2500 vs 3500? Opinions?

Per Buck:

Only new vehicle I've ever bought was a '98 Suburban 1500 with the 5.7 Vortec engine. Before that I drove beaters exclusively.

By 70k miles, the 'burb stranded me more times that all the beaters I'd owned in the preceding 25 years. I still might buy GM next time around - because of my large size and interior dimension considerations - but I will look long and hard at other brands before I do so.

Maybe GM's had some kind of epiphany since 1988, but last I heard the 4L60E still had a basic design problem that causes the valve body to fail about every

30k miles. My understanding is that the valve body thing was a known problem for at least five years prior to 1998 and continued to be for some time after - if not to this day...

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00000: Hood spacers & seat install 05000: STRANDED Rear brake froze 07000: Steering noise 13000: Bad tire 20000: Trans shifting problem 27000: Front rotors warped 29000: Burning Oil 30000: Violent shifts 1st-2nd 34690: STRANDED Alternator 35940: Xmission Valve Body... 36240: Serpentine belt replacement 37000 "Clunking" noise when starting from full or near stop 39000: Steering became hard momentarily 39800: Rear clunk starting to return in rear (re/37000) 61060: New sus parts 67120: Trans shift prob (like 30000/35940) 68260: Pads+turn rotors+ 75040: STANDED Crank sensor failed 75350: "Check engine..." lite 75837: Valve Body (trans) 77100: Water pump 77439: Intake manifold gasket 85000: (approx) Wiper board 89000: Wiper board 98000: (approx) Serpentine Belt 98340: Alternator Failed 120000: Trip Speedo Failed

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There is an extra leaf in the rear suspension of the 3500. You can only get the dual wheel option on the 3500.

If you are towing a 5th Wheel trailer, the 3500 would generally handle a higher pin weight. Especially when you opt for the dually.

1500/2500/3500 doesn't mean 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and 1 ton anymore. That is just what us old guys refer to them as.

My buddy has a 2006 GMC 2500 with the Duramax. He loves his, and I have another friend that likes his Chevy 2500 that is identical to the GMC (except for the bow tie on the grill).

Mark "I love cats. I just can't eat a whole one by myself."

I, as an old guy, can live with that.

I don't see a 5th wheel in my future. Maybe a goose neck, but not a fifth wheel (He said confidently, hoping he knew what the hell he was talking about!).

I want to make it coast to coast ( over the Sierras and the Rockies) with a camper on top of a Crew Cab, with no worries, and maybe haul back a flat bed trailer loaded with hard wood.

Power, reliability, and comfort.

Thanks for the input.

Buck

If the camper is one of those heavy cab-over units with bed, toilet, etc., you may be forced to go with a 3500 dually. The GVWR of the truck is higher with a dually, and you will need that if you are putting a camper in the bed of the truck. Otherwise, you will overload the truck.

If it is just a camper shell--then a 2500 will probably be just fine.

Mark "Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't"

Something to remember here, GM has used less rear spring in 2500 HD model than in HD OBS 2500 trucks (99 on back) for ride and sales concerns so you really want atleast a 3500 SRW or add a extra leaf or two to a 2500 HD as axle, chasiis and brakes are the same otherwise. My friend bought a 2500HD CC Dmax and disapointd with how it handled the tougue weight of his large work trailer (10k gross) as his old 94 GMC 1 ton van handled the tongue weight with far greater ease even though it had a lower rated GVW. When it was but a week old we dropped the axle in my driveway with my air tools and installed extra leafs in it and it helped it a lot. It is kinda a crime of sorts to put such a mushy rear suspension in a CC truck with a Dmax that is sold to tow.

----------------- The SnoMan