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A 6L Chevy or GMC would do you well. The engine is very strong, although it gets poo poo mileage in the 2500HD due to the requisite 4.10 gears. I had one, and got 12mpg highway. That said, it was cheap to buy, cheap to run, and relatively easy to work on. You could find a good one for 10K. I towed between 5000 and 12000 pounds with mine, it handled it really well. Diesels are expensive to run, expensive to buy, and awesome when they run. Sadly, the 7.3L's command a premium because they're very durable and last forever. The pre emissions Duramax trucks also command a premium. Cummins trucks command a premium for some ungodly reason. Basically, the only deals to be had on diesels are on the poo poo Ford engines that need a ton of work to be reliable. Those old Ford 7.3s are really slow and noisy. If the body is clean, and you don't mind the speed, then why not? If I were in your position, I'd look for a '07-ish 2500HD with a 6.0. I sold my '04 with 172k on it for $5500 last year. My '15 2500HD Duramax is amazing, but good God was it expensive. Then again, 18mpg highway, and 14-15 mpg when towing 5500#. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Jan 30, 2016 |
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Jan 30, 2016 03:42
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angryrobots posted:Good god, was it a 2wd single cab and beat to poo poo? 4WD, Z85, extended cab, WT trim. It all depends on location. It had some rust, but nothing horrible. New brakes, brake lines, and front suspension too.
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Jan 30, 2016 15:56
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angryrobots posted:8.1/Allison is what I'd like, but they are hard to come by, and I haven't seen one listed within 200 miles that was under 14k asking price Haha, the 8.1 is a loving gas hog all the time. I looked at one, but the seller said he got "double digit fuel mileage on the highway if he was careful". 9-10 mpg highway unloaded is laughable. Then again, he had 4.10's as well. With 3.73s, I think it got about 12, same as the 6.0. It tows a lot more nicely, and the mileage doesn't drop like the 6.0 under load.
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Jan 31, 2016 18:36
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'03 was the first year of the CR injection system. The CP3 fuel pumps can be bitchy, but they're better than the new ones. It's minimally emissions-dickered, so they normally command a premium. I'd go see how it starts in the cold, and get a compression test done. If it's the automatic, check to see if it's been maintained. The 47RE autobox was barely adequate behind the Cummins, and they like to blow up around 150K, even without abuse. You might just budget a new tranny right off the bat if you need it to be reliable towing a heavy load cross-country. It's possible that you've got the upgraded 48RE, check the VIN number. If the 8th digit of the VIN is a "6", it's got the 47RE. IIRC, the '03s came with the 48RE pump regardless of the transmission. I'd consider a larger transmission cooler and a good temp gauge mandatory for what you are planning on doing, no matter the engine, but certainly with the 47/48RE Transmissions. ::edit:: I forgot to mention, but if the truck has been modded at ALL, expect to be replacing the tranny soon. Neither the 47 or 48 could handle much above stock levels of power, so any chip or tune would usually fry them in short order. If the trans has never been serviced (fluid changed, etc), then I'd expect to replace it soon as well. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 02:07
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philkop posted:It does have the 6 as the 8th! philkop posted:Like flashing codes? Is this some kind of engine check? Three strikes: Younger guy in college, strike 1. Parents bought the truck, strike 2. 5th Wheel, means it's been used to haul heavy poo poo, strike 3.  BONUS STRIKE:  CORTEX: http://www.xtremediesel.com/superchips3950cortexprogrammer.aspxFollow that link: code:::EDIT:: That said, if you want to put a built transmission in it, it would probably be a good truck, so long as it's been maintained. Check for oil changes, brake work, suspension work, etc. Get pictures of the engine bay and interior and look for ANY modifications. Aftermarket air filter, exhaust, etc... all red flags. Remember, you need a 100% reliable truck to tow your livelihood across the Rockies, not a weekend toy that you don't care when it breaks. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 02:22
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philkop posted:Yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually. Apparently the previous owner installed the cortex to tow the fifth wheel. gently caress, if they'll do an even swap, that truck is probably worth 15K or more. A local guy just sold a 12v for $11K up here, with over 200K on it. ::edit:: I'd flip it and buy something better.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:40
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philkop posted:For real though, any easy test? Finger in the muffler? I'm just gonna leave that there... not commenting.
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Feb 4, 2016 02:47
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cursedshitbox posted:Thats what I did when I was husband shopping. IoC, Note: I did not post that...  I showed remarkable restraint.A better car would be a Yellow C6 'Vette  \/\/ I didn't say that any Cummins with an auto was a bad idea, but a Cummins with a tuner and a 47RE is highly unlikely to be a good idea for cross-country heavy hauling. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Feb 4, 2016 |
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Feb 4, 2016 02:51
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I'll see your leopard-print, and raise you a Giraffe-print GTI :
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Feb 4, 2016 03:05
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My company truck:  8900#, No problem, and 15MPG highway:  100% stock aside from lighting and jumper cable hookup. Warranty, tough to beat. That 8.1 must be a monster. Good thing fuel is so cheap for now.
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Feb 16, 2016 02:45
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angryrobots posted:That is an awesome truck, love the custom flatbed. TBH, I liked my old suicide-door extended cab better, it was more convenient to load long stuff into the cab. That said, the inside of the truck is insanely nice... far far FAR nicer than my old '04. It's a loving luxury interior, inside a solid working chassis. I wish there was a little more room in the back for passengers, but I can barely fit the truck in the garage as-is, and another 18" of length to move up to the crew cab wouldn't work. Mine is an SLE, with minimal options. Vinyl floors, cloth bench seats, the Duramax, plow prep, Z71, running boards, 18" AT Tires, and the "SLE Convenience pkg", which is power pedals, ultrasonic parking detectors, and maybe something else. I had to have the headlight bulbs swapped and BCM reprogrammed because the stock lights were terrible. It's a known issue on the '14 and early '15's. Other than that, a recall on the glow plug programming, and a radio reflash (which was very useful), it's been great. I've got a little over 10,000 miles since August.
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Feb 16, 2016 04:07
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stevobob posted:So is this the general truck thread? What are the expectations for the diesel in the new Colorado/Canyon? I know that engine has been used in other markets over the world, but not with our emissions poo poo. It also bothers me that the 4cyl in both the GM twins, and the Tacoma, don't get better mileage. In both cases you might as well just get the V6, similar mileage but way better power. They're very expensive, and the mileage isn't great due to the emissions stuff. I'd never drop 40K+ on a diesel Colorado... I only paid $49K for my 2500HD Duramax. 25% more upfront cost for 3x the truck. If they were available in WT trim, without a thousand options, I think they'd have a great seller. Instead, it'll be for people who don't have room for a fullsize, but want to tow a boat reasonably well.
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Feb 18, 2016 02:30
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rdb posted:Last I knew only Toyota has adopted the standard. Yeah, SAE J2807. The tow ratings are getting ridiculous, the manufacturers keep one-upping one another. I'm sorry, there's no way a RAM 3500 can be expected to safely tow 30,000# under the conditions of the standard. I'm not saying that the truck could never do it, but your average Joe can't be expected to accomplish it safely. The whole point of standards in the automotive world is to give an even ground for consumers to base their purchasing decisions upon. Trailer brakes are wonderful, I towed a 12,000# boat trailer from Massachusetts to as far away as northern Maine, Georgia, and Ohio, both with and without trailer brakes. The thing about trailer ANYTHING is that you should plan on it failing. Our old F350 dually could stop the trailer reasonably well without the trailer brakes, but the Berkshires got pretty hairy at times. Those aren't poo poo compared to the Rockies. The new standard also lists an Unbraked Trailer Weight Rating (TWR). That means there's an enforceable number in the event if an accident. Here's an article that has some of the tests listed: http://www.trucktrend.com/features/1509-sae-cargo-volume-and-towing-standards-whale-watching/
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Feb 19, 2016 14:44
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rdb posted:All duramax trucks have 3.73's. In the HD's, the 6.0 was only paired with the 4.10. The 8.1 could be had with either the 4.10 or the 3.73.
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Feb 23, 2016 04:30
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angryrobots posted:Interesting. You don't see webbing straps for binding heavy equipment here. I mean, I kinda like the idea that if the trailer comes loose at speed, at the very least the equipment should stay binded. We actually had that happen a few years ago... Trailer flipped over but the tractor never came off. Webbing straps are nice for dynamic loads because they can stretch and still stay tight, but they don't replace ratchet binders. Snap binders are sketchy as gently caress. When we had to tow our big boat, we had 6x 10,000# Ratchet straps on it, and it'd still move over big bumps. We couldn't use chains because they'd tear the aluminum up too badly. Even strapped to hell and back, I never liked towing that thing. 12,000# of boat, towed from Mass to Northern Maine or Maryland. Ugh.
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Feb 25, 2016 21:03
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angryrobots posted:
neither truck pictured is a diesel.  \/\/ I stand corrected, I missed the chrome emblem up on the hood. It seems so much larger in real life. (I want to Plasti-Dip mine black so badly) sharkytm fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Feb 29, 2016 |
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Feb 29, 2016 17:28
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