drm
08-05-2008, 14:38
Over the years, I have towed my 6000# travel trailer through Durango, CO to Ouray, CO and back with a Silverado 1500, a Suburban 1500, and my new GMC 2500 Duramax. If you have never driven it you've missed out on some beautiful mountains and three 10,000+ foot passes.
What an incredible difference the 2500 makes! I used to have my foot to the floorboards to make 25 - 30 mph on the climbs with the 5.3L gas engines. I never reached the floor with the gas pedal with the diesel.
The tow/haul mode was incredible. Downhill grades were always a challenge with the gas engines. It took concentration and care to navigate them. With the 2500 you just tap the brake pedal if you are going a little fast and the transmission does an aggressive downshift. Still going too fast for those 15mph 180 degree 8% grade turns? Tap the brake, it downshifts again and you're good.
Plus, We have to drive 550 to Albuquerque and 25 south to southern NM. Long straight (boring) drives with lots of mild ups and downs plus a few huge arroyos. The gas engines would get 10mpg at 65 with constant shifting, quite often pulling 5000 rpms on fairly level ground. The diesel hums along at 75, rarely downshifts and gets 12mpg.
Pulling with the 2500 was so effortless and stable that we even let our 17yr old drive for 3 hours to give me a break. My wife doesn't even mind driving now.
I love this truck!
Jim
What an incredible difference the 2500 makes! I used to have my foot to the floorboards to make 25 - 30 mph on the climbs with the 5.3L gas engines. I never reached the floor with the gas pedal with the diesel.
The tow/haul mode was incredible. Downhill grades were always a challenge with the gas engines. It took concentration and care to navigate them. With the 2500 you just tap the brake pedal if you are going a little fast and the transmission does an aggressive downshift. Still going too fast for those 15mph 180 degree 8% grade turns? Tap the brake, it downshifts again and you're good.
Plus, We have to drive 550 to Albuquerque and 25 south to southern NM. Long straight (boring) drives with lots of mild ups and downs plus a few huge arroyos. The gas engines would get 10mpg at 65 with constant shifting, quite often pulling 5000 rpms on fairly level ground. The diesel hums along at 75, rarely downshifts and gets 12mpg.
Pulling with the 2500 was so effortless and stable that we even let our 17yr old drive for 3 hours to give me a break. My wife doesn't even mind driving now.
I love this truck!
Jim