kevperro
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Re: Too much trailer?
Wow.... my Chevy Express 3500 (15-passenger) is limited to GCVWR of 14,000 lbs. so I'm envious. I have a gaggle of kids (eight) and tow a Keystone Bullet 272BH (about 5500 lbs.) and once we are loaded for the trip I'm right at the 14K limit. I went shopping for my trailer with known capacities in hand. It fits us just fine but we spend most of our camping time outside the trailer. It is mainly used for sleeping and watching the tube.390Views0likes0CommentsRe: Purchasing new TT, what can I get them to throw in
Don't worry about extra's as much as haggling the actual price. Save your "extra" as the last step to finalize the deal after you have hammered them down the the last dollar. I used to sell motorcycles and the more complicated the deal (trade-in, extras, warranty, financing) the more likely it was that we made money.263Views0likes0CommentsRe: Gas mileage
I checked my MPG with and without the trailer (Bullet 272BHS - 6000 lbs) on a recent 110 mile mostly highway trip. Without trailer my Chevy Express 6.0L gasser achieved 19.2 MPG. With the trailer attached on the return trip I got 10.5 MPG. The trip computer on my vehicle is pretty accurate when measured against miles/pump gallons. If I drive around town my van gets 12-13 MPG.487Views0likes0CommentsRe: Canyon Diesel MPG - 22 city 31 hwy 25 combined
Flashman wrote: IdaD wrote: APT wrote: The prior two posts neglect the higher used value of vehicle with more equipment, especially the diesels. For the first 10 years or so, diesel powered HD trucks retain at least 50% of that new up front cost. We don't know what the used values will be for the GM twins baby duramax, but I expect similar 50%-ish over the next 10 years. Anyone getting 22mpg with the 3.6L would likely get over 30mpg in a diesel. I've never gotten more than 16mpg in the crossovers and 19mpg in cars equipped with that engine. The 3.6L driving experience has never impressed me either. Yep. The cost is a wash, at least on the big diesels (excluding the bad-year Fords). Your up front cost is higher and maintenance costs may be somewhat higher, but your fuel cost if lower and your resale is better. Overall when you think about all the money you're going to spend on that truck in terms of up front cost, fuel, tires, maintenance, brakes, shocks, etc., etc., etc., the marginal difference in cost between big gas and big diesel is immaterial. I'm not quite sure why people get so hung up on it. Performance and driving enjoyment are far larger factors to me, and they're the reason I drive an oil burner. What were the good-year fords?? Between 1908 & 1927 Ford made a pretty good vehicle. Just because I was bored last night I shopped for a NEW RAM 3500 configured with the 6.7 dually, Aisin transmission and I found a 2015 in Spokane for $47,000. I did a pretty extensive search on used ones 2010-2015 and found several in the $35K range with about 100K miles on them. I found very few gasser duallies but I did find a couple around $20K with about the same miles (1000 miles away). So.... I would concur. If I were buying a diesel I'd buy the new one. For $15K I'd rather smell the new vehicle and enjoy the first 100K miles myself. The used gasers I'd note do not have anywhere near the towing capacity so it is apples-oranges comparison. The new RAM had > 20,000lb capacity while the research I did on the gaser duallies was limiting them by at least 5000lbs less rated towing capacity. If you are full-timing with a DRV there is no doubt a diesel is the right tool. If you are pulling an ultra-light the gaser will work.407Views0likes0CommentsRe: Canyon Diesel MPG - 22 city 31 hwy 25 combined
APT wrote: kevperro wrote: The gasers are cheap used relative to a diesel, often more than the $8K point of entry due to demand. That just proved your original point invalid, at least with new. If you pay $8k more new and it's worth $8k more in 5 years compared to a similarly equipped gas model, then you get all the benefits of the diesels for "free". It is a case by case basis. Buying used is much different than doing the comparison on new prices and the market determines what is cheap. If a model is unpopular on the used market it sells for a much bigger discount. How that shakes out isn't always obvious at the time you buy a new one. So... use whatever logic works for you.372Views0likes0CommentsRe: Canyon Diesel MPG - 22 city 31 hwy 25 combined
IdaD wrote: APT wrote: The prior two posts neglect the higher used value of vehicle with more equipment, especially the diesels. For the first 10 years or so, diesel powered HD trucks retain at least 50% of that new up front cost. We don't know what the used values will be for the GM twins baby duramax, but I expect similar 50%-ish over the next 10 years. Anyone getting 22mpg with the 3.6L would likely get over 30mpg in a diesel. I've never gotten more than 16mpg in the crossovers and 19mpg in cars equipped with that engine. The 3.6L driving experience has never impressed me either. Yep. The cost is a wash, at least on the big diesels (excluding the bad-year Fords). Your up front cost is higher and maintenance costs may be somewhat higher, but your fuel cost if lower and your resale is better. Overall when you think about all the money you're going to spend on that truck in terms of up front cost, fuel, tires, maintenance, brakes, shocks, etc., etc., etc., the marginal difference in cost between big gas and big diesel is immaterial. I'm not quite sure why people get so hung up on it. Performance and driving enjoyment are far larger factors to me, and they're the reason I drive an oil burner. It is a good point... but I've never bought a new truck. The gasers are cheap used relative to a diesel, often more than the $8K point of entry due to demand. Also, when you buy a used truck your maintenance cost is higher so the gaser is even a better purchase after the depreciation hit with impending wrench time approaching. You also have the benefit of knowing what year products were troublesome which isn't a gas/diesel point but is a benefit generally. Either one of them will do what I need it to do. Ultimately what tickles your tickler and what you can afford is what you should buy.372Views0likes0CommentsRe: Canyon Diesel MPG - 22 city 31 hwy 25 combined
Vulcanmars wrote: A major factor often overlooked is ownership cost. $4K more to purchase (6-8 for full size trucks), 2-3 times more for routine services, def fluid, etc. Bingo... cost is higher and the fuel efficiency, even considering equal fuel cost, doesn't make up the difference in most consumer vehicles. A tractor trailer is another situation. Where you drive 100,000+ miles a year the equation shifts. But if you like that throaty growl and loads of torque... you have to pay for the right to forget your trailer is back there.372Views0likes0CommentsRe: Towing with Express 3500 15 pass
We have a 2010 Express 15 with the 6.0L & 6-speed. We have eight kids (ages - 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17 & 22) so we really needed the space. We got a killer deal on a unit coming out of a government lease two years ago. Bought it in 2013 with 108,000 miles on it for $13,500 which looking around now is a smoking deal. I changed plugs/wires, coolant, tires, front window and tranny service so there went another $1200. It tows like a beast but I'm limited by the total combined gross weight of 14,000 lbs. To be honest it feels like it could tow much more. The van is 6760 lbs. with me in it and a full tank of gas. With the family... add another 800 lbs and we have only 6500 lbs available for towing. I bought a skinny travel trailer (ultra-lite) with bunkhouses and we all fit.... barely. The van gets about 12-13 mpg in town when used just to run around. On the highway it does spectacular. I get about 20-21 mpg on the highway doing the speed limit (60-70 mph). I get pretty close to that going up over Stevens Pass with a loaded van. By my calculations it is more efficient per person (highway) when loaded than a Prius.1.2KViews0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 21, 202544,029 Posts
