Silverado or Super Duty

wife&3kids · 10-14-2003, 01:07 PM

Looking at either a Silverado 2500 vs a F250 Super Duty.... Thoughts?
I tow a wakeboarding boat that weighs 4000 or so and occasionally a 14ft aluminum that I'm prett sure I could tow behind my skateboard.

TheRogue · 10-14-2003, 01:20 PM

I have an 02 F350 CC V10 4x4. Power is great, tows the 4000lb boat/trailer combo over coast range at 55mph, with pedal left for passing situations. Been a Ford man all my life, so the choice was pretty much made up.

However, since my neighbor sold Chevy rigs, I had to test one at least. I really thought hard about a Silverado CC 2500 with the 6.0 liter, in retrospect, it would've been a more appropriate vehicle in the long run for my family. It went down the road quitely and smoothly, and had lots of power. Clearance wasn't anywhere near the Ford, which may or may not mean anything to you. A big difference was the price...paid the same for my leather-equipped Ford 350 as the standard Chevy 2500

I don't believe you can go wrong either way. Just don't buy a Dodge!

TR

outdoor.spec.ops · 10-14-2003, 02:36 PM

I just got my new Dodge Hemi, it has a rating of over 7000lb in the 1500 Quad cab 4x4. With 345hp, you could pull the boat and the skate board. Runs a lot quiter than my diesel, and I can run the gas engine a long ways for the 3000+ price difference between the hemi and diesel. Good luck in shopping around

WaterDog · 10-14-2003, 02:55 PM

Any of the trucks would do what you want. Drive all three and get what you like best and what fits you. They are all good trucks. I�m a ford and diesel guy all the way. I�ll never buy another gasser. But that is me. The extra $$$ is worth it but then I buy used so someone else is taking the big hit.

Look at the specs on whatever engine your considering. Look particularly at torque and where it is in the powerband. The small v-8�s make some impressive power but at higher RPM�s. Not always the best if your pulling. Good luck.

Norm · 10-14-2003, 02:58 PM

If you are talking 4x4, I think the Ford is a better chassis. Less moving parts, less junk hanging off the frame, solid axle, leaf springs. But the chevy will probably have a better ride.

Bait O' Eggs · 10-14-2003, 02:58 PM

I have heard that arguement that you can buy a lot of gas for the price of the diesel upcharge.

What they never factor in that the diesel is worth more at selling time.

That and the fact that the motors run so much farther (unless you buy a dodge

) 1/2 the rpm's make the motor last a tad bit longer [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] dont forget diesel is cheaper than gas right now.

Cant go wrong with a Ford, talk to Mr. Kitchen Pass at Doherty Ford. I hear he can work some sweet deals

willametteriveroutlaw · 10-14-2003, 03:09 PM

Go with the duramax, on the n.slope (AK) thats what they are switching over to now. I drove one, there awesome but expensive.

outdoor.spec.ops · 10-14-2003, 03:19 PM

I went back to a gas engine for several reasons.
I don't drive far enough to work to ever warm the diesel up anymore.
If you loose a diesel engine, or even parts for that matter, they "usually" cost a lot more, and are more difficult to work on.
I still have my diesel, and use it on long trips, heavy duty hauling ect. But I think they definately are not the best choice for all situations, nor is gas.

Lured In · 10-14-2003, 03:39 PM

My friend has a 2003 Silverado 2500HD with the Duramax. It is UNREAL!

It pulls my 19' NR with 4 200lb+ guys and all our gear at 75mph up the grade from Longview over to Clatskanie. :shocked:

They are real quiet for a diesel and from what I have seen have a very well laid out interior/comfort factor.

Now if I could just find 40K laying around so I could go get one. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

SLEDDER · 10-14-2003, 06:55 PM

I just purchased a 2004 duramax/ alison crew long box. It has more get up and go than my dodge ho. 6 spd. had. Towed my NR sled around, almost forgot I had something following me. Amazing rig is all I have to say.

Swamp Puppy · 10-14-2003, 08:07 PM

drive them both. i think the choice will be obvious after you do. both will have more than enough guts to pull a measly 4,000lbs behind them. heck, you could pull that with most half ton rigs and not feel any real stress about it. so if power isn't an issue, then comfort and ride is really the only thing left to worry about. and unless Ford has made some great changes recently, the Chevy/GMC will offer you a far superior ride/handling.

as for solid axles. my '69 GMC Jimmy had those on it.....

:grin:

elkaholic · 10-14-2003, 08:14 PM

Buy the Chev. costs more up front, better ride, looks, dependable, and you get more when you sell so I always thought I got the extra back. I too buy one a few years old so someone else take the big hit on the initial depreciation.

I have a 93 with the 6.5 turbo and wouldn't trade for anything, have been reeeaaal happy.

I have had two new dodges, first one in 78 was an excellent truck and the new gas one in 2001 was junk from the beginning and they never took care of me. I drive fords at work and have been less than impressed, but most have been rangers so maybe not fair to compare.

In summary, you can't go wrong with a chev, in my opinion.

Flatfish · 10-14-2003, 08:49 PM

Mossberg 3.5,

I have a 1/2 ton chev with a 5.7 liter/ auto tranny.

The old sled weighed 2500 or so on the trailer. she was beginning to sweat( tranny was more of an issue than power). The new sled one weighs about 5000#. The engine is officially sweating all the way. the tranny has a limited lifespan if I continue to force the issue.

Some 1/2 tons may tolerate a 4000# load. I cannot advise it be done in a pickup similar to mine. She may cut the mustard for a while, but when the pickup gets some miles on it, the forced age will probably surface.

Just because the users manual claims it is capable of it does not make it a good practice. especially when the term "Mountain range" is used.

My 2 soon to be diesel powered cents.

Mark and the dog.

StickFish · 10-15-2003, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wife&3kids:
Looking at either a Silverado 2500 vs a F250 Super Duty.... Thoughts?
I tow a wakeboarding boat that weighs 4000 or so and occasionally a 14ft aluminum that I'm prett sure I could tow behind my skateboard.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I've been a Ford customer for a long time till I started having trouble with a mini van called the Lemonstar. But that is off target here.

I have an 02 2500hd crew cab short box with the 6L v8 except for two factors I would recommend it hands down over the Ford.

1st issue Chevy service is even worse than Ford. Now guys don't give me any flak on this till you realize I've been all the way to the Oregon Department of Justice and Congress with Ford. At least in the long run Ford finally ponied up. I've yet to go that far with Chevy but the evidence is staking up that they will not play ball.

I'll use my second issue as the discussion points for the first. Chevy Vortec engines are VERY prone to piston slap. You do not need to take my word for it - check www.pistonslap.com and you'll find out more than you ever want to know. My engine has it and sounds like a diesel in the morning. Chevy at first said they will redesign the culprit piston, than decided to change their normal oil consumption for the vehicle and call the piston slap normal and causes no damage to the engine. Chevy thinks that a quart of oil every 1,000 miles is OK. Chevy also thinks that compression loss is normal and preformace decreases are normal.

Now if you get the piston slap diagnosed by Chevy they will extend the warranty on your engine ONLY to 6 years 100K. Its called a component letter and is transferable. This isn't a 6 liter problem it effects all Vortec engines.

If you further search on Piston Slap using google you will find information in the Ford Forum that Ford 5.4L engines are suffering from this as well, but at reduced incidents, approximately 15%. Ford has taken a proactive stance on this and is replacing engines with rebuilt engines instead of ignoring it like Chevy has.

Next my truck was equipped with an Eaton Locking Rear end. At about 6K miles it started to chatter after being on the freeway for awhile. After three trips to Chevy they were unable to duplicate the problem because they refused to drive the truck more than around the block. I had a wierd issue with my old Ford, and they gave me a technician to drive around with me till the problem was duplicated (bad steering gear). We were out for a couple hours one day till I found a place where it would duplicate the problem then let him drive it. Should have seen the look on his face when the wheel locked in a turn - PRICELESS. Ford had 40 hours on that truck and completly rebuilt the front end by the time they found the bent streering gear.

I called Eaton and their head engineer told me that some of their rear ends get hot during break in and that degrades the lub. He said to replace the fluid and I would be good to go. That cost $140 and cured the problem. Chevy refuses to pay for the $140 even after receiving a letter from Eaton instructing them what to do in my case.

I've got more stories to tell if you all want to listen. Climate Control System, Speaker Assemblies bla bla bla bla. I have pages of notes written up on this truck.

If you want to buy a truck that the company will stand behind, go with Ford. If you want an expensive truck that isn't supported go with Chevy.

The Dealer I've been working with is Carr Chevy located on TV Hwy.

We as consumers should band together and demand that American Automobiles regain their class distinction as durable goods. The US economy is valued on the production of durable goods. Automobiles are a big number in that measurement. They shouldn't be, becuase they are not durable at all.

snit · 10-15-2003, 08:08 AM

Well...let me start out by saying I'm a "Ford guy". I've had 5 PS Diesels since '96. Yeah, the diesel is more expensive, but like someone above stated, you get that money back when you resale (ie I got 13K for a '96 w/165K miles on it. I probably would of been lucky to get 10K with a gasser). Also the extra power and fuel economy (19mpg empty and 12mpg with a loaded 10.5' camper and 18' Sled). I've never had a leak any sort in the PS. The only problem(s) were the old style glow plug relays on the '96's (fixed for free by Ford) and a serp belt failure (160K is too long to go). My wifes '99 lost an injector @ 99K and Ford replaced them all and all the glow plugs for a $100.00 (not to bad). All in all I'm very pleased with my PSD's.

I've got alot of friends that have the Duro's and yes they're quiet, but I just can't detect a major difference in the trannies for an extra $5k. They're very comfortable, but the ground clearance is minimal, and you'd bettter watch out for the "neutral switch" problems in the tranny (switch goes out and you're stuck in neutral).

They're all pretty good, and someone always get a lemon of some sort, but to me dependibility is the most important factor followed by cost. Ford satisfies these issues with me plus the local dealership is top notch in the service dept. Nothing last for ever, so be sure and have a good repor with the mechanics. I hope this helps.

Norm · 10-15-2003, 08:48 AM

My dad has a 01 F250 with a V10/auto/4.30 gears. He gets 11.5 empty, 10.5 with a 3K camper on. It's been a great truck for him. Lots of power with decent milage. I bought a 02 3500 Dodge/Cummins/auto/3.55 gears and get 16 empty, 11.5 loaded with my 3K camper, 10 MPG if I add my boat to it. Both pull nice but I'm only getting 1 MPG better loaded than the Ford V10 with the 3K diesel upgrade

.

Swamp Puppy · 10-15-2003, 09:16 AM

Flatfish - i was not suggesting that one should scrap the idea of the 2500 for a 1500. also, what year is your 5.7l? with the introduction of the new vortec 5300 back in 1999 that increased HP to 285hp from your 250+/-hp and with a wide flat torque curve that peaks at 315ft-lbs early the power in the new 1500's far surpases the older ones. in addition, there is a the new tranny with a tow haul mode (not an overdrive lockout..but an actual towing mode that modifies the shift points in the tranny to hold each gear longer) 4000lbs is well within the capabilties of the newer 1500 trucks. it won't do 70mph up hills, but it will do the job. that being said, my original point that if the 1500's are capable than the 2500's are more than capable and therefore power shouldn't be a concern in this case. simply buy the truck that they want and not worry about the power/towing issue. either truck, ford or chevy, in the 2500 range will do the trick.

[ 10-15-2003, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Mossberg_3.5 ]

Killertraylor · 10-15-2003, 12:31 PM

Get the truck you can get the best price on - Ford, Dodge and Chevy all build comparable trucks these days. I'm a Ford guy, but just bought my first Dodge 2 weeks ago. Got the 2004 2500 Quadcab with the high output Cummins. 22 mpg on the highway and will pull anything you can hook behind it. Plus, it has the tight turning radius so I can get it into parking lots. I had an 02 F-250 with the 7.3 powerstroke and that thing was a slug compared to this new high output Cummins with 305 horses. I like Fords though and the only reason I got rid of the F-250 was because I couldn't get it into my parking garage at work.

Steelhead Hound · 10-15-2003, 11:23 PM

Gota 2000 F350 with the powerstroke. Get 16mpg. Pull my 10,000lb RV and get about 11mpg. Pull the 18' bluewater and get about 14mpg. The new 6L powerstroke I heard gets better mileage and has more power... not that the 7.3L is weak at all.