Just bought a 07 Duramax--133000 mi

[olgeezer2]

I have just bought this truck. Have an 08, 5.3. Pull a 21FBRS now. Wanting to go with a little bit bigger trailer. All that being said, been to Fl once, out west twice, and the 5.3 and headwinds & hills SUCK. Diesels going by me like I'm tied to a post. I really didn't want to stick a lot of money in a diesel truck, never had one before. But as I do more investigating into the LMM duramax's, there seems to be a lot of minor issues, DPF, & EGR mostly. That being said, durability seems to be excellent, and for an 07, truck looks like new--AZ truck.
Any comments pro or con---LEMENO!! "PEACE" Olgeezer

[richp]

Hi,

Very happy with my '09 LMM. I'm up to 106k miles with maybe half towing a 33RL Silverback.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

[NMWildcat]

We love our 2007 classic body style Duramax LBZ! Not much different from the LMM which has the DPF system added (you can delete that though). We have 125k on ours. Just finished replacing most hoses, serpentine belt, belt tensioner/idler pulleys, and tie rod ends. Rides like a new truck again. Have not had one problem with it that wasn't normal maintenance. Good choice you made. Enjoy! We still have folks who come up to us at truck stops and offer to buy it

[Captain America]

I would add an exhaust brake. The 2005-2007.5 GM 2500 and 3500 Duramax have an exhaust brake programmed into the ECM. From factory the GM HD trucks during these years only came with transmission braking while tow/haul mode engaged.

GM used the same ECM in the HD(2500,3500) and Topkicks. The Topkicks came from factory with Exhaust brake and transmission brake. All you need to do is add a switch to ground on one ECM plug pin in the HD Trucks to activate exhaust brake AND transmission brake on the HD truck. The HD already has the exhaust brake program, but no switch.

I bought a $3 switch and went to GM dealership for ECM pins, 2 hours later I have an exhaust brake. I"ll post a pick when I find it on the computer.

Lots on info on this at Diesel Place: Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums and Chevy and GMC Duramax Forum

[richp]

Hi Wildcat,

My 09 LMM doesn't have the fluid system.

That's one of the reasons I bought it when I did -- before DPF systems were going to be added.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

[Captain America]

Wildcat, same here. In the past couple of months I've had three people come to me while fueling or walking into a store asking if I will sell my truck.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by richp

Hi Wildcat,

My 09 LMM doesn't have the fluid system.

That's one of the reasons I bought it when I did -- before DPF systems were going to be added.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

Right, you don't have DEF, but I'm betting you do have the DPF (diesel particulate filter) with the regen cycle. It's the torpedo looking device in your exhaust. Introduced to Duramax in 2007.5 LMM. DEF (the fluid) was added to the LML in 2011.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Captain America

Wildcat, same here. In the past couple of months I've had three people come to me while fueling or walking into a store asking if I will sell my truck.

Yep, I always enjoy those encounters. Some of the offers I actually considered, but the new trucks just cost too much and there's nothing wrong with mine. I really enjoy having no payments and a dependable truck.

[richp]

Hi Wildcat,

You are right -- I have the "afterburner". I need to read more carefully.

Captain, my long time RV dealer pestered me for years to buy my 2001 LB7, because he knew how well I took care of it. When I got my 09, he picked it up and is still very happy with it.

FWIW.

Rich

[twojump36]

I understand the "want" of a diesel truck to pull with... there is no comparison on the way they can do hills....
I've had every Duramax from 2003 until 2011... all had the Allison Transmission and they are the best tranny's there are!
The good thing about the Chevy Duramax is there are plenty of people around that can work on them.... and they can be made to really run good... The Chevy looks nice and I really like them... as I've said we have had many of them in my business and they are all 1-tons... we use them to haul our stair systems to Portland Oregon from Salem (100 miles round trip)
If you added all the miles on all the trucks together, you can't get to 300,000 miles collectively. All are maintained by ASE Chevrolet techs in Salem Or.


The bad....
I don't want to get into a pi$$ing match with other diesel guys on here, but you asked about them....
They are all garbage.... get ready to shell out serious money...
Turbo's, EGR's, Head's, Injectors, Sensors, Fuel filters, Fuel pumps, Manifolds, Pre-heaters, Valves,... if it is a part of the motor, we have seen problem after problem on every duramax except the 2003.
The down-time alone is worth never owning one. I can't tell you every problem we've had since I'd be writing all day... I have known people that are very happy with theirs and they love them...
We only have one now... it is a 08 GMC with the Duramax and Allison 4x4 1-ton that I use to pull my 18 Desert Fox toy hauler... Sturgis, Moab, and to Elk Camp...
Last year on my way to Sturgis it didn't make it 100 miles before it blew both head gaskets.... we completed the trip but we went through probably 50 gallons of anti-freeze...
I'd just had about $5000 worth of suspension work, new tires, shocks, and axel seals, brakes, etc put into it... 85,000 miles when the Chevy mechanic in Missoula Mt we stopped at to get it checked out asked if I wanted to keep the truck or sell it for scrap.
When I got back to Salem, I took it to Complete Power Systems and they re-decked the heads and put new head gaskets on it... they added a EFI Live system and got me back on the road for another $11K...
Today the truck is used sparingly but there isn't a lot on the road that can touch it and it pulls twice as hard as anything else I've ever driven.... but...
I just put almost 17K on a 08' with 85,000 miles on it...
We still have to deal with bad mileage... and expensive up-keep...
The cost of ownership is not worth the price to play IMO...
But you asked so that's my experience... I've owned more duramax's than anyone on here I'm pretty sure... like I said, we used them for the company I run in Salem... I know of which I speak....
We now run Freightliner and International 5-ton trucks...

[head gamez]

Originally Posted by twojump36

Attachment 118130I understand the "want" of a diesel truck to pull with... there is no comparison on the way they can do hills....
I've had every Duramax from 2003 until 2011... all had the Allison Transmission and they are the best tranny's there are!
The good thing about the Chevy Duramax is there are plenty of people around that can work on them.... and they can be made to really run good... The Chevy looks nice and I really like them... as I've said we have had many of them in my business and they are all 1-tons... we use them to haul our stair systems to Portland Oregon from Salem (100 miles round trip)
If you added all the miles on all the trucks together, you can't get to 300,000 miles collectively. All are maintained by ASE Chevrolet techs in Salem Or.


The bad....
I don't want to get into a pi$$ing match with other diesel guys on here, but you asked about them....
They are all garbage.... get ready to shell out serious money...
Turbo's, EGR's, Head's, Injectors, Sensors, Fuel filters, Fuel pumps, Manifolds, Pre-heaters, Valves,... if it is a part of the motor, we have seen problem after problem on every duramax except the 2003.
The down-time alone is worth never owning one. I can't tell you every problem we've had since I'd be writing all day... I have known people that are very happy with theirs and they love them...
We only have one now... it is a 08 GMC with the Duramax and Allison 4x4 1-ton that I use to pull my 18 Desert Fox toy hauler... Sturgis, Moab, and to Elk Camp...
Last year on my way to Sturgis it didn't make it 100 miles before it blew both head gaskets.... we completed the trip but we went through probably 50 gallons of anti-freeze...
I'd just had about $5000 worth of suspension work, new tires, shocks, and axel seals, brakes, etc put into it... 85,000 miles when the Chevy mechanic in Missoula Mt we stopped at to get it checked out asked if I wanted to keep the truck or sell it for scrap.
When I got back to Salem, I took it to Complete Power Systems and they re-decked the heads and put new head gaskets on it... they added a EFI Live system and got me back on the road for another $11K...
Today the truck is used sparingly but there isn't a lot on the road that can touch it and it pulls twice as hard as anything else I've ever driven.... but...
I just put almost 17K on a 08' with 85,000 miles on it...
We still have to deal with bad mileage... and expensive up-keep...
The cost of ownership is not worth the price to play IMO...
But you asked so that's my experience... I've owned more duramax's than anyone on here I'm pretty sure... like I said, we used them for the company I run in Salem... I know of which I speak....
We now run Freightliner and International 5-ton trucks...

Could it be that all of the stuff you have added have contributed to your poor review of the trucks? I know lots of folks who have had years of trouble free service (myself included) out of their trucks, but the common denominator is that they are still the same as the day they left the dealer.

I looked long and hard for one that had not been converted into a smoke blower or had any "enhancements" made. Finally found it and plan to keep it.

FYI. Not a knock... I'm seriously just asking.


2016 Sandpiper 376BHOK
2500HD Chevrolet

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[325BH]

Originally Posted by twojump36

Attachment 118130I understand the "want" of a diesel truck to pull with... there is no comparison on the way they can do hills....
I've had every Duramax from 2003 until 2011... all had the Allison Transmission and they are the best tranny's there are!
The good thing about the Chevy Duramax is there are plenty of people around that can work on them.... and they can be made to really run good... The Chevy looks nice and I really like them... as I've said we have had many of them in my business and they are all 1-tons... we use them to haul our stair systems to Portland Oregon from Salem (100 miles round trip)
If you added all the miles on all the trucks together, you can't get to 300,000 miles collectively. All are maintained by ASE Chevrolet techs in Salem Or.


The bad....
I don't want to get into a pi$$ing match with other diesel guys on here, but you asked about them....
They are all garbage.... get ready to shell out serious money...
Turbo's, EGR's, Head's, Injectors, Sensors, Fuel filters, Fuel pumps, Manifolds, Pre-heaters, Valves,... if it is a part of the motor, we have seen problem after problem on every duramax except the 2003.
The down-time alone is worth never owning one. I can't tell you every problem we've had since I'd be writing all day... I have known people that are very happy with theirs and they love them...
We only have one now... it is a 08 GMC with the Duramax and Allison 4x4 1-ton that I use to pull my 18 Desert Fox toy hauler... Sturgis, Moab, and to Elk Camp...
Last year on my way to Sturgis it didn't make it 100 miles before it blew both head gaskets.... we completed the trip but we went through probably 50 gallons of anti-freeze...
I'd just had about $5000 worth of suspension work, new tires, shocks, and axel seals, brakes, etc put into it... 85,000 miles when the Chevy mechanic in Missoula Mt we stopped at to get it checked out asked if I wanted to keep the truck or sell it for scrap.
When I got back to Salem, I took it to Complete Power Systems and they re-decked the heads and put new head gaskets on it... they added a EFI Live system and got me back on the road for another $11K...
Today the truck is used sparingly but there isn't a lot on the road that can touch it and it pulls twice as hard as anything else I've ever driven.... but...
I just put almost 17K on a 08' with 85,000 miles on it...
We still have to deal with bad mileage... and expensive up-keep...
The cost of ownership is not worth the price to play IMO...
But you asked so that's my experience... I've owned more duramax's than anyone on here I'm pretty sure... like I said, we used them for the company I run in Salem... I know of which I speak....
We now run Freightliner and International 5-ton trucks...

Diesels are amazing powerhouses for sure. The cost of a fix steered me away though. I have heard too many $$$ stories (Internet and friends and friends of friends) to chance it. That and the initial cost. Couldn't do it

I'll keep my gasser. If it blows, a whole new engine is what, $4k?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by head gamez

Could it be that all of the stuff you have added have contributed to your poor review of the trucks? I know lots of folks who have had years of trouble free service (myself included) out of their trucks, but the common denominator is that they are still the same as the day they left the dealer.

I looked long and hard for one that had not been converted into a smoke blower or had any "enhancements" made. Finally found it and plan to keep it.

FYI. Not a knock... I'm seriously just asking.


2016 Sandpiper 376BHOK
2500HD Chevrolet

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

All the duramax's we had were all stock up until we got rid of them all, except for the one that we kept and put the EFI Tuner in it... so far it is working fine but we've only put a couple thousand miles on it since we did the work...
The 03' was the only one we haven't had to do too much too... just small stuff on the 03'... the rest of them have had multiple blowers, multiple problems...
All the 1-tons have flat beds on them and pulled 5th wheel goose neck flat trailers... we haul stairs to Portland so really light loads on the interstate...
The GMC I kept is a 4x4 dually with a regular dually bed not a flatbed.

[NMWildcat]

This isn't a gas vs diesel thread, or even a 'should I buy a particular diesel' thread. The OP is asking about a particular model diesel that he already bought.

[twojump36]

OP = "Any comments pro or con---LEMENO!! "PEACE" Olgeezer"

[head gamez]

Originally Posted by twojump36

All the duramax's we had were all stock up until we got rid of them all, except for the one that we kept and put the EFI Tuner in it... so far it is working fine but we've only put a couple thousand miles on it since we did the work...
The 03' was the only one we haven't had to do too much too... just small stuff on the 03'... the rest of them have had multiple blowers, multiple problems...
All the 1-tons have flat beds on them and pulled 5th wheel goose neck flat trailers... we haul stairs to Portland so really light loads on the interstate...
The GMC I kept is a 4x4 dually with a regular dually bed not a flatbed.

Thanks.


2016 Sandpiper 376BHOK
2500HD Chevrolet

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[bluewoo]

Originally Posted by 325BH

Diesels are amazing powerhouses for sure. The cost of a fix steered me away though. I have heard too many $$$ stories (Internet and friends and friends of friends) to chance it. That and the initial cost. Couldn't do it

I'll keep my gasser. If it blows, a whole new engine is what, $4k?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gasser Toyota Tundra short block is $6k. long block is $18k with Tow package!

Safer to buy new with warranty IMO but a lot enjoy the vehicle that is perfectly fine to replace or rebuild as needed. Scary to have to put out 11k for repairs - I could not afford that.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by twojump36

OP = "Any comments pro or con---LEMENO!! "PEACE" Olgeezer"

Funny how you left out the 2007 LMM reference.

[Captain America]

Didn't catch it was a LMM. The exhaust brake mod is for the LBZ.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Funny how you left out the 2007 LMM reference.

I don't know what the LMM thing is... model distinction?.... I don't know...
But what I do know is that the OP wanted opinions... I gave him mine.