2021 GM 2500HD vs 3500HD ride

[mbaldridge]

We're going to be ordering a 2021 Sierra HD 6.6 gas soon, we have it all spec'd out but the only question left is 2500 or 3500. I understand they're identical except for the rear springs. We'll likely be upgrading the TT in a couple of years and while I don't see us ever getting a monster and I prefer TT vs 5er the cost difference to go to a 3500 is minimal. This truck will be used as a DD quite a bit so my question is for anyone with a 2020 or 21 Silverado or Sierra HD truck, did you test drive both and is there a noticeable difference in ride unhitched? Thanks

I have a 2020 high country 2500 with added springs. Rough as heck when not hooked up to 18,000lb fifth wheel.

If this is your daily driver, stick to 2500 w/o adding springs. May be better with airbags if you need the beefier suspension.

[drssrsf]

I have a 2020 3500 Denali HD Diesel. In a nutshell the unloaded ride is stiff. Its a truck, and it lets you know it. I did not see any appreciable difference in the ride from a 2500 to a 3500 in test drives before purchase. Glad we went with the 3500 as we pull a 337 5th wheel with out concerns about payload. Enjoy what ever you land on.

Dan Swilley
Stateline NV

[chrisholly12]

Do you NEED a 2500 or 3500?? I had one and did not like it vs 1500. Sold it and went back to the 1500 3.0 Turbo Diesel. My 2500 drank the gas. I did not need that as a daily driver. Drank it even more as a tow vehicle. Got 4.6 MPG my last tow of my 21G. Decided that was enough. Went back to bring it home from storage in my 3.0 diesel 1500 and got over 10MPG.

[Firmn74]

Do you NEED a 2500 or 3500?? I had one and did not like it vs 1500. Sold it and went back to the 1500 3.0 Turbo Diesel. My 2500 drank the gas. I did not need that as a daily driver. Drank it even more as a tow vehicle. Got 4.6 MPG my last tow of my 21G. Decided that was enough. Went back to bring it home from storage in my 3.0 diesel 1500 and got over 10MPG.

If you were getting 4.6mpg with your 2500, something was wrong. I had a 2011 2500 before my current one and always got around 11mpg pulling our 5th wheel. I have also noticed that my 3500 squats about the same amount as my 2500 did. It seems like the extra leaf spring doesn’t come into play unless you’re really loading it down. The truck rides great aside from being a little stiff in the back. I find that dropping the tire pressure when you aren’t towing helps quite a bit.

[chrisholly12]

It was a 2020 gasser with 6,000 miles on it. Never got much better than the 6's towing.

[mbaldridge]

States do things differently. Kansas goes by GCWR not GVWR. RVs with built-in toilet and plumb is exempt from the requirement of counting the weight of the RV. I register my 1 ton for 11,500 but that did meant if I hookup a cargo trailer and exceeded 11.500 GCWR I could be fined.

In Kansas, you can register your truck for a GCWR between 8,000 and 80,000 pounds(anything over 12,000 pound goes in 2000 pound jumps) your choice but your still can't exceed your vehicle's manufacture ratings but the state will take your money.

All this talk about legal load capacity?

The max weight on the sticker is just a number. I’ve heard printing a new sticker is the fix. Getting the yellow on the new sticker to match yellow on old sticker may be the hardest part. And, others have suggested using round numbers to make it easier to remember. Who can remember 21,237? Just make it an even 26,000. Problem solved.

[2ACDogs]

Do you NEED a 2500 or 3500?? .

To tow what we have right now, absolutely not. To tow what we'll likely have in 2 years, absolutely.

On paper the Titan should tow our 2150RB fine and it does for the most part. It porpoises more than I like, and yes the WD hitch is set properly and yes I could add airbags or whatever. My main issue is because of the gearing and I suspect programming it wants to run in 4th gear at 65 mph at 3000 rpm on flat ground. Any grade or headwind and it downshifts and runs at just under 4000 at 65. We're in the planning stages of a late summer 4 week east coast trip and no way are we going to listen to a truck running at 3k for days on end. It wouldn't bother some people at all but it does me. We had a 2500 Duramax so I know what I'm getting back into. The truck is ordered and there's no way we're changing anything now.

And print a new payload sticker? People do that, seriously? That's so far from something I'd ever consider doing there's nothing to say.

[mbaldridge]

I was just kidding. Just trying to see if I could get someone’s head to explode at the thought of someone printing a new sticker to increase weight limits. Lol.

[huntindog]

I was just kidding. Just trying to see if I could get someone’s head to explode at the thought of someone printing a new sticker to increase weight limits. Lol.

With todays printers, it would be easy. A freind had a 1 ton dually that he occasionally hauled a huge cabover camper on. With it on, his license plate was impossible to see. He tired of removing it to install on the camper everytime he used it.. So he copied his plate. Laminated it. Even up close it was difficult to tell it was a copy.

[Hoppyz06]

Colin - I thought in my research over the last year or so that this new generation HD had a couple other differences between 2500 and 3500 too. Seems I recall something different in the rear axle but I cannot find the information now.

You are right on that the two prior generations (2011-2104 and then 2015-2019) were only the extra spring capacity (750 or so lbs. ?) and that the 2500 was required by the fed to have TPMS.

If I find this information I will share it on the forum. Maybe someone else knows and can share as well. We have a few new generation 2500 and 3500 owners on the forum.

Dan

Correct, the 3500 has a 12” ring gear compared to a 11.5” ring gear in the 2500. I’ve driven both 2500/3500 HD’s on the 2020 models and didn’t notice a big difference in ride quality. 👍

Hope that helps?