3/4 Ton Truck

I know I posted a couple times about need a bigger truck for work, and “just looking around” turned into a 40k offer on my tundra that has 76k miles that was 46k new, turned into driving this home.

 

Nice looking truck

 

Congrats on the new truck

 

Wow nice truck

 

Congrats! Love that color!

 

I like your style

 

I’m definitely going to miss my tundra but this new ram is amazing. The power is incredible and every time I hear the exhaust brake I giggle like a school girl.

 

Diesels have so much torque on tap. No other truck feels the same. I miss that about my Cummins. The Tundra is no slouch, but diesels are a different animal altogether. Congrats on the new ride. I hope it serves you well!

 

Thanks me too. They’re definitely a completely different animal. Luckily when I built my house I planned on having a bigger truck one day. It definitely tight height wise but I have a couple feet of room in front of the truck still.

 

I ended up getting the Custom trim version of this truck a couple days ago. Much better than the ford with the 6.2L gasser in my opinion. I’ll be towing our Rv in a couple weeks with as well so I get to see pretty quick how it does towing which I assume will be good, but so far I’m impressed.

 

Awesome! Good to hear and hopefully everything works out. I have 16,400 trouble free miles on mine and really like mine.

 

It’s my first Chevy and hopefully my very long term truck finally. After bouncing from ram, to ford, to now Chevy, I can say I like this one the best. Not to mention my payload is even higher now at 3,585lbs

 

Congratulations! Since you own a RAM now are required to drive around with your tow mirrors out even when not towing?

 

Yep, required to have them sticking out at least 4 feet.....

 

This thread took off. I've been through these discussions a few times already and the options are limited, basically 4 brands (I count Chevy & GMC as 1). They each have there benefits and there downfalls. GMC/Chevy; Banks performance has been really pushing the power out of these motors with great success and reliability in there testing but the transmission has not been so great according to many who own them.
Dodge/Ram; I am with many here on the Cummins engine, a beast and IMO it has 1 of the nicest interiors. Issues are all over the place, reputation for long term reliability is below the other 3. I really don't understand Dodge/Ram, they should have surpassed the others simply due to the engine and interior but they just can't get out of there own way by using subpar parts which makes it a crap shoot, you may get a good 1 or you may get 1 that just won't stop breaking stuff.
Ford; They literally own this segment even though there reliability has always been horrendous and the odd noises always drove me crazy. The old 7.3 was probably 1 of the greatest diesel engines, but if I remember correctly it was built by international. Found on road dead or Driver returns on foot.
Nissan; oh boy, nice 1st attempt but it cannot keep up with the others in many areas. Maybe there 2nd attempt will close the gap.
I don't think any of them really stands out from the pack except Ram because of the interior and the Cummins engine. The GM pair have potential if you're willing to invest some cash but the fit and finish of the interior are blahhhh.
I give Nissan credit for trying to take the 'Mericans on knowing it's gonna be an uphill battle.

 

I have to say, as much as I liked to make that joke, I had to flip the mirrors out on the ram I had just to see anything. They were horrible for me when folded in

 

That’s just the truck saying “ if I were towing a trailer it would be this big “ just picture someone telling you how big the fish they caught was .

 

In the end you gotta roll with functionality over style. The RAM mirrors seem a little small compared to the GM and Ford ones. Would be nice if they went with a more traditional tow mirror but they seem committed to doing their own thing with the rotating ones. I haven’t noticed any RAM owners swapping them out, not sure if there are aftermarket versions available. I liked having my GM style mirrors on my Tundra.

 

Referring to the revised fuel pump?

 

they actually had the tow mirrors up on the lot, the salesman looked confused when I ask him to fold his side down before we left the lot.

 

I was finally able to rent the same trailer I used to haul my tractor with the tundra.

So now I can finally do a write up comparing the Tundra with the GMC Sierra 3500 gasser. Now I know this isn't a "fair" comparison, but there are a lot of people that claim the tundra is a heavy half ton or that their truck tows like a heavy duty truck. I will try to outline just a regular guys opinion doing daily driving of 85miles and occasional towing of around 10K lbs.

First up! The Tundra.....

Con's: (lets get these out of the way)

1. Gas mileage is worst than the 3500. Tundra 14.8-15.2 vs Sierra 3500 15.1-15.5 and honestly I don't care either way. They are trucks with big V8s. If I wanted to save on gas I wouldn't buy a truck.
2. Payload comparable to mid-size trucks.

• This is the number 1 reason I traded the truck in. In my 2018 CM I had a payload of 1347lbs in my 2020 DC I had a payload of 1385.

Now you could say, well Shawn you moron, you knew that when you bought the truck. And you are right I did, but like a lot of people, I didn't understand the implications of that low number until I started towing and hauling. Definitely a learning experience that putting two shovels in the truck bed exceeds the payload.

End of Cons list

Pro's List:

1. Feels and drives like a truck. This is the number 1 reason I bought it. I felt like I could put the truck to work.
2. CM back seat is awesome
3. Roll down window was amazing
4. DC back seat could hold my brother somewhat comfortable (6'3" 350+)
5. Only issue in 100K miles (between 2 trucks) was the Cam Tower Leak. Master mechanic crushed the repair and the truck ran better than ever.
6. Big ass V8 power and geared correctly.
7. Get to rip on the Big 3 for not being American made

I love these trucks and think that they are the best 1/2 ton on the market. Not even close.

Pictures to keep your attention.....




Now on to the GMC Sierra 3500...

You can ask @ColoradoTJ or @knoxville36 that this took me awhile to decided what to do because I love the tundra so much. I re-did the rear suspension on the DC to try to "increase" payload handling capabilities. The truck just couldn't do it. I needed to step up in truck.

Now you might say well shit...going from a 1/2 ton to 1 ton is a massive leap. And you are right, but there are reasons behind that.

1. There were 0 3/4 ton trucks within 200miles of me when looking for a new truck
2. For my application payload is the main requirement. So the 3500 with the SLE trim has a payload of 4289lbs. I learned quickly that's a lot of weight!

Con's List:

1. None of my family members can get in the truck because I don't have side steps on it (this is also a Pro)
2. Backend is super light so depending on road surface the back end can hop around. I have to carry weight ~600-800lbs in the truck bed
3. 1 week of ownership and I needed to replace weather stripping on the driver side door because it kept whistling when driving over 55mph.
4. Stiff ride. Better than the other manufacturers, but if you live in pothole country you feel it.

Pro's List

1. Family can't get in the truck
2. For a 1 ton the ride on normal roads is extremely smooth. This actually surprised me. But its smooth for a truck. It's not going to compare to a Ram 1500 with coil suspension.
3. Big ass V8 power
4. More payload than I know what to do with
5. Bench seat with 36 gallon tank
6. Full 4 door with 7' bed

Pictures to keep your attention...





Now on to the comparison!

I want to compare in two areas. Daily Driving almost 100miles a day and towing the same 10K tractor setup.

Daily Driving:

This will be quick. They are about the same. Same MPG, similar driving characteristics, the GMC is rougher if I hit pot holes but I don't have the bed bounce.

So I saw that you can easily daily drive a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

Towing:

For anyone that says the tundra pulls like a Heavy Duty is a liar. It is not even close. Completely different experience.

Now I live in upstate NY. We have good size hills. They definitely aren't mountains, but where I am at there are 5 sections of road that cover ~6 miles at a 7%-9% grade. I have to go up and down a lot. And this isn't a knock on the Tundra because it is extremely capable, but it is minor leagues compared to a heavy duty. I couldn't even imagine if I got a diesel.

I tow my tractor. It is an LS XR4145HC with ballast and loader weighs roughly 6500lbs. Add in the box blade of 500lbs and the trailer of 2,500lbs. I sit around 9,500lbs - 10,000lbs. Max towing for the Tundra.



The Tundra has great power but that weight through the truck all over the place. That is the main difference. The stability in the Sierra was unbelievable. The trailer would want to move the rear end and the truck wouldn't budge. A much better towing experience.



I don't want to write novel but in my limited experience. If you are towing over 6500lbs regularly I would buy a heavy duty truck. It is a no brainer. I got my GMC 3500 SLE for $46K OTD. I paid $44K for my CM and $42K for my DC. You get a lot more truck for the money if you go Heavy Duty.

I am definitely open to discussion and can answer any questions or if you want to nit-pick my opinions I won't get offended. I will say, the Tundra forum is the best forum out there. You guys are awesome and I still check the site every day!

 

That’s an awesome gmc. I found one almost identical right before prices really shot that was $46k, but they offered the worst trade in value I’ve ever seen so that didn’t happen. I’m really happy with the 6.6 gasser so far too

 

I was shocked when they told me my trade in. They offered my what I paid for it. Then turn around and sold it for $47k. I actually just talked to the buyer last week. He got my number and asked about the upgrades. He was so excited. Retired guy that bought his dream truck. Told him not to hesitate if he has questions.

But these HD trucks are something else. My only real complaint is they are tuned to be under load all the time so daily driving empty gets a little uncomfortable after an hour and a half. Luckily my commute is only 1hr each way

 

It looks like the HD gas engines are just getting started - had a 2015 F250 6.2 and it felt like it was getting no air it had so little power, now have a 2019 6.2 and it is much better. Still not to the power of half tons, but feels like you'd expect from the numbers. Now GM and Ford have stepped up with the 6.6 and 7.3 - and it feels like they're just scratching the surface. With fleets getting rid of diesels outside of the 550's the gas HD's are in much higher demand, and they're no longer just maxing out payload but towing significant loads. So with that they're cranking up the torque on them, and it's impressive. Haven't got to drive the GM 6.6 but hearing everyone say similar things as you, it's just a beast and is a step up from half ton engines.

Half ton engines are getting to the point of 'no need for more power', and diesel's are the same, so it really looks like HD gas engines are getting lots of R&D. I quite like driving HD trucks, and the more I think about it and read reviews it sure looks like a GM gas HD will be the first test drive for my next truck, whenever that is.

 

You will also love the independent front suspension. Game changer in the HD market. So much smoother on the road. Start the conversation now! We can shop around for you haha. @ColoradoTJ sent me numerous dealerships when I was looking for mine

 

Haha definitely don't need to be replacing the Tundra right now, haven't even got it broken in yet it's only at 75k kms . Wish my employers used GM, driven so much in Ford's I know just where to hit to fix the tiny problems lol