Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Time for a new truck

Need some help with information on two 1/2 ton trucks. First is the Silverado Trail Boss Lt with either the 6.2 or 5.3 motor. Second is the Ram Rebel with the Eco diesel or the 5.7. I pull a 16 ft enclosed trailer sometimes and a boat. It will be used as an everyday driver and for a lot of hunting both here in NE and out west elk hunting. So what are the thoughts of the fire.

Depends what you put in the trailer and truck bed. Total vehicle, load and trailer weight..Then compare what each of them is rated for.

Nothing too heavy in the truck bed or trailer. It would be elk base camp for 4 to 6 guys and sometimes includes a utv. My current Ford F150 with the 5.0 motor pulled it but stayed in the higher rpm to get it done going down the highway.

For all that, I would stay with the Silverado. If you don't have to mess with DEF in a diesel, you get rid of a lot of headaches.

Really like my 2020 GMC with the 5.3. Solid truck

F-150 with 3.5 Ecoboost

Ram 1500 with the 5.7 Hemi. Sell it at 250k miles, my brother is just now starting to have problems with his 2014 at 275k miles.

I had a Trail Boss with the 5.3 liter motor. Good truck. Rides a bit rougher than the other Silverados that I have had, I suppose due to the lift and tires. Didn't get quite as good of fuel economy as the non-lifted Silverados that I have had with the 5.3. I switched to the LT with the 3.0 liter Duramax and love it. I will get another when the time comes up. Only about 4000 miles on it so far but I like it better than the 5.3. I have not had a Silverado with the 6.2 liter motor

I purchased the 2021 Silverado LT Trail Boss with the 6.2 liter and pick it up tomorrow. This is will be my first Chevy in over 10 years. I hope I like it.

You will love it! Power to spare.

Get a hemi or s diesel. Son in law has hemi’s in his wreckers. They hold up well!

I have a couple of friends who have the 6.2 and they really like it.

I've heard the 6.2 s rough on fuel and possibly needs high test to preform to spec's ? It's all hear say I've never been in one myself.

Get the 5.7 hemi. Great power and decent gas mileage. Great truck as well.

Yes, it requires 93 octane.
Easy to average 22-23mpg without a load.
Lots of power when needed.

I have the 6.2 with 3.42 rear axle ratio and it tows my boat and camper with ease . 2018 LTZ with 6 speed automatic can get 23 mpg if you keep your foot out of it .
Normally I average 16.5 mpg combined accourding to the display . I have run all grades of fuel and can't tell any difference but try to stay with 93 octane when towing . Damn thing runs like a hot rod .

No experience personally with the Ram eco-diesel but my neighbor was a mechanic for Ram and his dad bought one. Within a year he had traded it in. The son, who was the mechanic, said he would never buy one of the eco diesels. So take that as you may... I personally have the F 150 with ecoboost and haul 16' stock trailer full of cattle with it and no problems. Plus it gets 21mpg on the highway when I'm not pulling...

Precisely why I stayed with a diesel. Price of 93 Octane

Octane is simply the resistance to engine knocking. It doesn't clean anything. I don't have anything that requires 93 but our SUV requires 87. As long as we're above 1800' in altitude, 85 works every bit as well. Do some reading on how low in altitude you can go before you really need 93. If you're fairly high, you might get along fine with as low as 87 unless you take a trip to some low place. They rate them close to sea level so everyone can use them. The car's computer will compensate to some degree.