Choosing a member of the Chevy 1500 family

ocalhoun

I'm thinking of replacing my jeep with something in the Chevy 1500 family, to include everything from a simple 1500 chevy pickup to an avalanche to a GMC suburban. The reason for choosing a chevy 1500 is because I know that they are very dependable and have decent durability.
(Modern Fords are too fragile, I don't trust Dodge engines, and imports don't have enough history to know if they are dependable for V8's.)

I'm going to be using it for commuting and daily driving, and the roads are often snowy and icy and/or unpaved, so 4x4 is a must. My price range is around $3,000 to $10,000 though I might go over that for a particularly impressive truck. Why the big gas guzzler? I need something that will be able to confidently tow my trail rig on a trailer. I don't need a whole lot of luxury in it, nor do I need the seating of a suburban, but I'm looking at everything, including decked-out yukons.

So, what member of the chevy 1500 family would you reccomend?

coreymanshack

hummer010

Mines not a 1500, but it's still largely the same truck. I've got an '04 2500 non-HD extended cab short box, and I really like it. The main difference between the light duty 2500 and the 1500 is the 6.0L engine, the rear end and the springs.

I've always been partial to the extended cab short boxes ever since they came out (89 I think it was). The choice between Suburban and truck is really personal preference. The Sub's are nice for passenger space. If you get the third row seating, you can fit 6 passengers in comfort, and 9 in a squeeze. With a truck, you've got more towing options, and better cargo handling at the expense of passengers. I wouldn't want to put adults in the back seat of my truck for too long. Kids fit a little better, but the seat back is just a little too vertical for true comfort. My next truck will probably be a crew cab. I prefer the look of the extended cab, but the extra back seat comfort is going to out weigh looks.

If you're planning on doing any hardcore wheeling or really large tires, the IFS can be a bit of a weak spot. Lot's of folks looking for a wheeling truck swap in a solid front axle instead.

If you can, try and get the 350 (5.7L). The 305 (5.3L) isn't a bad engine by any means, but it isn't good enough on fuel to justify the lack of power compared to the 350. And really, is there such a thing as too much power? There's tons of aftermarket stuff available for the 350 as well, which is nice.

It will handle a little different than the Jeep. My 2500, empty, weighs in at around 6,000 lbs. A half-ton will weigh a bit less, but not a whole lot. It's big and heavy. It sticks to road pretty good, but when it breaks loose - it takes a lot to stop it. The real problem with the big heavy 4x4 is that once you get it stuck, it's really stuck.

(That one actually wasn't too bad - I managed to work it out with only minor digging. I got it really stuck last weekend, and had to yank it out with my '84 beater. I didn't take any pictures of that though)

Warning: If you buy a truck, once you get you used to all the cargo space, it is really, really difficult to ever stop owning a truck.

coreymanshack

ocalhoun

hummer010

Triple_7

Chevy 1500-2500 is a good choice. Quite dependable and now very affordable.

I started out with 2 different 89 Fords, first a Bronco II, and then an F-150 long bed. Both were in near perfect condition body wise...but the engines developed a daily fix it habit. Bronco had nearly 300K miles so I understood it. But the F-150 only had 75K miles and the 351 engine blew about 5 months after I bought it. Will never go back to a Ford. That F-150 was well maintained before I bought it, but first time I went to pull a decently loaded trailer the engine blew.

Picked up a 97 Chevy 2500 4x4, extended cab, short bed, 350 Vortec engine a few months ago. Only $6,000 and its in great condition body wise with no rust. Now has 100,700 miles on it, runs like a dream. Only a few minor things that needed fixed. First it was the alternator...but it had set at the dealership for a few months, bringing it home at midnight, an hour from my house it left me stranded. Then more recently the water pump needed replaced. But other then that its been the best truck I've owned so far. Took a 250 mile drive to southern Michigan to get it, and one backtrack the next morning to put a new alternator in it. But since then I've loved it and plan to keep it for many years to come. Pulls heavily loaded trailers like they don't exist when taking off from a stop. Handles nicely in the snow.

Gas guzzler depends on the driving habits. Under a heavy load I get around 12-15mpg highway, empty gets around 15-20mpg highway.

New vehicles of any kind have to interest to me...to many electronics and its a lot harder to work on them yourself. But an 04 Chevy 2500HD I looked at did catch my eye till I saw the price tag Shocked

That thing had more gadgets then I would ever know what to do with Laughing

hummer010

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