Ive been hearing all of the info on the new LLY duramax but one thing that i havent heard is how they pull.

I hooked on an 11,500 Lb. Trailer and pulled it up and down a 6.5% grade to finish breaking it in. One word for ya... AWSOME!!

LLY DMAX:


Is the 6.5% grade you drove up and down Parleys? I live in Summit county and AWESOME is a great way to describe the way it pulls. Even though my trailer is only 5000 pounds I also always have a perma-grin when the Allison is holding me back on the steep grades.

We were pulling up and down Traverse Ridge Road, in Draper. It made it possible too stop on the grade and then get the load moving up the worst parts without getting killed by an 18 wheeler.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


It is very much like Parleys summit. My buddy that was with me just bought a Cummins with the 6 speed. He was very impressed with the Allison also. He said, "I've never seen an automatic do that. I wish my truck had one of these".


The more I drive the little Beasty The more I live it!

I'm sure the LLY pulls awesome. I know my LB7 does. What I would be really interested in hearing is how the two engines compare. Anybody got some seat time in both?



Bob

I'm gettin' seat time in my new LLY. Had an '02 D/A 'till a week ago. Towed my 10,000 lb. trailer from OH to AZ and back, plenty 'o power, lousy fuel mileage. As soon as the new one gets a few more miles on her I'm hooking up and taking a couple day trip; a 1000 miles or so, and report back with my opinion.


Mike

she pulls like you wouldn't believe. i don't tow anything yet!! but i have a dump bed on mine and have been hauling five tons up and down the mountains of western maryland and i have absolutely no trouble going up the mountains with a load ......coming down is a little more tricky but she pulls just fine.

No mountains where I'm at, but some real TALL hills. I have yet to find a hill big enough to make the Allison come out of overdrive when on cruise. When I hook up my 31 ft, 6700 lb, Hi-Lo camper I did find one that brought it out of overdrive, but it was back into overdrive before it finished climbing the hill. After all those years of driving a gasser, AWSOME just doesn't seem fitting for a D/A LLY

I just returned from a 1000 mile round trip from Pa. to N.C. Pulling a 8000 lb travel trailer and a motorcycle in the Bed. I had a 2002 lb7 that I took the same trip with two years in a row. My new 2004 LLY had 1200 miles on it when I started the trip. It pulls better and a lot quiter. As much as I loved my 2002 I love the 2004 even more. There are a lot of mountians with 6.5 % grades. It will top them at 70 MPH. I have never had a Truck of any type, pulling a load come close to staying with me. I can stay with the car traffic and pass many of them pulling those mountians. I am sure other trucks can do as well but they are so few and far between that I have never come accross one . A Dodge V 10 pulling a simular size trailer was creeping along at about 45 on one of those Hills. I have the Allison and love the down hill brakeing. This truck is sooo comfortable with the climate control and so much fun to drive that it made the trip a real joy. I got about 10 MPG Average pulling. In short It's a DREAM. I talked to a fellow with a Dodge Cummins stick and he said that he makes a living delivering trailers. He had a Dogge Cummins Auto but the Trans would not hold up so he went to a stick. He likes the Cummins but said that the Dodge did not ride as well GM trucks that he had been in. Is it any wonder that we are seeing a lot more Duramax trucks on the road lately.

Hey durabill, I think I know this guy who delivers trailers. I am a P.burgh native myself. Does this guy live in the burgh or to the north, like say around Meadville?

I just got back from a D.C. trip with my LLY. It has about 3000 miles on it now. I have a 10,000 lbs fiver. The trip was awsome. I had a 2001 with bucket seats and console my new 04 has the split bench and it is a whole lot more comfortable. The power is awsome. I had no problem staying with traffic at 70 mph and out pulled other tow rigs on hills. The thing I am most impressed with is the engine braking. It is UNBELIVABLE! This thing even downshifts to give more braking. IT WAS BUILT TO TOW! and it make it fun to pull a trailer. Can't say enough about it I love it.

I pulled a horse trailer with 3 horses in it, about 7500 lbs total up a 6.5% 5 mile grade, temp never moved, 75 mph and could play with it. Averaged about 14 mpg pullin. Talked to a friend he has a 7.3 stroker and he said he could only do about 65 at best with 2 horses both truck are stock.

I believe that if I pay attention I will learn something new every day. I didn't know there were mountains in Maryland as steep as the Rockies. Later! Frank

I believe that if I pay attention I will learn something new every day. I didn't know there were mountains in Maryland as steep as the Rockies. Later! Frank


The reason that 6.5 % grades are the same on the smaller mountains of 3000 to 3500 Feet here in the East is because all interstates have certain Specs. that they must stick to and if I am not mistaken 6.5% is as steep as they go on any interstate no mater how high the mountian is. The grades are just much longer on the taller mountains but not steeper, if it's an interstate Hgy.

I knew they were that steep Bill. I didn't think they were that long. That is almost a 2000' rise. Later! Frank