3.0L Duramax - MiniMax

matt86m

matt86m

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Anyone have one? Have experience with them?

Looking at a 1/2 ton, CC, 4x4, standard bed, preferably with the Max tow package.

vs the 5.3L V8 

 
If I knew I could tow my enclosed with that half ton I’d have an AT4 with the mini diesel in my driveway right now. My buddy has one and loves it. Says it gets great gas mileage and has plenty of power. 

 
My son bought a new slt and gets close to 30 mpg with it. He loves it. He’s in idaho 

 
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Jtmoney714 said:
If I knew I could tow my enclosed with that half ton I’d have an AT4 with the mini diesel in my driveway right now. My buddy has one and loves it. Says it gets great gas mileage and has plenty of power. 
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chit I just read it tows 13,200 with the 3.0 diesel. I was just about to buy myself a new ford super duty. This changes a lot. 

 
Were considering a another Yukon but with the 3.0 . Mileage with the 6.2 has been brutal and the 3.0 looks be a ton better.

 
If you’re shopping for one, do some research. I had a coworker and a friend both buy one. They both ended up having issues where it would turn over but not start. It would happen randomly, never left either one of them stranded but still aggravating. My friend still has his, not sure what he did to solve the issue. My coworker had to wait for a dealer to obtain the part, at the time the part wasn’t available (Covid?) finally got an appointment with a dealer, I believe they had to pull the cab for access for the replacement. He got it back but was over the BS and traded it in. 

 
I have had 2.  I bought one in 2021 and wound up selling it for a $10k profit during covid. I bought a 2022 with the newer interior and love it. I get over 20 mpg around town and have seen as 32 mpg on the highway,  but typically average around 24-25 on the highway with mixed use.  I towed my 55 chevy on a flat trailer from Valencia to San Diego and averaged 20 mpg.  I have never owned a better 1/2 ton platformed truck. I tried the Ram eco diesel, and it was nice, but the Duramax felt like is has more power.  It's no slouch around town either. It moves pretty much like a 5.3.  It didn't beet my Raptor,  but that only got 11-13 mpg.  I would highly recommend one if you haven't tried one yet.

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MGMFRP said:
I have had 2.  I bought one in 2021 and wound up selling it for a $10k profit during covid. I bought a 2022 with the newer interior and love it. I get over 20 mpg around town and have seen as 32 mpg on the highway,  but typically average around 24-25 on the highway with mixed use.  I towed my 55 chevy on a flat trailer from Valencia to San Diego and averaged 20 mpg.  I have never owned a better 1/2 ton platformed truck. I tried the Ram eco diesel, and it was nice, but the Duramax felt like is has more power.  It's no slouch around town either. It moves pretty much like a 5.3.  It didn't beet my Raptor,  but that only got 11-13 mpg.  I would highly recommend one if you haven't tried one yet.

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That the short bed? 

 
Tow capacity: 5.3 vs 6.2 vs 3.0L





Crew Cab Standard Bed


4WD


3.42


9,000 / 4,082


3.23


9,200 / 4,173


3.23


9,000 / 4,082


3.23


9,000 / 4,082




Crew Cab Standard Bed with NHT1


4WD


 


 


3.42


11,000 / 4,990


3.42


13,100 / 5,9424


3.73


13,000 / 5,8976




 
Im actually thinking about selling my Jeep and truck to pay for a new truck. Spending $70k on a truck doesn't sit well with me but it would reduce our car #'s by 1, less registration and insurance. I have to confirm that the 1500 can be flat towed behind the moho though! I have seen Silverados being flat towed, just not sure if that is a special order thing or not.

Speaking of special order, if I decide to do this I would order exactly what I wanted. The chances of finding a used one to save $ is slim and none.

With the new house in Prescott, we will be going back and forth a lot, the good mpg of the 3.0l diesel sounds great but I'd still have to deal with the DEF and that always seems to pop up in the middle of a long drive somewhere! I've already had a def tank go bad and have heard the new trucks experience the same thing.

 
Wow  70k for a half ton truck.... 

I would check out that motor for sure before I bought one... I know the dodges has all kinds of issues and at about 150k they blew up for no reason.  

 
I have a 23 GMC AT4 w/ the 3.0.... a little over 6k miles now.  Love the truck, plenty of power... I'd say more peppy than my 5.3 was.

Quiet, smooth etc. 23-25mpg on the freeway is pretty common.  Seen as high as 30 from Riverside to Costa Mesa a few weeks ago.  The new interiors and technology is awesome.

70K+ for a 1/2 ton truck is not awesome and I agree on that.  If I didn't need a truck, I would have waited, but my 2005 w/ 230K miles was ready to fall apart....  it seems like prices are holding still.... and with inflation going the way it is. the strike etc.. not sure if we'll ever see significant drops 

 
EmpirE231 said:
I have a 23 GMC AT4 w/ the 3.0.... a little over 6k miles now.  Love the truck, plenty of power... I'd say more peppy than my 5.3 was.

Quiet, smooth etc. 23-25mpg on the freeway is pretty common.  Seen as high as 30 from Riverside to Costa Mesa a few weeks ago.  The new interiors and technology is awesome.

70K+ for a 1/2 ton truck is not awesome and I agree on that.  If I didn't need a truck, I would have waited, but my 2005 w/ 230K miles was ready to fall apart....  it seems like prices are holding still.... and with inflation going the way it is. the strike etc.. not sure if we'll ever see significant drops 
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Ill have to look at the GMC and see what the differences are

I went on Chevy's web site and 'built' a truck, it gave me several across the country that are very close, so its out there, I may have to fly and drive it home!

 
Sand habit said:
If you’re shopping for one, do some research. I had a coworker and a friend both buy one. They both ended up having issues where it would turn over but not start. It would happen randomly, never left either one of them stranded but still aggravating. My friend still has his, not sure what he did to solve the issue. My coworker had to wait for a dealer to obtain the part, at the time the part wasn’t available (Covid?) finally got an appointment with a dealer, I believe they had to pull the cab for access for the replacement. He got it back but was over the BS and traded it in. 
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Mine had this issue when new and was during COVID. Dealer fixed it and and 35k miles later it has been completely flawless. I’ve loved it so much I bought a Yukon xl with the little diesel. I tow a 9k lb trailer with both the truck and Yukon xl regularly and it’s shocking how well they do.

 
Duffordraw said:
Mine had this issue when new and was during COVID. Dealer fixed it and and 35k miles later it has been completely flawless. I’ve loved it so much I bought a Yukon xl with the little diesel. I tow a 9k lb trailer with both the truck and Yukon xl regularly and it’s shocking how well they do.
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 No issue towing 9k? That’s about what my 26’ enclosed weighs and I didn’t even think it was a possibility. It would be nice to save 20k over a 3/4 ton. 

 
Duffordraw said:
Mine had this issue when new and was during COVID. Dealer fixed it and and 35k miles later it has been completely flawless. I’ve loved it so much I bought a Yukon xl with the little diesel. I tow a 9k lb trailer with both the truck and Yukon xl regularly and it’s shocking how well they do.
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Great to hear!

Jtmoney714 said:
 No issue towing 9k? That’s about what my 26’ enclosed weighs and I didn’t even think it was a possibility. It would be nice to save 20k over a 3/4 ton. 
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I have a 26' enclosed as well. Ill only be towing that once in a while. Reading up on the truck, I was looking for the trailer package (NFT) but the mpg will suffer with the 3:73 gears. Ill stick with the 3:23 gears, take the better mileage since 98% of the time I won't be towing the enclosed (maybe more). I will have a small 6x12' or so but that will be to haul cuttings to the dump so no worries there.

Ill add something - air bags, leaf spring kit, etc - to help with the occasional load

 
Jtmoney714 said:
If I knew I could tow my enclosed with that half ton I’d have an AT4 with the mini diesel in my driveway right now. My buddy has one and loves it. Says it gets great gas mileage and has plenty of power. 
Click to expand...
My buddy bought a 2022 at4 uses it to tow his 20’ box trailer with rain gutter equipment. Says it tows it great, gets 30mpg when not towing. Im thinkin hard on one of these to replace my wagon and truck as a daily driver. But 70-80k$ is hard to swallow

 
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