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Thoughts on this 02 2500?

RedRocketZ28

Full Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
203
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
I am thinking about going to take a look at this.

http://www.trucksandmuscle.com/2002-Chevrolet-Avalanche/Used-SUV/CedarRapids-IA/6860199/Details.aspx

I used to own an 02 Z71 but it got totaled 3 years ago.  I replaced it with a 2004 Buick Rainier 5.3 that now has 143k miles on it but has been a solid vehicle.  I have put over 50k on it and am looking to upgrade to something with a longer wheelbase again as we have recently upgraded boats.  I use the Rainier to trailer my Camaro to the track on occasion and have used it to pull our old 18' boat.  The new boat is 25' (27' with swim platform) and weighs a decent amount.  I have not pulled the boat with the Rainier but have hooked up to it and I don't think I'd feel safe pulling it very far distances.  It has plenty of power with the 5.3 but the boat and trailer would outweigh it by a decent amount.  My Dad does own an 02 2WD Avalanche but that makes me nervous at the boat ramps and I want to be able to use my own vehicle for the job.

That's where the 2500 I found comes into play.  I would probably tow the boat or the car almost every weekend in the summer.  The farthest the boat would go would be about 6 hours to the Lake of the Ozarks.   Also, I work from home two days a week and the other days I drive about 45 miles round trip.  Not TOO concerned with the MPG.  Would the 2500 be a good buy?

I have also been trying to find a nice 02-07 1500HD but they are hard to come by in the price range I am looking at.  This would be a vehicle that I'd keep for only a couple of years and sell off for a newer pickup of some sort.

Here's a pic of the boat hooked up to the Rainier.



Pic with the Camaro behind it.



Thanks for the help all!
 
Sounds like the 2500 would treat you well.  From the pictures it looks good.  I wouldn't be concerned with mileage, and sounds like MPG isn't a concern for you.  I haven't looked recently so I don't know the current market for prices, but that doesn't seem too out of line to me, maybe a little high.
 
Thanks for reply.  I apologize for the rambling post, lol.  I've been trying to find something decent for a couple of months now and am struggling.

The miles don't concern me much.  I know the 8.1 is a strong engine and the 4L80E is a beast (I have one in my low 9 second Camaro).  If I could do it now, I would buy an 07+ EXT or 09+ Silverado with the 6.2L but we just bought my wife a brand new car (funny how that works).  I know in a couple of years I will be in a position to get a truck that's only a couple of years old though.
 
I agree that the 2500 AV would be better at towing than a 1500. It would help others determine if even the 2500's limit is exceeded if you would post the wet weight of the boat.

Problem that we have in giving a good reply to anyone who asks "is this a good deal" in the many threads that get posted frequently is that we don't know the market in the poster's area and the biggest things are the maintenance and service records of each vehicle.....was it wrecked/flooded, driven in harsh conditions such as lots of road salts etc?  FYI CarFax doesn't tell the whole story of a vehicle if the owner got it repaired by himself or at a small independent shop.
You have to accept too that a 2002 is now a 15 year old vehicle and may have aging issues like some members are discovering with rust under the lower cladding sections. Since you state you only plan to keep it a couple of years that may not be a concern for you though except for issues like brake lines.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Thanks.  My 02 had rust issues under the cladding and that wasn't a huge concern since I couldn't see it.  Routine maintenance items aren't either as I have always worked on my own vehicles that aren't under warranty.

The boats dry weight is around 4300 lbs. according to documentation found online.  Trailer is probably another 1500 or so.  I would guess with gear, fuel, etc., it would be around 6500 lbs.?
 
It looks nice enough to take a look at.

The odometer says 128 K the ad says 131k, the voltage looks a bit hi at 15+ volts
 
I'm only about an hour and half away from the dealer so I may go look at it this weekend.  What's real world MPG on a rig like this?  My Rainier gets around 16 MPG when I hand calculate it and the DIC says a touch over 17.  What little research I have done on the 8.1 shows somewhere in the 10-12 range?
 
RedRocketZ28 said:
I'm only about an hour and half away from the dealer so I may go look at it this weekend.  What's real world MPG on a rig like this?  My Rainier gets around 16 MPG when I hand calculate it and the DIC says a touch over 17.  What little research I have done on the 8.1 shows somewhere in the 10-12 range?


Your right on with the MPG with the 8.1L, 10-12 depending on conditions, average 8-10 towing. But be careful with the torque of the 8.1L you'll forget your boat is back there when your going down the highway. I tow about 6500 lbs with no problem and have 245,000 on original motor, trans, front/rear diff and transfer case. I rebuilt the front end at 170,000.

Others here tow 10,000 -11,000 lbs regularly with no issues.

That AV with 131,000 miles has a lot more life left. Only major concerns are, is there any rust and if there are any maintenance/history records.


Good luck..
 
My '02 - 2500 cat scales at 7,060 lbs (full fuel, driver and passenger),  travel trailer scales at 8,000 lbs (full propane, personal effects, no water in tanks) = CVW 15,060 lbs.
Gas mileage last outing, just under 500 miles - 8.1mpg  (3.73 gears) @ normal highway speeds.
A lot of factors determine the long term (even a couple of years) reliability of the 15 year old vehicle.
I only use my Avalanche a few times a year and only drive it a few thousand miles a year.  But, it is meticulously maintained and used exclusively for towing my RV.  They are "towing" machines!
 
Here's a nice one!
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/6177890679.html
 
MN AVY said:
Here's a nice one!
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/6177890679.html
Make sure to really check it out for rust.  Notice how shiny the trailer hitch is.  I can almost guarantee the used car lot hit it with paint to conceal rust.  Ask me how I know.  :rolleyes:  Crawl up and really check the brake lines.  If they're scalely you can bet they just painted the frame and trailer hitch to look good.  Other than that possibility, it does look really nice.
 
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