New Colorado and Canyon's being shipped daily.

[RollingsFarms]

Hopefully it will have some guts. Our company has a handful of Ram Eco Diesel trucks. 3 of our guys just drove one from Indianapolis to Bozeman, about 1300 miles pulling a 12' enclosed trailer. They got 12 mpg and got clobbered in the mountains by everything gas and diesel. They all felt the would have been better off on one of our newer 5.3 Silverado's or 5.0 F150's. Chris

I've heard they weren't too impressive for serious towing. What gears come in them? The 3.92's?

 

[prichard]

I've heard they weren't too impressive for serious towing. What gears come in them? The 3.92's?

I have a friend with the 1500 Eco diesel who bought it to pull his 6500# travel trailer. He raves about it. He gets close to 30 mpg without trailer and 18 with. The 1500 hemi he replaced was 18/8. He said the power is great, passing cars going uphill with the trailer and acceleration on on ramps to match the flow of traffic, etc.

BTW, someone commented about not listening to facts. DiamondPilot did not state facts he stated opinion of a third party, just like i did.

 

[handirifle]

Ugh! I'm sure you're right.

So, I wonder why the 2.5l gas engine (200hp) is only rated for towing 3500#, and the 2.8l diesel (181hp) is rated for 7700#?

Silverado's must have been rather narrow back in the 90's.

My v6 tacoma has less than a 100 #/ft of torque than the 2.8l duramax.

Admittedly I haven't read all the pages, only 4, but the tow rating takes in MANY factors, but one should realize that HP does not pull, torque pulls. The 2.8 Duramax is only rated 181hp, true, but it is rated 369lb ft of torque, at only 2000 rpm. That is why the rating is higher than even the 3.5L V6, which comes in at 7000. As a comparison my old Tundra (first gen) with the 4.7L V8 had only 330lb torque, and that was right at 4000 RPM.

Don't quote me on this part, but that is why it is backed by an 8 spd transmission, to keep it in it's torque band. As someone mentioned fuel prices here in CA are way more favorable for diesel. Diesels are not at "gone" as some might think. To prove that just look at ALL brands and diesel models coming to the US are on the rise, more each year, in fact. We just took a trip with some friends from CA central coast to Carlsbad, NM. 3200+ round trip. Diesel fuel prices on occasion were higher than regular gas, about 60% of the time they were either the same or favored diesel slightly.

In addition the little Duramax, like it's bigger brethrin. comes with factory exhaust brake. If you tow, that alone is worth the $3700 upgrade.

I will not get into a one brand is better, but for towing, when matched with identical loads, the diesel just flat out pulls. That's what they are designed for. I have my '06 Duramax, my brother in law has his 2013 GMC 2500HD with the 6.0 gasser. He tows a 10K, 30ft, 5th wheel, I pull a 12K 35ft 5th wheel. He cannot climb nearly as well as mine, nor can he control the load on down grades as well as mine. He overheats his brakes regularly, and that is using manual mode on his 6 spd transmission to keep the engine load high. He overheats his brakes, and I never have to touch mine on the same grade. Seriously. My EFI tuning, at 30hp over stock for tow tunes, (yes it still passes CA smog) enables my VGT to act as an exhaust brake exactly like the newer Duramaxes do.

If you drive a diesel truck like a gasser you will not be as impressed, but if you drive one like it was designed, you will be like me and never go back to gas. On the above trip with some friends, they were driving their 2015 30ft Nemar Class A motorhome. The were towing nothing, since I did all the side trip driving, they didn't need to drag around an extra 4000lbs (GM 1500's weigh 5,000 by the way, when one wonders why buy the Colorado over a 1500). We had his Nemar weighed loaded. He weigh slightly over 18K. My truck and trailer, loaded weigh about 1000lbs more. His Nemar has the Ford V10, and I can tell you neither me nor him were impressed with it in the hills. He traded in a 2008 Duramax and 30ft 5th wheel to go motorhome. He wanted diesel, but when the diesel models (not the same model that he got) had an MSRP almost 100 grand more, he backed off. A diesel was not offered in his model.

We traveled at speeds from 55-60 up to 70. Now to be totally fair, he was afraid to run his engine up the hills at 4000 rpm (would run it at 3500 though), but I told him that's where the torque was. His deal. I can tell you that in the hills I followed close to a 1/4 mile back, so I didn't have to slow way down to keep from running into him on EVERY hill. To think they put the same engine into a 35-36ft motorhome is pretty sad, IMHO.

 

[handirifle]

Oh yes the good part. My BIL gets 8 mpg pulling his 10K 5th wheel. My friend gets 7-8 with his 18K 30ft Nemar, I get 12.5 easily (including in the NM mountains). I used my truck for all side excursions. Those miles are about 400 miles of the total trip, that is a high estimate, but my overall combined mileage of 3240 miles with about 2800 of it towing I averaged 13.5.

Yea I would go diesel again.

 

[TomSeller]

I like the looks of them and the SIZE. Today's full size trucks are getting crazy big.

 

[wawajake]

I have a friend with the 1500 Ecoboost who bought it to pull his 6500# travel trailer. He raves about it. He gets close to 30 mpg without trailer and 18 with. The 1500 hemi he replaced was 18/8. He said the power is great, passing cars going uphill with the trailer and acceleration on on ramps to match the flow of traffic, etc.

BTW, someone commented about not listening to facts. DiamondPilot did not state facts he stated opinion of a third party, just like i did.

Thanks Prichard......some folks go out of their way to diss with anecdotes, heck some even start a specific thread in Trailers and Transportation Section to diss with anecdotes, sad really . I am glad there is a good variety of trucks that cover all sorts of demographics and uses. I don't drive a Dodge Ram (GMC now) but like Prichard, I can appreciate the engine choices Ram has.

 

[buickanddeere]

Admittedly I haven't read all the pages, only 4, but the tow rating takes in MANY factors, but one should realize that HP does not pull, torque pulls. The 2.8 Duramax is only rated 181hp, true, but it is rated 369lb ft of torque, at only 2000 rpm. That is why the rating is higher than even the 3.5L V6, which comes in at 7000. As a comparison my old Tundra (first gen) with the 4.7L V8 had only 330lb torque, and that was right at 4000 RPM.

Don't quote me on this part, but that is why it is backed by an 8 spd transmission, to keep it in it's torque band. As someone mentioned fuel prices here in CA are way more favorable for diesel. Diesels are not at "gone" as some might think. To prove that just look at ALL brands and diesel models coming to the US are on the rise, more each year, in fact. We just took a trip with some friends from CA central coast to Carlsbad, NM. 3200+ round trip. Diesel fuel prices on occasion were higher than regular gas, about 60% of the time they were either the same or favored diesel slightly.

In addition the little Duramax, like it's bigger brethrin. comes with factory exhaust brake. If you tow, that alone is worth the $3700 upgrade.

I will not get into a one brand is better, but for towing, when matched with identical loads, the diesel just flat out pulls. That's what they are designed for. I have my '06 Duramax, my brother in law has his 2013 GMC 2500HD with the 6.0 gasser. He tows a 10K, 30ft, 5th wheel, I pull a 12K 35ft 5th wheel. He cannot climb nearly as well as mine, nor can he control the load on down grades as well as mine. He overheats his brakes regularly, and that is using manual mode on his 6 spd transmission to keep the engine load high. He overheats his brakes, and I never have to touch mine on the same grade. Seriously. My EFI tuning, at 30hp over stock for tow tunes, (yes it still passes CA smog) enables my VGT to act as an exhaust brake exactly like the newer Duramaxes do.

If you drive a diesel truck like a gasser you will not be as impressed, but if you drive one like it was designed, you will be like me and never go back to gas. On the above trip with some friends, they were driving their 2015 30ft Nemar Class A motorhome. The were towing nothing, since I did all the side trip driving, they didn't need to drag around an extra 4000lbs (GM 1500's weigh 5,000 by the way, when one wonders why buy the Colorado over a 1500). We had his Nemar weighed loaded. He weigh slightly over 18K. My truck and trailer, loaded weigh about 1000lbs more. His Nemar has the Ford V10, and I can tell you neither me nor him were impressed with it in the hills. He traded in a 2008 Duramax and 30ft 5th wheel to go motorhome. He wanted diesel, but when the diesel models (not the same model that he got) had an MSRP almost 100 grand more, he backed off. A diesel was not offered in his model.

We traveled at speeds from 55-60 up to 70. Now to be totally fair, he was afraid to run his engine up the hills at 4000 rpm (would run it at 3500 though), but I told him that's where the torque was. His deal. I can tell you that in the hills I followed close to a 1/4 mile back, so I didn't have to slow way down to keep from running into him on EVERY hill. To think they put the same engine into a 35-36ft motorhome is pretty sad, IMHO.

The most torque does not reach the top of the mountain first . The most HP reaches the top of the mountain first . Most people don't even know the formula to calculate HP.

 

[buickanddeere]

Epa fuel mileage figures out for 2.8l Chevy Duramax.
2016 Chevy Colorado Duramax gets 31 mpg highway

There is no such thing as a 2.0, 2.8 and 3.0 Duramax . They are just a Fiat diesel built by VM Motori of Itally . Pasta and tomato sauce .
As for efficiently . There is no magic way to extract more energy from a gallon of diesel or gasoline than what exists . A diesel under full load makes between 15 to 20 HP per gallon per hour per gallon. A DI gasser 13-17 HP per gallon per hour. A gallon of diesel contains 1.13 times more btu's than gasoline . Mute point if diesel costs more than 1.13 times more than gasoline .
The only reason the U.S. has diesel's in the market . It because the rest of the world taxes gasoline as a luxury and prices gasoline 15-30% higher with only 88% of the energy of diesel. The diesel version of North American diesels are imported for those who still think it's 2006 or earlier.
At part throttle, reduced load cruising .the gasser can have higher thermal efficiency than the diesel. A gasser is better with light to medium duty , partly loaded at mid rpms. With the occasional full power sprint . Vs the diesel is better in HD application at full rated power at full rated rpms operated continuous for hours at a time .

 

[RAS323]

Admittedly I haven't read all the pages, only 4, but the tow rating takes in MANY factors, but one should realize that HP does not pull, torque pulls. The 2.8 Duramax is only rated 181hp, true, but it is rated 369lb ft of torque, at only 2000 rpm. That is why the rating is higher than even the 3.5L V6, which comes in at 7000. As a comparison my old Tundra (first gen) with the 4.7L V8 had only 330lb torque, and that was right at 4000 RPM.

Don't quote me on this part, but that is why it is backed by an 8 spd transmission, to keep it in it's torque band. As someone mentioned fuel prices here in CA are way more favorable for diesel. Diesels are not at "gone" as some might think. To prove that just look at ALL brands and diesel models coming to the US are on the rise, more each year, in fact. We just took a trip with some friends from CA central coast to Carlsbad, NM. 3200+ round trip. Diesel fuel prices on occasion were higher than regular gas, about 60% of the time they were either the same or favored diesel slightly.

In addition the little Duramax, like it's bigger brethrin. comes with factory exhaust brake. If you tow, that alone is worth the $3700 upgrade.

I will not get into a one brand is better, but for towing, when matched with identical loads, the diesel just flat out pulls. That's what they are designed for. I have my '06 Duramax, my brother in law has his 2013 GMC 2500HD with the 6.0 gasser. He tows a 10K, 30ft, 5th wheel, I pull a 12K 35ft 5th wheel. He cannot climb nearly as well as mine, nor can he control the load on down grades as well as mine. He overheats his brakes regularly, and that is using manual mode on his 6 spd transmission to keep the engine load high. He overheats his brakes, and I never have to touch mine on the same grade. Seriously. My EFI tuning, at 30hp over stock for tow tunes, (yes it still passes CA smog) enables my VGT to act as an exhaust brake exactly like the newer Duramaxes do.

If you drive a diesel truck like a gasser you will not be as impressed, but if you drive one like it was designed, you will be like me and never go back to gas. On the above trip with some friends, they were driving their 2015 30ft Nemar Class A motorhome. The were towing nothing, since I did all the side trip driving, they didn't need to drag around an extra 4000lbs (GM 1500's weigh 5,000 by the way, when one wonders why buy the Colorado over a 1500). We had his Nemar weighed loaded. He weigh slightly over 18K. My truck and trailer, loaded weigh about 1000lbs more. His Nemar has the Ford V10, and I can tell you neither me nor him were impressed with it in the hills. He traded in a 2008 Duramax and 30ft 5th wheel to go motorhome. He wanted diesel, but when the diesel models (not the same model that he got) had an MSRP almost 100 grand more, he backed off. A diesel was not offered in his model.

We traveled at speeds from 55-60 up to 70. Now to be totally fair, he was afraid to run his engine up the hills at 4000 rpm (would run it at 3500 though), but I told him that's where the torque was. His deal. I can tell you that in the hills I followed close to a 1/4 mile back, so I didn't have to slow way down to keep from running into him on EVERY hill. To think they put the same engine into a 35-36ft motorhome is pretty sad, IMHO.

You're preaching to the choir. My post you quoted was 100% sarcasm. I love having a diesel choice in a pickup (any brand)-especially a smallish one. Now if they'd just add a manual transmission option I'd be set.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a friend with the 1500 Ecoboost who bought it to pull his 6500# travel trailer. He raves about it. He gets close to 30 mpg without trailer and 18 with. The 1500 hemi he replaced was 18/8. He said the power is great, passing cars going uphill with the trailer and acceleration on on ramps to match the flow of traffic, etc. BTW, someone commented about not listening to facts. DiamondPilot did not state facts he stated opinion of a third party, just like i did.

I have a Ecoboost as does my father and uncle. None of us get close to those numbers. Mine has 3.73 gears and dads and uncles have 3.55

I get 21ish freeway, 17 town. I get between 9 and 16 towing. 9 is 10,400#, 16 car haul trailer with building materials.
They get 23ish freeway, 19 town.

Chris