mcsurveyor
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Re: Timbrens vs Airbags vs Helper Spring
Had the airbags one my Silverado 1500. Best option I think. With a properly set up WDH, the airbags tightened up the suspension enough to eliminate the secondary bouncing over bumps and just gave an all round more stable ride. I did not use them to help carry weight I shouldn't have been, just stiffen the suspension when I needed to. Perfect solution.584Views0likes0CommentsRe: Family of 6 tow vehicle ?? What works?
Another Express 3500 12 passenger van user here. Skip the 2500 version, doesn't ride better, just less payload. Lots of payload, lots of room, handles our trailer very well. Better drivetrain than the Nissan NV 3500, but in everything else, interior/seats/fit and finish, the Nissan is nicer. It's still a commercial vehicle though, so a lot of nice touches you might be used to won't be available.453Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fuel mileage
The easy answer is around 9 mpg for gas, around 12 mpg for diesel. Nearly all new truck/5-ver combos will be within 1 mpg either way. Diesel will get about 25-30% better mileage. You don't buy a diesel for the mileage, you buy it for the power. Going slow will increase your mileage. Finally, if you're that concerned about fuel economy, you should forget the RV and stay in nice hotels.216Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ram Eco-Diesel vs F150 2.7 TT - Davis Dam
Tystevens wrote: mcsurveyor wrote: Ok, so I read through all the comments and no one has said anything on how the 2.7 EB did against the Chevy. And seeing how the video glossed over it in about 30 seconds, it probably didn't do well enough to talk about. They claimed the 2.7 beat the 5.3 in two runs, but then lost when the outside temp went down. My takeaway from that is there isn't a lick of performance difference between the 2.7 EB and the 5.3L, which perhaps speaks better for Ford than it does Chevy. Well, it probably isn't that simple. I know my GM 5.3 and my 3.5 Ecoboost both get the job done, but feel very different in doing it. They both can tow up a grade in about the same amount of time. But the power delivery characteristics are probably different. The 2.7, like most turbo charged engines, probably makes near peak torque much lower in the rpm range, so it is going to feel different towing. And the 2.7 probably is capable of a lot better mpg when driven carefully. And that's what it comes down to. The 2.7 probably is well matched power-wise against the 5.3, but if it get's another 2-3 mpg on the highway, that's a huge plus in favor of the 2.7. To me, the biggest benefit I see with the Eco-Diesel is the towing fuel economy, which from all accounts I've heard, is tremendous. The whole package is compromised, however, with the truck having no payload, the price of entry, and I have a suspicion that this truck was engineered strongly for mileage, not towing, and I wonder about the long term durability using it as a tow vehicle. But getting 15+ mpg while towing 7,000 lbs is something that I could get on board with.115Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ram Eco-Diesel vs F150 2.7 TT - Davis Dam
Ok, so I read through all the comments and no one has said anything on how the 2.7 EB did against the Chevy. And seeing how the video glossed over it in about 30 seconds, it probably didn't do well enough to talk about. They claimed the 2.7 beat the 5.3 in two runs, but then lost when the outside temp went down. My takeaway from that is there isn't a lick of performance difference between the 2.7 EB and the 5.3L, which perhaps speaks better for Ford than it does Chevy.114Views0likes0CommentsRe: 7100 lb-rated new Silverado towing 4000 pounds
Brassica wrote: Is there any point getting 20" wheels instead of 18" wheels? A Canadian writer noted on his website that low aspect ratio tires have inherently stiffer sidewalls and would resist being waggled by the trailer. I personally hate the giant wheels they're putting on trucks these days. I certainly wouldn't buy 20's for the reason you specify. 18's are fine. I'm old fashioned I guess, I'd prefer 17's. Much cheaper to buy tires, and a better selection of LT tires. Again on the V6, I only test drove one example, and based on that one, I would spring for the V8. The V6 I drove sounded like a paint shaker under the hood and couldn't get out of it's own way power-wise. Having read other peoples opinions on it, I'm inclined to think that maybe I test drove a dud, and should give it another chance. But, either way, the V8 is a better match for the truck and towing purposes.194Views0likes0CommentsRe: 7100 lb-rated new Silverado towing 4000 pounds
From your post, it sounds like you haven't purchased the truck yet. You would be well within the weights for the V6 model and I'm sure it would tow just fine. Out in the windy prairie and in the mountains, you will probably wish you sprung for the V8, and quite honestly, I don't think you'd see the 4% fuel economy difference in the real world with the V6. That said, if you do get the V6, I'm very interested to hear your towing reports and the mileage you are getting. Best of luck!189Views0likes0Comments
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