I posted a thread last December asking about fuel economy for this petrol vehicle. I have now had the vehicle for several months and have towed my 21' Jayco Silverline several thousand kms. Now that I have some first-hand experience with the vehicle, I thought that I would share the results with you.
I travelled 3000kms recently with the van and I averaged 23L/100kms. It gets down to 21/22 at times but up to 25 when I encounter headwinds. I also recently toured Tasmania and clocked up 2500 kms without the van. I averaged 11.6/100 for that trip. I find that running around home with mainly town driving I get 14/100.
I have found that the rear of the vehicle drops a couple of inches when the van is hitched. I have now added an extra leaf to the rear spring ($800) and it now sits flat. The ride is unchanged. The performance of the vehicle is great. It tows great. I sit on 100kms and it is easy to pass slow vehicles when the need arrives. The 6.2L V8 obviously has plenty of grunt.
I hope that this is of some interest to anybody thinking of buying a Silverado.
Wizardofoz said
06:18 AM Aug 9, 2021
It has always been a good and popular vehicle and had sway here but now for one reason or another, the Dodge Ram has become the popular choice?
I was a real Silverado fan but now the Ram has seemingly passed it in popularity, anyone know why. (I don't own either at the moment). But I have always had a Silverado on my want list.
yobarr said
07:57 AM Aug 9, 2021
Wizardofoz wrote:
It has always been a good and popular vehicle and had sway here but now for one reason or another, the Dodge Ram has become the popular choice? I was a real Silverado fan but now the Ram has seemingly passed it in popularity, anyone know why. (I don't own either at the moment). But I have always had a Silverado on my want list.
The reason for the Ram overtaking the Chev in popularity is probably a result of advertising,IMO? "Eats utes for breakfast",or some such rubbish, leads buyers to believe that these vehicles can tow 4500kg.As always,the low rear axle carrying capacity is the problem,and neither of these cars can safely tow more than about 3000kg ATM as a PIG trailer (Typical caravan) if there is ANY load in the tray.Big,luxurious(?),comfortable they may well be,and because of their abundant Horsepower (KW if you like),these cars are well capable of reaching a 4500kg towing capacity rating,but the ONLY way either can safely tow that weight is if the trailer is a DOG trailer,which has minimal towball weight. Seems that once again sales marketing is preying on the average buyer's ignorance of weights and axle capacities to mislead/confuse these people. When I was looking to buy a suitable vehicle to tow my 3500kg van,I made a list of vehicles to consider,and slowly worked my way through that list.After more research and a test run in a Ram 1500,these vehicles were quickly rejected as unsuitable,as were all the 6000kg GCM "pretenders" that sprout 3500kg ATM towing capacity to the unwary.Like the Ram 1500,the Silverado 1500 has too low a rear axle carrying capacity to ever safely tow anywhere near 4500kg as a PIG trailer.It is great to see that Trevor is happy with his choice,and apparently happy with its fuel consumption figures,but,by comparison,loaded to 6800kg GCM, my diesel car averages just over 17 litres/100km.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 08:20:41 AM
It has always been a good and popular vehicle and had sway here but now for one reason or another, the Dodge Ram has become the popular choice? I was a real Silverado fan but now the Ram has seemingly passed it in popularity, anyone know why. (I don't own either at the moment). But I have always had a Silverado on my want list.
The reason for the Ram overtaking the Chev in popularity is probably a result of advertising,IMO? "Eats utes for breakfast",or some such rubbish, leads buyers to believe that these vehicles can tow 4500kg.As always,the low rear axle carrying capacity is the problem,and neither of these cars can safely tow more than about 3000kg ATM as a PIG trailer (Typical caravan) if there is ANY load in the tray.Big,luxurious(?),comfortable they may well be,and because of their abundant Horsepower (KW if you like),these cars are well capable of reaching a 4500kg towing capacity rating,but the ONLY way either can safely tow that weight is if the trailer is a DOG trailer,which has minimal towball weight. Seems that once again sales marketing is preying on the average buyer's ignorance of weights and axle capacities to mislead/confuse these people. When I was looking to buy a suitable vehicle to tow my 3500kg van,I made a list of vehicles to consider,and slowly worked my way through that list.After more research and a test run in a Ram 1500,these vehicles were quickly rejected as unsuitable,as were all the 6000kg GCM "pretenders" that sprout 3500kg ATM towing capacity to the unwary.Like the Ram 1500,the Silverado 1500 has too low a rear axle carrying capacity to ever safely tow anywhere near 4500kg as a PIG trailer.It is great to see that Trevor is happy with his choice,and apparently happy with its fuel consumption figures,but,by comparison,loaded to 6800kg GCM, my diesel car averages just over 17 litres/100km.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 08:20:41 AM
I thought you may like this Pic..(it sort of demonstrates a bit....!) "....but the Salesman said......!" NMP
I thought you may like this Pic..(it sort of demonstrates a bit....!) "....but the Salesman said......!" NMP
Nice one Kerry! Assuming that the trailer was being loaded,and that the car wasn't moving when the chassis bent,does this show that the chassis is too light? If a big weight is put on the back of any normal vehicle,the front wheels will lift off the ground. Cheers.
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 01:37:13 PM
The idea of my post was just for information for anybody thinking of purchasing a Silverado. I thought that it might be helpful coming from an owner. It was not intended to start a discussion about who owns the best 4WD or who gets the best economy. I could comment on this issue as I have owned 4 vehicles over the past 10 years that have towed my Jayco vans that have both weighed about 2800kg. I have owned a Toyota Hi-Lux, VW Amarok, Ford Ranger (3.2) and now the Silverado. They were all very good vehicles.
As an aside, the towing capacity of the Silverado is dictated by the size of the tow ball.
Best wishes,
Trevor.
yobarr said
08:21 PM Aug 9, 2021
2trout wrote:
Hi Wizardofoz,
The idea of my post was just for information for anybody thinking of purchasing a Silverado. I thought that it might be helpful coming from an owner. It was not intended to start a discussion about who owns the best 4WD or who gets the best economy. I could comment on this issue as I have owned 4 vehicles over the past 10 years that have towed my Jayco vans that have both weighed about 2800kg. I have owned a Toyota Hi-Lux, VW Amarok, Ford Ranger (3.2) and now the Silverado. They were all very good vehicles.
As an aside, the towing capacity of the Silverado is dictated by the size of the towball.
Best wishes, Trevor.
Hi Trevor.What you have written,and I have highlighted above,is completely untrue. The factor that dictates what a Silverado can safely tow is the lightweight rear axle. Just because you MUST use a bigger (70mm?) towball when your trailer's ATM is over 3500kg doesn't mean that the car is capable of safely towing that weight as a PIG trailer. Putting it bluntly,you can't safely tow much more than about 3000kg ATM as a PIG trailer, assuming the generally accepted towball weight of 10%. Period.When challenged about towing capacity,the "out" always is that the vehicle can indeed tow 4500kg ATM.but to do so safely the trailer must be a DOG trailer or a 5th wheeler. If you put 450kg towball weight onto your car,you would be applying over 650kg EXTRA to your car's rear axle.When you were considering your purchase,and posted on here to ask about it,I thought that my postings had helped you understand that fact,but perhaps the salesman has convinced you differently? Once again I will say that the major limitng factor is the lightweight rear axle,rated at only 1724kg,from memory? Spare me.The popular lightweight twin-cab utes have more axle capacity,ranging upwards from around 1800kg! The Silverado and Ram are beautiful vehicles,and it is not my intention to criticize your choice,but I simply want to correct your apparent misunderstanding of the rated towing capacities.Enjoy your caravanning,and please feel free to ask any questions you may have.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 08:33:54 PM
I certainly love the Chev and Ram etc and had an interesting chat with a leading suspension company who were installing an upgraded suspension on Ram. Simple question for the guys who are acknowledged Toyota fan boys - which one would they buy for towing. The answer was the Ram which left me a little shocked, but they explained that they just loved the way the Ram drove.
yobarr said
09:38 AM Aug 10, 2021
Ger08 wrote:
I certainly love the Chev and Ram etc and had an interesting chat with a leading suspension company who were installing an upgraded suspension on Ram. Simple question for the guys who are acknowledged Toyota fan boys - which one would they buy for towing. The answer was the Ram which left me a little shocked, but they explained that they just loved the way the Ram drove.
If we're talking about a Ram 1500 and an LC200,then what the "suspension upgraders" said is indeed correct.The Ram 1500 certainly is a big, powerful,roomy and luxurious (?) car,but like the LC200,it cannot safely tow much more than about 3000kg ATM,assuming the generally recognised 10% towball weight. The relatively lightweight rear axle is the problem for both these cars.As you say,the Ram drives beautifully,but once I had done my numbers,it was quickly removed from my list of potential purchases,as was the LC200 and all the 6000kg GCM twin-cab pretenders. Weights are a minefield for many,and their confusion is not helped by after-market distributors of "upgrade" products peddling their wares whilst not always revealing the real facts,if these people even know those facts.Several times I have had to show retail staff that what they are,knowingly or unknowingly,telling customers is incorrect. Whenever income is commission based,there always is a risk of mistruths or blatant bullspit.Cheers
iana said
09:50 AM Aug 10, 2021
Rear axle loading, is that the calculated max load allowed for the axle shaft, or is it a generic term used to specify the load limit on the whole axle and differential assembly, including suspension and chassis.
Oh dear, looks like a question that has even the professor stumped !
-- Edited by iana on Tuesday 10th of August 2021 07:26:39 PM
yobarr said
09:24 PM Aug 10, 2021
iana wrote:
Rear axle loading, is that the calculated max load allowed for the axle shaft, or is it a generic term used to specify the load limit on the whole axle and differential assembly, including suspension and chassis.
Oh dear, looks like a question that has even the professor stumped !
- Edited by iana on Tuesday 10th of August 2021 07:26:39 PM
Sorry Ian,but I have been busy today trying to work out how to stop a friend's Pajero Sport,fitted with Toyo tyres,from turning itself around through 180 degrees at low speeds on the slightest of corners,on a wet bitumen road.His wife was "freaking out" at the car's handling in the wet. Anyway, your "generic term" suggestion describes the various things considered by the manufacturer when giving an axle ratings and load limits etc.This is why more/bigger springs and shock absorbers etc are fitted when GVM upgrades etc are carried out.. It isn't the axle shaft! Generally,axle upgrades are minimal,with the LC200,for example,gaining only a miserable 50kg after owners have spent thousands of dollars on the much vaunted 3800kg GVM upgrade". Dead set waste of money unless the owner plans to use the vehicle to carry big loads as a touring vehicle,as opposed to a towing vehicle. Getting weight onto the front axle is the problem when a caravan is hooked up,making reaching 3800kg an impossibility. Unfortunately,very few people understand weights,or the physics involved,and spend many thousands of dollars to gain next to nothing if they plan to tow a PIG trailer.(Most caravans).Cheers
I posted a thread last December asking about fuel economy for this petrol vehicle. I have now had the vehicle for several months and have towed my 21' Jayco Silverline several thousand kms. Now that I have some first-hand experience with the vehicle, I thought that I would share the results with you.
I travelled 3000kms recently with the van and I averaged 23L/100kms. It gets down to 21/22 at times but up to 25 when I encounter headwinds. I also recently toured Tasmania and clocked up 2500 kms without the van. I averaged 11.6/100 for that trip. I find that running around home with mainly town driving I get 14/100.
I have found that the rear of the vehicle drops a couple of inches when the van is hitched. I have now added an extra leaf to the rear spring ($800) and it now sits flat. The ride is unchanged. The performance of the vehicle is great. It tows great. I sit on 100kms and it is easy to pass slow vehicles when the need arrives. The 6.2L V8 obviously has plenty of grunt.
I hope that this is of some interest to anybody thinking of buying a Silverado.
I was a real Silverado fan but now the Ram has seemingly passed it in popularity, anyone know why. (I don't own either at the moment). But I have always had a Silverado on my want list.
The reason for the Ram overtaking the Chev in popularity is probably a result of advertising,IMO? "Eats utes for breakfast",or some such rubbish, leads buyers to believe that these vehicles can tow 4500kg.As always,the low rear axle carrying capacity is the problem,and neither of these cars can safely tow more than about 3000kg ATM as a PIG trailer (Typical caravan) if there is ANY load in the tray.Big,luxurious(?),comfortable they may well be,and because of their abundant Horsepower (KW if you like),these cars are well capable of reaching a 4500kg towing capacity rating,but the ONLY way either can safely tow that weight is if the trailer is a DOG trailer,which has minimal towball weight. Seems that once again sales marketing is preying on the average buyer's ignorance of weights and axle capacities to mislead/confuse these people. When I was looking to buy a suitable vehicle to tow my 3500kg van,I made a list of vehicles to consider,and slowly worked my way through that list.After more research and a test run in a Ram 1500,these vehicles were quickly rejected as unsuitable,as were all the 6000kg GCM "pretenders" that sprout 3500kg ATM towing capacity to the unwary.Like the Ram 1500,the Silverado 1500 has too low a rear axle carrying capacity to ever safely tow anywhere near 4500kg as a PIG trailer.It is great to see that Trevor is happy with his choice,and apparently happy with its fuel consumption figures,but,by comparison,loaded to 6800kg GCM, my diesel car averages just over 17 litres/100km.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 08:20:41 AM
I thought you may like this Pic..(it sort of demonstrates a bit....!) "....but the Salesman said......!" NMP
Nice one Kerry! Assuming that the trailer was being loaded,and that the car wasn't moving when the chassis bent,does this show that the chassis is too light? If a big weight is put on the back of any normal vehicle,the front wheels will lift off the ground. Cheers.
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 01:37:13 PM
The idea of my post was just for information for anybody thinking of purchasing a Silverado. I thought that it might be helpful coming from an owner. It was not intended to start a discussion about who owns the best 4WD or who gets the best economy. I could comment on this issue as I have owned 4 vehicles over the past 10 years that have towed my Jayco vans that have both weighed about 2800kg. I have owned a Toyota Hi-Lux, VW Amarok, Ford Ranger (3.2) and now the Silverado. They were all very good vehicles.
As an aside, the towing capacity of the Silverado is dictated by the size of the tow ball.
Best wishes,
Trevor.
Hi Trevor.What you have written,and I have highlighted above,is completely untrue. The factor that dictates what a Silverado can safely tow is the lightweight rear axle. Just because you MUST use a bigger (70mm?) towball when your trailer's ATM is over 3500kg doesn't mean that the car is capable of safely towing that weight as a PIG trailer. Putting it bluntly,you can't safely tow much more than about 3000kg ATM as a PIG trailer, assuming the generally accepted towball weight of 10%. Period.When challenged about towing capacity,the "out" always is that the vehicle can indeed tow 4500kg ATM.but to do so safely the trailer must be a DOG trailer or a 5th wheeler. If you put 450kg towball weight onto your car,you would be applying over 650kg EXTRA to your car's rear axle.When you were considering your purchase,and posted on here to ask about it,I thought that my postings had helped you understand that fact,but perhaps the salesman has convinced you differently? Once again I will say that the major limitng factor is the lightweight rear axle,rated at only 1724kg,from memory? Spare me.The popular lightweight twin-cab utes have more axle capacity,ranging upwards from around 1800kg! The Silverado and Ram are beautiful vehicles,and it is not my intention to criticize your choice,but I simply want to correct your apparent misunderstanding of the rated towing capacities.Enjoy your caravanning,and please feel free to ask any questions you may have.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 9th of August 2021 08:33:54 PM
If we're talking about a Ram 1500 and an LC200,then what the "suspension upgraders" said is indeed correct.The Ram 1500 certainly is a big, powerful,roomy and luxurious (?) car,but like the LC200,it cannot safely tow much more than about 3000kg ATM,assuming the generally recognised 10% towball weight. The relatively lightweight rear axle is the problem for both these cars.As you say,the Ram drives beautifully,but once I had done my numbers,it was quickly removed from my list of potential purchases,as was the LC200 and all the 6000kg GCM twin-cab pretenders. Weights are a minefield for many,and their confusion is not helped by after-market distributors of "upgrade" products peddling their wares whilst not always revealing the real facts,if these people even know those facts.Several times I have had to show retail staff that what they are,knowingly or unknowingly,telling customers is incorrect. Whenever income is commission based,there always is a risk of mistruths or blatant bullspit.Cheers
Rear axle loading, is that the calculated max load allowed for the axle shaft, or is it a generic term used to specify the load limit on the whole axle and differential assembly, including suspension and chassis.
Oh dear, looks like a question that has even the professor stumped !
-- Edited by iana on Tuesday 10th of August 2021 07:26:39 PM
Sorry Ian,but I have been busy today trying to work out how to stop a friend's Pajero Sport,fitted with Toyo tyres,from turning itself around through 180 degrees at low speeds on the slightest of corners,on a wet bitumen road.His wife was "freaking out" at the car's handling in the wet. Anyway, your "generic term" suggestion describes the various things considered by the manufacturer when giving an axle ratings and load limits etc.This is why more/bigger springs and shock absorbers etc are fitted when GVM upgrades etc are carried out.. It isn't the axle shaft! Generally,axle upgrades are minimal,with the LC200,for example,gaining only a miserable 50kg after owners have spent thousands of dollars on the much vaunted 3800kg GVM upgrade". Dead set waste of money unless the owner plans to use the vehicle to carry big loads as a touring vehicle,as opposed to a towing vehicle. Getting weight onto the front axle is the problem when a caravan is hooked up,making reaching 3800kg an impossibility. Unfortunately,very few people understand weights,or the physics involved,and spend many thousands of dollars to gain next to nothing if they plan to tow a PIG trailer.(Most caravans).Cheers