Truck Advice

[Big Green Machine]

Don't get smaller engine you want the 5.3..I went over this a few months back. I have a 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 with 5.3L I bought used a few months ago It only has 159 K on it. The gas is not that bad..Its worth having extra power, and I really find the smaller engines a little gutless. I test drove a few of them. There OK on flat, but for hills and stuff you really notice a big difference... Also easier to tow with.

The newer ones that you can afford are even better. Another forum comparing engine towing:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/archive/t-391263.html

This is side by side comparison of new one:

http://cars.findthebest.com/compare...E-4-8L-V8-vs-2013-GMC-Sierra-1500-SLE-5-3L-V8

Well I will not be towing or hauling anything but my small Jon boat so I will have to settle for the 4.8. I managed to find a loaded 2009 Silverado Crew 4x4 1500 LS for 17,000. It has 90,000 K and new tires and is very clean. Will see how she does. Thanks for all the advice folks, it has been really helpful!

 

[Magspec]

Well I will not be towing or hauling anything but my small Jon boat so I will have to settle for the 4.8. I managed to find a loaded 2009 Silverado Crew 4x4 1500 LS for 17,000. It has 90,000 K and new tires and is very clean. Will see how she does. Thanks for all the advice folks, it has been really helpful!

Awesome congrats!!! Good luck!!!

 

[scott craven]

I bought a 2009 Silverado reg. cab 4x4 1500 a year ago and so far it's been great.
Good luck with the new truck !

 

[Big Green Machine]

I bought a 2009 Silverado reg. cab 4x4 1500 a year ago and so far it's been great.
Good luck with the new truck !

Thanks, the only thing I'm not really happy about is the short box, my boat will stick out a bit, but I can always look at a rack. What do you guys recommend for a box liner? I need something that will allow my boat to slide in and out easily.

 

[Rockfish]

Thanks, the only thing I'm not really happy about is the short box, my boat will stick out a bit, but I can always look at a rack. What do you guys recommend for a box liner? I need something that will allow my boat to slide in and out easily.

Congrats. I like the Silverado’s myself.

My current truck is a Silverado 2500HD 4x4 long box extra cab with the 6 liter Vortec and factory duel battery set up and skid plates etc.

I would not be too concerned about the short box. Just put the gate down, get some heavy rubber mats to rest it on, tie it in and put the light/pointy end out the back resting on the gate and then put a flag on it. We can pull on the heavy mats to move a heavy load in. One of my brothers put a small winch at the front of his truck bed to haul in moose or his quad or stop his wheels from spinning trying to get out of a mud hole backwards..

My Silverado has the most reliable smooth running motor I have ever had with no repairs needed since I have owned it (5 years) It has always started instantly in all conditions with no cranking just a touch of the key, which is reassuring in the back woods although I am probably tempting fate by even saying that. It makes up for much of the lack of diesel torque with a super low over dive gear in addition to bull low in 4x4 and they can be combined for rock climbing or starting a tow on a steep hills at super low speeds. That and I don't have to worry about a $10,000. bill for a relatively modest diesel repair or being the only guy with a diesel on a back woods trip having to haul my own fuel and not share from the big gas drums one of the other trucks hauled.

Only downside is that with the custom large, deep, heavy steel winch bumper for the big Warn it is about 22 feet long so not a city truck. No fun to get it into a lot of parking spots designed for compacts and sub compacts. Your 1500 with a short box should be a lot better for that on most days when you don’t have a boat in it. I am probably lucky the ferry guys never measured it unless I was towing the little Samurai jeep (that thing will 4x4 all day on the fumes from an oily rag) on hunting trips or I could have possibly been paying extra.

 

[firelight]

Silverado fan club

I've had a 2009 ext cab 4x4 for a couple months now and it's been great. Tows my boat a lot better than my 6 cyl Toyota. Pretty nice ride too.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Rockfish-- I have the same Silverado. I am curious what you get for mileage..,. While towing my Alumaweld I only get 9.5 miles per gallon

 

[Rockfish]

Rockfish-- I have the same Silverado. I am curious what you get for mileage..,. While towing my Alumaweld I only get 9.5 miles per gallon

They can be heavy on gas alright, especially with the long box with a camper or loaded up and/or towing a jeep or a boat. Have never really calculated it but 9 to 13 sounds about right depending on your transmission, terrain, elevation and how heavy your foot and boat is. Could be worse; you don’t have the 8.1 liter Vortec with it’s 455 foot lbs of torque.

Not an issue for me as I would never use it as a daily driver in the city because of the parking difficulty and my boat is moored for the season. When hunting it is getting there safely, reliability and the long box hauling gear/moose that is more important than mileage. Fuel is always a precious commodity in the back woods and daily driving in the woods can be done on the quad or the Samurai jeep if you don't like the cold and wind.

Gas mileage is a trade off for the relatively few times a year I use it. They are heavy trucks and not great on gas but not many in their class are. That is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with knowing your boat trailer or towed vehicle is less likely to push your heavy truck around coming down a steep hill in heavy rain, jack knife you or push you off a cliff than a half ton operating at the edge of its max towing limits.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Yup-- my PU stays home until its needed to go to work for me too. The wife's Santa Fe is a good little town traveler. Just dont know why she doesn't want me to put a trailer hitch on it LOL!

 

[Rockfish]

One additional thing; over the years I have run into the occasional idiot who likes to four wheel drift around blind, very narrow bush roads. Slamming on the brakes before running into the big Silverado which takes up most of the road with the monster over size heavy steel bush guard bumper and big heavy Warn sitting in it gives them a lot more of an attitude adjustment than does the Samurai or many trucks would.

 

[fish stalker]

ah so your one of those guys who thinks he owns the whole road because he drives a bigger truck narrow bush roads are for imports/buggys/bikes and quads silly.

 

[Rockfish]

ah so your one of those guys who thinks he owns the whole road because he drives a bigger truck narrow bush roads are for imports/buggys/bikes and quads silly.

Since I know you so well I know you are joking but silly me,as I thought they were built for skidders, logging trucks, fire trucks and low flat bed transports carrying D9's and excavators. They can take up all the road and then some, even the wider main Forest Service roads.

If you have an FM radio on the correct frequency for the road if on an active FSR and hear "k16 loaded" that is a logging truck coming out, get to the next road safety cut out as they are fast don't stop and if you get caught and you are lucky you will only be going off the road into a ditch, swamp or trees.

The fact that a road does not appear commercial active does not mean you won’t run into a big boy as they can be in there for many reasons such as grading or hauling excavators for pulling culverts to decommission roads that will not be used for some time or doing work on seismic lines. The point being is that there are much bigger trucks out there than PU’s to look out for and there is still the odd idiot driving a pick up way to fast on narrow non active roads. Enough on this,we are off topic just a tad.

 

[Gunsmith]

Having operated heavy equipment most of my career, I tend to avoid these roads as much as possible due to that fact.

Since I know you so well I know you are joking but silly me,as I thought they were built for skidders, logging trucks, fire trucks and low flat bed transports carrying D9's and excavators. They can take up all the road and then some, even the wider main Forest Service roads.

If you have an FM radio on the correct frequency for the road if on an active FSR and hear "k16 loaded" that is a logging truck coming out, get to the next road safety cut out as they are fast don't stop and if you get caught and you are lucky you will only be going off the road into a ditch, swamp or trees.

The fact that a road does not appear commercial active does not mean you won’t run into a big boy as they can be in there for many reasons such as grading or hauling excavators for pulling culverts to decommission roads that will not be used for some time or doing work on seismic lines. The point being is that there are much bigger trucks out there than PU’s to look out for and there is still the odd idiot driving a pick up way to fast on narrow non active roads. Enough on this,we are off topic just a tad.

 

[fish stalker]

you said narrow back roads. so i was thinking more the over grown deactivated roads. come across lots of full size guys trying to stuff there truck down. yes there are big trucks and moving fast. there logging almost everywhere they can it seems so most mains are still busy.

good luck on hunt bgm. I guess this is actually one more reason to go smaller, you can fit down old deactivated roads and not give yourself redneck pinstripes and get into the prime little used lakes. We found some beauties, makes me want to learn to fly fish.

 

[TenMile]

I see the OP got himself a new vehicle -- but thought I'd chime in anyhow. Got a marketing email from Toyota as they are clearing out their 2013's. Double Cab 4x4 with the V6 and base package asking $28K for a brand new vehicle and you can probably get it for closer to $26 if you have cash. I have a 2011 and absolutely love this truck -- got it 2 years ago about this time of year. At this time, the dealers are very motivated to make a deal as they are approaching their year end incentives and bonus period, so blowing out the cars is imperative and they will take almost any decent deal. 4x4 can tow up to 6500lbs. Double cab is very large inside and box is 6'. Gets about 25Mpg combined.

You can also pick up the 4cyl Access Cab for $22K

 

[Big Green Machine]

I see the OP got himself a new vehicle -- but thought I'd chime in anyhow. Got a marketing email from Toyota as they are clearing out their 2013's. Double Cab 4x4 with the V6 and base package asking $28K for a brand new vehicle and you can probably get it for closer to $26 if you have cash. I have a 2011 and absolutely love this truck -- got it 2 years ago about this time of year. At this time, the dealers are very motivated to make a deal as they are approaching their year end incentives and bonus period, so blowing out the cars is imperative and they will take almost any decent deal. 4x4 can tow up to 6500lbs. Double cab is very large inside and box is 6'. Gets about 25Mpg combined.

You can also pick up the 4cyl Access Cab for $22K

That's a great deal, are you talking Tacoma?

 

[TenMile]

Taco yep. Go to www.toyota.ca and do the "Build and Price" thing. When I got mine, they were willing to throw in the flip box cover and step bars, it already comes with a bed liner. Of course, you have to pay the tax man, but given it's a new vehicle and with warranty -- pretty good prices.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Taco yep. Go to www.toyota.ca and do the "Build and Price" thing. When I got mine, they were willing to throw in the flip box cover and step bars, it already comes with a bed liner. Of course, you have to pay the tax man, but given it's a new vehicle and with warranty -- pretty good prices.

I looked at many Tacos and I just couldn't get comfortable with the smaller cab, I'm a big guy so if they offered this on the Tundra and I was in the position payment wise I would go there.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Not to mention, my Jon boat would not fit in the box width wise.

 

[Fish Assassin]

I thought about this, but the GM dealers in town here are not offering 0% financing. It's more like 8%. A low monthly payment is a priority right now.

I went to local dealer here and talked to their sale department well they were working on my truck AGAIN..... GM has not gone over 2.9% in the last year. Who ever told you 8% was messing with you. They said the rate will drop again as it does every year. Them new trucks sure are nice.