The tow rig everyone claims to want

So a year ago I drove to Dallas and bought a 2011 Silverado 2500HD for my new tow rig. It's an extended cab long bed W/T with the 6.0L, 6-spd auto, and manual floor shift 4x4, but it's optioned up with the stuff you really want: Power windows and locks, cruise, remote start, tow package (integrated trailer brakes, engine and tranny coolers), snow package (3.73 limited slip, heated mirrors), and rubber floors. I added step bars, a real grill guard, an aluminum topper, and a stereo with Bluetooth and a backup camera.

It's got 130k miles and everything works like it should. It's been fantastic for towing and unstoppable in the snow.

A couple months after I bought it I also inherited from my wife's uncle an '02 F350 with only 15k miles. I don't need both.

Couple dings on the Silverado, but no rust yet. Solid 12mpg, little better empty and slow, little worse hauling heavy stuff at 80. Pictures available on request but I don't have a good way to host them for here.

Looking for $11k, and delivery is available in the general direction of Baltimore from SD.

In reply to oldopelguy:

Could you email pictures to me? Did the previous owner have maintenance history?

Pics here also please.

12mpg.... that's rough.

dculberson wrote: 12mpg.... that's rough.

It's a real truck.

It was dark when I got home from work guys, I'll get pictures sent out tomorrow.

I had a carfax when I bought it, I'll see if I can find it.

spitfirebill wrote:

dculberson wrote: 12mpg.... that's rough.

It's a real truck.

Very familiar with real trucks. I'm just surprised it doesn't manage better than my old 1996 2500hd with the ancient tech 4 speed auto and 454 iron block tbi motor. Still this is a great truck and if I was still towing a lot would be tempting.

dculberson wrote:

spitfirebill wrote:

dculberson wrote: 12mpg.... that's rough.

It's a real truck.

Very familiar with real trucks. I'm just surprised it doesn't manage better than my old 1996 2500hd with the ancient tech 4 speed auto and 454 iron block tbi motor. Still this is a great truck and if I was still towing a lot would be tempting.

I'm guessing the 4x4 is costing a bit of mileage loss. I had an 85 F-250 Supercab with 460 and C6 and it would do around 11 mpg. Hook a heavy trailer and it was 8mpg. You could actually watch the gas gauge move.

This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Calculated or by the display in the truck? Manual/auto trans, diff gear ratio? I'm curious because I always see high mpg numbers for the 7.3 but I'm getting 14-16 in mine...

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Why? Is there some problem with them I'm unaware of? My duramax chevy got 22-23 all day long on the highway, as much as 12-16 towing 9000lb enclosed trailer thru the mountains and 18 in the city all while making tons more hp/tq than the Fords of the same vintage. It was less trouble than any truck I've ever owned and I towed 75k miles of the 150k or so it had when I moved it along.

I have regretted selling it for the last three months I've been without a truck because the damn things hold value so well I can't get buy another for what I let it go for... which is the only reason I'm shopping gas versions at all. I can buy a lot of tankfuls of 87 with the $7k diff in price and I don't need the massive towing capacity any more.

Brokeback wrote:

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Calculated or by the display in the truck? Manual/auto trans, diff gear ratio? I'm curious because I always see high mpg numbers for the 7.3 but I'm getting 14-16 in mine...

I'm guessing the display my old 2wd regualar cab 7.3 managed a best of maybe 18 unloaded... I think typical was 16-17 all hand calculated.

Brokeback wrote:

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Calculated or by the display in the truck? Manual/auto trans, diff gear ratio? I'm curious because I always see high mpg numbers for the 7.3 but I'm getting 14-16 in mine...

My calculations. I never trust the display on any car. Auto box. Don't know the ratio. I can tell you that hills, stop go traffic and around town driving kill the mpg. Light throttle, open road driving is where it's at.

Huckleberry wrote:

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Why? Is there some problem with them I'm unaware of? My duramax chevy got 22-23 all day long on the highway, as much as 12-16 towing 9000lb enclosed trailer thru the mountains and 18 in the city all while making tons more hp/tq than the Fords of the same vintage. It was less trouble than any truck I've ever owned and I towed 75k miles of the 150k or so it had when I moved it along. I have regretted selling it for the last three months I've been without a truck because the damn things hold value so well I can't get buy another for what I let it go for... which is the only reason I'm shopping gas versions at all. I can buy a lot of tankfuls of 87 with the $7k diff in price and I don't need the massive towing capacity any more.

Duramax is just not reliable and parts can be $$$$$. At least all my research indicated this. And I was looking at this stuff before going the Ford 7.3 route.

Huckleberry wrote:

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Why? Is there some problem with them I'm unaware of? My duramax chevy got 22-23 all day long on the highway, as much as 12-16 towing 9000lb enclosed trailer thru the mountains and 18 in the city all while making tons more hp/tq than the Fords of the same vintage. It was less trouble than any truck I've ever owned and I towed 75k miles of the 150k or so it had when I moved it along. I have regretted selling it for the last three months I've been without a truck because the damn things hold value so well I can't get buy another for what I let it go for... which is the only reason I'm shopping gas versions at all. I can buy a lot of tankfuls of 87 with the $7k diff in price and I don't need the massive towing capacity any more.

This rigjt here was why I was shopping big block gas when I was looking for a truck. V10 ford in particular. Almost as much torque as a 7.3 and 10k cheaper.

markwemple wrote:

Huckleberry wrote:

markwemple wrote: This is why I have a diesel. 25 mpg from Baltimore to Harrisburg in a 2003 F250 CC 4x4 7.3. Not kidding. Now, from Harrisburg north through the hills, well 20 max. But that beats 12. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely take a 6.0 over a duramax in a Chevy.

Why? Is there some problem with them I'm unaware of? My duramax chevy got 22-23 all day long on the highway, as much as 12-16 towing 9000lb enclosed trailer thru the mountains and 18 in the city all while making tons more hp/tq than the Fords of the same vintage. It was less trouble than any truck I've ever owned and I towed 75k miles of the 150k or so it had when I moved it along. I have regretted selling it for the last three months I've been without a truck because the damn things hold value so well I can't get buy another for what I let it go for... which is the only reason I'm shopping gas versions at all. I can buy a lot of tankfuls of 87 with the $7k diff in price and I don't need the massive towing capacity any more.

Duramax is just not reliable and parts can be $$$$$. At least all my research indicated this. And I was looking at this stuff before going the Ford 7.3 route.

I've had them all....love my current Chevy k3500 with duramax.

I towed a 14' enclosed trailer loaded to Frederick, MD and back mostly empty through Canada in August moving my sister and averaged 12.7mpg for the 3000+ mile trip at 70+ mph. I get similar economy back and forth to work, so that's the number I used. I haven't really done any highway driving with it not pulling or hauling something, so I can't really speak to what it will do like that.

Pictures sent.

I had a 2004 extended cab sierra with a 4.8, got 20mpg on the highway. My 2003 Suburban 4X4 with a 5.3 gets 16 tops on the highway. Towing it is a little better performance wise, but they both are in the 10-12 range pulling the race car. Building a 6.0 with a mild cam, long tube headers, late model intake and a tune that I hope will help towing and mileage.

Our 2002 suburban 5.3 usually gets 18 hwy but saw 19 once

Pics: Ad!

My '01 extended cab with the 6.0L never got 12 mpg. Avg was more like 9 mpg. (I was the original owner)

My '99 F-250 with a 7.3L gets a solid 22-23 mpg under almost any condition (it does have an economy re-flash). (Now has over 500K on it- daily driver)

All my own calculations.

In reply to oldopelguy:

Want to share anything about your F-350?

SVreX wrote: In reply to oldopelguy: Want to share anything about your F-350?

link

I'd go less to most of you guys.

In reply to oldopelguy:

Thanks. I need a bigger cab.

Me too, and cruise and ac.