intheburbs
Full Access Member
Teasers... I'll post more once I get back in front of a computer.
2008 2500 with 255k miles
Zero mechanical issues encountered
5,000 miles driven in 16 days
35-foot, 8,000-lb trailer
Multiple Continental Divide crossings including Powder River Pass (9,666') and the Eisenhower Tunnel (11,100')
50+ miles of moderate to severe offroading in 1 day - almost needing a spotter.
2 instances (brain farts) of driving 100+ miles in 4wd on dry pavement at 70+ MPH
Max trans temp achieved - 233°
Max engine temp - ~240°
28% oil life left after first 2800 miles (started at 100%)
6.6 MPG average westbound (altitude gains and wind)
7.6 MPG average eastbound
A crazy u-turn in Idaho Springs (IYKYK)
Mornings with no wind I could tow in 5th at 65-70, 2500 RPM (about 25% of the time)
Once we hit wind or hills, 4th gear and 3300-3400 RPM (75% of the time)
Probably the most abuse I've ever heaped on this truck.
Update: 09/21/24
Day 1: Michigan to Rochester, MN...Wife's sister works at the Mayo Clinic, so that made sense as a first stop. New (rented) trailer, Equalizer hitch, very stable. 600 mile leg, truck seemed happy and easily cruised at 65-70
Day 2: Rochester, MN to Wall, SD: Straight shot on I-90, a little over 500 miles. Truck seemed real sluggish, ****** mileage (6ish), couldn't hold speed in 5th. We get out at a rest area and there's 30-40 MPH winds out of the west. No wonder she felt sluggish. Engine temp needle also climbed quite a bit further than I'd like. Past the 2 o-clock hash mark. What's going on? After pondering for hours, best guess is disrupted airflow from the push bar. We remove it and strap it to the roof rack. Spent a full day at Wall driving around the Badlands.
Day 4: Wall, SD to Yellowstone: A little worried about the climb up Powder River, but we press on. Headwinds not as bad, but still there. Have a trailer tire blow out on the highway just as we're about to exit 90 to US 16 near Buffalo, WY. Fortunately, I packed the tire changing equipment, including a floor jack, and I get the tire changed in 20 minutes on the shoulder of I-90. Bonus: the tire shop in Buffalo had a Goodyear Invicta in the correct size so we're covered with a new spare. The climb up Powder River was uneventful - transmission never went above 230° and the engine temp needle never reached the 2 o'clock hash mark. I'm actually surprised when we hit the summit.
Day 10: Yellowstone to Jensen, UT: Completely uneventful. 400 miles. Easy-peasy.
Day 12: Jensen, UT to Loveland, CO: Google wants to send me over Berthoud Pass, but I don't want to deal with single-lane roads and switchbacks. We head south to pick up I-70 in Rifle and head towards the Eisenhower Tunnel. Road constructions slows us down so I can't make a "clean" Ike Gauntlet run. We start the clock anyways as we pass the Silverthorne on-ramp. Once again, the truck seems to settle down and be happy at 40 mph, 2nd gear, 4k RPM. 10 minutes and 54 seconds later we enter the Tunnel. Engine a little hot, trans at 230°, time to coast down to Denver. Another 375 miles in the books.
Sidebar: I'd packed an oil filter and oil, expecting to do an oil change. As mentioned above, I checked the oil life monitor and it was showing at 28%. Loveland is a suburb of Denver and there was a Valvoline only a few miles away, so I went. They pull samples of all of your fluids and the transfer case fluid was looking brown. It was changed 40k ago, but the recent highway driving in 4wd probably didn't help, so I had them change it. All other fluids looked new - axles, brake, trans, etc.
Day 14: Loveland, CO to Waukee, IA: Longest drive of the trip - 644 miles. Mostly tailwinds, coming down from elevation, mileage approaching 8, settles down to about 7.5. Engine temp gauge occasionally moves off 12 o'clock occasionally for hard uphill pulls or passing.
Day 15: Waukee, IA to Home: Just under 600 miles. Back down near sea level, I can notice the engine having a little more power. Easier to cruise in 5th at speed.
More pics on page 2
2008 2500 with 255k miles
Zero mechanical issues encountered
5,000 miles driven in 16 days
35-foot, 8,000-lb trailer
Multiple Continental Divide crossings including Powder River Pass (9,666') and the Eisenhower Tunnel (11,100')
50+ miles of moderate to severe offroading in 1 day - almost needing a spotter.
2 instances (brain farts) of driving 100+ miles in 4wd on dry pavement at 70+ MPH
Max trans temp achieved - 233°
Max engine temp - ~240°
28% oil life left after first 2800 miles (started at 100%)
6.6 MPG average westbound (altitude gains and wind)
7.6 MPG average eastbound
A crazy u-turn in Idaho Springs (IYKYK)
Mornings with no wind I could tow in 5th at 65-70, 2500 RPM (about 25% of the time)
Once we hit wind or hills, 4th gear and 3300-3400 RPM (75% of the time)
Probably the most abuse I've ever heaped on this truck.
Update: 09/21/24
Day 1: Michigan to Rochester, MN...Wife's sister works at the Mayo Clinic, so that made sense as a first stop. New (rented) trailer, Equalizer hitch, very stable. 600 mile leg, truck seemed happy and easily cruised at 65-70
Day 2: Rochester, MN to Wall, SD: Straight shot on I-90, a little over 500 miles. Truck seemed real sluggish, ****** mileage (6ish), couldn't hold speed in 5th. We get out at a rest area and there's 30-40 MPH winds out of the west. No wonder she felt sluggish. Engine temp needle also climbed quite a bit further than I'd like. Past the 2 o-clock hash mark. What's going on? After pondering for hours, best guess is disrupted airflow from the push bar. We remove it and strap it to the roof rack. Spent a full day at Wall driving around the Badlands.
Day 4: Wall, SD to Yellowstone: A little worried about the climb up Powder River, but we press on. Headwinds not as bad, but still there. Have a trailer tire blow out on the highway just as we're about to exit 90 to US 16 near Buffalo, WY. Fortunately, I packed the tire changing equipment, including a floor jack, and I get the tire changed in 20 minutes on the shoulder of I-90. Bonus: the tire shop in Buffalo had a Goodyear Invicta in the correct size so we're covered with a new spare. The climb up Powder River was uneventful - transmission never went above 230° and the engine temp needle never reached the 2 o'clock hash mark. I'm actually surprised when we hit the summit.
Day 10: Yellowstone to Jensen, UT: Completely uneventful. 400 miles. Easy-peasy.
Day 12: Jensen, UT to Loveland, CO: Google wants to send me over Berthoud Pass, but I don't want to deal with single-lane roads and switchbacks. We head south to pick up I-70 in Rifle and head towards the Eisenhower Tunnel. Road constructions slows us down so I can't make a "clean" Ike Gauntlet run. We start the clock anyways as we pass the Silverthorne on-ramp. Once again, the truck seems to settle down and be happy at 40 mph, 2nd gear, 4k RPM. 10 minutes and 54 seconds later we enter the Tunnel. Engine a little hot, trans at 230°, time to coast down to Denver. Another 375 miles in the books.
Sidebar: I'd packed an oil filter and oil, expecting to do an oil change. As mentioned above, I checked the oil life monitor and it was showing at 28%. Loveland is a suburb of Denver and there was a Valvoline only a few miles away, so I went. They pull samples of all of your fluids and the transfer case fluid was looking brown. It was changed 40k ago, but the recent highway driving in 4wd probably didn't help, so I had them change it. All other fluids looked new - axles, brake, trans, etc.
Day 14: Loveland, CO to Waukee, IA: Longest drive of the trip - 644 miles. Mostly tailwinds, coming down from elevation, mileage approaching 8, settles down to about 7.5. Engine temp gauge occasionally moves off 12 o'clock occasionally for hard uphill pulls or passing.
Day 15: Waukee, IA to Home: Just under 600 miles. Back down near sea level, I can notice the engine having a little more power. Easier to cruise in 5th at speed.
More pics on page 2
Attachments
Last edited:
