2011 HD GM Trucks... upping the tow ratings - Montana Owners Club

tcorbitt · 02-10-2010, 04:02 AM

... 20K 5th wheel rated on the 3500HD DRW... awaiting Fords new specs...

http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/...silveradohd.do

HughM · 02-10-2010, 04:06 AM

Not many changes to the outside but they raised the towing capacity. I got a email from them stating due to the fiscal problems little changes had been made outside.
Hugh

richfaa · 02-10-2010, 04:53 AM

We are told the the Ford will be lighter therefore a increase in the tow rating. The new Motor is said to be @ 160lbs or so lighter but that is not much. The 2011 Ford looks exactly like my 2008.

William H. Collier · 02-10-2010, 06:36 AM

Rich, you need to take another look at the 2011, the whole front end including the hood is completely different. There is also considerable changes to the interior.
Bill

Delaine and Lindy · 02-10-2010, 08:04 AM

Well looks as if GM has a winner again. Major changes, brakes, towing capacity and a exhaust brake. Which is really isn't something new GM put them on the Chevy Kodiaks 4500, my 2006 Kodiak had one, however it appears it might be something different. The only other thing I would have liked was a option for Air ride seats! My question would be what the ride will be since the heavier spring system. Also will the 3/4 tons be the same as a 3500 as many think they are now. But we all know they had to make the GM Trucks tow more because of the weight of the modern 5th wheels. This upgrade to the GM 3500 will go a long way in getting them back into the black. GBY....

Emmel · 02-10-2010, 08:45 AM

Real impressed with the 2011 GM, makes it worth the wait for the new truck.
Rich, that 2011 Ford looks a lot different on the outside than yours, did you see the fenders on it. It looked like they added round fenders off a trailer to the sides of a srw bed, yuk!

Art-n-Marge · 02-10-2010, 09:04 AM

If they increase the tow ratings I hope they increase the CGVWR. My truck currently has a 15,200 lb fifth wheel rating, but with only 23,000 CGVWR that only leaves 7,800 for the truck even though my truck has a 10,000 GVWR. That's 2,200 lbs lost at the truck. Assuming the pin weight is 20% (3,040 lbs), this means my truck needs to weigh 4,760 to stay under the CGVWR. Not gonna happen. Translation, the maximum trailer weight I'd be comfortable with is 14,000, which reduces the pin weight and provides more for the truck.

Both Ford and GM are increasing the capabilities of individual towing weights and I hope the CGVWR keeps up. If I remember correctly GM stopped making their MDT trucks and it seems that they haven't gone away from them, then are just combining them with the Light duty line which is an excellent way to decrease the cost of manufacturing by combining like components with only the heavier ones for the MDT capable trucks. I hope I am understanding what they are doing, but there is no doubt the trucks need to be more capable without making them looking like a semi and scaring off some customers but provide the increased strength we need.

Delaine and Lindy · 02-10-2010, 10:24 AM

Thats correct GM no longer has a MDT Truck line. I had a 2006 Chevy Kodiak 4500 and the new 2011 GM 3500 is very close in ratings. Just read the Fuel mileage is also increasing! Sounds like a great upgrade.

I bet Montana Sky takes a look at the new 2011's GM Trucks

. GBY....

exav8tr · 02-10-2010, 10:34 AM

I would imagine the GVCWR would be around 28k like the F450s. That's a lot of truck to tow a monster 5er. Is this an actual production thing or a proof of concept??? (sounds like time for new glasses, Eh Rich?)lol

SlickWillie · 02-10-2010, 11:43 AM

Another link.

helmick · 02-10-2010, 12:11 PM

Looks and sound like a Great truck.

Clemson1881 · 02-10-2010, 12:51 PM

The prices on the new trucks has gotten completely out of hand. I paid $37,000 for my 2003 new fully loaded and customized. Now a similar truck would be nearly $60,000. Unreal.

Art-n-Marge · 02-10-2010, 02:23 PM

I think the prices are going in the wrong direction for at least a couple of reasons. First, us customers want bigger and badder to tow bigger and badder stuff. Tthis drives the prices way up for the increased engineering and manufacturing costs. Second, the competitors are seeing reverse competition. They raise their prices and still are able to sell their trucks and they'll keep going up as long as we keep buying. The impression being whoever pays the least for a truck got less truck or something like that. During all the car sales drops, the trucks still did pretty good and that's BIG profits for the big three. You said it Clemson1881.... unreal....

Montana Sky · 02-10-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Delaine and Lindy

Thats correct GM no longer has a MDT Truck line. I had a 2006 Chevy Kodiak 4500 and the new 2011 GM 3500 is very close in ratings. Just read the Fuel mileage is also increasing! Sounds like a great upgrade.

I bet Montana Sky takes a look at the new 2011's GM Trucks

. GBY....

Lindy...I have already been in communication with my dealer on this.

I am still stuck with tossing around the debate between stepping up to the MDT Sportchassis as I position myself to hopefully go full time in 2011. That darn Elite Suite still has my eye.

bigred715 · 02-10-2010, 05:35 PM

OH BOY!!! I would love to have a new 2011 3500HD SRW so I could buy my 3000RK I want. Finally Chevy upped their GVW to a respectable weight so you can tow a bigger trailer with SRW. My 2007 has a #9900 GVW, and by the time you put a hitch, tool box, and a bike rack on the front I'm over by several hundred lbs towing my 2880RL with a front mount Onan gen. If only money would fall from the sky!

sreigle · 02-11-2010, 06:19 AM

Maybe I missed it but has anyone seen actual weight figures for those new GM trucks? I saw where they will have a heavier frame and larger, stronger upper and lower control arms. Those all things Ford did starting with their 2005 models, the ones so many complained here that they are heavier than the competition. Sounds like the competition is about to catch up, at least in this category. Has anyone seen actual weight numbers and how that compares to prior models?

mail2us · 02-12-2010, 05:12 AM

Reading SlickWillie's attachment provides some very specific upgrades on the 2011 GM trucks-2500/3500. I don't mind lack of body style changes but GM seems to have caught up or passed others in some respects with the 2011's.
I love my 2007.5 2500 but these new '11's are worth a look and even the SRW's are loaded. The attachment provided more than GM initially did in their emails to GM owners. Thanks Will.

richfaa · 02-12-2010, 06:20 AM

Right the front end is different.. The interior looked the same. Don't make no difference.... a new anything is not in my income level.

sreigle · 02-14-2010, 07:21 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Clemson1881

The prices on the new trucks has gotten completely out of hand. I paid $37,000 for my 2003 new fully loaded and customized. Now a similar truck would be nearly $60,000. Unreal.

You got that right. When we bought this megacab the end of May 2007, the full msrp was $56,555. We got the X price plus a $3500 rebate so bought it for under $44k or we would not have bought the Ford, which was less msrp but about the same price after the X price.

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