I am looking to buy a chevy truck to haul my 1 ton jeep around on a 18ft car hauler. Will a 1999-2003 1500 be good enough for long trips without burning up the motor or trans? Or should I get the 2500?

i am not a huge fan of towing with the 5.3. I used a yukon to do quite a bit of towing and really really like the 6.0 better (had one of them too). I would look at 2500 with a 6.0 or the dmax is always another option.

edit - the 5.3 isn't that bad and your not towing a bunch of weight but in the hills the trans shifts a lot and you loose speed real bad, just my $.02

x2 my 05 has the 5.3 and its nice and all but just not a "tow rig" especially for any kind of hills.

I would get a 2500hd. It will last alot longer. Plus it already has a trans temp gauge so you can watch your temps when pulling.

Yeah I guess Ill be looking for a 2500HD. I would love a desiel but cant afford one.

If you got a 1/2ton the trans temp gauage is there... kind of... if you bought a different cluster and put it in.... its already wired for it... now aint that stupid?

Anyways, Yeah, I would reccommend a 6.0 with 4.10's

Get one with the Big Block 8.1L it comes with a allison trans. I just hope it's not your DD! Cause the gas milage sucks!

Wht mpg are u guys getting with the 6.0 2wd and 4wd?

Get one with the Big Block 8.1L it comes with a allison trans. I just hope it's not your DD! Cause the gas milage sucks!

Not sure what year, but a couple of years ago they stopped putting the allison behing the big block, its not an option anymore.

Not sure what year, but a couple of years ago they stopped putting the allison behing the big block, its not an option anymore.

Actually, it's always been their behind the HD trucks all the time. They stopped putting the big blocks in there cause they weren't selling as many.

Now the 8.1L in the 3/4 ton suburban and avalanche have the 4l85E trans. because the Allison trans. will not fit the body it's to big!

Actually, it's always been their behind the HD trucks all the time. They stopped putting the big blocks in there cause they weren't selling as many.

Now the 8.1L in the 3/4 ton suburban and avalanche have the 4l85E trans. because the Allison trans. will not fit the body it's to big!

Well, that doest make sense... they all have the exact same body... a1/2ton silverado, 1/2 HD, 3/4 ton, 3/4 ton HD and 1tons's and all the suburbans and avalanches... theyre all the same... Are you talkin about new body style stuff?

Well, that doest make sense... they all have the exact same body... a1/2ton silverado, 1/2 HD, 3/4 ton, 3/4 ton HD and 1tons's and all the suburbans and avalanches... theyre all the same... Are you talkin about new body style stuff?

They share the same basic body and parts, but the frames are different as well as the trans hump area. to clear the Allison! How but you actually look at one and see!

Now the Redesigned 07GMT900 2500/3500HD's share the GMT800 frames as the OBS. They did this because they didn't have the new coil overs ready for the HD's and need the new truck.
IF YOU DOUBT IT GO TO A DEALER AND LOOK AT ONE OF THEM AS WELL! :flipoff2:

They are torsion bar front ends still but the 1/2 tons are coilovers.

U could get the big block all the way till '06 just not with the allison, the last couple years it came with the 4L85E. I know a guy that bought on, I think it was an '05 model, but for sure wasn't the allison.

If u go with a new half-ton, get the vortec-max package. It has the 6.0 with 376hp and a beefy 14SF axle. Probably the best halfton rear axle offered in a new truck.

U could get the big block all the way till '06 just not with the allison, the last couple years it came with the 4L85E. I know a guy that bought on, I think it was an '05 model, but for sure wasn't the allison.


Thinking and knowing are two different things!

Wht mpg are u guys getting with the 6.0 2wd and 4wd?

2002 GMC 2500HD 4.10's, 245/75R16's, 4L80E tranny, 4WD, X-cab shortbed.

*11-12 "around town" with Winter gas
*13 "around town" with Summer gas
*15-16 empty on the Interstate, cruise at 75, 2,500 RPM.
*9.5-10 towing a V8 Toyota longbed at 75 & basically maintaining speed uphill.
*11-11.5 towing at 65-70 & trying my damdest to stay in OD on hills letting speed drop to 55 or so before downshifting.


Drive it like a hot rod & it will do even worse, dropping to around 10 "around town" withOUT a trailer. Drive it like there's an egg under your foot & results are much better.


TEX

This discussion has been discussed at least 100 times in the "tow rigs and trailers" section.

The cliff notes:
Nobody likes towing anything bigger than a bass boat with the 5.3L chevy motor. It just doesn't have the grunt to do it and the 3.73 gears are too fast to let the motor get into it's power band. The transmission shifts in and out of OD constantly to hold 65 on average interstate hills. I was very disappointed with mine when I tried towing a Grand Cherokee 100 miles. Bottom line: New chevy 1500s are great town trucks to chase a bag of potting soil from Home Depot; they suck as tow rigs.

Nobody EVER complains about towing with a D-Max motor. The older 6.2 and 6.5L motors got the job done, but the D-Max is king. The 6.0L gas motor in the 2500 with 4.10 gears makes a night and day difference from the 5.3L 1500. If you can't or won't get the diesel, the 6.0 isn't a bad consolation prize. The 8.1L has the power of a diesel, but only 1/2 the mileage. You'll save money initially, then end up spending it in the long run at the gas pump. Bottom line: Any 2500 configuration will do what you are trying to do safely and comfortably. Oh yeah, it will also haul home a bag of potting soil from home depot :)

make sure that bag is well sealed, wouldn't want to get a pretty truck dirty or anything.... :flipoff2: