2015 Silverado 1500 tows better than 2016 Silverado 2500HD

[saguido]

When I bought my Reflection 260RD, I was worried my 2015 Silverado 1500 was going to have trouble towing that much weight. The dealer said I would be fine (of course a dealer will say that) First trip was to Washington DC and was extremely surprised and happy to see that I got around 10-12 MPG and ran all the way in 5th gear (about 350miles I76 and I70). I went to the scales, the truck was at 7560 with 1/4 tank gas and just me in the truck. GVWR is 7600 I coughed up $$ and bought a 2500HD to solve the weight problem. While the truck solved the weight problem, it does not have the power of the 1500! Driving the a similar route, I often downshifted to 4th gear to hole 60MPH. Anybody run into this problem?? Is there something wrong with this 2500HD?

[Country Campers]

I think you may be seeing the difference in engine horsepower and gearing. What engine and gearing was in both trucks?

Brian

[Bamaman]

I would assume the older truck has the 6.2 engine versus the 2500 model having the older generation 6.0 liter engine. While the 6.2 engine is strong but requires higher rpms to get the horsepower. GM has chosen to stick with the tried and true cast iron 6.0 for the HD versions, and i'm sure they have a reason--durability?

[saguido]

The 1500 is a 2015, LT, double cab, 5.3L, 6-speed, with max trailer package (3.73, heavier rear springs, bigger gears, better cooling, etc). The 2500HD is a 2016, Z71, crew cab, 6.0L, 6-speed, 4.10 gears and all the other stuff you get with the HD. I think the 5.3 and the 6.0 are close in HP and torque, so on one hand I was not surprised it was close to the 2500 performance, but I was not sure what difference the 4.10 gears would make. I thought at a minimum, the 2500 would be very similar in towing performance. Right now, it is a huge disappointment and I am considering going back to the 1500 and run with LT tires.

[bertschb]

I personally wouldn't worry which gear the transmissions are in. The easiest way for me to tell the difference between powertrains is to tow your RV up a good hill and see which one pulls the hill easier/faster. All other things being equal, the 4.10 gears are better for pulling loads up hills but will run at a higher RPM at the same speeds. Worse for fuel mileage but better for towing performance.

[MidwestCamper]

The 1500 is a 2015, LT, double cab, 5.3L, 6-speed, with max trailer package (3.73, heavier rear springs, bigger gears, better cooling, etc). The 2500HD is a 2016, Z71, crew cab, 6.0L, 6-speed, 4.10 gears and all the other stuff you get with the HD. I think the 5.3 and the 6.0 are close in HP and torque, so on one hand I was not surprised it was close to the 2500 performance, but I was not sure what difference the 4.10 gears would make. I thought at a minimum, the 2500 would be very similar in towing performance. Right now, it is a huge disappointment and I am considering going back to the 1500 and run with LT tires.

The 5.3L being SIDI exhibits the same power and torque as the 6.0L PFI engine. But the 6.0L is a heavy duty engine. The 2500HD will be a heavier truck but the 4.10 gears should offset this. If the tire size is similar the 2500HD should be able to hold 5th gear as in your previous truck. How many miles are on your new truck? I see you have another thread on chucking. Wondering if there is something going on. Any intermittent flashing check engine light?

[saguido]

The 1500 had 46000 when I got rid of it. The 2500 has just over 20000. Another VERY surprising thing...the tranny temp in the 1500 always ran around 190+ degrees when towing. I have not seen 160 yet with the 2500.

[Calbar]

When I bought my Reflection 260RD, I was worried my 2015 Silverado 1500 was going to have trouble towing that much weight. The dealer said I would be fine (of course a dealer will say that) First trip was to Washington DC and was extremely surprised and happy to see that I got around 10-12 MPG and ran all the way in 5th gear (about 350miles I76 and I70). I went to the scales, the truck was at 7560 with 1/4 tank gas and just me in the truck. GVWR is 7600 I coughed up $$ and bought a 2500HD to solve the weight problem. While the truck solved the weight problem, it does not have the power of the 1500! Driving the a similar route, I often downshifted to 4th gear to hole 60MPH. Anybody run into this problem?? Is there something wrong with this 2500HD?

The power of the new 6.0 vs your old 5.3 are very close but the 2500 by itself weighs likely 2000 lbs more. More weight similar power means engine needs to work harder. Hence downshift. The other thing to note is headwind. It may have been the same route but a headwind when pulling with the 2500 could really make it tow differently. I have noticed this with my towing. Same route but headwind and the truck struggles to keep 60 MPH and then the next trip tail wind and I can do 70 -75 MPH and truck hardly seems to be working. It can be really hard when driving to tell you are into a headwind unless you see a flag or wind turbine direction. Give it some time in different situations and you might find that this was just one trip where wind played havoc with your towing experience.

What you are dealing with is a concern of mine as well if/when I decide to upgrade my Tundra. My Tundra pulls my trailer fine but about 300 lbs over payload. Thought about trading for a bigger truck but decided I was comfortable towing with it, handles the trailer fine so don't want to take the chance of moving up and being disappointed and diesels right now are not in the bankers (DW or my) approval zone yet.

Rob

[saguido]

Sorry Midwest, I didn't answer the whole question...there is no intermittent flashing engine light, but I wonder if the chucking and perceived lack of power could be related. Sometimes it seems like there is a slight chucking even when I'm not towing (then I think I'm getting a little crazy!) Maybe a call to the chevy dealer tomorrow would be a good idea.

[MidwestCamper]

The 1500 had 46000 when I got rid of it. The 2500 has just over 20000. Another VERY surprising thing...the tranny temp in the 1500 always ran around 190+ degrees when towing. I have not seen 160 yet with the 2500.

There is no cause for concern for the trans temp differences. My 1500 runs at 190F while towing. Does the 2500 feel low on power in launching from a stop, or are you comparing only RPM and gear selection at the same highway speed?