Which is the better Chevy truck deal?

[markrinker]

I have been shopping work trucks and have narrowed the field to two finalists. The intended truck use is (in order of hours/miles spent doing a particular task):

1) hauling/pulling light to medium loads averaging 6,000# and max'd out at 12,000#

2) my 'daily driver', fall hunting truck, etc.

3) plowing snow with 8'6" Western UltraMount plow

Here are the finalists:

1) 2001 Duramax 2500 Quad Cab LT 4WD short box 85K miles, a '7.5 out of 10' cosmetically. $22K

2) 2003 6.0 gasoline 3500 Std cab LS 4WD 8' flatbed dually 3.73 gears, 30K miles, a '8.5 out of 10' cosmetically. $19K.

Setting our diesel bias' aside, which is the better value?

- As for the Quad vs Std cab, I am solo 90% of the time, but hunting (dog) would be nice in the Quad cab.
- The flatbed is more useful for side loading and spreading weight across truck and trailer.
- I prefer cloth to leather in a truck that works.
- I plan to pull a gooseneck with 15K capacity.

I can't decide...also, I have a '97 3500 4.10 rear end that 'should fit' either truck, so the gasser could be converted if need be.

[ 07-12-2004, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Mark Rinker ]

[matt-max]

if you want to stay within western's specs and warranty guidelines the 6.0 is your only choice iirc. crewcab diesels and snowplows don't mix...which explains why we see them everywhere we look....

having both vehicles (roughly) i can assure you that the 6.0 will get the job done and will be the better work truck

i can also assure you that you will be way happier with the diesel for personal use, especially the extra cab space!

we get about 7mpg with our 6.0 dumptruck that weighs about 10k empty. loaded with a trailer, tractor or bobcat and a bed filled with dirt or mulch or stone, it is fine one it is rolling but very slow to get under way.

check values of both vehicles at nada.com and kbb.com to see which is the better buy.

good luck!

matt

[markrinker]

What is the gear ratio on your 6.0? Why would it get such poor mileage? My 5.7L Silverado gasser got 12 most of the time with 3.73 gears, maybe at worst 9 or 10 on a long heavy load or plowing day.

[ 07-12-2004, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: Mark Rinker ]

[Tough Guy]

Fuel mileage would be big a concern of mine...The Dmax still has 15,000 miles of warranty on the motor and 115,000 on the injectors.

Cheers

[DmaxMaverick]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but you need to check the GVWR/GCWR of the trucks. IIRC, the 6.0L/3.73 will be several thousand #'s less than the 6.6/3.73. I do know that that in order to have an 8.1L with the same (or near) GVWR/GCWR as the Diesel, it needs the 4.10. The 6.0 with 3.73 gears won't be rated to haul near 15K. The Diesel, even though it's a 2500, won't break a sweat, and is rated for it.

Also, the rear end you have (4.10 from a 97 3500) won't fit, or be up to the task in the Diesel. The 10.5" is no match for the 11.5" AAM on the '01 6.6. The 6.0 will have the 10.5" and a much lesser tranny, auto or stick. There is also a difference between chassis/cab trucks and box bed trucks that may throw a curve at you, depending on whether the flat bed was a chassis/cab or a converted box bed. Dual/singel wheel rear ends are not direct replacements. A chassis/cab may have a higher fuel capacity or dual tanks. Being 4 X 4, you would also need to convert the front end ($$$) if you switch the rear.

While the 6.0L is a hard worker, it has to really scream to get the power out of it you may need. Mileage with heavy duty gassers is a no-brainer. The Diesel will get 1.5 to 2 times the mileage of the gassers under the same conditions. Strange, but true, the 8.1L will get better mileage than the 6.0L when loaded heavily (although slight).

Snow plow on a GM Diesel crew cab? Most of them around here are just that. Regardless of what the numbers say, they work just fine. In my experience, the added weight is an advantage.

With just the info you have here, the Diesel is the best deal. Resale difference should be about $6K to $8K, the Diesel being higher. Not to mention the performance angle.

[matt-max]

hey mark

our 6.0 has 4.10's but with upsize tires (235/85-16s). to give you an idea how it is used, i bought it almost 4 years ago and it has yet to break 23000 miles. we are doing the front and rear brakes today with new pads all around and new rotors in back (inside right rear pad fell apart for some reason and chewed up the rotor).

it is well into its second set of tires. it is used for landscaping and snow removal with 10 miles being about the farthest from the shop it gets. it is not uncommon for it to weight 16-20,000 pounds with a load in the bed and without trailer. often it tows a bobcat, backhoe or excavator in addition. the only time it is ever empty is when it is on its way to get loaded.

we recently put the westers ecm (87 octane program) in it and it helps the torque noticeably and supposedly will help with the fuel economy too. i would imagine that it will probably pull down about 12mpg tops on the open road on a really good day.

i had a 1999 2500 4x4 ext cab with 3.73's that would break into the 15ish mpg range with my girlfriend driving. i never got much over 14 and usually more like high 13's on the highway. my 1996 k2500 ext cab with 4.10s and 5.7 got about 1 mpg less under all conditions with quite a bit less power.

the big downside to the 6.0 is the lack of torque off idle. once rolling it runs great and is a good solid motor. personally, i just couldn't deal with it revving 4000+ rpm all the time....made me think i was abusing it too much.

my comment on the 6.0 being the better work truck was because of the cab and bed configuration. i assume you've figured out that working out of a pickup truck professionally is a lost cause.

matt

[markrinker]

Well, the decision was made for me last night - I won the Ebay auction for the 2003 at 18K. I had bid 18001.50 and met the reserve, but decided not to bid anymore. Nobody else came in, I am probably 2K high in the truck, but it fits my current truck profile for my business to a "T". (Flatbed for hauling, standard cab, Western plow frame equipped.)

http://i24.ebayimg.com/02/i/02/07/2c/9f_12.JPG

I talked to the seller at length, we have similar business models and he is getting out of it to run Ford diesels only. He paid $36,000 for the LS, put a plow on it and 30K miles, and replaced the box with a flatbed after whacking both fenders plowing. He bought it under a 0% interest program and was making $1,000 payments. (Can you say, OUCH depreciation?)

We'll pull some loads with it this fall and compare. I might experiment with 3" exhaust and a Wester's chip. This large cube motor shouldn't be such a wheezer. Maybe there is a good towing profile cam out there as well, or a supercharger...lol...sound familiar? I love driving and modifying Chevy trucks. My business allows me to do this every day and write off the go-hard goodies as repairs. My wife tolerates it.

If its not up to task, it should be an easy sell this fall with a Western plow attached, or in trade for a used '02 or later Duramax. I haven't been exited about the prospect of a '01 Duramaxs (first year) combined with high miles.

[ 07-13-2004, 04:04 AM: Message edited by: Mark Rinker ]

[Keith Richards]

Very nice truck.I think you'll be very happy with the truck.It actually has the same rear that the duramax's come with being it's a 3500,even though it has the 6.0, and a higher gvwr than the 2500,although it's not rated to tow as much as the 2500.I see guy's working the hell out of those trucks here in Jersey all the time,cheers.