Test drove an 11 GMC 1T dually

[BGlidewell]

Neighbor bought one with every option. I understand the power on this new model is supposed to be a lot higher. I did not put my foot in it but I tried to sneak a bit out of it and was not impressed at all. Maybe it takes WOT to get the thing moving? It had 4000+ miles on the clock.



The interior was ok. I did NOT like the way it handled or accelerated. It felt very sluggish and boaty compared to mine. It made me glad that he had his and I had mine.



One thing I DID like was the factory remote start will sense ambient temperature and turn on A/C or heater and heated seats.

 

[CBlack]

My company has an 09 2500.

Like you, I'm not too impressed by the acceleration on it unless you go WOT.

The sluggishness is the same as you describe. "Boaty" is something that fits but I could never pin down!

 

[Road Dog]

If it's like the new Dodge trucks, there's a lot of torque management going on and you won't get full throttle until you're in 4th gear.

 

[AABEN]

DODGE has busted up the horse powder on the automatic for the Chicago car show and it did not change the exhaust emission on the truck.

 

[MChrist]

We have an '07 GMC 5500 at work, and while it has plenty power for work and is very smooth, it definitely is sluggish off idle. Almost like it has zero torque until it gets moving. So, maybe it's torque management for a 5500 series truck, I dunno.

 

[HBarlow]

V8 diesels don't product torque at idle and low rpm like our in-line six Cummins engines do.

 

[amsoilman]

One thing I DID like was the factory remote start will sense ambient temperature and turn on A/C or heater and heated seats.

My 10' model Dodge has the same option for turning on the A/C or Heater and heated seats... ... ... ... ... ... . Very nice!

 

[AH64ID]

If it's like the new Dodge trucks, there's a lot of torque management going on and you won't get full throttle until you're in 4th gear.

It's been that way for a lot of years now, starting with the second gen's. The emissions crap just makes it harder for the motor to breath and also reduces throttle response.

I'm would have been surprised if a Smarty tuned 5. 9 was slower than a stock 11 dmax to be honest!

 

[BGlidewell]

I'm would have been surprised if a Smarty tuned 5. 9 was slower than a stock 11 dmax to be honest!

my impression was my truck without the smarty could pull that truck faster than it could go on its own. :-laf

 

[BGlidewell]

My 10' model Dodge has the same option for turning on the A/C or Heater and heated seats... ... ... ... ... ... . Very nice!

way cool! thanks!

 

[BGlidewell]

V8 diesels don't product torque at idle and low rpm like our in-line six Cummins engines do.

I've followed a couple of fords and chevys that seemed to be pretty fast off the line. Not hand-of-God fast, but PDF. The Fords don't usually smoke while doing it either. They just might be trying be first in line at the repair shop I guess.

 

[HBarlow]

I've followed a couple of fords and chevys that seemed to be pretty fast off the line. Not hand-of-God fast, but PDF. The Fords don't usually smoke while doing it either. They just might be trying be first in line at the repair shop I guess.

Did you ever drive one with a manual transmission?

I drove a new Furd Sick. Ohh dually back in late 2002 when they were first introduced. I had owned and driven my '01 Ram 3500 six speed a little over a year at the time and was thoroughly conditioned to put in in second gear and engage the clutch before raising engine rpm. If I wasn't thinking and had my 8,500 lb. Airstream on the ball the mighty Cummins would grunt and launch in second gear just as easy as unloaded, and that Dodge had 3. 54 gears.

Without thinking I tried to drive the Furd in the same way. I stalled the weak Sick. Ohh like a kid learning how to drive. They have to be driven like a small block gas V8 ie rev the engine and slip the clutch to get the load rolling. Furd and GM couldn't give me one.

Sure, the V8 diesels accelerate strong, that is the nature of a V8 engine. Coupled with low starting gears and a loose torque converter for launch the Furds and Chebbies are fast to the next stoplight. I have pulled heavy trailers alongside them. They don't stack up well next to a Cummins-powered Ram when towing heavy up a steep grade.

And they are not even in the race when either one and a Dodge-Cummins reaches 300k miles. They are worn out, the truck and the engine, while the often maligned Dodge still runs and drives fine.

 

[WDixon27]

drove a 6. 0 with a stick that a buddy was looking at and i think it was broken it was so slow, we have a old asphalt parking lot at the shop with lotsa loose pebbles (stuff a 4 banger usually peals out on) and i matted it in 1st thinking id drift it around the side lot and the turd didn't even think of loosing traction, wasn't much better out on the road, i couldn't imagine towing with one if that truck was even close to healthy

 

[Hoefler]

I drove one last fall at the Kansas Cup race. I tried to out the exhaust brake, I really didn't notice that it really worked at all. Just felt like normal engine braking when you down shift, no real braking effect like on our 6. 7's.

 

[TFucili]

Did you ever drive one with a manual transmission?



I drove a new Furd Sick. Ohh dually back in late 2002 when they were first introduced. I had owned and driven my '01 Ram 3500 six speed a little over a year at the time and was thoroughly conditioned to put in in second gear and engage the clutch before raising engine rpm. If I wasn't thinking and had my 8,500 lb. Airstream on the ball the mighty Cummins would grunt and launch in second gear just as easy as unloaded, and that Dodge had 3. 54 gears.



Without thinking I tried to drive the Furd in the same way. I stalled the weak Sick. Ohh like a kid learning how to drive. They have to be driven like a small block gas V8 ie rev the engine and slip the clutch to get the load rolling. Furd and GM couldn't give me one.



Sure, the V8 diesels accelerate strong, that is the nature of a V8 engine. Coupled with low starting gears and a loose torque converter for launch the Furds and Chebbies are fast to the next stoplight. I have pulled heavy trailers alongside them. They don't stack up well next to a Cummins-powered Ram when towing heavy up a steep grade.



And they are not even in the race when either one and a Dodge-Cummins reaches 300k miles. They are worn out, the truck and the engine, while the often maligned Dodge still runs and drives fine.

This is 100% correct. I was dumb enough to have owned a couple Ferds with 6. 9 Navijunk V-8s. When heavily loaded it was painful to have to punish the clutch to get the poor thing rolling, even with 4. 10s. Just pathetic.

 

[EricBu12]

I drive truck for FedEx. . I go up a 6% grade all the time outside Salt Lake City. my load total is usually around 60-70K#. . . i get down to 35 at the steepest. . funny the fords pulling a modest trailer are just a little faster... like-- come on, you can do it!. . lol. .

When I have a light load and a moderate grade, I can pass a ford pulling a 5th wheel. My engine in the truck is a ISX Cummins but the power is cut back... 350-400hp i think. . but sure is funny to pass these fords with 2-3 times the weight they have.

 

[HBarlow]

That's a good story, Eric. I've always passed everyone encountered with a Dodge but I didn't know the big trucks could also pass them. I think you've said you pull doubles also, right?

 

[JUeckert]

This is 100% correct. I was dumb enough to have owned a couple Ferds with 6. 9 Navijunk V-8s. When heavily loaded it was painful to have to punish the clutch to get the poor thing rolling, even with 4. 10s. Just pathetic.

More like 100% wrong. . The issue is with the transmission itself, not the engine. . As any one knows a 6. 9 or earlier 7. 3 diesel produced much more hp and trq then gm's 6. 2 diesel offering of the same year. . Put an auto behind one of them and do the same with a gm, the fords superior rateing's would become clear in the trucks performance. . Put a manual transmission in the ford and do the same with a gm, the gm would eat it off the line. . How can that be, the gm is a smaller less powerful engine with a shorter stroke, you ask? Gm and dodge trucks with manual trannys had the benifit of lower first gear ratio's as opposed to fords manual transmission's. . Even ford gassers has lower geared manual trannys as opposed to the diesels. . This was the case up till 1996 year models. . Plain and simple a gm or dodge diesel with a manual transmission and 3. 42/3. 55 axle ratio, could launch a load better off the line then a manual equipped ford with 4. 10 gears. The transmission plays a major part in any trucks performance.