Upgrading from a 1500

[Liv4riv]

Welcome and congrats! I ordered mine in June of '23 and got it in December, so your wait is not bad! I too went from a 1500. Although I used it like it was the HD I really needed/wanted. Went with 3500 AT4 gasser this time. I have had a couple GM diesels over the years and they are badass, but for my use and requirements, the 3500 gasser made more sense. Anyway, I was nice to her for the first 500, but now at 16k, used and abused! I own/operate a roofing Co and this is my work truck. I absolutely love this motor, especially after installing an intake, cutting out the stock muffler, and installing a big body Magnaflow. All for sound as I know minimal gains (if any) but needed something to remind me I'm driving a truck. Also did a banks Pedal Monster/idash. I recommend it. I average 10-11 rural/back roads and 17 is my best on highway, unloaded. I saw 6 mpg the other day while towing 16k dump trailer. It's a brick so doesn't help.

Anyway, you'll enjoy the hell out of the new truck. I still am!

What did the banks system do for the truck in terms of performance

 

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[24Titanium3500]

Real performance, nothing. It's just makes the pedal more responsive. For instance you press the pedal 1/4 throttle, but the pedal monster tells the system it's at 1/2 input so feels faster, but just changes the settings. Idash is cool to monitor some things, but mainly got that for a future project. Planning on a Whipple

 

[Liv4riv]

Thank you that is what I thought

 

[gemarsh]

Thank you that is what I thought

Welcome.

 

[TD65]

Welcome and congrats! I ordered mine in June of '23 and got it in December, so your wait is not bad! I too went from a 1500. Although I used it like it was the HD I really needed/wanted. Went with 3500 AT4 gasser this time. I have had a couple GM diesels over the years and they are badass, but for my use and requirements, the 3500 gasser made more sense. Anyway, I was nice to her for the first 500, but now at 16k, used and abused! I own/operate a roofing Co and this is my work truck. I absolutely love this motor, especially after installing an intake, cutting out the stock muffler, and installing a big body Magnaflow. All for sound as I know minimal gains (if any) but needed something to remind me I'm driving a truck. Also did a banks Pedal Monster/idash. I recommend it. I average 10-11 rural/back roads and 17 is my best on highway, unloaded. I saw 6 mpg the other day while towing 16k dump trailer. It's a brick so doesn't help.

Anyway, you'll enjoy the hell out of the new truck. I still am!

Thanks! I know it's not a long wait compared to some others, but it sure isn't going quickly! I don't think spending time on this site is helping much...

I went back and forth on 3500 vs 2500 for a while. I don't think I'll need the extra capacity, but what's another pound on the elephant when you're buying a truck in this price range? I figure if I end up wanting to I can always add some helper springs later, but for now it's one more reason to tell my wife we shouldn't get another horse.

Do you stick to 88+ gas and avoid ethanol, or just use whatever they have for standard? I'd be curios to know if you've noticed a difference on your idash data between fuels.

 

[24Titanium3500]

Yeah, the wait feels like forever no matter the duration! Haha another horse and you'll have to get a new truck! That should definitely curb that idea, you hope! Like you mentioned, you can add some helper springs or airbags. Something on my list as well.

As far as fuel goes, I have run Shell 87-91(mostly 87) ethanol blend (10%) solely as I have a gas card with them and save 10-15c per gallon. Filling up 2 or 3 times a week forces me to pump where I get most savings. I have tried higher octane with no noticeable differences. My 5.3 has almost 300k running this fuel and never had an issue, so I just stick with it. It's one of the "top tier" fuels. I do notice some pinging here and there, but doesn't seem to be fuel dependant. I'm still trying to figure it out, but she running great overall.