New to me wood hauler

Been lurking on here for a long time, enjoying photos, threads, and advise. Upgraded pickups to what a person who hauls wood, pulls a fishing boat, and pulls the camper all summer needs. Some may say crazy i say it makes sense. Went from a 2003 F150 super crew with a 5 ft bed with 80,000 miles to this. 2002 Chevy HD2500 130,000 miles 8.1 liter motor and a 8ft bed. Wife and kids are cramped a little on the way to campsite but can pull just about anything it hooks to. Looking forward to filling it on saturday. With all the great advise here it will be dead standing hickory and locust that will sit till next year because this year has been stacked undercover since before xmas last year. Thanks to all you people here. Keep posting

welcome to the forum.

nice wood hauling set up. should be able to get a bout 1/2 cord per load between the bed and the trailer. that hickory and locust will mean a warm winter next year. how are your firewood stores for this year?

Should be good have 2 cords oak, short cord of mulberry, 2 cords mix and match hickory locust, and 70 supercedars, i like to wear shorts and a t-shirt around house in january so i like my odds this year.

The gas tank or the bed?

Nice truck though

Welcome! Hickory and locust is some fine fuel. Two of my top four choices. Oak and hedge being my other favorites. I really should follow your example and upgrade my truck. Heaping loads of hardwoods such as these smash my 1/2 ton pretty bad.

Welcome to the nut house! (a bunch of wood nuts, that is!)

You need to post pics of that thing filled - to the side boards of course
I'll let you slide on posting the gas pump receipt

Welcome to the forum jwaters. Hope you are able to get that filled this weekend.

The 8.1 makes a mountain of torque and drinks an ocean of gas doing it.

That truck should be able to run at least a 1/2 cord in the bed plus the trailer. Time to upgrade the trailer.

I was a big fan of the 8.1L (and GM big-blocks in general). What trans? Early 8.1's were offered with the Allison transmission (would say Allison on the trans pan and an external spin-on filter is visible) IIRC. That would be a rock-solid powertrain for both power and reliability.

It does have the Allison Transmission, it is nice to use if you put the tow haul button then the thing downshifts and uses the engine to brake when you slow down, the gas mileage pulling the camper and boat are the same as the F150 got or better. I get 11 mile to the gallon empty vs 13.5 ford. I can also pass going up hills on four lanes. it does have a 35 gallon gas tank so the receipts are large when i do fill

Nice set up. The 8.1 does like gas, if you use it as a every long drive to work vehicle. But like you're finding out, with good loads behind them, the smaller v8's and big 6's aren't much better on gas. Allison is a great tranny, plus with the lower maintenance cost of a big gas vs diesel power, it's a win/win. Oh yeah, 8ft beds are great! Air bag booster on the r/end axle is a nice plus if you can swing it. You should be able to put 1/2 cord in that bed easy.

10 ply's for tires?

10 ply Cooper ATS brand new. Air Bag or Add a leaf will come if we upgrade campers.

http://www.uscconlinealbum.com/tlc/web/9a78489c37d547d9ac3250406dab02ea/albums/All Uploads/media/062129a2b47b897f/page/1

hopefully this works. It's a 2006 D-Max, allison, 8ft bed, C/C, 3500 series single rear wheel drive, air bag, g/s neck hitch, and of course 10 ply Cooper Discoverer AT/3's on it.

Didn't realize i posted my album. feel free to look thru it. got some pics of my daughter snowblowing, and few pics of my big rig

Can't see it unless you want to post your phone number and password.

Don't need to see a picture, SRW 1 ton, Pre-2008 Dmax/Allison, a real bed and Crew cab? Then add the bags and hitch and well, all I can say is...

Is that truck smiling?

Nice new truck. You need a much bigger trailer now.

MasterMech: Don't need to see a picture, SRW 1 ton, Pre-2008 Dmax/Allison, a real bed and Crew cab?


Something mechanically against the 2008&newer or just body style preference?
I'm debating new truck for me, or car for GF while I rebuild my caddy - love my northstar but headgaskets/timeserting dropping engine can sway my loyalty

Nice truck
+1 on the trailer, your truck can handle it.

I have a f350 crew cab been thinking of going the other way and downsizing to a half ton. Or maybe a toyota...
When I was scrounging I could haul over a cord per trip with my dump trailer. Now I just have a tree service guy dump cut to length rounds right next to my splitter.

Ask anybody that owns one that also ran an older one. The power is great but the mileage is horrible. My dad's 2003 Dmax consisently runs 19-20+ MPG empty (4x4 2500HD Crew Cab, 8 ft bed) on the highway. The best I'm hearing from anybody with the newer trucks (does not matter if PowerStroke, Cummins, or DuraMax) is 15-16MPG with a good tailwind. Loaded MPG? *chuckles* I've got an '89 TBI 454 (big block gas) that gets similar mileage.

Lots of new emissions equipment on the 2008's+ that isn't doing anything for power or efficiency. Urea injection (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) and DPF's (Diesel Particulate Filter) to name a couple. Love the new body styles on the new ones.