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Old 10-08-2020, 02:53 PM   #1
timsea
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New truck on the horizon

Looked at a gmc today it comes with 342 rear end I have a 2009 dodge now with a 410 gears like the gears in this dodge anybody have any concerns with the trans shifting all the time with the 342 we live in Dallas but travel to the mountains most of the time Thanks Tim
 
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Old 10-08-2020, 03:34 PM   #2
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I have the Chevy with the exact same drivetrain. The new 10 speed Allison is geared lower than the 6 speed from previous years and that is why the new truck runs a 3:42, vs. the 3:73. You will not even notice it shifting and it does not hunt around or drop gears. The new truck has so much torque. You will love it. By far the best tow vehicle I have owned. I tow the Grapevine here in California, which is a 6% grade and the truck tows my Montana at 65 and never slows.........going down the truck maintains the same speed thanks to the exhaust brake and the tow/haul mode of the trans.
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Old 10-13-2020, 05:56 AM   #3
ken and Lisa
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I have a 2020 Chevy 3500hd with the Duramax, bone stock. It pulls my heavy equipment around in the 22,000 lb. range like its nothing. I get a new truck every 4 years and have owned 4 Duramaxs and have never had a trans or engine issue. GM has finally done something right by sticking with 1 engine and fine tuning it over the years. The 10 speed is great, can't feel it shift. Mine is set up with the factory Curt puck system 25k fifth wheel and tows great.
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Old 10-13-2020, 08:37 AM   #4
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I have a 2020 Chevy 3500hd with the Duramax, bone stock. It pulls my heavy equipment around in the 22,000 lb. range like its nothing. I get a new truck every 4 years and have owned 4 Duramaxs and have never had a trans or engine issue. GM has finally done something right by sticking with 1 engine and fine tuning it over the years. The 10 speed is great, can't feel it shift. Mine is set up with the factory Curt puck system 25k fifth wheel and tows great.
What is your MPG towing and empty?
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Old 10-13-2020, 09:29 AM   #5
ken and Lisa
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I get 16 around town and as high as 20 to 22 on the highway. Towing I'm in the 14 to 15 range.
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Old 10-13-2020, 09:31 AM   #6
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Forgot to ask, SW or DW?
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Old 10-13-2020, 09:32 AM   #7
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3500 sw
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Old 10-13-2020, 09:36 AM   #8
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Old 10-14-2020, 09:03 PM   #9
Slow Hand
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What ever you don't buy the Ford. There is to much demand for them and I am getting tired of looking at the sticker and wow $$$
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Old 10-14-2020, 10:35 PM   #10
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Yup I have the GMC 3500 Denali diesel SRW shifts like butter. I added airbags to level. The truck is a beast !!

Tony
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Old 10-15-2020, 06:35 AM   #11
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mUSt bE spECial

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What ever you don't buy the Ford. There is to much demand for them and I am getting tired of looking at the sticker and wow $$$
There is a reason for this you know.
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Old 10-15-2020, 08:08 PM   #12
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What is your MPG towing and empty?
Do you want the truth, or feel good?

I have kept very meticulous records on our 2020 Chevy 3500 SB SRW.

On months that we tow, we're averaging the whole month, towing and not, about 12. On months that we don't tow, we're in the 15's. We have gotten 19.1 as our best, and 8.9 as our worst with only towing. This is all hand calculated, and our truck is completely bone stock. The DIC almost always shows about 1MPG higher than hand calced.

Unless you want to drive 55mph, figure on getting in the 15's unloaded (highway / town mix), and 9-10, and that's towing 15,500lbs. Obviously better if towing less, probably not much worse if towing more.

With all that, I wouldn't trade this truck. It is an absolute towing BEAST...

Here is our MPG graph for the last 10 months:

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Old 10-15-2020, 08:12 PM   #13
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Wow my best has been 26.4. I’m 10-12 towing. Not towing high teens
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Old 10-15-2020, 08:43 PM   #14
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There are too many variables when it comes to MPG. I have a 2019 3500 Duramax-SRW. Our 294 RL Monty has a GRWR of 14,300-it usually weighs in around 13,300 when loaded. (Pin weight is 3000 lbs).

I’m happy if we can average 10 MPG. Throw in a stiff headwind and I can see 7 MPG. This is at an average speed of 65-70 MPH. Real world numbers, can’t believe anyone would get mid teens pulling a 13,000 lb (plus) RV. It would be interesting to know if the new Allison tranny improves MPG. It’s a bullet proof tranny.
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Old 10-15-2020, 09:12 PM   #15
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The diesels are grunt motors meaning they pull fine at low rpm's. If the heaviest thing you tow is any Montana then anything over 3.7 or so is a waste of fuel. Claims of towing 13k or so and hitting 15 mpg are not accurate.

On the Fords, the fit and finish is top notch. The powertrain bites. Constant "upgrages" occur because they won't use components with proven track records. If expensive repair bills or extended warranties are your thing then by all means...
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Old 10-15-2020, 11:40 PM   #16
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I have one of those crappy Fords and I get 8.5-9 towing my Montana. Last time I scaled it, it weighed in at 17.5k loaded. One thing people forget to mention is the terrain they travel. Many claiming 12 or more mpg towing are exaggerating or are driving 45-50mph and mountains don't exist in their travels.
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Old 10-16-2020, 06:25 AM   #17
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The mileage you get depends on several factors, terrain and speed are the main ones. All of these trucks have the same size engine with Bosch fuel systems and are pulling a 12,000 plus sheet of plywood. They will get very close to the same miles per gallon pulling in the same place at the same speed. You may get 12 MPG if you drive slow enough on flat land. Follow me and you will not get 12. You will be lucky to get 10 and probably not even that.
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Old 10-16-2020, 09:39 AM   #18
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Unloaded and hwy mileage I can get 21, then around tow it drops to 14.....Towing my trailer it consistently gets 9.5-10.0, which usually involves some long steep 6% grades.
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Old 10-16-2020, 11:28 AM   #19
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The diesels are grunt motors meaning they pull fine at low rpm's. If the heaviest thing you tow is any Montana then anything over 3.7 or so is a waste of fuel. Claims of towing 13k or so and hitting 15 mpg are not accurate.

On the Fords, the fit and finish is top notch. The powertrain bites. Constant "upgrages" occur because they won't use components with proven track records. If expensive repair bills or extended warranties are your thing then by all means...
First... I absolutely don't care what truck people drive. It's their money and decision and I have virtually no ego regarding the subject. The whole "my truck is better than your truck" discussions are a complete waste of time, about as juvenile as they come, and almost always end up being carried on by a couple of people with obvious issues.

Second...There is no such thing as a trouble free vehicle. Nathan Moss from Less Junk More Journey had nothing but trouble out of his Dodge that ended up costing him over $3,300 out of pocket right off the bat.

Third... There are lots of "hot shot" people that have chosen Fords over and over again to make a living. I can assure you that if they were as bad a you contend they would not be doing that.

Personally I wish people would stop the whole truck "measuring" thing and find another subject to fill their time.
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Old 10-16-2020, 09:02 PM   #20
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First... I absolutely don't care what truck people drive. It's their money and decision and I have virtually no ego regarding the subject. The whole "my truck is better than your truck" discussions are a complete waste of time, about as juvenile as they come, and almost always end up being carried on by a couple of people with obvious issues.

Second...There is no such thing as a trouble free vehicle. Nathan Moss from Less Junk More Journey had nothing but trouble out of his Dodge that ended up costing him over $3,300 out of pocket right off the bat.

Third... There are lots of "hot shot" people that have chosen Fords over and over again to make a living. I can assure you that if they were as bad a you contend they would not be doing that.

Personally I wish people would stop the whole truck "measuring" thing and find another subject to fill their time.
I know people that buy Fords because they are narrow minded and refuse to buy any other brand. I agree with you if someone wants to spend $70k on a truck it is their business. If they replace their trucks when the warranty runs out then it really doesn't matter if you have to remove the cab to replace prematurely worn injectors and turbos. I have no brand loyalty. When it comes to spending my money I want the best available. When it comes to Fords, my last one was a 7.3. They have yet to top that one. My Ram is up to 10 or 11 recalls and some of which have no fixes. In spite of that, they are the most reliable and least expensive to maintain. It's just the way it is.
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