Truck question

[Big Block Power]

Thanks to all that have chimed in. I have called 3 of the top rated "driveline" shops in my area and so far, haven't had a call back as to schedule an inspection. Called on dealer and they want $77 flat fee to look at the truck regardless of what they find.

Here's hoping I can get someone to actually call me back.

I am not advocating to go to the dealer for work - but any reputable shop is going to charge a diagnostic fee. It's usually a hour of labor, $77 is reasonable.

Totally agree that $77 is not unreasonable for a diagnostic fee. I have been in contact with a shop that specializes in driveline components and repair that is highly reviewed and has been in business since '73. Best guess over the phone is bad carrier bearings in the differential (can't remember exactly what he said now). Assuming that is what it is, he quoted about $280 for parts and $600 for labor. No clue if that' s good or bad. Obviously if something else is found, then it's game on.

$1000 I could swallow on a repair vs a new truck. After that, who knows

Sailor just be ready for $1500.00 at a lower rate that helps. Heck $77 is almost half of what we charge.

[sailor55330]

I am not advocating to go to the dealer for work - but any reputable shop is going to charge a diagnostic fee. It's usually a hour of labor, $77 is reasonable.

Totally agree that $77 is not unreasonable for a diagnostic fee. I have been in contact with a shop that specializes in driveline components and repair that is highly reviewed and has been in business since '73. Best guess over the phone is bad carrier bearings in the differential (can't remember exactly what he said now). Assuming that is what it is, he quoted about $280 for parts and $600 for labor. No clue if that' s good or bad. Obviously if something else is found, then it's game on.

$1000 I could swallow on a repair vs a new truck. After that, who knows

Sailor just be ready for $1500.00 at a lower rate that helps. Heck $77 is almost half of what we charge.

Yeah, I know...bend over, grab, ankles, etc.

[Big Block Power]

Totally agree that $77 is not unreasonable for a diagnostic fee. I have been in contact with a shop that specializes in driveline components and repair that is highly reviewed and has been in business since '73. Best guess over the phone is bad carrier bearings in the differential (can't remember exactly what he said now). Assuming that is what it is, he quoted about $280 for parts and $600 for labor. No clue if that' s good or bad. Obviously if something else is found, then it's game on.

$1000 I could swallow on a repair vs a new truck. After that, who knows

Sailor just be ready for $1500.00 at a lower rate that helps. Heck $77 is almost half of what we charge.

Yeah, I know...bend over, grab, ankles, etc.

No it's fair labor hard work. Not anybody can do it. I just hope they get it the first time. I just see another thread after this. Sure $400 bucks but then $1500.00 later and it's done right. Myself do it all right away and be done. Been there done that. Just my heads up. I think it's time for a Yukon Denali or Escalade baby. 6.2 and go.

[NautiGirl]

18_FRD_EPD_203_Platinum.jpg

[NautiGirl]

Sailor just be ready for $1500.00 at a lower rate that helps. Heck $77 is almost half of what we charge.

Yeah, I know...bend over, grab, ankles, etc.

No it's fair labor hard work. Not anybody can do it. I just hope they get it the first time. I just see another thread after this. Sure $400 bucks but then $1500.00 later and it's done right. Myself do it all right away and be done. Been there done that. Just my heads up. I think it's time for a Yukon Denali or Escalade baby. 6.2 and go.

I would be curious how much available payload a fully loaded Denali or Escalade have. In the F150 world as you bump up to the higher trim levels you also start to run out of GVWR. For example, I have seen lightly optioned XLT F150s with 2000+lbs of payload. My Platinum (humblebrag) is at 1546. Massaging seats and sun roofs are expensive (humblebrag). Check the little yellow sticker.

I get away with it because its just Katie and I, but if we had to load up a family it would be close to overloaded. Our boat tongue weight is 525lbs and its about the same weight as your R3, just as a reference.

[sailor55330]

I know you're absolutely right BBP...it's not an easy job and does require knowledge and experience without question. And yes, I would do whatever it takes to make it right the first time. I learned that a long time ago.

I have to admit, the Yukon Denali is a very nice looking vehicle. I haven't been in one, so I'd have to see the interior-GM interiors never really stood out to me. I drove an Escalade rental not too long ago and while it was a very nice vehicle, it didn't really jump out to me. I thought the seats were terrible and honestly, it seemed a little slow when I punched it. I couldn't see spending 6 figures on one personally.

From a payload perspective: Denali: It has a payload of 1535. The Expy as a reference has 1756. (yes, I have been looking) (My Sequoia is about 1360 and is definitely a little short)

On paper, yes, the Expy wins by a small margin, but I have had multiple older generation Expys (1998, 2001 2003, 2005) and the got worse as they got newer, with the 3rd suffering a major engine failure at 36k. I know it's a new generation, but I don't think I can bring myself to go back to another one. No question the Ecoboost produces a lot of power, but I'm still not convinced of the longevity, plus the towing mileage isn't very good, which is what I'll be doing with it 90% of the time. On the flip side, the 6.2 gets a little better mileage when towing, but not as good when not, plus it has active cylinder management (I think), which seems to have it's own set of demons in some cases.

I wish a truck would work as that would save me $$$, but I'm fooling myself to think it would. I hate the internet---it gives you all you want to know and leaves you wanting more with unanswered questions/confusion at the same time.

I think I'm supposed to say "I'm going to find a lemonade now".... Thanks for the ear.

[NautiGirl]

I know you're absolutely right BBP...it's not an easy job and does require knowledge and experience without question. And yes, I would do whatever it takes to make it right the first time. I learned that a long time ago.

I have to admit, the Yukon Denali is a very nice looking vehicle. I haven't been in one, so I'd have to see the interior-GM interiors never really stood out to me. I drove an Escalade rental not too long ago and while it was a very nice vehicle, it didn't really jump out to me. I thought the seats were terrible and honestly, it seemed a little slow when I punched it. I couldn't see spending 6 figures on one personally.

From a payload perspective: Denali: It has a payload of 1535. The Expy as a reference has 1756. (yes, I have been looking) (My Sequoia is about 1360 and is definitely a little short)

On paper, yes, the Expy wins by a small margin, but I have had multiple older generation Expys (1998, 2001 2003, 2005) and the got worse as they got newer, with the 3rd suffering a major engine failure at 36k. I know it's a new generation, but I don't think I can bring myself to go back to another one. No question the Ecoboost produces a lot of power, but I'm still not convinced of the longevity, plus the towing mileage isn't very good, which is what I'll be doing with it 90% of the time. On the flip side, the 6.2 gets a little better mileage when towing, but not as good when not, plus it has active cylinder management (I think), which seems to have it's own set of demons in some cases.

I wish a truck would work as that would save me $$$, but I'm fooling myself to think it would. I hate the internet---it gives you all you want to know and leaves you wanting more with unanswered questions/confusion at the same time.

I think I'm supposed to say "I'm going to find a lemonade now".... Thanks for the ear.

Not to confuse things, but if you are towing 90% of the time you are doing heavy duty truck work - I would be in a diesel 3/4 Ton. The new crew cabs are huge, I can almost stand up in the back of mine. You will appreciate the larger truck and the towing experience should overall be night and day better. Also, you get heavy duty truck things like full float axles and a much larger rear differential. You know, because towing can be hard on the drive-train. Too Soon? Sorry had to.

[sailor55330]

Nope. Not too soon, but duly noted and logged for future reference. Lol.

And be sure to consider that yes I’m towing 90% of the time but still only driving 5-6k a year and only towing the boat. As evidence, it’s a 2008 with 84k and was my primary driver for 5 years now it’s #3 in the stable

[mdadgar]

I towed my race trailer with a 2007 Escalade ESV back in the day. It was a terrible tow vehicle. They made the suspension so soft to get a decent ride out of it that the trailer moved it all over the place. Power was fine, but the mileage was abysmal.

I would hope the newer ones with adaptive suspension are better.

- Mark

[Tuscany]

I currently own a 2500HD GMC truck. My wife drives a Yukon Denali 6.2L 8 speed. I towed our old boat with it once, and never again. Plenty of power, low stability and braking. Her SUV has the air leveling from the factory that lifted the truck lever, but it was squirrelly at speed compared to my truck.

SUVs come with a trailer hitch and a tow rating, and maybe adequate power. The suspension issue may be the best indicator of what you should tow, and what is too heavy. This thread really exposes the items that are not as apparent, like braking power and ring and pinion capabilities. Stress and overheating will expose a rear end gear set to an early breakdown.

Look at the difference between the rear end and brakes of an F-150, an F-250 and an F-350. All are different. That is what you are buying when you buy a heavy duty tow machine. You won’t come close to that kind of durability and capability with an SUV.
So be careful to not overload.

[tbully]

I currently own a 2500HD GMC truck. My wife drives a Yukon Denali 6.2L 8 speed. I towed our old boat with it once, and never again. Plenty of power, low stability and braking. Her SUV has the air leveling from the factory that lifted the truck lever, but it was squirrelly at speed compared to my truck.

SUVs come with a trailer hitch and a tow rating, and maybe adequate power. The suspension issue may be the best indicator of what you should tow, and what is too heavy. This thread really exposes the items that are not as apparent, like braking power and ring and pinion capabilities. Stress and overheating will expose a rear end gear set to an early breakdown.

Look at the difference between the rear end and brakes of an F-150, an F-250 and an F-350. All are different. That is what you are buying when you buy a heavy duty tow machine. You won’t come close to that kind of durability and capability with an SUV.
So be careful to not overload.

Well said. I'm forced to pull my R7 with our '17 Denali (standard length) for now. I'm hoping GM's capacity increases with the new SUV due out in the next year or so. If that doesn't happen, I'll have to move to a pickup - either 1/2 or 3/4 - unsure yet.

I've pulled trailers for most of my "driving life". In my opinion, the Denali is still safe if you take care in fuel-load, cargo, human-count, and speed. But it is at the upper-limit of safety (to me) and that's the problem. I'm considering adding the Brembo Brake kit to the current truck to help get me by until the next purchase. (That won't solve the GVWR shortcomings, relatively lightweight drivetrain, etc - of course)

[Tuscany]

Tbully,
I’m not sure how long you are keeping your boat or trailer, but you might think about investing money into your trailer instead of the Yukon that you may be trading away.

Consider buying a electric over hydraulic braking system for the trailer. Much more control and instantly reactive.
I know you have probably read a million times about people claiming there is so much power that they don’t even know they are towing a trailer.
Seriously, when braking, I honestly don’t think my braking distance has changed at all when towing with my E/H braking system. It was roughly a $1,200 upgrade when I specced our trailer build, but braking is the greatest potential liability issue when towing anything, and it’s easily mitigated with the right equipment. Well worth every cent.

[akorcovelos]

The new gen Expy has some nice gadgets to try and get around the shortcomings of being basically a low rated 1/2 ton pickup, like the integrated trailer system with sway controls and built in brake controller, but even with that, it squats and needs to work harder than I like to pull our 252. The difference between that and my 20 year old 3/4 ton diesel is night and day. Bottom line, if the primary use for a vehicle is towing, whether it's 5k miles a year or 50k miles a year, you should be in a 3/4-1 ton truck. I only put around 2-3k a year on my SuperDuty, but it all either pulling the boat, camper, or taking the dogs hunting. I look at it as a cost of the hobbies I choose to do.

[tbully]

Tbully,
I’m not sure how long you are keeping your boat or trailer, but you might think about investing money into your trailer instead of the Yukon that you may be trading away.

Consider buying a electric over hydraulic braking system for the trailer. Much more control and instantly reactive.
I know you have probably read a million times about people claiming there is so much power that they don’t even know they are towing a trailer.
Seriously, when braking, I honestly don’t think my braking distance has changed at all when towing with my E/H braking system. It was roughly a $1,200 upgrade when I specced our trailer build, but braking is the greatest potential liability issue when towing anything, and it’s easily mitigated with the right equipment. Well worth every cent.

Completely agree. I'm a huge fan of EOH. This trailer has surge which is surprisingly responsive relative to past trailers but there's nothing like having that in-cab control and sensitivity of electronics/systems integrated with your brakes. I haven't found a shop locally that will help me tackle the conversion but it is still on my radar.

[NautiGirl]

Tbully,
I’m not sure how long you are keeping your boat or trailer, but you might think about investing money into your trailer instead of the Yukon that you may be trading away.

Consider buying a electric over hydraulic braking system for the trailer. Much more control and instantly reactive.
I know you have probably read a million times about people claiming there is so much power that they don’t even know they are towing a trailer.
Seriously, when braking, I honestly don’t think my braking distance has changed at all when towing with my E/H braking system. It was roughly a $1,200 upgrade when I specced our trailer build, but braking is the greatest potential liability issue when towing anything, and it’s easily mitigated with the right equipment. Well worth every cent.

Completely agree. I'm a huge fan of EOH. This trailer has surge which is surprisingly responsive relative to past trailers but there's nothing like having that in-cab control and sensitivity of electronics/systems integrated with your brakes. I haven't found a shop locally that will help me tackle the conversion but it is still on my radar.

Good help is hard to find these days. A EOH conversion is on my list of things to do as well. T555555555555000000000000 promised he would come help, but so far that hasn't happened.