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Old 07-21-2015, 12:54 AM   #1
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Rockingham , North Carolina
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Question Chevy Silverado? Anyone heard of it...

Having drove Tahoes and an Escalade for the last 15 years, I'm pretty out of touch with trucks. In process of selecting TV for 28-30' FC. Chevy is very popular where I live, but I don't see hardly any talk here about them. Just curious why?

I saw a beautiful copper colored 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD 4x4 CC with Duramax today at local dealer. Starred her down while I had my breakfast in car.. She didn't say a word, just sat there. Price was $62k, same as all the nicely appointed Ford F-250's I've seen. It had a hitch on the back so I know someone somewhere tows with Chevy trucks.

Reading online is a minefield for a new guy to trucks. Read assorted complaints about the Dodge 68RFE transmission. AISIN transmission is a $3k upgrade. Dodge Mega Cab is out. Wish they just put the higher quality transmission in all Dodge Rams.

Was all set on buying Ford F-350 SRW with 6.7 diesel then I read numerous online complaints about faulty injectors and high pressure fuel pumps leading to costly repairs Ford didn't fix under warranty. Now I'm shy on pulling the trigger on a Ford. Finger no workie.

What are Chevy trucks known for? How does the Duramax diesel stand up against the Ford PS and Dodge Cummins? How is the reputation of the gas motors in Silverados compared to the Ford 6.2 L or Hemi powered Dodge? How does the Chevy Allison transmission compare to Ford or Dodges 68RFE or AISIN?

Each time I find an answer, two questions pop up in its place. I'm tempted to stop reading online and just flip a quarter. Twice. Best out of three.. Whatever.. Anyone have a three sided quarter?



Dan
NC
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Old 07-21-2015, 03:43 AM   #2
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1977 31' Sovereign
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1989 34' Excella
Johnsburg , Illinois
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We have pulled with a 2001 Chevy dually since 2003, We only have 78,000 miles on it. We put on 5,000 miles in the last month pulling a 34 to Arizona and back. We have replaced the in tank fuel pump twice. The air conditioner clutch went bad on the trip, also the alternator. It is the 8.1 liter gas with the Allison Transmission. The transmission runs great. The ignition timer drive shaft broke, resulting in a flat bed tow. I have disabled the anti lock brake system. The front wheel sensors went bad and not covered under warranty. The Chevy is lower to the ground than the Ford, making it easier for my wife to get in and out.
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Old 07-21-2015, 03:58 AM   #3
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Fort Worth , Texas
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The "Allison" isn't any better than the Dodge despite what you've come across. If one moves up a few classes out of light duty trucks then those brand autos are good, but in the pickups their record is par. Ford probably has the best automatic in a one ton, but not by enough to sway a buying decision.

RVers are the ones where Chevrolet is usually the first choice. Ford hopes to regain some ground with their new diesel, but the problems you read of are real. GM uses the same HPFP but is better at warranting the thing than Ford. Dodge uses something else.

Airstream trailers are super light duty for current one tons. Overkill. Any brand will work well enough for that. Focus on solo duty, but pay attention to suspension and steering sophistication first.
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Old 07-21-2015, 08:23 AM   #4
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z , North Carolina
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Well...

Dan,
I am pretty happy with my gas 2500 CC Cheby LTZ with the 6.5' bed. I had no issues getting up & over the 10,000 + foot rockies coming home from our recent trip to AZ, UT & CO. I was no speed demon, and I wasn't pushing my engine hard, but I managed a comfortable 45 mph run up and over with my 28 Int'l.
Next time you're in Raleigh, hit me up. I may be hooked up & you can drive her down the road and see what you think. I am very happy with her capabilities.
Gavin
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Old 07-21-2015, 11:08 AM   #5
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2013 25' Flying Cloud
Provo , Utah
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I was an auto dealer before I retired and I owned all three franchises Ford, Chevy, and Dodge. My experience over 40 years prefers the Chevrolet Duramax/Allison. Bullet Proof!
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Old 07-21-2015, 11:45 AM   #6
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1983 31' Excella
The Woodlands , Texas
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I bought a gas 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3L, LTZ Crew; plus pkg ...
I tow a 83 31' Excella, trailer loaded 7040#( according to Lowes truck scales) Went on two long trips thru WY, CO, NM, TX, KS, OK. No problem with Red Mountain Pass, Raton, or The Rockies ... Avg. 13.4 mpg. With-out tow... 21 mpg. I have clocked over 15,000 miles of towing and I'm impressed with this engine. But I'm a Chevy girl.. I have had 4 Chevy trucks and one Ford.
My advice..... Match the truck with what you're towing... Don't get more or less truck than you need. It could shake something loose or leave you standing on the side of the road cooling your heals. LOL
Ginger
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Old 07-21-2015, 11:52 AM   #7
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2004 30' Land Yacht 30 SL
Nokomis , Florida
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Smile Gmc

The GMC and Chevy are pretty much the same except for the emblem. I have a 2013 GMC Crewcab Sierra 2500 diesel with the turbo 6.0 L engine. I pull a 15,500# fifth wheel with no problems. You wouldn't even know you are pulling anything. I get between 10-12 mpg at 65 mph. You might want to take a look at the GMC. I like mine.
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Old 07-21-2015, 12:19 PM   #8
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2016 30' Classic
Rockbridge Baths , Virginia
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Dan,

I have a 2014 Chevy Extended Cab with 5.3L, tow package and 3.08 rear end. Just got back from CA towing a 2015 Classic with absolutely no problems. Pulls great up mtn's and down with tow/haul mode and 14 avg coast to coast. I have a 70 gallon tank in the bed and need to fill up every 3rd or 4th day towing. I wait till I drop the AS at a park and then go to fill both tanks. Nothing easier. Don't over think the problem.
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Old 07-21-2015, 12:25 PM   #9
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1978 31' Excella 500
Barrie , Ontario
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The Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra are basically the same truck , I owned a 1999 Sierra v8 gas powered with tow haul for 15 years and towed my 31' AS wherever I wanted , went to Cordova AL about 1000 mi trip 2 yrs ago and last summer I travelled 7000 miles from Barrie On thru MI up to ND and then into SK Canada and on to Whitehorse YK, and return and never had a bit of trouble no over heating mpg was pretty good. Alas!!! I had to let the old truck go last Feb and I purchased a left over 2014 GMC Sierra v8 gas with 14 kms And I'm looking forward to heading for Louisiana this fall plus will do a few short trips closer to home. If you look at some older pictures of AS they were mostly towed by Suburbans which is a GMC product. You don't need a big expensive 4 WD al dressed diesel to pull a AS that's just a "boy toy" lol
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Old 07-21-2015, 01:03 PM   #10
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2014 27' FB International
Clearwater , Florida
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I own that truck. 2015 2500HD DuramaxAllison 4x4 Crew Cab LTZ Z71. We have had zero ( none) problems in 18000 odd miles. Averaged 10-11calculated mpg towing 27FB International. Lifetime indicated average 15.5 mpg. We LOVE or truck.
We traded a 2011 1500 Silverado Crew Cab that was insufficient for western/mountain towing. Could be the Chevy owners just aren't disappointed enough in their trucks to complain online.
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Old 07-21-2015, 01:08 PM   #11
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2004 28' Classic
Austin , Texas
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Chevy Tow Vehicles

I pull a 2004 28' Classic with the 2013 GMC version of the Chevy truck. My truck has the diesel engine and a 6.5' bed. The truck hardly notices the trailer is there. The engine brake is particularly helpful in downhill situations and in saving on brake wear-n-tear. I haven't had any truck problems, but also have only put 13K miles on the truck in the two years since I bought it. Nonetheless, I recommend the Chevy 2500 for a trailer the size you are contemplating.
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Old 07-21-2015, 01:29 PM   #12
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Just get the coin ready. Draw up your wish/feature list, then get bids via the internet from sources like shopclickdrive.com, truecar.com, edmunds.com, carsdirect.com, and/or auto buying services from AARP, Costco, etc. on all three brands and choose the best/ least cost alternative. If two match, use the coin or visit the offerer face to face for more incentive (like a freebee option, etc.)!

Everybody here seems to have a brand preference but, in the end, every brand will work fine unless you have a particular brand "appearance" preference.
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Old 07-21-2015, 01:43 PM   #13
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2005 31' Classic
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I was looking at the same decision as you last year and looked at several forums as well.. The dodge while a great motor in the cummings, but the body and trans leave a bit to be desired it seems.

The Chev/ GMC's are good with the 2005- 06 LTZ motor being the one most talk about as the best. Not sure with the newer motors how they will do over time at this point.. they need to be 100K or so for the issues to starting showing up in many owners trucks before it's a trend or issue.

The new fords 6.7L while a good motor the early years 2011 -13 will be the ones not to buy. The 14's and up have seem to be less problematic thus far.

I am not a new vehicle buyer by nature..I like to let the chip fall out and then get something used with low/med miles that has been taken care of and the little issue taken care of.

I would rather pay a bit more for a good used truck than get a screaming deal on a new one, especially if the truck is a one owner and you can get in his/her head and see service records..

winner winner chicken dinner..
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Old 07-21-2015, 01:45 PM   #14
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2015 30' International
Duvall , Washington
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We are 1st time A/S er's . Bought a 2015 Silverado 1500 LTZ to haul our 30' International (also 2015). Had both a month
and been going up & downs mtns. & islands in Wa. state, no prob. As long as you don't go over A/S 8, 000#. Love this truck, did lots of research. 3/4 ton would be MORE than adequate. Great gas mileage, too!
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Old 07-21-2015, 02:11 PM   #15
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Rockingham , North Carolina
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Great insights here. As always I value them and thank you. I'm not a brand guy. Love my Chevys but won't be getting a Bow tie tattoo or anything. Just sold a 99' Tahoe with 220k trouble free miles to my best friend of 20 years. He demanded it when hearing I was going to sell it. Making yard room for Airstream. My current 2005 Tahoe has over 100k miles and has only had tires and a battery or two replaced. It's an exceptional product, Chevy Tahoe, in my opinion.

Was curious how the Chevy trucks faired. Just have not heard much about them. The local dealer has the copper 2500 4x4 Z71 duramax. What a sweet truck. May have to take her for a ride. I know I will in fact. Tomorrow. It's almost like I've subconsciously saved the best for last. And yes, I realize 'best' is subjective at best. Pun intended.

Researching everything BUT the truck I would have been most likely to run out and buy initially is a good move though. Learned a lot and there are many sweet trucks on the market. I'm certainly comfortable with the idea of buying another Chevy at any rate, and our local Chevy dealer rocks when it comes to service and such.

I could end up with the Chevy or GMC 2500 HD, Ford F-250, Dodge Mega Cab, or Tundra. There truly are some really nice options available. A bit of a double edged sword for the newly anointed. Almost too many choices. And I'm not even interjecting the gas vs diesel thoughts.

We drove a F250 with 6.2 L today and found it less than stellar. Not compared to the two 6.7's we have drove recently. They are monsters. Absolute monsters. Still, might be more truck than we need. Want. Need. Hard to separate for me lately. For that matter, either engine in the F-250 is a lot of engine. 400 and 440 HP. Geesh.

Saw a 2015 Toyota Tundra 1794 edition today. Amazed by how nice that truck was. Beautiful too. Sliding full back window. Huge backseat floor area. 381 HP V8. Toyota's reputation for reliability. Lots to offer if we down size our Airstream ambitions to a 27' twin with 780 lb hitch weight.

What's screwy though, sticker in door said payload 1300 lbs, book says 1525 lbs. Two sales reps and manager were puzzled. Got call saying it was 1300 in bed only. Not counting passengers and such in cab. They called Toyota, but I thought payload was people, gas, all items in cab or bed, and hitch weight of camper. Again, one answer brings two questions.

Anyways, thanks for helping us out. I'm ready to get a truck so we can find us a silver riveted home base escape pod.


Dan
NC
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Old 07-21-2015, 02:13 PM   #16
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1988 29' Excella
Sarasota , Florida
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Chevy Silverado

I tow a 31' 05 Classic with an 09 Silverado, short bed, crew cab, diesel, Allison 2500 4x4. About 100k miles, zero problems. At least four times over the Rockies, Sierras and Cascades.
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Old 07-21-2015, 02:24 PM   #17
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Rockingham , North Carolina
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If any of you Chevy/GMC guys and gals have any pics of your trucks, or trucks and campers hooked up, please post them here. Your brand is highly under represented on this forum it seems. And besides, we all love pikchures.



Dan
NC
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Old 07-21-2015, 02:53 PM   #18
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2005 25' Safari
Argyle , Texas
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I would listen to Chuck Barber. We own a 2002 GMC Dually, 1 ton, with the Duramax and Allison. Has a bit over 100,000 miles. Absolutely no problems. It pulls the Airstream 28' Classic; a 3 horse trailer w/ living quarters; a heavy equipment utility trailer or whatever we put behind it.

I pull a 25 foot Airstream Safari with a 1/2 ton, 2004 Chevrolet -Z71. Pulled through the Northeast mountains with absolutely no problem. Nothing extra on the 2004 except a trailer tow package. Good luck.
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Old 07-21-2015, 03:05 PM   #19
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2006 23' Safari SE
Nevada City , California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danattherock View Post
If any of you Chevy/GMC guys and gals have any pics of your trucks, or trucks and campers hooked up, please post them here. Your brand is highly under represented on this forum it seems. And besides, we all love pikchures.



Dan
NC

I'm with the crowd with few complaints. 06 Duramax 2500 HD
06 23 Safari

For the record a '06 Cayenne too. Click image for larger version

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Old 07-21-2015, 03:17 PM   #20
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2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scottiesafar View Post
We are 1st time A/S er's . Bought a 2015 Silverado 1500 LTZ to haul our 30' International (also 2015). Had both a month
and been going up & downs mtns. & islands in Wa. state, no prob. As long as you don't go over A/S 8, 000#. Love this truck, did lots of research. 3/4 ton would be MORE than adequate. Great gas mileage, too!
I'm going to trade in the 2013 EcoBoost (Ford F-150) and return to a Silverado 2500 diesel. I'm only towing a 25 Eddie Bauer - BUT I am a full-timer. I don't need an "all around vehicle" as much as I need a heavy hauler for all my stuff. (Including a bed slide and a generator.)

I just LIKE the Silverado's torque, engine brakes, ergonomics, etc. When I wrecked my old Airstream Silverado combo.... the officer investigating the direct hit on the embankment told me that he'd seen many semi drivers wreck along the same stretch of highway - and never watched any of them kick the driver's door open and walk away... which I did. (He felt me up pretty thoroughly, but only to assure himself that I wasn't in shock and didn't have any bones sticking through the skin - (darn it!))

I've become a much more conservative (laid back and slower) driver in the past two years. I am not saying that the Ecoboost isn't a fine vehicle for most Airstreamers. ON my recent trip out to the west coast I faced a lot of fairly steep grades... the downhill ones were hairy! The big plus for me with the 2500 Chevy is not it's power as much as it's STOPPING power.

Helpful hint - velcro straps to make sure your trailer's umbilical stays plugged into the truck - priceless. In 9 years I had one malfunction, due to inattention. Came to a safe stop and re-hooked up - but the 150's brakes were tested to do it.

Paula
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