My new 2500HD and goosenck hitch install.

[Diamondpilot]

Nice clean job on the install. I have put in 4 or 5 of the B&W hitches and I really like them. To hold them up we just use a ratchet strap and a 4x4 across the bed rails. We never put the plug in the bed, just use the bumper one. Every trailer I have dealt with had enough wire to plug it in back there no problem. Looks like your trailer would also with all that slack.

That D-max will out pull your Ford 7.3 because it has about 100HP advantage. How did it do with the pin weight? That was my biggest complaint on my 05 3500 SRW D-max, seemed soft in the suspension.

Either way its yours and hope you are happy. Looks like the tires have been upsized from the small 245's they put on at the factory.

Chris

 

[bjess8]

Nice truck!! I to like the color,mine is white wish I had bought a different color. Nice ride....

 

[RWolf]

I'm running an '04 2500HD with the 6.0L gas with the B/W hitch. Really love the combination. Just turned 100K a few weeks back and it's still going strong. I've done a few performance mods so now I'm running a solid 13mpg city and over 20 hwy. Before I was getting <11 city and ~14 - 15 hwy.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I'm running an '04 2500HD with the 6.0L gas with the B/W hitch. Really love the combination. Just turned 100K a few weeks back and it's still going strong. I've done a few performance mods so now I'm running a solid 13mpg city and over 20 hwy. Before I was getting <11 city and ~14 - 15 hwy.

Those are great numbers for the 6.0L gasser. Never owned one but have 2 customers with the, one in a 2500 and the other in a Escalade and they both love the power but complain on the mpg. The say the same as you were getting, 13 average.

Chris

 

[Builder]

I reluctantly retired my '03 F350 7.3L and bought a '05 Chev. 2500HD Dmax/Allison. I really liked the Ford but it needed a good bit of $$$ in work and the wife and I decided to go with something newer/less miles. The Ford needed ball-joints, front axle seals/bearings, both locking hubs replaced, rear pinion seal, and u-joints. Oh yeah, she needed 6 new tires and it had a couple of injectors that were dropping out when it was cold.

So not to start a brand war.......PLEASE, we decided to by the '05 Dmax. I really like it and it matches my wife's Suburban too!

I was afraid of buying a late model Ford diesel (6.0) after much research, and guys....I'm not just Dodge/Chysler fan. I did drive a '06 2500 Ram (Cummins/Auto) and it was nice for the money but I just did not "feel right" in it. Sorry Dodge Boys!

I needed to install a gooseneck hitch in the new truck and I thought I'd share it with you guys. I ended up buying a B&W turnover hitch that was just like the one I had in the Ford....seemed to be good quality and price. I also bought the harness that allowed a plug in the bed for the lights, etc.


Here is the old Ford that is gone...and the new truck.

Beautiful truck. Someday I just want to have an empty, clean, unburdened truck to just DRIVE.

Instead of this:

 

[QRTRHRS]

Beautiful truck. Someday I just want to have an empty, clean, unburdened truck to just DRIVE.

Instead of this:

LOL! That has to be the cleanest contractor's truck that I have ever laid eyes on!

 

[Builder]

LOL! That has to be the cleanest contractor's truck that I have ever laid eyes on!

Thanks, but I'm not a contractor, I'm a builder (that's one step up the feeding chain )

That was a few months after I bought the truck. It's much less clean now.

 

[RWolf]

Thanks Diamondpilot, I've put a few bucks into the improvements and probably won't really see any return for my money in awhile. I wasn't expecting to see these gains as after I did them I really didn't notice any improvement on mpg just power. In January the wife and I went to Colorado to look at some property. Wasn't paying attention and doing normal speed limits. While driving around there and at one point filling up was shocked at what my odometer was showing. Ran the numbers for the rest of the trip and even had the wife confirm what I was seeing. Hasn't changed since we got back. BTW; just turned 100k about a month ago.

 

[JSUnlimited]

Nice clean job on the install. I have put in 4 or 5 of the B&W hitches and I really like them. To hold them up we just use a ratchet strap and a 4x4 across the bed rails. We never put the plug in the bed, just use the bumper one. Every trailer I have dealt with had enough wire to plug it in back there no problem. Looks like your trailer would also with all that slack.

That D-max will out pull your Ford 7.3 because it has about 100HP advantage. How did it do with the pin weight? That was my biggest complaint on my 05 3500 SRW D-max, seemed soft in the suspension.

Either way its yours and hope you are happy. Looks like the tires have been upsized from the small 245's they put on at the factory.

Chris

Chris,

Thanks for the comments. This was the first project of this type I've done. I had a plug in the bed on my Ford and it was so easy to hook up everything while standing in the bed. I was afraid of catching it (the wire) in between the bumper and the bedside when jacking it pretty tight in some spots where I go.

 

[JSUnlimited]

About the pin weight issue,

Honestly I don't know where I was in terms of that. I know what both the Suburban and the trailer weight was....closely estimated as mentioned earlier. When I loaded it (Suburban) I had plenty of room to shift the weight on the trailer back and forth. B&W had the hitch placed forwards of the axle about 4"-5"? Anyways long story short, I was very happy with the "overall feel" of the initial towing experience. The F-350 would have just jerked the living sh*t out of me, and the Silverado rode like a caddy. I know its not apples to apples, but I'm happy!

Also, the transmission on the Suburban is good!