Back into a truck - UPDATED with pics (Sept 19)

[ib516]

Many of you may know - I went through a nasty divorce over the last two years. I lost my RV, and had to sell my 2014 Ram 2500/6.4L Hemi to pay for child support/bills/moving expenses/etc. Well, that's all done with now, and I'm beginning to live my life again. I met a new gal, and she bought the 2010 Jayco 17z in my sig (3500# (GVWR) 17' hybrid TT). I had pulled it short trips/locally with a 2006 AWD Pontiac Torrent that I added a hitch, wiring, and a trans cooler to. It did surprisingly well, but had a saggy rear end when towing. But, we have 3 weeks in the Rockies booked so...

Well, the other day, while browsing the local classifieds, I came upon a high mile 2006 Chev 1500, 4x4, 3.73, Ext. cab short bed. It's rough, but it was cheap. It had a 4.8L from the factory, but somebody swapped in a 5.3L. The chassis has 230,000 Km on it (~144,000 miles), and I have no idea how many miles the 5.3L has on it, but I was told it has less - around 100,000 miles. The truck has rubber floors, crank your own windows, but it has AC and cruise and a 4L60E auto.

Payload is 1245#, and it has the G80, locker in the rear, Z82 and Z85 towing and HD suspension options, and skid plates. I found the original window sticker in the glove box.

It has some surface rust on the rockers and above the rear wheels.

Soooo......I have some work to do. I'm going to be swapping out the accessory drive and AC belts, tensioners, and idler pulleys, shocks, and ignition switch tumbler this weekend. It has a new exhaust, but one broken stud - driver's side front. Deal with that later. I'm also doing an oil flush/change (dump in flush solvent, idle, drain, refill with new oil). The ABS has been disabled (LF speed sensor/hub throws code), but the AC, cruise, and 4wd all work.

Seems to run OK other than the above issues. I'll keep you posted.

[ib516]

Blazing Zippers wrote:
ib, Good to hear from you. Happy to know you're doing well.
You know---because of your reports, I bought a 6.4 Hemi and love it.
Thanks. See ya out there!!

Good to hear. I sure miss mine.

[Blazing_Zippers]

ib, Good to hear from you. Happy to know you're doing well.
You know---because of your reports, I bought a 6.4 Hemi and love it.
Thanks. See ya out there!!

[GeoBoy]

Grit dog wrote:
Awesome country!
Hey looking at the axle pic, your spring question in the other thread, those Timbrens look too short. The other pic was loaded down, I can see now with the gap in the pic in this thread.

Those are factory bump stops, not Timbrens.

[GeoBoy]

ib516 wrote:
Well, I spent the weekend wrenching on the truck. Here's what I got done:
- Installed a new ignition switch - it would stick in off position
- Installed 4 new shocks
- Oil flush and change oil and filter
- New air filter
- Chassis lube
- Rear diff fluid changed
- Front axle fluid level checked
- Trans fluid was new, but overfilled by about 2 quarts. I removed a trans cooler line and let the trans pump out 2.5 quarts, and rechecked, add to full mark after a test drive to warm the fluid.
- Installed ladder rack to haul kayak
- R+R all driver's side exhaust manifold bolts as one was broken, new gasket installed (PITA job)
- Removed transfer case skid plate and dumped 5 lbs of dried mud off of it
- New belts (2), idler (1) and tensioners (2)
- Couldn't check the T-case as the fill plug was seized in there. I rounded it off with a 12 pt 18mm socket :M...no leaks from the seals and no seeping for the infamous pump rub either, so should be OK
- Checked all tire pressures
- Checked all lights, one DRL is out, need to get one of those
- Checked 7 pin connector and used compressed air to clean it, then soaked it with WD40, then more compressed air (fully lubed my arm in the process :))
- Removed some junk from previous aftermarket stereo

Next is body work to remove the surface rust and I need to hit the wrecking yard and grab a spare tire and a battery hold down. That will have to wait until I get back though.

ib, on my 05 3500 with manual shift transfer case, you can add fluid to the transfer case by removing the shift indicator switch in the top of the case. They recommend overfilling the case by 1 quart using 5w-30 oil.

[Hannibal]

Wow! Beautiful scenery! Sure wish you'd blow some cool air our way. :B

[Grit_dog]

Awesome country!
Hey looking at the axle pic, your spring question in the other thread, those Timbrens look too short. The other pic was loaded down, I can see now with the gap in the pic in this thread.

[ib516]

[ib516]

Well, 5000 Km (about 3000 miles) and zero problems. The ole beater got us there and back every time. It pulled the little RV up the scenic Icefields Parkway, where we hiked, climbed, paddled, and camped our hearts out.

Pulled in 3rd gear @ ~2800 RPM exclusively (with Tow/Haul on). It would hit 2nd gear an 4500 RPMs on the hills, but would accelerate any time I wanted it to. I averaged about 21L/100Km or 9 mpg US when towing. It would get 11 mpg on the flats with no wind and 8 mpg pulling into a headwind or climbing and descending the mountain grades.

[blt2ski]

Ian,
My c2500 w 410 gears, 245 75-16 rubber does 2600 @60mph tc locked. 3000 unlocked in direct. Assuming you have 265-70-17 rubber, you should be about 300 or 600 r's below me depending on 3.73 or 3.42 gears.
I'm at 1800 in od final drive 3.08.
Also assuming you have a 4l80. 6l90 screws things up a bit. As 4th is a 105 or some such thing. Not direct.

[Supercharged]

mike/kellie wrote:
Welcome back and glad to hear you're getting routines you loved into place. You're description of the truck sounds like it used to belong to "Supercharged", a character from AZ that might have trolled a little.

No No, mine is white, but was a reg cab, and I still have it, if fact I'm taking the RV back to the condo storage in the morning after using it for 2 1/2 months on the last trip. I will pick up the woundful Supercharged Chev. and use it to go to the cabin Sunday for another month or so.
I tryed to buy the wife a new GMC today, but it is not easy to fight it out to buy one. No hurry, they will have more.
On this trip I ended up in the hospital in MO. with blood posioning. Could have check out the wrong way.

[transamz9]

Check the brake lines between the frame and gas tank. Known to blow there.

[ib516]

The rear diff cover was very rusty so I sprayed some fluid film on it - that's not a pinion seal leak 🙂

[ib516]

[ib516]

Well, I spent the weekend wrenching on the truck. Here's what I got done:
- Installed a new ignition switch - it would stick in off position
- Installed 4 new shocks
- Oil flush and change oil and filter
- New air filter
- Chassis lube
- Rear diff fluid changed
- Front axle fluid level checked
- Trans fluid was new, but overfilled by about 2 quarts. I removed a trans cooler line and let the trans pump out 2.5 quarts, and rechecked, add to full mark after a test drive to warm the fluid.
- Installed ladder rack to haul kayak
- R+R all driver's side exhaust manifold bolts as one was broken, new gasket installed (PITA job)
- Removed transfer case skid plate and dumped 5 lbs of dried mud off of it
- New belts (2), idler (1) and tensioners (2)
- Couldn't check the T-case as the fill plug was seized in there. I rounded it off with a 12 pt 18mm socket :M...no leaks from the seals and no seeping for the infamous pump rub either, so should be OK
- Checked all tire pressures
- Checked all lights, one DRL is out, need to get one of those
- Checked 7 pin connector and used compressed air to clean it, then soaked it with WD40, then more compressed air (fully lubed my arm in the process :))
- Removed some junk from previous aftermarket stereo

Next is body work to remove the surface rust and I need to hit the wrecking yard and grab a spare tire and a battery hold down. That will have to wait until I get back though.

[ib516]

ktosv wrote:

ib516 wrote:
Well, the other day, while browsing the local classifieds, I came upon a high mile 2006 Chev 1500, 4x4, 3.73, Ext. cab short bed. It's rough, but it was cheap. It had a 4.8L from the factory, but somebody swapped in a 5.3L. The chassis has 230,000 Km on it (~144,000 miles), and I have no idea how many miles the 5.3L has on it, but I was told it has less - around 100,000 miles. The truck has rubber floors, crank your own windows, but it has AC and cruise and a 4L60E auto.

Payload is 1245#, and it has the G80, locker in the rear, Z82 and Z85 towing and HD suspension options, and skid plates. I found the original window sticker in the glove box.

Welcome back to camping! You mention that it has the 3.73 axle. From what I know for the 2005/6 model years only the 3.42 and 4.10 axles were available for the 4x4. The 3.23 and 3.73 were available on the 2wd models. You mention you have the original window sticker, did you confirm it has the 3.73? I am wondering if the US trucks went this way but the Canadian trucks were still available with the 3.73?

Regardless, as long as you don't have the 3.23 axle that truck will do fine towing what you have. I even towed a 5000# GVWR hybrid with a 2005 Suburban with the 3.42 axle and I thought it did great.

Enjoy your upcoming trip!

Window sticker indeed says 3.73, as does the "GT4" axle code on the RPO codes sticker. It revs about 2000 RPM at 60 mph.
2800 RPM in 3rd at 65 mph. Maybe it has been swapped? How does that compare to others who have the 3.42s?