tow rig question

Former Member

with luck i hope to be able to upgrade my tow rig next year.
does any one have experience with the chevy 3500 with dura max motor and allison 6 speed tranny?
i have always (except for two notable instances which were fords

) owned dodge trucks but i have heard a lot of talk about the duramax and to be honest have a few relatives that work at allison so any input would be helpful.
specific questions are;
miles per gallon
automatic kickdown feature of the allison on steep grades
overall happiness with the rig

if there are any dodge 3500 owners that would like to jump in please do as i have great service with dodge but have never owned a 3500 with the cummins. oddly enough i have some relatives in columbus that work for them too.

as far as ford goes i know there are millions of happy ford owners out there and i do like the gain switch on the 350 but in 79 i advised ford i would never buy their product again and i am a man of my word. i just wish gm and dodge had the switch!!

thanks for taking the time to help me
jack

10/18/053:26 PM

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mnhogfarmerMember

Jack
I don't know of many of the Duramax's around here but heard they weren't to bad.

Most of my neighbor farmers haul with Fords because of their heavy capacities, and drive their Chevies to town when it rains.

I have stuck to one brand for many years too. I own 7 Ford trucks, 4 Pontiac cars, and 7 John Deeres. I like my toys.

Good luck! Roger

10/30/056:12 PM

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Former Member

I tow with a F350 Ford with a single tired rear axle and love it. I have the 6.0L Diesal. On highway towing a 38 foot fithwheel I get from 13 to 16 mpg running 70mph. Empty I average 22on highway 16 in town. It loves to tow. I have driven the GM's duromax and I didn't like the transmission. I know a lot of people that have one and love them. Last but not least is the dodge cummins. I have heard grat things about the truck but the transmission has givin problems and the ride is not as smooth as the ford. It's all in what one likes anymore. I think they all are close to the same and they all can have problems. Heck their built by robots (with human help)!

10/31/055:10 AM

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tnjoeMember

Could you tell me how much your fifth wheel weighs and for what reason you went with the single tire one ton instead of dual tire?
Smoky Mountain Smokers

10/31/051:19 PM

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mnhogfarmerMember

We have a single tire and a dual tire F350 Fords and when we have to pull a 9000# bumper hitch rig I notice a big difference,

On my 15,000# gooseneck hog hauler the single is fine.

I feel if you are pulling a bumper hitch, with any major wieght I'd go dually.

P.C.- I'd consider a dually to pull your rig. In MN we all buy 4X4 but down there you might not need all that extra traction.

Diesel up here is running $3.15 compared to 2.15 for regular right now. You would have to put on a lot of miles/year to justify the extra up front cost of the Duramax.

I've been looking at V10 Tritons. They run forever and repairs are cheaper than diesels.

Good luck! Roger

10/31/059:46 PM

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