newer truck and higher insurance premiums, and that I wouldn't be sitting with fuel bills that I wasn't expecting.

The closest I can come to a financial justification is that if I don't do this now, it's likely to cost me more to do the same thing in the future (my truck will be worth less and a similar replacement will probably cost more). Using Kelly Blue Book numbers as a reference, the dealer with the '05 is willing to give me more than a $1000 more than "private party" value for my truck and sell the '05 to me for about "private party" value or less (I'm pretty sure there's some more room for negotiation on price). This isn't a killer deal, but it is notably better than I've seen with other dealers around here. I'm not finding that many used Duramaxes in this area (Twin Cities) to choose from and there appears to be a strong enough demand that dealers seem to know they don't have to give them away. Can you tell I'm trying to rationalize buying this '05....

On the flip side, if I wait, even though I may pay more to upgrade, I will have some other debt paid down making it easier to pay more for the truck, but I hate paying more for the same thing (and I hate waiting :D).

Regarding the overheating issue, I assumed towing my light-weight trailer that it wouldn't be an issue. It also seems like some progress is being made in this area, so I wasn't going to worry about it too much.

2.) I live in Minnesota, so it can get a little chilly in the winter. Even when it's not plugged in, my 5.3 warms up pretty fast. Do the diesels take a lot longer to start putting out heat? Do you have to be especially careful with the turbo to make sure you don't start getting on it too much before it's warmed up?

I haven't been through a winter with my truck yet, but my advice to you in this regard is: Get an SLT/LT package with heated leather seats, and you won't need to worry about how fast it warms up... It's also nice on a long trip to have that lumbar heat to take care of the backache. I never thought I'd own a pickup with leather, but... :rolleyes:

RE being careful with it before it warms up, the ECM and TCM keep track of engine temp and will 1. raise tranny shift points to keep the truck in the lower gears longer & aid in warm-up, and 2. IIRC will not give you full power until the trans and engine reach a preset operating temperature level. Not much to worry about there, except for plugging the thing in and making sure you've got an anti-gel additive in the fuel tank.


3.) I realize this is a somewhat biased group :D , but I'm wondering what other advice, pros/cons you can share with me on sticking with my 1500 vs. going to the Duramax.

I traded in an 01 1500 with the 4.8 on the truck I bought before the DMAX. I really liked everything about the 1500 it except for the lack of power, particularly highway power. The duramax basically will never leave 5th gear on the highway (unloaded) -- it's like driving a cruise missle, the turbo just spools up and flattens the hills. My recollection is that, as you might expect, my 2500 rides worse (even having replaced the shocks) than the 1500 did. It's not too bad at lower speeds, but hit an uneven surface on the highway and it'll give you a stiff kidney punch. There are ways out there to calm the ride down a bit, but it's still gonna be a 3/4 ton truck.

As others have said, you probably won't go back to a gasser after owning one of these -- I know I won't. They're one hell of a piece of machinery.

MOST IMPORTANT: DRIVE IT!! And not just for a couple minutes around the block. See if they'll let you drive it for the day or something... You can do all the "bench racing" you want in these forums, but it's no substitute for actually being behind the wheel. None of the advice/info anyone has talked about here make any difference if you don't like being in the thing.

I pulled my toyhauler (10K+#'s) with my '99 K2500 4.10 gears and averaged 5-8 mpg doing 60-65mph comfortably. Then I got my K2500HD D/A, pulling the same trailer I get 9-11 mpg at 70-75mph. Good enough for me.

I haven't been through a winter with my truck yet, but my advice to you in this regard is: Get an SLT/LT package with heated leather seats, and you won't need to worry about how fast it warms up... It's also nice on a long trip to have that lumbar heat to take care of the backache. I never thought I'd own a pickup with leather, but... :rolleyes:

:exactly: It's like you read my mind. I'm only looking at SLT/LT trucks for this very reason.

I recently bought just about the same truck, also trading a 5.3 1500 4X2. This truck will net me about 15% better fuel econ in every situation than my 1500 did. It has the added benefit of a locking rear, 4X4, and a lot more power. Don't even think about it, just go get it, you'll love it!

I went from a 2000 5.3 ECSB Z71 to the 2004 in my sig.

The 5.3 was more responsive from a stop than the diesel.

The mileage on the diesel is better than the 5.3, based on my calculations, and I do 80% city driving now with the diesel, whereas I used to to 80% highway with the 5.3.

I towed 10,000lbs with the 5.3 a few times, and it had the power, just not the suspension or the brakes. The same trailer with the diesel is no problem, and it feels a LOT safer (no more tail wagging the dog). IMO, the 5.3 1500 can't pull much more than 5,000lbs comfortably.

I'd rather drive the diesel any day over the 5.3, although that 5.3 was an excellent truck and "felt" faster and seemed to handle better than my diesel.

Just to give you an idea, I traded in my 04 Dodge Ram Hemi Quad Cab for my Dmax. Yes the Hemi made good power, and it was a far more nimble and better handling truck, but with a tuner my Dmax is faster, is more comfortable, and it tows so much better you wouldn't believe it. On top of that it gets 1-2mpg better, even 3 if it's 100% highway.

.

I'll mirror what everyone else has said. You will love having a diesel so much more than you ever would a gasser.
I bought the wife a 2002 Tahoe with a 5.3 in hopes that it would pull our 6000 lb boat, and be her daily driver. While it did an admiral job on the flat lands, I felt like I was beating it to death whenever we hit a hill, and there are plenty of hills between where I live and where I boat. While the towing mileage of the Tahoe is very close to my older 5.7L TBI (non-vortec) Chev, The power was more geared in the higher RPM ranges, so I would swap towing duties between the slightly Modified 5.7 and the 5.3 until the 5.7 lost it's tranny towing.
Ordered up a 2004.5 LLY and have never looked back. Unladen off the line the Tahoe will win, but left a buddy driving a 5.3L Suburban in the dust while pulling the boat up a 8% grade two days ago. The only reason he could even see me at the top was cause it's a very curvey road so I had to back out of the throttle for the curves. Only person who could even give me a run was a psd ferd pulling a boat that probably weighed about 2000 lbs less.
You won't be able to justify the added cost of a diesel based on mileage, especially since diesel is now more expensive than gas. Believe me, I tried, but the wife harrasses me every time we pass up a gas station and sees the price comparison. But she loves the diesel almost as much as I do, and always mentions how much more relaxed I am when we get to the lake due to how well the truck tows. More than once she has told me to wipe that Censored eating grin off my face as I blast past someone towing a smaller boat with a gasser.:muahaha:
Mileage towing with the 5.7 at 60-65 MPH 9.7 MPG, Tahoe got 9.8 at 65-67 while the Duramax gets 11.6 at 75. Best I've seen not towing is about 18 MPG, but 70% of my only 7000 Miles are towing.

I will throw the flip side of the coin to you. You throw a Radix or Whipple on that 5.3 and slap some airbags on the rear axle and you have a whole new toy for a lot less money. Even if you have to run premium for the blower it's less then diesel right now but that could always change. The diesel is more expensive to maintain and doesn't run so much greater mileage that you will see a lot of difference in the long run IMHO. I had 2000 5.3 that I sold to get what's in my sig that was set-up about the same. The Dmax kicks it's tail in towing but a blower would close the gap. It also gets better economy, but not much at this point (less then 5k miles). For me this is just a toy and I bought what I wanted and am very happy with it so far, but I honestly feel I could have been quite happy with what I have talked about as well. You need to factor in as much as you can and then throw it out the window and go get what you want. It's only earth money ny friend. ;)

You guys are making it very hard to not buy the diesel. When my wife gives me "the look" if I bring it home, I'm blaming you guys. :D

I went from an 02 1500 5.3L 4x4 with a 3.73 rear to my 2500HD D/A. I get about 2 mpg better than the 5.3 did.

I will throw the flip side of the coin to you. You throw a Radix or Whipple on that 5.3 and slap some airbags on the rear axle and you have a whole new toy for a lot less money. Even if you have to run premium for the blower it's less then diesel right now but that could always change. The diesel is more expensive to maintain and doesn't run so much greater mileage that you will see a lot of difference in the long run IMHO. I had 2000 5.3 that I sold to get what's in my sig that was set-up about the same. The Dmax kicks it's tail in towing but a blower would close the gap. It also gets better economy, but not much at this point (less then 5k miles). For me this is just a toy and I bought what I wanted and am very happy with it so far, but I honestly feel I could have been quite happy with what I have talked about as well. You need to factor in as much as you can and then throw it out the window and go get what you want. It's only earth money ny friend. ;)

I actually did put Firestone air bags on the truck and it did make a big improvement in stabilizing the feel when towing. It also has 4.10 gears (originally planned to lift the truck) which also helps when towing.

Interesting idea about the blowers. I know they can make a lot of power and torque, but I also know they can build heat. I had a Vortech on a 5.0 Mustang a few years back (granted, different type of supercharger and it didn't have an intercooler or anything like that) and it made pretty good power, but that thing would get hot and start detonating when I drove it hard for too long. The superchargers you mention may work great for towing, but I would be concerned about running them for long distances under even low amounts of boost because I'm not sure what the consequences would be.

There are plenty of sources to ease your fear of long haul towing if you want to hunt them down. I have done a lot of reading on them and many add them because of the need for towing power. I mentioned those two because they are the ones I wanted to add to mine but never got the chance. You will more than likely need to run premium to keep detonation from happening. I honestly think you'd rather have the diesel so quit your hemming and hawing and go get ya one. ;) You won't regret it either way. Just don't fall into the misconception that the diesel is gonna pay for itself in savings because that is probly not going to happen.

Dwrat, your exactly right on !! I pull a 12,000 lb toy hauler and average under 10 mpg. If I hit 10mpg, it was down hill with a tail wind. Around town, 15 mpg and 18 on the highway unloaded. My brother has a 99 with a 5.3 and claims great gas milage. Everytime we drive on the highway unloaded with the family on trips, I always use less fuel and he complains about his poor gas milage on the trip.

For some reason, everyone likes to brag about their great gas milage that they are NOT getting.

Buy a Diesel, you will not go back !! I had a 6.0 and 8.1. I won't go back !!

You guys are making it very hard to not buy the diesel. When my wife gives me "the look" if I bring it home, I'm blaming you guys.

I know what you mean... Came to this site to see other's opinions on their trucks, next thing I know I own one. No regrets either!

I bought mine strictly to tow my TT, fearring the long term wear and tear on the 5.3 Yukon.

Im getting around the same as most others 15 city 18+ highway. My Yukon (wifes now) is very close to those numbers, but nothing tows like the Dmax!

put a turbo on that 5.3

Come on and tell the truth. I will 100% guarantee Speed boy is NOT getting 14 MPG pulling 13,300 LBS. Censored Censored Censored
What is your point Speed boy?????? Even if you have the older LB7 you are still overstating the truth. Do you only drive down hill all the time?

Ok, as for you question about fuel mileage, you will get about the very same #s you posted while not towing. When towing your 6,000 lbs trailer you will see 11 mpg give or take a bit. They do like fuel, do a search and see all the people posting about Shi%%y fuel mileage. Ya there are some out there that either don't know how to figure mileage or are just BSers. The facts are the facts.

They are slower to warm up but plugging it in will make it happen much quicker. I get 14 pulling a 13,300# 5th wheel. If you buy a Duramax you will probably never have another gasser. I wont.


7-9 towing 12-15 unloaded......just like Dwrat says. Some say more, but I don't believe it. :blahblah:

7-9 towing 12-15 unloaded......just like Dwrat says. Some say more, but I don't believe it. :blahblah:

:blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah:

7-9 towing what????? Either way you and Dwrat need to get it fixed or sell for a new one because 12-15mpg unloaded is way out of line. Just because your truck gets terrible mileage doesn't mean they all do. The guys with the overheating trucks seem to get rotten mileage which has been noticed again and again.

.

Christopher
One can always count you in to start some kind of sh*t. You must be the biggest D*ck Head on this site. You were most likely a very dislike child and now you are also a dislike adult also. Sorry everyone else,but TX Christopher has posted a lot of BS in the past and he still is doing it. I would love to meet you face to face Christopher
to see what kind of pud you really are. Ya, I know you are a big man sitting behind your key board and I am sure you will soon post that I can come on over any time. Well, I have dealt with puds like you in the past and I am sure I will meet a few more in the future. Go ahead and post your BS and maybe you can get this post all screwed up just as you did the Overheating post.
Dan

Christopher
One can always count you in to start some kind of sh*t. You must be the biggest D*ck Head on this site. You were most likely a very dislike child and now you are also a dislike adult also. Sorry everyone else,but TX Christopher has posted a lot of BS in the past and he still is doing it. I would love to meet you face to face Christopher
to see what kind of pud you really are. Ya, I know you are a big man sitting behind your key board and I am sure you will soon post that I can come on over any time. Well, I have dealt with puds like you in the past and I am sure I will meet a few more in the future. Go ahead and post your BS and maybe you can get this post all screwed up just as you did the Overheating post.
Dan

:eek: me--> :idiot: <-- chris dan--> :nutkick: <--chris

put a turbo on that 5.3

The upgrade thing to make a 5.3 a tow vehical can be money poorly spent. Not just engine (turbo, guages) but tranny (coolers , synth, guage), brakes and suspension would need upgrades then what do you have? A vehical that screams on climbs and your eyes cant leave the guages for fear of grenading (white knuckles ...still), you'll never see the return for the upgrades in resale (just doesn't happen) and you still don't have anything near as stout, cool and composed as the dmax ally drivetrain. I traded a 5.7 1500 2wd that I had added airbags to, had 3.73 locker and tow pkg tranny cooler etc.. The truck still struggled with every hill and approached overheat on summer trips. Milage was ~6-7 towing 18 unloaded. This with 6000lb 5er. I had to choose, more upgrades to make the truck do something it really wasn't designed for (and may still not do even with upgrades) or bite the bullet and get the proper tow vehical. My wife was against a new (or used) truck...we aint rich and have no write off for a truck. We talked and I just said it isn't safe to go over passes w/ the 1500 so either we camp near home (getting pretty old now) or we trade or we sell the truck/trailer and fly for vacations. We traded the truck (she loves camping...bless her) and now the trips over passes (we're in a valley surrounded by them) are nothing ...4hrs to the coast (almost strait up and down) and 7 hrs to the pararies over the rockies....pure cake, no white knuckles, no sore neck. Even parking the trailer is easier without overheat while backing worries. Bring your wife into the process..let her test drive. Drive some 00-02 noisey fords and dodges (my wife kept saying "thats louder than a semi and rides like a farm truck"...I reply yep). You may even be able to test tow your boat.
Get the dmax/alley and enjoy things. Nothing is free or cheap for us working fools but you really do live once. The guys I work with who own SUVs all want a diesel now...funny that.:lol:

Christopher
One can always count you in to start some kind of sh*t. You must be the biggest D*ck Head on this site. You were most likely a very dislike child and now you are also a dislike adult also. Sorry everyone else,but TX Christopher has posted a lot of BS in the past and he still is doing it. I would love to meet you face to face Christopher
to see what kind of pud you really are. Ya, I know you are a big man sitting behind your key board and I am sure you will soon post that I can come on over any time. Well, I have dealt with puds like you in the past and I am sure I will meet a few more in the future. Go ahead and post your BS and maybe you can get this post all screwed up just as you did the Overheating post.
Dan

I love you too, but just cause your overheating POS gets crappy mileage doesn't mean they all do. Same goes for the overheating, I feel sorry for you but you seem bent to spread the bad word about these trucks and THAT is what is BS.

According to you no Dmax can get better than 15mpg and that makes most people on here liars I guess. It wouldn't matter if you personally filled my truck and measured the mileage yourself, you wouldn't believe it anyway so whats the point?

Please....sell your truck, get happy, and get off the forum so you can stop reaming out owners that are satisfied with their purchase (unlike miserable you!). -:t

.

Wow! I never expected this much input. Except for a couple flames, this has been great. Thanks again!

Wow! I never expected this much input. Except for a couple flames, this has been great. Thanks again!

Yeah for some reason people can't resist flaming others instead of just giving their part.

Where do you live? If close you can try towing with my truck and see how you like the difference. I promise better than any 9-11mpg towing just 6k.

.

GS470,

Where you live plays a big role in mileage. In arizona, we are always fighting elevation changes. If you live in the FLATTEST part of the country , you probally will have great gas mileage. I've had an '02 LB7 that did get 1.5 better MPG than my LLY I have now, I sold it to my camping buddy and we seem to use the same amount of gas and fill up at the same times (both truck get less than 9 mpg towing over 10,000+ toyhaulers)

:blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah:

7-9 towing what????? Either way you and Dwrat need to get it fixed or sell for a new one because 12-15mpg unloaded is way out of line. Just because your truck gets terrible mileage doesn't mean they all do. The guys with the overheating trucks seem to get rotten mileage which has been noticed again and again.

.

Christopher,

Have you ever towed 13,000 lbs? If you have, you did not get 14 mpg. I was refering to Speedster's comment in the first place. Go :blahblah: back over to the overheating thread (where you don't belong since your truck is perfect) and stir that up some more. I don't think I have rotton gas mileage or overheat. All my buddies with newer diesels (ferds and dodges get close to the same) nobody is getting 6+ mpg over the other guy maybe 1-2 due to driving style, not anything else.

GS470,

Where you live plays a big role in mileage. In arizona, we are always fighting elevation changes. If you live in the FLATTEST part of the country , you probally will have great gas mileage. I've had an '02 LB7 that did get 1.5 better MPG than my LLY I have now, I sold it to my camping buddy and we seem to use the same amount of gas and fill up at the same times (both truck get less than 9 mpg towing over 10,000+ toyhaulers)

Thats a very true statement. The biggest hills around here are called overpasses. All my mileage figures are cruise control 65-70mph open highway, and being mostly flat ground it just loafs along and never comes out of overdrive, hell it doesn't even unlock the convertor very often.

I have found the right foot to determine mileage more than anything else, cruise control is really boring but it is for sure efficient.:ro)

.

Christopher,

Have you ever towed 13,000 lbs? If you have, you did not get 14 mpg. I was refering to Speedster's comment in the first place. Go :blahblah: back over to the overheating thread (where you don't belong since your truck is perfect) and stir that up some more. I don't think I have rotton gas mileage or overheat. All my buddies with newer diesels (ferds and dodges get close to the same) nobody is getting 6+ mpg over the other guy maybe 1-2 due to driving style, not anything else.


Hmmmm I am quite sure I posted again and again I was talking 5k or 6k, maybe you didn't read right??? GS470 is talking light weight stuff. Jumping on me comparing 13k makes no sense, especially since I never said a peep about heavy weights, it doesn't apply to the thread, so why fight over it? :confused:

Seems I belong in THIS thread and YOU don't since you tow out of line what the guy wants to know about??????

:blahblah:

It sure is a beautiful day out today!

.

Thats a very true statement. The biggest hills around here are called overpasses. All my mileage figures are cruise control 65-70mph open highway, and being mostly flat ground it just loafs along and never comes out of overdrive, hell it doesn't even unlock the convertor very often.

I have found the right foot to determine mileage more than anything else, cruise control is really boring but it is for sure efficient.:ro)

.

Looking at your DIC while crusing is not the correct way to determine MPG. I do mostly stop/go in town driving. That nets me 13+/- mpg. If I jump on the freeway and reset my DIC I can average 19 mpg, only problem is I have to get off it and drive "in town" which kills that 19 mpg. Got to look at the whole picture. Not what you get based on open highway w/cruise set on flat ground.....

I did get 99 mpg a few times getting off the freeway on the off ramp:ro) :lol:

They are slower to warm up but plugging it in will make it happen much quicker. I get 14 pulling a 13,300# 5th wheel. If you buy a Duramax you will probably never have another gasser. I wont.


Christopher,

Dwrat and I were refering to this...Then YOU had to flame us.

I recently sold my 2000 Toyota Tundra, replacing it with a GMC 2500HD with the Dmax. The Toyota with a 4.7L V8 was a great truck which routinely got 15-18 mpg, depending on how I drove it. Perhaps a little smaller than your 1500, but very similar. When I towed my 5000 lb. boat with it, I got 7-8 mpg. The truck would do it, but not comfortably and I always had the feeling that I was right at the max for safety, even though the truck was rated to tow more. My Dmax with less than 2000 miles on the clock, gets 13.5 mpg in town unloaded. This figure seems to be improving as the motor breaks in. On the road, my best so far is 17.4 mpg, driving between 75-80 mph. I could really use that 6th gear in the 06'! I don't have any mileage figures for towing my boat with the Dmax as I just sold it and only towed it to the new owner's house. I can tell you that you couldn't even tell it was back there. As others have said regarding mileage figures, for most owners, the DIC readings are inaccurate to say the least. Mine usually isn't within 5 mpg of what I'm really getting. The mileage figures I've quoted above are hand calculated. I've re-calibrated my speedo and odo which have been checked against my GPS and are dead nuts on. I have no doubt that I could get 19 or maybe 20 on the road if I drove at 60, but that will get you killed here in California! Someone suggested this a while back, but we should start a new mileage thread using only hand calculated figures. Maybe someone out there has a DIC thats nuts on, but no vehicle I've ever owned that had one was worth a damn other than for entertainment value. Get the Dmax. I love mine and only hope it will hold up as well as my previous truck.

I think Christopher is always looking at his DIC, we all know the way he acts there isn't a female in his town that would want to look had it.):h ):h ):h

I had a 2000 1500 5.3 ext cab sb, loved it, Towed a 20 Haulmark Edge loaded about 7000lbs got 9 mpg at 70-75 and never had a problem. I did put a superchip in it and it helped a lot.
Now iI have a 2001 dmax ext cab sb 2wd and a 30 Haulmark Edge loaded about 11,000lbs and get 10 mpg at the same speed. love both of them.

The biggest difference is the handling charistics are much better w/ the HD. used the same weight distributing hitch and sway control with both trailers.

They are slower to warm up but plugging it in will make it happen much quicker. I get 14 pulling a 13,300# 5th wheel. If you buy a Duramax you will probably never have another gasser. I wont. Sorry this is my fault.:( Never type in the dark. That was supposed to be 11 mpg pulling 13,300# 5th wheel. Not downhill, but it is very flat here.

Siphon made a good point- A 2500 and especially a 3500 will seem like lumberwagons compared to your 1500. Not so bad loaded but pretty stiff empty. That would be the only con versus a 1500 I can think of.

I think Christopher is always looking at his DIC, we all know the way he acts there isn't a female in his town that would want to look had it.):h ):h ):h

Thats very funny! :D

I posted that my mileage is all hand calculated, again you gotta read what is said instead of creating things. The truck DIC reads a touch higher than actual, at least according to my hand calculated mileage which has been every tank since the truck was bought new off the lot. Even if it was dead on to begin with its accuracy ended when I added the tuner, which was shortly after buying the truck.

Wifey handles the personal DIC, I don't care about the rest of the women in town or anywhere else.




:muahaha: Thats her, feel free to drool suckers !!!!!!

I have a piture of her in my wallet. (Just Kidding!!)


Get the D Max, you will have lots of fun souping it up. And you'll make some of the sports car owners think twice about lining up next to a diesel. :ro)

Christopher,

Dwrat and I were refering to this...Then YOU had to flame us.

That quote wasn't worth shooting down to start with, it didn't apply to what GS470 asked about anyway,

Hmmmm, I didn't flame EITHER of you, I said that the mileage you were quoting was out of line. THEN I got blasted, mostly cause Dwrat will find my posts no matter where they are and do that. At least I have given him purpose :rolleyes:

Still not flaming either of you, but ANY Dmax (within reason of being close to stock parameters, not 38" tires or something) out there that can only muster 15mpg on its best day has a problem. :eek:

Also, my truck isn't perfect, others out there say they get 20mpg highway and 16-17 city. Whether thats accurate or not I dunno, maybe they drive 55 cruise on the highway, who knows, but I wish I got that mileage!

Kurt W, did she give you the nudie ones too? :lol: If so we need to compare cause maybe yours are different from the ones I have!

.

Had a 2000 Z71 and traded it for my 05, was a great truck but I'd never ever go back. There is no comparison between the two.

Christopher
I think I will start being nice to you for now on. Maybe some day the 3 of us can meet and you can take my truck for a nice long test ride.):h ):h ):h


No really,
How the hell did you end up with her? Did she lose a bet or something.

Christopher
I think I will start being nice to you for now on. Maybe some day the 3 of us can meet and you can take my truck for a nice long test ride.):h ):h ):h


No really,
How the hell did you end up with her? Did she lose a bet or something.

LOL!!! Dude I have no idea!!!!! If I had instructions I would post them! She thinks I am the schiznit but I am just an average guy at best I think. Every day I thank God how lucky I am to be with her, she is solid gold in heart which really is worth the world. Pretty never hurt either!

:exactly:

Her birthday is September 3rd, we were going to go to Vegas, but called that trip off. She thinks now we aren't doing anything for her birthday, maybe dinner out or something, but the morning of the 2nd I will make breakfast and tell her to pack her bags, and she won't have a clue, and I won't reveal ANY of the stuff already booked/planned until we are doing it. I am taking her to Colorado on the 2nd, then the morning of the 3rd we are taking a train through the mountains followed by white water rafting the Arkansas. The next day will be the Cog Train up to Pikes Peak. Should be fun :D and a TOTAL suprise!

Who knows, one of these days we might meet up and have a few beers or somethin. I always pick up the tab. I think in person you might find me to be a very friendly person who likes to help others if possible. Its too easy to come off as a smart ass or hateful on the net no matter your intentions.

Long test ride eh? I get to take your truck out by myself? Woooohooo! Guess you'll have to handle her while I am out playin......I know it's tough babysitting but I think you could manage.....or could ya?

:grd: :muahaha:

.

PS...... We are flying to Miami October 17th and then taking a cruise to the Bahamas and Cococay and the Keys, bring your truck then and I'll take it for a whirl!

.

From trading flames to trading wives...I love this site.

BTW mine's off limits...truck and wife. Anyway anyone who'd pick a dmax truck has enough taste to pick a pretty girl to marry. It's the ford boys who get the ones with mismatched parts...lol.

Christopher
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Your plans sound good and I am sure she will enjoy. I have never done anything like that, but maybe someday I will. That is when I get the big bucks you have. Sure is nice to post to you and not having anything mean to say or hear mean things from you. Maybe this is a start to a hole new TXChristopher.
BTW, I will not tell her your plan when you are at work Monday.):h ):h ):h

You have to addmit, the 5.3 sure had alot of get up and go, I was very pleased with the power of the 5.3, esspecially when you got the revs up, but I traded in my 5.3 and bought a DMax. I love the this truck, but it sure is a different ride, stiffer, heavier, can be hard on the body, but I will get used to it!

Christopher
I think I will start being nice to you for now on. Maybe some day the 3 of us can meet and you can take my truck for a nice long test ride.):h ):h ):h


No really,
How the hell did you end up with her? Did she lose a bet or something.

I know the answer to this... Feed her seeing eye dog steak and keep her drunk til after the wedding.

I haven't noticed what you have done to deserve the attack Chris but I must say I think you have handled this thread with class. You two should get a room... ):h ):h

I just purchased a 05 lly 3weeks ago and the best mileage I have gotten is 13.1mpg.I traded in my 99 ford powerstroke because I heard of the great mileage the durimax gets,let me tell you,I was getting 14-16 mpg out of my ford,can anyone give me an Idea as to what the problem is.

I just purchased a 05 lly 3weeks ago and the best mileage I have gotten is 13.1mpg.I traded in my 99 ford powerstroke because I heard of the great mileage the durimax gets,let me tell you,I was getting 14-16 mpg out of my ford,can anyone give me an Idea as to what the problem is.

I swear the more I hear about the low mileage the more I wonder if some trucks aren't dumping fuel too much too long at the wrong time or something.......also ties in too much with the hot running trucks.....low mpg and high temps seem to go hand in hand.

And for the record sedation is more effective, and it was lasagna and tortellini, seems the dog is italian! :muahaha:

.

Had mine for about 4 weeks now. Bought used with 34500 miles. Hand calculated and no fudging:

Going to work city/highway = Best 16.9 mpg being gentle; 14.9 mpg being aggressive
Towing 75-80 mph 300 mile trip 10.3 mpg
Highway not loaded 75 mph 15.8 mpg

Had mine for about 4 weeks now. Bought used with 34500 miles. Hand calculated and no fudging:

Going to work city/highway = Best 16.9 mpg being gentle; 14.9 mpg being aggressive
Towing 75-80 mph 300 mile trip 10.3 mpg
Highway not loaded 75 mph 15.8 mpg

Its tough to go slower I know, but I have found mileage really drops off above 65mph and big time drop off above 70mph. I have 285's and it seems they have helped highway mileage a little by lowering the gear somewhat, but may cost me a little in town.

If I could have gotten 3.42's in the truck when new I would have, especially since I rarely tow super heavy. I wish GM would give that option when ordering.

.

Where do you live? If close you can try towing with my truck and see how you like the difference. I promise better than any 9-11mpg towing just 6k.


I appreciate your very generous offer, but the drive between TX and MN may be a little impractical. :(

my last tank was 478 miles on a 26 gallon tank. When i filled her up she took about 22 gallons, so that's about 20mpg i think. I'm coming from the 8.1 to the duramax and man what a difference. I had a long bed on the 8.1 and even with the 34 gallon tank i'd get maybe 300 miles sucking that thing dry.
Get the diesel...how could you not love that clack-ity-clack?

This thread has been very helpful for me. This is a quick summary of what I'm taking away.

The fuel economy of the Duramax should be better than my 5.3, but not dramatically
Increased fuel economy of the Duramax will definitely not cost justify the truck
The Duramax will effortlessly tow my 6000# TT compared to my 1500
The 2500HD is going to ride stiffer and not be as agile as my 1500
The 5.3 is more responsive out of the hole, but the Duramax comes on strong after that
Winter driveability and warm-up is nothing to be concerned about with a Duramax
Get heated seats for cold MN winters :)
Involve the wife in the process (and she is - she likes everything about the truck but the added expense :D )
Just buy the Duramax :ro)Some of this I already suspected and this thread helped confirm it, some of it was new. Thanks guys.

Here's an update on where I'm at. I went back to see the '05 yesterday and saw it all cleaned up for the first time (they had just gotten it in when I first saw it last weekend). I'm a "blue" guy (my '99 1500 is Indigo blue, the cars in the sig are blue, my '95 Tahoe was Indigo blue, you get the picture) so when I saw that dark blue metallic '05 sitting in the bright sun, I wanted it even more than before, it was looking good. The dealer is willing to sweeten the deal a little more by throwing in a bug guard and a set of brand new 285 Bridgestone Duellers to replace the stock 245s. :cool2: He's holding the truck for me and said to call him on Monday and give him my decision. It's getting really hard to say "no" to this truck. :D I'll let you know what happens.

GS470

I am relatively inexperienced with diesels compared to many on this site, but generally agree with your assessment. I live in MN as well (Rogers) and will note that although warm-up on a –10 day is not “too bad”, it will be much slower than your 5.3. The most I tow is a 3500 # truck camper and a 4500# boat, something that my past 6.0 gasser could easily handle. If money is of concern, I suggest that you stay with your 5.3. If not, you will likely enjoy the dmax, get empty mileage on par with your 5.3, and have a much higher “cool” factor when cruising around. As long as fuel prices do not skyrocket anymore, the big truck should hold its value well. Good luck and enjoy!!

GS470

One more thing, put a cover on that empty bed, or get an open air tailgate. Hard cover is about $600 from the dealer installed, but, it's worth 2 MPG in your favor, due to less wind drag. Mine is an '05 CC SB, and I get about 23 MPG on the freeway at 60-65 MPH (unloaded). Go above that, then it drops back to 17-18 MPG. Mine seems to have a sweet spot of about 62 MPH. Use the cruise control on the highway-makes a huge difference in MPG.

One other thing, try to keep your foot out of it (good luck). This truck will go to 90 MPH from a dead stop, in a heartbeat, and you feel like you're driving 50 MPH. The torque is absolutely unbelievable, and smooth. I got rid of a 5.7L Yukon. At the time, I thought it did pretty well, and yes, it has more creature comforts, but now, I would never go back. Hook a trailer on your D'max, you'll never even know it's back there, except for the fuel economy dropping. They're strong. Don't waste your money on the aftermarket air box kits either. No difference in MPG's and more dirt. Spend your money elsewhere. I have recently installed an Edge EZC1100 module on mine, to see if it improves my MPG's, but, it's too early to tell. It definitely wakes up the motor though, and I haven't towed with the module yet to see what affect it will have.

Enjoy your new truck.

I just purchased a 05 lly 3weeks ago and the best mileage I have gotten is 13.1mpg.I traded in my 99 ford powerstroke because I heard of the great mileage the durimax gets,let me tell you,I was getting 14-16 mpg out of my ford,can anyone give me an Idea as to what the problem is.

Welcome lancv... I did the same as you (went from a '99 PSD to the '05 LLY). With the power of the Dmax, it's hard to keep your foot out of it :) , but my guess is that's your problem. I had both trucks for an extended period before finally deciding to part with the PSD. No doubt about it, it was a great truck, but even chipped, it felt like it had an anchor behind it compared to the Dmax. I drove them back-to-back many times and if you are doing the same thing in both trucks (towing or whatever), and at the same speeds (the Dmax tends to want to get there faster ):h ), the Dmax without a doubt will get better fuel economy. My best all fwy tank in the PSD was 17mpg at a conservative 65mph. I've had a half fwy and half not tank get over 17.5 in the Dmax.

Back on topic: I agree with most here and say get the Dmax, bigger is better -- especially when you can get decent mileage and feel safer in HD use!

I sure can't figure out why some trucks seem to get such poor mileage and others don't. My 05 will pull 19 on the highway, and about 15 around town. With fuel costing what it does, I keep the rpm's at 2k or less on the highway. I had a 2000 silverado before the diesel and have not found the ride in a 3/4 ton to be objectionable. It's firm, but not jarring. No squeaks in the 05 either, unlike my 00. I am very happy so far with this truck.
Steve

I'm really wondering if those that have overheat problems are running Chevy's or GMC's. Vehicles are the same, except for the grill (major) and bodywork (minor). Also, it seems that most who complain of poor MPG's are also complaining of overheating. Very interesting, and probably worth looking into.

I just got mine a few months ago and have towed my Jeep and hauler - about 6500 lbs. a couple of times through the North Ga. mountains (in the southern summer at 90 degrees...cool as a cucumber). I used to get about 7.5 - 8 mpg with my power programmed 454 k2500 Burb and got about 13.5 with the new LLy. Not towing it was 9.5 - 10 around town and is 16 with the D/A. My old truck would smoke the Duramax towing on flat ground though (even passing at highway speeds). I haven't towed up Monteagle mountain yet (6% grade for a couple of miles) but I imagine that is where the Dmax will shine. I could keep it at 70 but would downshift to 2cd near the top in the Burb. The best improvement isn't the going part, it is the stopping. The trans/4w discs on the 3500 is the real deal. You will be able to stop much better if you had rear drums like I did.

The smallblock Chevy is a great motor, but it just can't be compared to a Duramax. The 5.3 is supposed to be a really good engine but I've never driven one. My '94 is a 5.7....I used to think it had good power but don't enjoy driving it much anymore. The Duramax is a whole different thing and now the 5.7 feels just anemic with a powerband that's all wrong. The Dmax will pull long mountain grades - 7,000'+ elevation - at 75 without even breathing hard. If someone gets too close, stand on it and watch them disappear behind you. Unless it's a very fast car, it won't catch up. If it's a gas truck, no way. The Dmax will accelerate to 95 up that same hill without ever shifting down. The smallblock would be screaming it's guts out in passing gear to maintain 75, and if you have to slow down for anything it takes forever to get back up to speed. There's just no comparison and once you've had a diesel, you won't want another gas truck.

My 04.5 is also an everyday driver. The '94 gas truck is a 2500 4WD....it's last trip across Nevada I was really trying and got a best tank of 18mpg at 65mph cruise control. At 70mph cruise control the Dmax does about 21 or 22, depending on the wind. Combined around town with a few miles of highway, the Dmax does about 15.5-16.5 at 7,000' elevation. The smallblock gets maybe 15. I like the mileage ok, but that wasn't the main reason for getting a diesel. If you tow, get the Dmax and never look back.

A friend bought his 04 Dodge / Cummins a few months before my truck came. He drove mine and said it was peppier than the Dodge. Also his mileage isn't near as good. I can undersatand why. He drives with a real heavy foot and doesn't realize it...that's his normal way of driving. It makes a difference. You also need to put the mileage thing in perspective. Torque makes these trucks a kick to drive. To get anywhere near this kind of power (torque) with a gas engine, you'd be down to maybe 9 mpg. You gotta pay for stuff one way or another, nothing is free. But these trucks are damn close to having your cake and eating it too.

My BRAND NEW 05 SLT CC 4X4 D/A GOT 16.5 THE FIRST TANK, AND ABOUT 15.5 THE 2ND TANK (I DROVE IT A LITTLE HARDER). I'M ON THE THIRD TANK NOW. IT REPLACED A 2000 SILVERADO EXT CAB 4X4 WITH THE 5.3. THE BEST I EVER GOT WITH IT WAS 15. I AVERAGED 14.5.

I THINK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH THE D/A YOU WILL LOVE IT.

My BRAND NEW 05 SLT CC 4X4 D/A GOT 16.5 THE FIRST TANK, AND ABOUT 15.5 THE 2ND TANK (I DROVE IT A LITTLE HARDER). I'M ON THE THIRD TANK NOW. IT REPLACED A 2000 SILVERADO EXT CAB 4X4 WITH THE 5.3. THE BEST I EVER GOT WITH IT WAS 15. I AVERAGED 14.5.

I THINK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH THE D/A YOU WILL LOVE IT.

I just replaced a 1500 Avy Z71 with the 5.3. The Avy avg around 14.5mpg 90% highway 10% city. I towed a bassboat with it and would get 8-10mpg. My replacement was an 05 CrewCab 4x4. The same driving 90%/10% Highway/City my avg is now around 18mpg. Towing that same 'light' bassboat I avg 12-15mpg...

I dont drive it like I stole it, but I am not grandpa on the roads either...

Again, once you go Diesel you will NEVER go back...