RE: GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
..I like the Allison's Grade Braking feature for short hills but for long grades, I just don't get warm and fuzzy feelings about the Dmax doing 4000+ rpm...
I don't either. I saw 3500 rpm or so on my last trip in TH mode. I didn't like that.
So in manual you just shift into, say (Manual) 4th going down a long grade and keep the speed under control with the occasional brake application? In Manual the trans will not down shift going down the grade, right? I know it will up shift only to the manual gear you have selected.
RE: GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
With only 750 miles on it the Allison might still be learning. Once you start towing it probably won't seem like its hanging in the lower gears quite as much.
Ah, I think you are correct. I noticed that on my previous DMax, but had forgotten.
RE: GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
I run in TH mode all the time except for heading into or going down a steep grade. I don't feel the Ally shifts down quick enough heading into a grade so I shift to manual and shift down before I start the climb. Seems to work much better. I get between 11.5 and 13 mpg with our 16k lb 5er with 41k miles on it. Oil change...only when it says to. Most diesel mechanics will tell you that you're throwing your money away if you change it like your Grandpa's diesel. Mine goes between 8-10k miles between changes. More important on the changes is your fuel filter....
Thanks for that, Scott, especially this part "More important on the changes is your fuel filter....".
I replaced my previous 2004 DMax at 44k miles because my "Water in Fuel" DIC message was never displayed and it should have. I was ignorant of fuel filters until my truck started running odd - bucking around, noisy and wouldn't run above 2000 rpm. I took it to a Chevy Dealer in Florida who said my filter was clogged. He changed the filter and told me to "run it hard". About 100 miles later I was getting towed.......30 days later I paid a $6500 bill to another Chevy dealer.
Bottom line: If anyone reads this who is as woefully ignorant as I was, change your fuel filter about every 12k. You have to do that yourself, or watch someone else do it, as Chevy does NOT cover damage to your truck due to water in the fuel system. I no longer consider that my truck is warranted for anything to be honest about it. I did trade that 2004 Chevy after paying that $6500, which luckily was covered my my truck insurance - Three cheers for USAA insurance! Anyway, I traded because the previous DMax sounded a little off, and felt a little off, after the Florida dealer replaced most of the fuel system. I was never comfortable that "Mr Goodwrench" knew his elbow from his you-know-what. A new fuel filter obviously will not save an engine with 2 gallons of water in the fuel tank like I had, but it will alert you to the fact you OUGHT to get a warning on your DIC, and you probably will NOT get that warning - being knowledgeable about the filter, etc may help you avoid a costly repair bill.
By the way, even though I admit my ignorance, when the truck first started sounding and running oddly I immediately called Chevy Customer Service, who simply told me to take it to a Chevy dealer soon. I even asked if I should have it towed; they connected me to a nearby dealer who said "Nah, drive it in - no problem". That is the same place that changed the filter, charged my about $100 and told me to "run it hard".
Okay, rant mode off....;)
RE: GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
We just got back from a 6,500 mile trip with our new Duramax. When we were towing we had it in tow mode and just left it there. The Allison was a wonder, it held the speed both going up and coming down, even the long grade coming into Denver. Because of the cost of diesel we drove 55-60 and got 11.3 towing. Our rig comes in at about 11,500 pounds and I think the mileage will get better with time.
You are right for the manual, as of yet I've not found a need to use it, I just let the Allison in tow mode do it's thing.
One question I have is; when do you change the oil? Do you use the % indicator or change at 5,000 miles. This time I waited until I got home and it had the 6,500, but the indicator said I was at 45%.
Thanks for that feedback. You are now towing at the speed where I did with my previous 2004 DMax, and I got 11.4 mpg, however my FW weighs a little less that yours. So you are doing something right!:C Heck, there are just you and me running at that "slow" speed, so we can wave at each other when we pass each other some day!:B
On the past trip, the first 600 towing with the new truck, I found I went in and out of TH mode. I thought the Allison was staying in a lower gear more than was needed. But then again if I'm on a less winding and hilly road the TH might do well. My previous DMax, the 2004 with an Allison but without the current 6 gear, did not stay in high rpms/lower gear as much as the 2008 did last weekend on this same route. Not sure why, but I suspect the gearing differences were at work, and I'd be fine, MPG-wise, even leaving it in TH. But it bugged me, so I flipped it in and out of TH! :o
On the oil change issue, you will get my opinion, which is worth what you are paying me; nothing! I used to change the engine oil and filter, plus the Allison external spin on filter about every 4-5k, although I also checked the "Oil Life" on the DIC, which was usually about 40-60% before I reset it. I believe with the new truck and higher oil prices, however, I will wait until the Oil Life indicates a little higher; like maybe 70% before I change the oil and filters. However, my truck is used 95% for towing, so it sits around a bit in the winter. So I try to do a change before it goes into storage. I say storage, but even in the Nov-March period where it doesn't tow I still get 200 miles or so a month. I don't think it's good to get zero miles on it for 2-3 months.
You will also get different opinions on what oil to use. I use Shell Rotella. I use the non-synthetic in my truck and the synthetic in my motorcycles. I've been using those two for several trucks and motorcycles, and found no reason to change.
RE: GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
On my 06 3500 DMAX/Alley I leave it in drive and use the TH until it starts searching for gears, up and down shifting, then I use the Manual to hold it in the the lower gear till the road evens out.
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That sounds like a good plan. On my short trip of about 600 miles, I pretty much left it in TH. However, the terrain in which I was towing was full of hills and twists and turns - perfect for riding a motorcycle, but not for towing a FW! I found that I pushed it out of TH pretty often as it wanted to stay in a lower gear in conditions where I thought I'd be okay in a higher gear. So in those places I pushed the TH button to knock it out of TH. However, after reading your post I think I might try your technique.
I'm curious about my mileage but I don't plan on watching it too closely for another 5k or so. I averaged a little over 11 on the 600 mile trip, however about 80 miles of that was with the FW disconnected. I was expecting a lot worse under those conditions. My previous 2004 DMax got 11.4 mpg over about 6000 miles with this FW, but only about 2 trips were in the Ozarks, the rest was Memphis to Florida where my mileage ought to have been better.:C
RE: Chevy DMax built in brake controller setting?
Thanks, I have gotten some great info on the brake controller here. I towed with it last week and it worked for me very well.
Thanks to all of you who took the time to offer suggestions. I did finally get around to reading that section in the owner's manual again and the second read was more help that the first go 'round.
RE: Vehicle Prices
Just gotta watch those dealers! They wanted to give me a really low trade in on my 2004 DMax...."you know, with diesel prices so high right now we can't offer much", etc. I had to remind him I was trading it in on a NEW nearly $50,000 DMax on which he was reluctant to cut the price down to where I thought it ought to be. He said "oh, yeah, forgot about that"! :B
GMC/Chevy - Use of Tow-Haul or "Manual" with new Ally
I just bought a new DMax. Love it so far, but there are a few differences between it and my previous 04 DMax. I have not been able to figure out when it might make sense to use the Manual mode. I'm guessing when I want to ensure it won't shift gears up? My 04 had a "lock" where I could keep the Allison from going into overdrive. Or that was my understanding; I might have the terminology wrong. I drove that truck usually in Tow-Haul.
With the new truck the TH Allison really wants to stay in a lower gear that I think it needs to be. Much more so than the 04, but then again the old truck had one gear less, so maybe that's normal. Also, the 2008 truck only has about 750 miles on it, and I am trying to follow the Manual's recommendation to keep the speed under 50 mph. That's not been easy to do. I don't believe the Allison has been above 5th gear yet, and then only for a little while on a short level stretch.
So, anyone offer a suggestion when to use the Manual mode? The reading I've done indicates using Manual is not really a "manual" transmission, you just limit the top gear, but the Ally will still shift on its own up and down, just not up past the "gear" you selected (like M4). Correct?
FWIW, it LOOKS like my mileage MIGHT be not too bad towing. It is WAY too early to tell. I towed recently with a motorcycle trailer behind the FW and two kayaks on the truck's roof, and my DIC mileage was over 9 mph - which amazed me since I was going pretty slow and the road was twisty and hilly - not much opportunity to get into the high gears. But I am not counting on much yet - another 2000 miles or so towing and I'll track the MPGs - right now I'm afraid I'd scare myself so I've not calculated that - just glancing at the DIC readout.....which is probably a mistake!
RE: Chevy DMax built in brake controller setting?
For FYI, I started using 6.0 with my new truck but now I'm using 7.0. That feels like the most natural to me so far. Man, that built in controller is TOPS!
RE: Chevy DMax built in brake controller setting?
adVentureman,
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The point of all of this is that you need to adjust the controller so that you have a controlled system where the trailer is contributing to the braking force and not leading the truck, or the truck is not suppling all of the braking.
Best way to do this is take it out on a road or really large parking lot and experiment a bit.
Roger that, sir. Makes sense. I misunderstood what you wrote the first time. I'm looking forward to towing for the first time later this week. But it will be hard to tow slowly during the recommended break in period! Heck, I tow slow enough as it is!
RE: 5th wheel hitch-which one?
........
I am looking to purchase a new 5'ver, the gvw is @ 13.8. I want a flat floor in the truck, no rails. I want a Jaw on the 5th wheel plate to have the fewest moving parts, and if possable self adjusting, to reduce the rocking back and forth. Also a rocker head.
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I have a RBW model called a "l'il Rocker" - it's a 2001 model. It has the "bar" you mention below, which might be the model with which you said you were not impressed. Not sure why, I sure like mine. Sure makes checking to see if the hitch is "locked" easy. It does have the tilting head which I have found is very nice. This model also have few moving parts, but I'm not sure why that's an issue?
I'm curious why you want a totally flat bed with the hitch removed? The rails on mine are only 1/2 inch high or so. I take my hitch out a lot, as I'm usually hauling kayaks in the bed once we get to where we are going. Those rails don't interfere with that task. I'm just curious what you plan on putting back there?
Thanks.
RE: Triple towing
..... In most states they are considered a load carrying vehicle extension and are not licensed or registered as they are considered part of the vehicle they are attached to. .....
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg219/jauguston/One%20wheel%20trailer/Trlr-GenBox008.jpg
Jim
In many states they are NOT considered an "extension", darn it. I tried desperately to figure out how to get a motorcycle and my FW down to Florida from my home in Tennessee. I seriously considered the Swivel Wheel, but after a lot of research decided it wouldn't be worth it. Even the folks at Swivel Wheel admitted it violated FL law, although they also said many customers used them in FL, they just stayed off the main roads! :B
RE: Triple towing
What are you going to tow the MH with as this would be triple towing, what you are thinking about is just double towing.
One does not count the tow vehicle (the one that does the towing), the law on double/triple towing varies from state to state.
Not always. For some reason what he is considering is sometimes called "triple towing", and sometimes called "double towing". Depends on the state I suppose.
RE: Triple towing
I am in need of info, on the laws of towing triple......
Here are a couple. It's smart to verify with the actual state's DOT just to be sure the info is current:
Towing Laws Listed by States
and this one
RV Advice Travel Pages
I "triple tow" a lot, also in some places called "double towing". There are a number of issues about which you need to educate yourself in general:
Hitch - If you are considering towing a trailer/vehicle behind your FW many FW rear bumpers and frame cannot safely take much more than maybe 200 lbs. I have a Class III hitch welded on the back of my FW below, and also my previous FW. However, I only tow a motorcycle trailer which weighs about 1000 lbs. The hitch weight is maybe 100 lbs.
Rear View - When I tow my mc trailer behind my FW I cannot see it. Having a flat, etc back there would be disastrous! So I installed a camera on the back of the FW with a monitor in the truck. Works very well, I'll never tow a FW without a rear view camera, even if not towing a trailer behind. It's a real safely feature. Here is one source for rear view systems.
Maneuvering - You cannot back up a FW with a trailer behind it. So, you need to be picky with fuel stops. Truck stops are wonderful because they have straight in approaches, etc. They are easy to enter and exit. However, if your tow vehicle is a gasser, the truck stop is not a solution sometimes. Worse comes to worse (and I have done this), you just unhook the mc trailer, push it out of the way (easy to do - it's light), back the FW and away we go.
RE: 2007 Silverado Tire Pressure Alert
.........He is constantly messing with the tires before they leave and then if one is at 37 and the others at 35 while driving he gets upset. He is driving the poor woman crazy with this thing.
...... Last weekend she said he just checked them once on a 140 mile round trip, and did not comment to her on the readings.
I understand how he feels! I am just getting used to the pressure read out with my new truck. I do check the pressure with a gauge prior to trips, but having the info on the dash I think is nice. I'd probably cycle through the info on the DCI every day at least once. However, having checked it with a gauge I would not get too concerned unless the pressure starts going down to under the cold setting I did at the start of the trip. I have VERY limited experience with the system since my truck has only 550 miles on it now.
Your dad will probably get tired of checking the pressure on the DIC, and as long as he cold-checks the psi he'll be fine. Heck, I used to drive myself nuts by checking the Average and Instantaneous MPG on the DIC on my 2004 Chevy! :o
RE: 2007 Silverado Tire Pressure Alert
......If you are running substantially under the 6084# you can reduce your pressures a little.
For example I run close to 5000# on my rear axle. (LT245/75R16 tires)
According to this chart, I am OK at 60psi when loaded and 35psi when not. (Rear axle is carrying under 3000#). I actually run 65psi and 40psi for the two conditions.
I run 45 psi front under both conditions as the weight on that axle does not change.
Keith, I tend to trust your information after looking at your signature line!:C => "Keith J, Retired from GM Engineering"
I have a new 2008 DMax with the tire pressure info on the DIC. I won't tow for the first time until this weekend, but I filled the rear tires to the max GVWR for my 265/17 inch tires. I forget now, but I think that was 72 psi. I was surprised that the pressure varied maybe 5 lbs or so when I then took a 100 mile trip (I was breaking in the engine). I wonder at what pressure differential the DCI will give a warning message. That figure is probably in the owner's manual, but I don't recall. I figure as long as it's not a LOW Pressure warning I'll ignore it as long as I have recently checked the tires with a gauge when they are cool.
With my previous truck, again a DMax, I had the 16 inch tires, and the max GVWR rear pressure was 80 lbs. I never decreased it when not towing. Mainly because I rarely use the truck for non-towing duties, but also because when I did decrease it I did not note much improvement in ride. So I just left the pressure at 80 psi all the time.
RE: What are you towing with and what is your MPG
I don't have any mpg numbers on the new 2008 Duramax (below), but with my previous truck that was about the same (DMax, Ext cab, 4wd) I got 11.4 mpg overall towing the Cruiser FW during the last 12 months.
I drive like a slow, old lady. :B Doesn't hurt my feelings at all! I'm retired and not in a hurry anymore (usually!) I put the cruise on and set it to 58-59 mph, which kept the rpms on the diesel about 1800. I heard that was an efficient speed at which to tow. Up until about a year ago I towed slightly faster at 63 mph, and my mileage was a hair less. I don't recall but I think it was 11.0.
