Forum Discussion

therink's avatar
therink
Explorer
Oct 31, 2014

Buying new Duramax HD - input from Dmax owners wanted

I am about to order a 2015.5 GMC 3500HD SLT all terrain edition Crew cab Dmax SRW and looking for input.
I tow the fiver in signature below and will be installing a Reese standard rail kit for my existing hitch so am not ordering the factory 5er hitch prep.
What I am wondering is if I should be ordering any other non standard options related to the engine such as dual batteries, high output alternator, etc. Also don't want the fifth wheel harness for bed mounted trailer wire harness as I prefer to plug the fiver cord into the 7 pin connector on the bumper. Tow mirrors and integrated brake controller are standard.
Is there any recommended option's I should consider.
Thanks
Tow Vehicles
  • wintersun's avatar
    wintersun
    Explorer II
    Nov 06, 2014
    N-Trouble wrote:
    wintersun wrote:
    You can forgo the rear camera as it will be of no benefit with the 5th wheel and GM charges $400 for a wiring cable to hook up a third party camera (Ford charges less than $50).


    Um, ever try to back into a parking spot or parallel park without the camera? Its not ALL about towing use...


    Somehow I have had pickup trucks for the past 45 years and on none of them could I use the rearview mirror. I always had to use the side mirrors when backing up and when parking. I never had a problem doing this nor do most people.

    Using a rear camera to backup is the oddest reason I can imagine for having one and it is of no use in knowing when to start and end the maneuver. Maybe you need one of the self-parking cars or a golf cart.

    My current pickup truck has the rear camera in the tailgate and I never use it. If I had small children then I would value the ability to see what was immediately behind it when backing up, but I do not.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Nov 05, 2014
    buddyIam wrote:
    Grit dog

    Serpitine? They go under my truck not on it. It's olllld!

    But it's not uncommon for a broken belt to break others also.


    Nothin wrong with that. I'd rather a vehicle have 3 or 4 single belts for ease of maint although serpentine belts last much longer the components don't necessarily.
    Biggest issue is a roadside repair on my Dodge at least the serp belt is ridiculously difficult to replace. I've replaced it twice. Once just cuz it had 100k on it, no issues and again because the power steering leaked all over it and ruined it. Squealed incessantly.
    Both times took about 2 hrs of cussing to get it on. I do most all my own work on vehicles since I was a kid and the belt on this truck is ridiculous.
  • Fordlover's avatar
    Fordlover
    Explorer
    Nov 05, 2014
    Sport45 wrote:
    N-Trouble wrote:
    wintersun wrote:
    You can forgo the rear camera as it will be of no benefit with the 5th wheel and GM charges $400 for a wiring cable to hook up a third party camera (Ford charges less than $50).


    Um, ever try to back into a parking spot or parallel park without the camera? Its not ALL about towing use...


    I've been driving pickups since '75 without the benefit of a backup camera. Haven't backed into anything yet. Never had much trouble getting the trailer ball under the coupler by myself either. Usually only had to get out and look twice. Sometimes only once. A couple times it was ready to drop the coupler onto the ball the first time I got out. :)

    I see them as a "nice to have" rather than a "must have". If it was part of a package I was getting anyway, I'd take it. I wouldn't pay extra to get one.


    I used to see them that way as well, then we got one in the wife's Edge. The only problem is when you get into your older vehicle and you keep looking at the radio, expecting it to turn in to a 9 inch monitor showing the view to the rear of the vehicle. Rear view cameras are very likely to become federally mandated equipment, all it takes is one child being backed over in a driveway.
  • buddyIam's avatar
    buddyIam
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2014
    Grit dog

    Serpitine? They go under my truck not on it. It's olllld!

    But it's not uncommon for a broken belt to break others also.
  • larry_barnhart's avatar
    larry_barnhart
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2014
    Sport45 wrote:
    N-Trouble wrote:
    wintersun wrote:
    You can forgo the rear camera as it will be of no benefit with the 5th wheel and GM charges $400 for a wiring cable to hook up a third party camera (Ford charges less than $50).


    Um, ever try to back into a parking spot or parallel park without the camera? Its not ALL about towing use...


    I've been driving pickups since '75 without the benefit of a backup camera. Haven't backed into anything yet. Never had much trouble getting the trailer ball under the coupler by myself either. Usually only had to get out and look twice. Sometimes only once. A couple times it was ready to drop the coupler onto the ball the first time I got out. :)

    I see them as a "nice to have" rather than a "must have". If it was part of a package I was getting anyway, I'd take it. I wouldn't pay extra to get one.


    We added a back up camera this summer because of age makes the neck hurt trying to twist and see when backing out of a parking site plus the cars seem to like to stop in our path waiting for another car to leave so they can park or people walking don't know enough to not walk behind a moving truck. Ours is at the license plate and the monitor is the rear view mirror. We are liking our very much and last evening we saw how great it is at night.

    chevman
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Nov 04, 2014
    buddyIam wrote:
    Grit dog

    If you have two batteries on the truck and 4 in the RV. The extra alternator wired specifically for the RV, recharges them much fast for the dry camper. If you are not dry camping there probably is no need for the 2nd alternator.


    That's what I said, if you actually wife it up as real aux charging for the camper batteries it could be useful. Otherwise just another component to c R a p out. Dual acts are cool but I hate that with serpentine belts once vehicles get older, if you lose one accessory it disables the entire vehicle.
  • buddyIam's avatar
    buddyIam
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2014
    Sport 45

    Line the side of truck up with the side of the trailer. (I've got the overhead camper on mine). Back up until you bump the trailer tongue and let it roll forward 3 inches. The licence plate does take a beating though. ;)
  • Sport45's avatar
    Sport45
    Explorer II
    Nov 04, 2014
    N-Trouble wrote:
    wintersun wrote:
    You can forgo the rear camera as it will be of no benefit with the 5th wheel and GM charges $400 for a wiring cable to hook up a third party camera (Ford charges less than $50).


    Um, ever try to back into a parking spot or parallel park without the camera? Its not ALL about towing use...


    I've been driving pickups since '75 without the benefit of a backup camera. Haven't backed into anything yet. Never had much trouble getting the trailer ball under the coupler by myself either. Usually only had to get out and look twice. Sometimes only once. A couple times it was ready to drop the coupler onto the ball the first time I got out. :)

    I see them as a "nice to have" rather than a "must have". If it was part of a package I was getting anyway, I'd take it. I wouldn't pay extra to get one.
  • hawkeye-08's avatar
    hawkeye-08
    Explorer III
    Nov 03, 2014
    I would still get the wiring in the truck bed even you don't currently plan on using it. I wish I had, just in case I wanted to haul a truck camper.
  • N-Trouble's avatar
    N-Trouble
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2014
    wintersun wrote:
    You can forgo the rear camera as it will be of no benefit with the 5th wheel and GM charges $400 for a wiring cable to hook up a third party camera (Ford charges less than $50).


    Um, ever try to back into a parking spot or parallel park without the camera? Its not ALL about towing use...

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