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New "do everything" truck

tRustyK5

tRustyK5

Elbows up!
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We recently bought a 29' fifth wheel. My Sierra 1500 tows it fairly well, but is definitely at the upper limits of what it is rated for. I've been seeing the 6L80/90 has been a decent trans, but not perfect. Apparently the torque convertor is the weak link, and when it goes it takes out the rest of the trans. I would like to tow our 5'er without worrying about the truck too much, so I started looking for a HD replacement.

It's not the ideal time to buy anything, but I don't feel I want to gamble and wait the year or two it might take for the market to normalize. Prices are high, but trade in prices are high too...

I discussed the situation with the boss, and she was surprisingly receptive of the idea. So today we went pick-up shopping and found the new ride.

2018 GMC Denali K3500 SRW, with the L5P Duramax and Allison trans. Only has 24,000 miles on it. I don't normally buy anything with all the options, I guess I can't say that anymore. :D
PXL_20220115_210527240.jpgPXL_20220115_210542953.jpg

It's getting the full inspection and detailing on Monday, and we should have it on Wednesday.
 
Brother I have a 19 silverado 2500hd with 6.6 and Allison. Your going to love it my man. I am running a banks derringer on it for a bit more uff...if you know what I mean.
 
I get that anything can be bigger, badder, and faster...and I generally approve of all of that. However in this case I just "took a big bite" and would like to chew for a while rather than find new ways to empty my wallet. It's already quite sporty, especially considering it's size. It sorta needs tires, and by that I mean they're 50% or so and need a size up IMO. I have the cash for that, and to have my fifth hitch installed. I'm OK with stock performance for the time being.
 
I have a question for anyone that might know. Can Lane departure etc be turned off? Godamn if that didn't scare the bejabbers out of me on the test drive!
 
Holy hell, thats nice Rene’!
you think you can live with 910 right at the hit of the throttle?
I mean dam, I went from 360 to 600 and couldnt believe the difference going over the rockies. I cant imagine another 50% increase on top of what I’ve got now. Mines pushing 260k, so prob less than that 600 now, but still performs great!
That should be a forever truck!
 
tRustyK5 said:
I have a question for anyone that might know. Can Lane departure etc be turned off? Godamn if that didn't scare the bejabbers out of me on the test drive!
Click to expand...
I have an on/off button for that on my 21 Blazer, perhaps @ZooMad75 would know?
 
76zimmer said:
Holy hell, thats nice Rene’!
you think you can live with 910 right at the hit of the throttle?
I mean dam, I went from 360 to 600 and couldnt believe the difference going over the rockies. I cant imagine another 50% increase on top of what I’ve got now. Mines pushing 260k, so prob less than that 600 now, but still performs great!
That should be a forever truck!
Click to expand...
I experimented on the test drive, and I was impressed. I suspect it will really impress me when there is a load behind it...that's where it should really shine. My 1500's 5.3 has 383 ft lbs, at something like 4000 rpm. The L5P makes that 910 at 1600 rpm.

The 5.3 did really good towing our trailer, but needed 4000+ rpm on hills, and engine braking wasn't inspiring. The new truck is built for this purpose in spades while still being a decent commuter for me.
 
Once you’ve towed with a diesel, nothing else compares. Boggles my mind that my 01 Cummins with a box and injectors and a turbo was doing 400hp//1000ftlbs. Now you can get that with a warranty from the dealer.
 
You should be able to turn off lane departure. Might be on the row of switches in the center stack below the hvac controls or on the steering wheel. Can’t remember.

I’m guessing because it’s a Denali you got the “buzz” in the seat as a haptic warning. Can be a little startling if one didn’t know it was going to happen. Lol.
 
Our ‘17’s vibration/noise always spooked me if I hadn’t driven it in a while.
 
ZooMad75 said:
You should be able to turn off lane departure. Might be on the row of switches in the center stack below the hvac controls or on the steering wheel. Can’t remember.

I’m guessing because it’s a Denali you got the “buzz” in the seat as a haptic warning. Can be a little startling if one didn’t know it was going to happen. Lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was moving into a left turn lane well back from the intersection but without my turn signal on. Felt like a cattle prod up the rear end...

Definitely not an option I like. I really hate the babysitter options to be honest.

If it's one of the switches under the center stack , does that mean I need to manually turn it off everytime I get in the truck? On my 1500 the traction control/stabilitrack is like that. Default is "on" and annoying.
 
I completely agree with you. These trucks are quick on there feet for how heavy they are. I got a smoking deal on the derringer from a guy that went full on delete. That's how ni managed to purchase it.
 
I don’t think it defaults on. You might be able to kill it through personalization settings in the radio too. Can’t get to the owners manual without a computer and since mine is packed it will be Monday when I’m back at work to look it up.
 
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