Tow Beast Roll Call

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:15 am

Frank C wrote:2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4x4, Duramax/Allison diesel.
12 mpg towing, 16-19 mpg non-towing freeway.
My everyday driver, and simply the fastest vehicle I've owned in many, many years.

( @ 6800 lbs, simply can't get much bigger~! )

Now you're talkin' Frank! I love my Chevy 2500 HD D/A 4X4, that I bought new in 2005. It just might be the very last truck I ever get. I have owned most brands and this one has been THE best bar none!

Mine weighs a bit more as I have the full length "Rack~It" tubular rack for my Kayaks over a cab high Vista brand topper. In the front I hated the bubble gum wrapper thin bumper and put on a 300 lb Ranch Hand Brand super bumper, I feel safer anyhow! I also tote a full complement of off road accessories as well, including a 10,000 Lb Winch that mounts front or rear, High lift jack, several 100' cable, snatch straps, etc. And my 120 gallon tank will make it tip the scales well over 8K Lbs as well.

You should be getting unladen mileage figures of at least 24 though, and I was getting 22 MPG. I have been driving Diesels since the 80's and one thing I have learned is if you put your foot into it all the time, you visit the Gas stations much sooner too, in a Diesel! 2,000 RPM is the sweet spot! You should get better milage becasuse you have the 6th gear enabled. The 2001~2006 models also have the physical gear as well, but with parts and install labor it costs 2 grand, not worth it IMHO!

If you think it is fast now though, try the EDGE Products Chip with Attitude, On~The~fly controller.

I give Corvettes a run for their money these days!

Craig LaForce · Post by **Craig LaForce** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:13 pm

2006 GMC SIerra 4X4 V8 crew cab. averages around 16 mpg city 19 hiway.
Tows great. Has a tow button on the shifter, plus all kinds of low range gear options. I keep trying to find a towbar that has a winch mounting plate welded to the top of it. I saw one about a year ago, didn't buy it, and went back to find it was gone, and nobody knows where to get one. Would be really nice to use for mast raising I think plus the general cool factor of having a winch on the back. (like Lucky on King of the Hill when he went stumpin)

Used to have a 93 ford E150 conversion van that left me stranded more times than I care to remember. After replacing just about every moving (and breaking) part on it I traded it in for about the price of the gas in the tank. But at least you could launch and retrieve with dry feet. Kinda nice to just open the back door and walk forward to the driver's seat. I sort of miss sitting on the side of the road with steam coming out of the radiator, and the cordial friendships formed with all of the tow truck operators and repair shops within a 100 mile radius of home. Kidding, I don't really miss it at all.

beene · Post by **beene** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:32 pm

OK
Scratch one Toyota Sienna, we just traded it in on a Dodge Durango SLT 4x4 Limited with the 5.7 HEMI 335hp and 8950lb tow capacity.

It's has seating for eight and a DVD system for the kiddies. Talk about portable baby sitter. LOL

G

David Mellon · Post by **David Mellon** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 12:50 am

My Suburban tows The Yam very well. It has plenty of room and comfy features. It also has a tow mode and backup camera to aid in hooking up.

dreamer · Post by **dreamer** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:49 am

Hey Beene, we just got a Durango a few weeks ago except with the 4.7. Kind of neat how it has some kind of anti-sway control. You're right about dvd player. Took it up to Hoseshoevalley last week with the boys watching a movie in the back with the headphones. After an hour it was so quiet that I turned to my wife and asked "We didn't forget the kids did we?" She looked back just to make sure.

beene · Post by **beene** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:22 am

dreamer....
..ya the kids love it, but surprisingly enough, they love the moon roof even more? Kids, I don't get them sometimes.

We had to get the 5.7 HEMI due to the fact that we will be towing a 7500lb camper trailer a few times during the summer and not just the 4500lb Mac, otherwise the 4.7 would be plenty.

Very nice SUV IMHO, we love it

G

Love MACs · Post by **Love MACs** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:37 pm

We bought our '06 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab just for towing the MAC! It is the small V-8 with a towing package (8000 lb). Rides nice and can handle grandkids. But only 16mpg on hwy and 10 in town and we have figured about 12 mpg when hauling over distance.

Allan

beene · Post by **beene** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:52 am

The new Durango with the HEMI 5.7 shuts down 4 cylinders under light engine loads. I think I saw 26 mpg hwy, something like 10-20% fuel savings over the 4.7L but more hp and higher tow cap.

G

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:43 am

Craig LaForce wrote:2006 GMC SIerra 4X4 V8 crew cab. averages around 16 mpg city 19 hiway.
Tows great. Has a tow button on the shifter, plus all kinds of low range gear options. I keep trying to find a towbar that has a winch mounting plate welded to the top of it. I saw one about a year ago, didn't buy it, and went back to find it was gone, and nobody knows where to get one. Would be really nice to use for mast raising I think plus the general cool factor of having a winch on the back. (like Lucky on King of the Hill when he went stumpin)

Craig, I too wanted that feature as well, and being able to place the winch in the direction I needed it, front or back was appealing to me anyway!

Also, since I put that heavy duty bumper with built ~ in reciever on the front it allows me to spot where I am parking the Mac, or any other trailor. It does give better response when aiming it into my portable garage I park the boat into anyway!

Some brands carry a removable mounting plate. I purchased a solid drawbar and just welded the factory mount to that and gusseted it up, and it works well. We were looking for property a couple weeks back, and I had to abandon my vehicle and return with components to get 'er unstuck! We had some of the worst deluges out here recently that we haven't seen in quite awile.

It was at a place called Anza California in the adjacent Anza ~ Borrego Desert area. I have Off ~ Roaded there for decades in my Suzuki Samurai, and other sand toys, but the big difference was the weight! A 2400 lb vehicle vs a nearly 8,000 lb vehicle vs the gumbo! I swear I never saw gumbo like this in California desert! Buried her up to the frame in a heartbeat, I laughed it off, uhhh, the Skipper wasn't impressed!

She doesn't want that 20 acres anymore either!

I NEVER mentioned the fact that it was HER idea to go looking when mother nature dolled out the worst possible condition in our area though.....I do know better than that, I took all the blame...LOL!

Seems I got stuck because I was directly below a leaking water catchment area ( Cistern ) that was several thousand gallons. It was built when the WPP built it in like the 1930's for animals in the desert. I found that little tidbit out AFTER I got stuck BTW!

Just another adventure with Tom, my wife says!

I have pics and more, but this is a sailing forum, so I won't clog it up with one of my other pastimes...Off roading!

If you want more info and pics, let me know!

delevi · Post by **delevi** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:09 am

Ok, I'll bite. BMW X5 4.6 IS. 4.6 engine w/350 HP, tow cap 7500 lbs. Tows great. Sometimes I forget the boat is behind me. Had her up several mountain lakes going up and down steep windy roads. No problemo. The supped up suspension, wide wheel base, huge tires 315/20 and awesome brakes all help. Sometimes I still wish I hand a second axel back there though.

L.

beene · Post by **beene** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:17 am

Leave it to BMW to get 350hp out of 4.6L engine. What is the torque?

G

delevi · Post by **delevi** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:22 pm

Well, they actually made it w/ 340 hp but I have software for the throttle & trans yielding another 10 hp. Almost the same juice as the new 4.8 but better handling... 4.8 is not an IS. No idea what the torque is, but let's just say that when I first got the car and wasn't really used to the throttle, driving in the snow, I had to start off in 2nd gear to avoid spinning out....AWD and all. You'll still run circles around me with your bike G

Trouts Dream · Post by **Trouts Dream** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:32 pm

I have a 2008 Envoy. Comfortable ride, admiral likes it. Fuel mileage sucks in the city but 25 mpg on the highway (12 when towing)
Best feature: amazing turn radius. I have turned around with boat attached on my street and only went 1/2 way onto the sidewalk.
Although I didn't pick the colour, it's White with Black Trim.

kaube01 · Post by **kaube01** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:09 am

A F-550 diesel crew cab 4wd and DRW with a 4000 bound trauck camper in a pickup bed

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:21 pm

kaube01 wrote:A F-550 diesel crew cab 4wd and DRW with a 4000 bound trauck camper in a pickup bed

F-550~!!!!

Picture, please??
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