New to us Tow vehicle

TravelTiger · Jan 1, 2019

We loved our 2013 GMC 3500 DRW Denail we bought used in 2015. But it must have had a few gremlins. It seemed nearly every trip we've taken in the last year, we've had to deal with some sensor giving us fits. After replacing some this fall, we decided it was time to upgrade.

We still love the look, power and features of the GMC, so we looked again for something similar, but newer. To fit our budget, we went with a 2016 GMC 3500 DRW SLT. It has most of the features of our previous truck, plus many more. We opted to let our aux tank go in the sale, so we'll be looking for ideas on a replacement, and we'll need to change out the running boards for the wheel-to-wheel nerf bars we had before.

The truck we found was in Oklahoma. We drove 4 hours there, spent 2.5 hours making the sale and then 4 hours home.

The truck's name is "Norman." He's done a great job hauling our "Mammoth" to Angel Fire, New Mexico. Even utilizing 4x4 in the snow!

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NYSUPstater · Jan 2, 2019

Nice Looking truck !!!! Not sure how she will do w/o the 5er attached in snow, but mine is a work in progress. Like yourselves, I don't care for the tube steps 1 bit. This truck and last one, came w/ them and didn't stay on for more than 2 weeks after it came home. Running boards instead. However, I cannot find box boards to match. Years ago you could, but not today. Grrrrr......

Before getting my Fords, Had 3 GMC's prior. Always felt they looked soooooo much nicer than the Chevy's. Was told that the GMC's are a notch above Chevy, therefore, you'll always find that GMC may have a lil more add ons as std or not avail to Chevy.

Good luck w/ your new ride!!!

cookie · Jan 2, 2019

NYSUPstater said:
Was told that the GMC's are a notch above Chevy,

Good luck w/ your new ride!!!

GMC uses lock washers.
My last three trucks were GMC, loved em all.

Peace
Dave

carl.swoyer · Jan 2, 2019

NYSUPstater said:
Nice Looking truck !!!! Not sure how she will do w/o the 5er attached in snow, but mine is a work in progress. Like yourselves, I don't care for the tube steps 1 bit. This truck and last one, came w/ them and didn't stay on for more than 2 weeks after it came home. Running boards instead. However, I cannot find box boards to match. Years ago you could, but not today. Grrrrr......

Before getting my Fords, Had 3 GMC's prior. Always felt they looked soooooo much nicer than the Chevy's. Was told that the GMC's are a notch above Chevy, therefore, you'll always find that GMC may have a lil more add ons as std or not avail to Chevy.

Good luck w/ your new ride!!!

GMC and Chevy trucks are running the exact same chassis and drive Tran. The main difference I believe is cosmetic.

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NYSUPstater · Jan 2, 2019

carl.swoyer said:
GMC and Chevy trucks are running the exact same chassis and drive Tran. The main difference I believe is cosmetic.

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This is true. When we purchased our last one in 1990, the salesman told me that many years before, GMC was always a more HD truck than Chevy. However, as years went by, they became more similar but the edge is always towards GMC as the better of the 2. May be a radio (example he gave me), but still he insisted that the edge is still in GMC's favor. That being said, I've never priced out a new exact same GMC/Chevy, but would be willing to bet the GMC is a higher priced truck. Plus, GMC I believe has a higher resale value then Chevy, but I could be very wrong.

JohnDar · Jan 2, 2019

You kept your set of stainless steel nerf bars, didn't you? I had kept the OEM steps and hardware for my truck and gave them to a friend a couple of months ago for his new truck (SRW) with the crew cab. Fit like a charm since all the mounting holes were already there, in the same locations.

carl.swoyer · Jan 2, 2019

NYSUPstater said:
This is true. When we purchased our last one in 1990, the salesman told me that many years before, GMC was always a more HD truck than Chevy. However, as years went by, they became more similar but the edge is always towards GMC as the better of the 2. May be a radio (example he gave me), but still he insisted that the edge is still in GMC's favor. That being said, I've never priced out a new exact same GMC/Chevy, but would be willing to bet the GMC is a higher priced truck. Plus, GMC I believe has a higher resale value then Chevy, but I could be very wrong.

I think resale value is best described as a perceived value.
In other words I just sold my 05 Silverado HD Crew cab long bed LLY Duramax Allison for $15,000.00 with 237,000 miles. Maybe I could have gotten more? But I think I did ok as I paid 26 k with 32000 miles on it and drove it for 12 years.

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Matt750 · Jan 2, 2019

Nice looking truck and trailer! Not trying to take away from the thread, but since you mentioned side steps, I thought I would mention Tough Country Bumpers. They are an outfit out of El Campo, Texas. I have their "running board dually" side step/running boards on my Dodge/Ram truck. Installed them a few months after I bought my truck in '14. Holding up really well.

TravelTiger · Jan 2, 2019

JohnDar said:
You kept your set of stainless steel nerf bars, didn't you? I had kept the OEM steps and hardware for my truck and gave them to a friend a couple of months ago for his new truck (SRW) with the crew cab. Fit like a charm since all the mounting holes were already there, in the same locations.

No John, we didn't. Made the sale pretty quickly due to timing, so we decided to let them go with the truck. One was actually slightly bent due to an encounter with a railroad-tie barrier in an rv park. 8)

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TravelTiger · Jan 2, 2019

NYSUPstater said:
This is true. When we purchased our last one in 1990, the salesman told me that many years before, GMC was always a more HD truck than Chevy. However, as years went by, they became more similar but the edge is always towards GMC as the better of the 2. May be a radio (example he gave me), but still he insisted that the edge is still in GMC's favor. That being said, I've never priced out a new exact same GMC/Chevy, but would be willing to bet the GMC is a higher priced truck. Plus, GMC I believe has a higher resale value then Chevy, but I could be very wrong.

While we were looking at used, we found GMC's were higher-priced than Chevy's for equivalent trim, same year and similar miles.

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avvidclif · Jan 4, 2019

Not a TV but when we were shopping for a new car we were looking at the Chev Equinox and the GMC equivalent. Both were the LTZ package. Only difference we could find was the GMC leather seats had a logo on it (NA on Chev) and a few bling items that didn't add up to abt $3k difference.

JohnD · Jan 4, 2019

According to the TV commercials...GMC is "Professional Grade"...

Apparently Chevy's are not...

CoveredWagon · Jan 4, 2019

And you won’t feel as bad when you put a ding in the Chevy. Don’t ask 😡

JohnD · Jan 4, 2019

CoveredWagon said:
And you won’t feel as bad when you put a ding in the Chevy. Don’t ask 😡

I know about that...

Got $3000 worth of hail dings when mine had less than 1000 miles on it...they are still there.

Plus, got two in the tailgate last spring while at an HOC rally getting a wash and wax on the truck and Prowler when the wind blew the wash & waxers step ladder into the back of my truck.

They are still there as well...

It is a truck...oh well!

CoveredWagon · Jan 4, 2019

JohnD said:
I know about that...

Got $3000 worth of hail dings when mine had less than 1000 miles on it...they are still there.

Plus, got two in the tailgate last spring while at an HOC rally getting a wash and wax on the truck and Prowler when the wind blew the wash & waxers step ladder into the back of my truck.

They are still there as well...

It is a truck...oh well!

Like my daughter says as taken from the Chevy tv commercial, “it’s just another story” 😁

NYSUPstater · Jan 4, 2019

avvidclif said:
Not a TV but when we were shopping for a new car we were looking at the Chev Equinox and the GMC equivalent. Both were the LTZ package. Only difference we could find was the GMC leather seats had a logo on it (NA on Chev) and a few bling items that didn't add up to abt $3k difference.

Further backs up my statement that years ago, there was a major difference between GMC/Chevy with GMC always getting "more of "X"" or the edge always will be towards GMC. Now-a-days, the edge is still there, just not as much. Is it due in part perhaps that there are fewer GMC's sold vs Chevy hence the price gap??? Just hard to believe that the same trucks pretty much, can roll off same assembly line and yet one costs more than the other.

Geodude · Jan 4, 2019

I've been reading that GM is going to try to go back to creating more differences between the GMC truck and the Chevy truck. I guess time will tell.

Here in Canada, GMC outsells Chevy, opposite to the US.

CoveredWagon · Jan 4, 2019

Geodude said:
I've been reading that GM is going to try to go back to creating more differences between the GMC truck and the Chevy truck. I guess time will tell.

Here in Canada, GMC outsells Chevy, opposite to the US.

We poor people live south of the border 😉

NYSUPstater · Jan 4, 2019

coveredwagon said:
we poor people live south of the border 😉

roflmao !!!

carl.swoyer · Jan 5, 2019

NYSUPstater said:
Further backs up my statement that years ago, there was a major difference between GMC/Chevy with GMC always getting "more of "X"" or the edge always will be towards GMC. Now-a-days, the edge is still there, just not as much. Is it due in part perhaps that there are fewer GMC's sold vs Chevy hence the price gap??? Just hard to believe that the same trucks pretty much, can roll off same assembly line and yet one costs more than the other.

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