Silverado Towing Options - F-Body Road Racing and Autocross Forums

I have a 2001 Silverado 2500HD with the 6.0 motor. I have been thinking of parting with it for a new Silverado. The truck and my BMW R1150R are my daily means of transportation. The truck also serves to pull the 24' enclosed trailer for the Camaro.

My main gripe with the HD is the ride quality and now the fuel mileage. With a round trip to work at 56 miles, it is getting more and more expensive. I test drove a new 2500HD and it's ride quality was equal or less than that of my 2001 with fresh Bilsteins.
The 1500 I test drove actually had a very nice ride.

My towing days are down to 8-10 times a year as opposed to 3 times a month when I was AX'ing.

I am pondering options with cost being a big factor:

1) The 1500 with the Vortex Max package. It is a $3000 option and the gas mileage is not a whole lot better than the 2500HD I have now. It does come with 4 wheel disk brakes and a 10,000# towing capacity.

2) A regular 1500 with the towing package. This is the most economical option and provides me with decent fuel mileage. The big issue is the 7,000# capacity. With the CMC car, trailer and normal spares, I figure to be right at the limit or slightly above it.

3) Just keep the 2001 and save the money for a 2009 Camaro.

My towing is mostly to VIR (90 minutes) and points that are no more than 5 hours away, all via interstate.

Thoughts...opinions...experience?

jpastorius View Member Profile	Mar 14 2008, 04:41 PM Post #1
Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 112 Joined: 18-August 05 From: Raleigh, NC Member No.: 855	I have a 2001 Silverado 2500HD with the 6.0 motor. I have been thinking of parting with it for a new Silverado. The truck and my BMW R1150R are my daily means of transportation. The truck also serves to pull the 24' enclosed trailer for the Camaro. My main gripe with the HD is the ride quality and now the fuel mileage. With a round trip to work at 56 miles, it is getting more and more expensive. I test drove a new 2500HD and it's ride quality was equal or less than that of my 2001 with fresh Bilsteins. The 1500 I test drove actually had a very nice ride. My towing days are down to 8-10 times a year as opposed to 3 times a month when I was AX'ing. I am pondering options with cost being a big factor: 1) The 1500 with the Vortex Max package. It is a $3000 option and the gas mileage is not a whole lot better than the 2500HD I have now. It does come with 4 wheel disk brakes and a 10,000# towing capacity. 2) A regular 1500 with the towing package. This is the most economical option and provides me with decent fuel mileage. The big issue is the 7,000# capacity. With the CMC car, trailer and normal spares, I figure to be right at the limit or slightly above it. 3) Just keep the 2001 and save the money for a 2009 Camaro. My towing is mostly to VIR (90 minutes) and points that are no more than 5 hours away, all via interstate. Thoughts...opinions...experience?

roadracetransam View Member Profile	Mar 14 2008, 05:47 PM Post #2
Advanced Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 689 Joined: 8-May 06 From: Charlotte, NC Member No.: 1,201	Keep the 2001. I had a 2001 GMC Denali, 6.0 liter AWD. We traded it in for a 2006 Suburban 5.3 RWD, looking for a more economical alternative. The 5.3 gets 1MPG more than the 6.0 around town. It is the same on Hwy. While towing an open trailer the MPG is acctualy 3MPG worse than the 6.0. Plus the damn thing is stuggling with the trailer even on the slightest incine. The 6.0 didn't even notice it was towing. My wife usually drives the SUV around and complains about the lack of power and the governor set to 99MPH. We regreted many, many times trading in the old SUV.