what truck to tow with...help please

[Lee B]

We have ordered our new 5.0 TA and now need to buy a truck to tow it with. What are your thoughts of the diesel Colorado or the diesel Silverado ? Would love to go mid-sized but not if it's the wrong truck.

Thanks,

Lee
Windsor

[C&G in FL]

My first thought is that I would ALWAYS choose a Ford over anything made by GM! But either of the trucks you mentioned will easily do the job. The 5.0TA is not that heavy. Many people here tow them with Nissan Frontiers.

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

My first thought is that I would ALWAYS choose a Ford over anything made by GM! But either of the trucks you mentioned will easily do the job. The 5.0TA is not that heavy. Many people here tow them with Nissan Frontiers.

Hey Carl at least you have good taste In trailers [emoji23]

Cheers
Doug

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Lee B

We have ordered our new 5.0 TA and now need to buy a truck to tow it with. What are your thoughts of the diesel Colorado or the diesel Silverado ? Would love to go mid-sized but not if it's the wrong truck.

Since a diesel is only available in a Silverado in the 2500 (and 3500 version), that's a huge jump in weight, and in engine size. The Silverado's Duramax is a 6.6 litre V8, double the size and power of the Duramax 2.8L in the Colorado.

A relative of mine replaced his ten-year old V8-powered GMC pickup with an new (i 2013) Duramax-powered truck, which has no more cab or box room, but weighs vastly more and uses more fuel than the old truck. It makes more sense when towing than when being used by as a car, but the diesel is no magic solution and I'm pretty sure he regrets the choice.

The in-between choice is the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, with an engine mid-way in displacement, power, and weight between the Duramax choices, in a full-sized body but lighter chassis than the Silverado 2500.

Either diesel GM, or similar trucks from four other manufacturers, will all work. I'm not sure if only GM products are being considered (or why if that's the case), or if only diesels are being considered (or why if so), but I would be more interested in checking for sufficient payload to handle the pin weight (a possible concern with the Colorado but hopefully not with a Silverado 2500) than picking either a brand or an engine type.

[Lee B]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Since a diesel is only available in a Silverado in the 2500 (and 3500 version), that's a huge jump in weight, and in engine size. The Silverado's Duramax is a 6.6 litre V8, double the size and power of the Duramax 2.8L in the Colorado.

A relative of mine replaced his ten-year old V8-powered GMC pickup with an new (i 2013) Duramax-powered truck, which has no more cab or box room, but weighs vastly more and uses more fuel than the old truck. It makes more sense when towing than when being used by as a car, but the diesel is no magic solution and I'm pretty sure he regrets the choice.

The in-between choice is the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, with an engine mid-way in displacement, power, and weight between the Duramax choices, in a full-sized body but lighter chassis than the Silverado 2500.

Either diesel GM, or similar trucks from four other manufacturers, will all work. I'm not sure if only GM products are being considered (or why if that's the case), or if only diesels are being considered (or why if so), but I would be more interested in checking for sufficient payload to handle the pin weight (a possible concern with the Colorado but hopefully not with a Silverado 2500) than picking either a brand or an engine type.

I want to go I with a GM or Chevy, I know the owner of a dealership. Also want diesel, and the new Colorado is a diesel.
I think the diesel Silverado comes in the 1500 series as well as the 2500

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Hey Carl at least you have good taste In trailers [emoji23]

Cheers
Doug

Doug,
Don't you know that bowties are for old men and geeks!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Lee B

I want to go I with a GM or Chevy, I know the owner of a dealership. Also want diesel, and the new Colorado is a diesel.
I think the diesel Silverado comes in the 1500 series as well as the 2500

That certainly cuts down the choice!
The Colorado is available as a diesel, although most will have the 3.6L gasoline V6.

No, the Duramax 6.6 is not available in the 1500; the front springs would probably die under the weight GM was working on a diesel for the 1500 (the Duramax LMK, a "half-ton diesel concept") but cancelled it when they ran out of money, and it has not been revived since. Your Silverado 1500 engine choices are all EcoTec3 (GM small-block Gen V) gasoline engines - 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, or 6.2L V8.

The Cummins 5.0L (the pickup version of the ISV5.0) is the most similar in size and design to the LMK of currently available pickup engines; it is available only in the very hefty Nissan Titan XD.

The only "half ton" (1500/F-150 weight range) pickup truck with a diesel is the Ram 1500, with its much smaller engine.

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Doug,

Don't you know that bowties are for old men and geeks!

Carl with age comes wisdom. [emoji6]

Cheers
Old guy Doug

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Carl with age comes wisdom. [emoji6]

Cheers
Old guy Doug

At least your advanced age is good for something, eh?

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

At least your advanced age is good for something, eh?

Hey next Wednesday you'll be my age now [emoji6]

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Hey next Wednesday you'll be my age now [emoji6]

I am working on catching up.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Carl with age comes wisdom. [emoji6]

Cheers
Old guy Doug

Doug, hate to tell you this but so does dementia (as well as Alzheimer's and a lot of other shall we say "unpleasant conditions") LOL!

I'm guessing I'm probably older than you, by the way. Even so, I can remember the two GM products I owned; sometimes wish I could forget them.

But as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and brand loyalty is a personal thing.
I will concede one thing, however. Both Ford and GM beat a Ram!

Regards,
Carl

[thoer]

Oh this is gonna be fun, best auto brand discussion! Next up Mac vs PC

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by thoer

Oh this is gonna be fun, best auto brand discussion! Next up Mac vs PC

Then poutine vs grits [emoji23]

Cheers
Doug

[thoer]

Originally Posted by PGDriver

Then poutine vs grits [emoji23]

Cheers
Doug

Or for me growing up in the middle of Illinois: Cubs vs Cardinals.

[captmath]

Grits!

[PGDriver]

Originally Posted by captmath

Grits!

I'm with you.
Cheers
Doug

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by thoer

Oh this is gonna be fun, best auto brand discussion! Next up Mac vs PC

Sure wish I hadn't made the original comment about Ford. I feel like the little Dutch boy who pulled his finger out of the dam!

[thoer]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Sure wish I hadn't made the original comment about Ford. I feel like the little Dutch boy who pulled his finger out of the dam!

Yep, when the adults show up and yell at us for thread drift I'm blamin' it all on you! I'm easily influenced....

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by captmath

Grits!

Hi: captmath... I like cheese with my grits!!! I asked the big cheese at the market "How long does it take to call cheese old". He said about 3 months. I like mine about 9 yrs. old. By then it smells like yesterdays socks!!!
As far as my '02 GMC 4.3 Ltr. V6 short box was concerned it didn't have enough power to haul itself up a hill... let alone pull a 5.0 Classic Escape. The Frontier has way more torque and Hp.
BTW... how's your new tug tow? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie