Any Duramax owners?

[AzOr]

From 2015 to 2019ish, in a 2500.
I’m looking to purchase a 3/4 ton Chevy and have been looking for the gasser 6.0, but finding one w lower miles that hasn’t been beaten down is like finding unicorn. Many more of the 2500’s were sold w the duramax. Many diesel owners will have you believe that if you are not towing 20,000lbs up mountain passes daily, then the diesel will implode.

There’s an argument to be made about not bringing it up to temp regularly will leave your engine dirty and sooted.

I don’t plan to put many miles on it and it will sit for periods of time (maybe a week or two at a time).

I’ll be putting a slide in pop up camper in the bed (less than 2k lbs) while towing my 16’ aluminum fishing boat (1500 lbs).

So a diesel isn’t necessary but could be helpful. Also I want this truck to be my long term truck. I want the flexibility to maybe get a travel trailer down the road.

I know a few duramax owners who have been pretty happy.

Any thoughts?

 

[smcinco]

I think diesels lost their longevity and MPG advantage of top end lubrication once smog equipment (especially EGRs) was required. I'd personally stay away from a newer (2007.5+) diesel. I own a Dodge 12-valve, best pickup ever made. I also owed an '08 Duramax. Wonderful, smooth engine but I only had it up to 60k miles then sold it.

 

[AzOr]

Thanks smcinco. Unfortunately my wife has the world's best sniffer and she hates the smell of older diesels. Driving down the highway she can smell a 7.3 or Cummins before I can see it. I have a couple of relatives with the older LBZ or LLY and they both have had great luck with those motors. But those are off the table for me.
You're right about the correlation between the newer smogged models and reliability but that's what I'm limited to. Ford and Chevy both came out with larger gasser motors so I may look into those. Gas mileage isn't my main concern because it won't be my daily driver. Hell, I ride my bike (pedal powered) to work at least 3x a week.

 

[Tartan1]

I know a few duramax owners who have been pretty happy.

I've owned my 2001 2500HD Duramax diesel (LB7) since new. It was the inaugural model year for this new (then) engine. None of the sensors or exhaust scrubbers they come with now a days. Only issue was injector failure rate common back then for a newly designed engine, had a couple replaced under warranty but this truck has been trouble free for over 23 years. I have over 250K Kilometers on it and still use as my daily driver and pleased at the longevity of this vehicle!!