I'm just starting some research on what truck to buy. I currently have an '01 1500 with just over 150K miles on it that I've had since new. I want to step up to a used 3/4 ton and am looking for advice and opinions. I'm thinking '07 - '10 range. Leaning a little towards the Sierra over the Silverado. My main debate is do I go with the Duramax, or the 6.0L gas motor?

 

In part it depends on what you want to do with it. If you are pulling a large trailer then go with the diesel. Other than that I think it's a toss up.

 

I suppose I should have given a little more information. Right now, I have nothing to tow. Every now and then I pull a little 10' landscaping trailer, but that's it. I hope to have a 27' offshore fishing boat at some point, but that may be nothing more than a pipe dream.

The main reason I want to go 3/4 ton is because when you need one you need one. I've set my 1/2 on the rear bump stops more times than I'd like to admit, but only for the rare times I get a load of top soil, stone, haul fill dirt etc.

For the most part this truck would be my wife's daily driver. She drives about 3 miles to work and I drive 35. So during the week I'm stuck with the Altima. But, I need a nice big truck for weekend fun.

 

I see nothing wrong with what your reasons are however you could add an add a leaf to the rear to help with those heavy loads or air bags but they are a lot more expensive like $800-$1000. An AAL is maybe $50 plus labor.

 

I added Rear air bags to my Sierra for about $200 if you do it with the manual air inflator valves- use a bile pump or stop at a gas station and use their tire inflator pump for like $.75

My setup was a bit more however as I added a WirelessAir inflator system by AirLift.

I originally thought I was going to need a 2500 truck to safely pull my Travel Trailer that my 2008 Sierra with the 5.3 engine struggled to do so. GM in the Sierra, maybe in Silverado too??? puts out a 1500 truck with a Max Trailering Pkg with bigger trans and a 6.2 liter engine putting out 403 HP and 420 torque. Thats more power than the 2500 truck with the 6.0 puts out, but due to the smaller frame on the 1500, the 2500 can pull more. I got that max trailering pack in my 2011 Sierra Crew SLE and it moves, and whoops on the Hemi Ram