Hello from the Great Northwest

[NW Hunter]

Hi folks. New here and hoping to gain some knowledge before I drop a boatload of $$$ on replacement truck.

When it comes to trucks, we are Chevy folks for life so that part of the decision is already done. We currently have an 07 Classic 1500 gasser. Great truck, but we recently purchased a larger boat and although the 1/2 ton does the job, it just ain't the right tool for the job. We are only a year or two from retirement, we have the boat we want and now we need to buy the right truck that will take us wherever we need to go and last us for the long haul.

Looks like a 2500 Duramax is the right choice. Just want to find out from some of you pro's if there are any years, problems or major changes that we should either avoid or steer towards. I think we're basically looking for a 2011 or newer and have a budget of about $45K.. We own the 1/2 ton free and clear and will be selling or trading.

Here's a pic of what we have and a pic of what we want.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hunter

 

[Hot COCOAL]

Hey there from Redmond!
Youre lookin in the right place, both for knowledge and the right truck...

In my opinion, you Cant go wrong with an '11' and to me the only 'cons' to the new body style truck (or NBS) is going to be the advanced emissions systems, DEF fluid and regen cycle etc

The only "issue" that Im aware of is the new design of the high pressure fuel injection pump (or CP4) which in rare cases can fail and due to the design, will basically destroy the entire fuel system and possibly the engine...but it is extremely rare and the CP4 is known to have this potential, so under most circumstances, it's likely to be covered under a warranty?

But Im a performance geek, and in all reality, for what youre looking to do (if youre only looking to drive it for what it was meant to do, tow and make it last) there really aren't any 'cons'

The LML Duramax powered trucks (2011+) are the most powerful, best built Chevy trucks ever made, the Allison transmission in the LML's is the most refined Allison yet and these trucks in general are great to drive and tow with right out of the box

I would be more than willing to meet up with you to look over a perspective purchase before you buy.

You shouldnt have an issue finding a really nice low milage truck, perfect for your needs, that fits within your budget

 

[ALLY Fox]

Welcome from Independence, Oregon. I have a soft spot for the classics, especially '06-07.5 LBZ so I can't tell you much about the newer trucks. If they are anything like the classics as far as reliability, you can't go wrong.

 

[TheBac]

Find a stock truck in good condition with decent mileage that someone cared about.
Budget in an extra $1000-$1500 (?) for deleting the DPF/emissions and the appropriate tuning needed. Then go on your merry way with a good reliable truck.

 

[Mike L.]

:welcome8:

 

[Poltergeist]

:welcome2:

 

[NW Hunter]

Thanks for the nice welcome and advice. Sounds like I have two new things to think about....CP4 and DPF. The one other thing I just learned is that apparently, in 2011, they went to a much larger fuel tank...which I really like.

So speaking of fuel.... any ideas on a range of what kind of MPG's these rigs are getting when not towing or carrying payload?

 

[TexasLefty]

Hello and nice boat! I have a 2015 and I am getting about 14 empty and about 12.5 towing about 10,000. The tank with the low fuel light on holds 28 gallons. The tank is supposed to be a 36 gallon.

 

[1ATony]

Thanks for joining

Tony:rockon: