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1500 With Overloads Or 2500

M

mweber

GUEST
I have owned 1500 Suburbans for years. I am going to get my first AV. I have been reading on this forum for hours and am still undecided.
75% of the time I am all alone in my vehicle. 10% of the time I have it full of people. 7% I am hauling a few things. The final 8% is what concerns me. I pull 3 different trailers, each of which weighs about 8000 lbs. The worst is when I haul my 900 Ford tractor. My 97 Suburban has done fine for me, althouth it does squat pretty bad at the tongue weight when I haul the Ford.
I am not worried about power. When I see the payload of the 1500 AV at 1300, compared to the 1500 Sub at 2000, I even question if switching to a AV is for me. I have never been a big block lover. I hate gas stations. I have always been under the impression that you can not get as many miles out of a big block as you can a small. In my company we consistantly get between 175k and 250k miles out of small blocks. I am convinced that I need a 1500 with some overload system, a 2500, or stay with the Sub.

Specific questions.
1. Is there some good overload system for the 1500 AV that will give me another 700 to 1000 lbs on the back end?
2. Will this compromise the vehicle, or the ride much?
3. How bad is the 2500 on fuel?
4. How can I find out about the reliability on each of the engines?

Experience is valuable. I have none. You'all have much. I appreciate your help.
 
The trailer weight you are talking about is going to be a strain on any 1500 class vehicle - thats why the sag IMHO.

You can add helper air bags for the trailer times that you run, that will not bother the rest of the time.

The 2500 will do the job better and a pair of inexpensive Roadmaster Active suspension helpers will make it ride even better with or without a load.

As to longevity, hard to tell, the 8.1L hasn't been around that long yet to log 150K, but I think it will do fine and you get a much stronger drivetrain.

Gas mileage, well that is hard to say - check the forum, expect 10-12 in normal driving.

BTW, I think the difference in load weight has to do with the added weight of the AV over the Sub.
 
Ok

I have the 2500 and will answer the Gas mileage question. Since I tow a 31.5 ft travel trailer which weighs between 7000 and 9000 lbs. Depends upon how much the wife packs. Going to FL it was close to 9000 lbs.

Normal driving I get between 11-13 miles per gallon.

When towing, it will depend on where you tow. On hills expect to get about 8 mpg. On flat surfaces expect to get between 10-12.

Hope this helps.

Note: The above was taken from my personal notes while traveling. Your conditions may be different.

Personal note. The power of the 8.1l and its ability to tow the heavy load is why I switched from a Tahoe to the AV.
 
I will add my 2 cents also,

I have a 2500, I feel the ride is smoother on the 2500 than the 1500, the wife and tested both before buying, it rides like a Cadillac, as they say.

The mileage most I have read get from 10 to 12mpg, I average 12.8mpg, which I can go 450 miles or more between fill ups, on my commute from work and back, I got 14.2mpg back and forth to Florida pulling an 20 ft enclosed trailer with 5 harleys, with the cruise on 75. Mine has the 4.10 rear normally will not get as good of mileage, but I have read that the 8.1 likes the 4.10 rear better, lets it run in a more efficient RPM range than the 3.73 does. Yesterday I hauled 20 80 pound bags of softner salt in the back, I didnt even know it was back there driving down the road, nor did I notice a sag, cause I looked. My only concern with my 2500 is the motor seems to use oil, at the rate of a quart per 800 to 1100 miles, no puddles, no smoke, no idea where its going. I have over 30000 miles now, it never used a drop until it had 6000 miles on it. We (Dealer,Chevrolet,ME) are doing an oil consumption test, where we check it every other Friday, I of course are making sure its all documented. If I was to buy another it would be another 2500, I wish they offered the Duramax/allison setup in the 2500, I would be sold.
 
TroyAvalanche said:
?If I was to buy another it would be another 2500, I wish they offered the Duramax/allison setup in the 2500, I would be sold.
Click to expand...

Same here.

If they don't have a Duramax in the Av in a few years, I might end up pulling out and getting a Silverado.
 
I am not a hotrodder or a go-fast guy, but at age 60 there is one thing I've learned: always buy your truck with its heaviest use in mind.

Having been undertrucked a couple of times, I've learned an expensive lesson.

We pull a 19-foot trailer about 1000 miles a year (hunting) and a 29-footer about 500 miles a year. We also do a fair amount of heavy-duty off road driving (not for fun - we're getting to hunting areas). A half-ton will do it, but you're going to tear up the transmission and drivetrain.

The 2500 Av gets excellent milage, considering the power in reserve. With no trailer, we average 14.5 on the highway and 11+ around town. BUT... if the rig was called upon to do Herculean tasks, the power is always there.

You will probably find the ride of the 2500 superior to the 1500. For me, there was no decision -- the 2500 wins.

Steve
 
mweber, got change here. in a z-71 1500, pull boats 5 times a week.
with way to much cargo, or very heavy tounge weight on trailer had the rear end sag, till i put air lift air bags in the rear coils. the 2500 have leaf springs, and are 3/4 ton.

i have what i need, but will admit 6000# plus is comfortable on the highway, but not a lot more, around town smooth, and a few times. 20 mpg on the open road, not towing.
i just dont need the 2500 extra capacity!!!
 
Can you tell me more about the airbags ?

How much do they lift?
How long to install?
Where do you get em?
What do they cost?
Is this the best method?
 
mweber, air lift air bags, are about $100, and take a couple of hours to install. they can compensate, for the few times you are loaded extra heavy, up to maybe 750/1000. the more air pressure, the stiffer the ride, and the less rear end squat.

buy what you need, at least 75% of the time, and be smart about the other usage.

25,000 miles,so far, and at least 5000 of them, with a trailer hooked up! air bags give me the extra cap., i need.
 
gotta pix, oct 10th, ......z-71 rear suspension beef up....
 
6500lb camper, 3800lb car on 24ft trailer...both are no problem in my 1500 Av. I wanted a 3/4 ton to take care of some sagging when loaded right up. 75+% of the time I am alone in the truck, unloaded, no trailer. I went with the 4.10 gears to make the trailering a bit easier. Last trip with my Av ~500+ miles, 18.4 mpg. Don't know about anyone else, but during my test drive of the 2500 Av, the trip computer stayed right around 7-9 mpg in town, and 11-12 mpg on the highway. And alot less if you drove it like a big block! ;)

I am adding the air coil spring inserts (Air Lift 1000) this spring (when I can work outside and still feel my hands!) to take care of the sagging that I get when hooked up to the camper or car hauler. Cheap mod, without sacrificing the smooth 1500 ride.

The 2500's are supposed to have a bigger brakes and stouter tranny too. Everything that I tow has electric brakes on the trailer already, so I didn't feel that the 1500 brakes would be overworked. Tranny temp guage doesn't climb too high when towing, but I do keep an eye on it. Haven't pulled in the summer with it yet, but didn't have a heat problem with my Tahoe pulling same trailers, with 3.73 gears.

Just my .02

Mike
 
Here's my 2 cents.

I just pulled a 16' enclosed trailer from Dallas to Houston loaded with furniture. I think the trailer weighs about 2500 lbs and total load was about 7000 lbs. The back end was really sagging and the 5.3 was sucking up gas quick. It was about 250 miles. I think I got about 9 mpg. It would keep up with traffic 70-75 mph, but on small hills it would go into 3rd and drop down to about 65 mph. I think if you pull lesss than 6000 lbs and a a faily straight road you will be ok with the 1500 av. If you pull more than that you are better off with a 2500 av. Again I don't pull a 7000 lbs very often but when I do I sure wish I had the big block 8.1.
 
On a earlier post I saw mention of a "trip computer" on the 2500 that would show MPG readings. Is this true? I've looked through my book and cant find anything on it. I had that feature in my 98 GMC Jimmy and liked it. I may not like to see what the actual numbers are in the AV though....

Thanks!
 
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