New truck, need advise.

[WhiteOut]

So I need something new, the Jeep is getting to the point where it is not a suitable daily driver. Crappy mileage, loud, too high for passengers, next round of mods will make it very unfavorable to drive on the road.

I'm going to be looking for a 2006 Chevy Silverado quad cab, regular box with the 5.3L V8. It will be a daily driver just to and from the train station for now and then on the highway after I move a bit further away from my job. I have heard encouraging numbers for MPG from people who own them and they do tow with them. Eventually I will get a 20' trailer and tow the Jeep that way.

This



With this.



Any reason not to get this truck? Huge issues that will crop up with it? Bad model year? Good choice?

Or should I be looking at the 2008+ then? It just sucks because I like the front end design that the 2006 Silverado has.

What is the difference between the Sierra and Silverado? The Sierras I'm seeing for 2008 are consistently $8-10k cheaper, but both look like the same truck?

Opinions on the Rams? MY 2006+

[w squared]

I think that you may have hard time combining reasonable in-city gas mileage with a rig that will comfortably tow your ZJ on a trailer.

How important is the MPG? How important is the towing? How far will your daily commute be after you move?

[WhiteOut]

Towing is tertiary to on-road manners and comfort. Once I move I'll be commuting from Okotoks to Quarry Park.

[WK2008]

That era of silverado and Sierra trucks were great but did have some issues. The steering column bushings and front ends were notorious. Take a look at the gear ratio as 3.42 is weak. My dad had an 05 and he had a few issues with the ABS sensors too and that wasn't cheap. The 5.3 is great on fuel and they ride like a caddilac too.

[JackstandJohnny]

mine had the steering issues.  easy to fix. took us a few hours.  i will take the chevy issues any day over the ford/dodge issues in a half ton.  the motors bullet proof, the trannys are solid, and are proven.  as with any used truck there will be stuff to fix, id rather replace a steering shaft than a transmission..........

as for gas mileage, well, the 5.3 in mine gets similar, if not better mileage than the JK................. IF i drive it nice.  nice = under 130km/h   
only difference is the truck actually MOVES.........


as for the difference between Chev/GMC........ just the front clips different. identical trucks every other way.

[w squared]

Based on that, I'd say you've probably got a winner. When you're towing your ZJ on your car hauler with that sort of gearing an a 5.3, be prepared to be passed by JK's pulling tent trailers...but since you won't be towing much, you're probably all good.

I think that Ron has a similar Chev pickup that he uses to pull the MJ. He's commented to me quite a few times that he doesn't love the combination - but he always arrives in one piece, with a minimum of cursing.

Okotoks to Quarry Park...that's probably far enough that a diesel would be fine and you might save a couple bucks on fueld..but your initial purchase price will be way steeper, and it probably won't be anywhere near as pleasant as a DD.

[cLAY]

We just had a similar discussion about this a few days ago. Might want to check it out.

A 3/4ton will have better gearing and brakes and make towing seem 10x better. You will take a hit on the MPG though.

If you do go with 1/2 ton try to find one with a full towing package. You usually get better gear ratios and heavier springs. Adding rear air bags would be a good idea as well.

That trailer is over kill for a zj. I tow mine on a 18ft deck and can still put a quad on behind it.  16ft trailer would be noticeably lighter than a 20ft and still leave room for stuff like spare gas. Also way easier to tuck a 16ft trailer into a backyard or storage area.

[rws]

My 03 Silverado gets 23mpg on the highway and around 20 in town with a 4.8L gas motor and a tow package.

Ride is absolutely comfortable and had the same steering bushing issues mentioned above but was fixed under warranty.  Would be a simple fix if you had to do it yourself.

It tows my Comanche on a 14,000# trailer  at around 15mpg with a comfortable  ride.    The following simple mods greatly aided in the towing:    E rated Toyo  tires, Airraid cold air intake, Superchips Towing Tuner and recently installed Firestone airbags to level things out.

However, this truck was never purchased as a tow vehicle and even with the above mods it still dogs out on long hills which can be frustrating.

[Unknown303]

I'd go with a new gen Dodge Ram.  But I may be bias..  But the new Hemi is an amazing engine but I'm only getting around 13.5L/100km in city and then 11.5L/100km on the highway.

[WK2008]

I'd go with a new gen Dodge Ram.  But I may be bias..  But the new Hemi is an amazing engine but I'm only getting around 13.5L/100km in city and then 11.5L/100km on the highway.

I can't believe you are complaining about that mileage. That's amazing for a hemi.

[dac]

I had a 2006 GMC for a work truck, it had the 5.3 with 4.10's and the G80 in the rear diff.  The truck pulled pretty good when loaded and rode comfortably.  The 2010 that replaced it was more of a car truck, definitely not meant for work duty.  The 3.42's suck when hauling any kind of weight.  It'd try to pull it with out down shifting, but when it did down-shift it'd drop 2 gears and take off.

Unloaded, the mileage was pretty good.  Loaded they can get pretty thirsty though.  I'd look for one with a decent gear ratio.

[big black dodge]

it depends on where you are towing - if it i mostly flat, then you will be fine.  Go through the mountain and that will put a lot of strain on the tranny

the 5.3 is a tough motor, and the 4 spd auto is good and cheapish to rebuild.  those chevy 1/2 tonnes are really nice trucks - big cabins on the crew cabs, comfortable seats (true buckets, not like my dodge), low step in height, and a good ride

I agree with cLAY, don't over due it with a trailer.  I have a 18 ft car hauler with tandem 5500 lbs axles, and that things bounces my 05 ram 3500 around when it is empty.  Also have problems with knocking straps off quads on rough roads

[WhiteOut]

Thank you for all the advice.

I think I'll be looking for a 2006/2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 Quad Cab or a 2007/2008 1500 GMC Sierra. Just have to find one that fits all the criteria, probably take months to find it considering it took me 4 months to find my current Jeep.

[GreenMachine]

I know in the mid to late 90s, gm made a "heavy half" which had the 1500 motor, with beefier axles from the 2500, I don't think they make them anymore, I have driven a few trucks for work, and friends trucks for fun, something about gm puts a smile on my face, and you don't have to chop off your foot when you do the spark plugs like my friend did on his ram, (16 spark plugs).

Came close to buying a 06 chev 1500 ext twice, but the dealer wouldn't give me enough money for my jeep, low enough price on the truck, and I didn't really want to trade the jeep anyway, but they are nice trucks that's for sure!
Enjoy your Chev.

[corsjeep]

You could also look for the 1500HD model which come only in crew cab short box. They have heavy duty suspension, 8 bolt wheels, 6.0L engine, the 4L80 tranny, all on a 1/2 ton frame. You may take a hit on fuel economy but the added power while towing will be worth it. We have a 06 Suburban with the 5.3 and a 04 Yukon Denali with the 6.0L and the difference in fuel economy is nill, but the 6.0 spanks that 5.3 power wise.