[brandonstiles]

Hey there fellow dmax peeps I'm thinking of getting into hauling campers my dad does it he says he gets good money. but he has a dodge 2500hd with6.7 cummins I'm a chevy guy so I'm wondering what year and motor truck should I go with. I like 07 but dunno if lmm or lbz or what i should go with .whatever truck I do get what mods should I do to keep it reliable and great fuel mileage plz help me out.

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

All of the years are great trucks and will give you years of service. 06 and up you get the 6 speed allison which can take a little bit more abuse and have an extra gear which is always nice. The newer trucks like lmm and lml are great trucks but you have more emissions stuff to get rid of to be truly reliable in my eyes. An 06 lbz would be a great choice in my opinion. Keep up on your maintenance , run an additive in your fuel, and change fuel filters religiously and you will have no problems. As far as mods that all depends on your wallet size...or credit line:rofl basic mods would be exhaust, intake, efi live , and lift pump. Built trans if your running big tunes and plan on it lasting long. Tuner is your choice big names are kory willis, idaho rob, nick at duramax tuner, ridge runner, and caleb at blackout performance in no specific order.Use the search function on here and you will have enough info to read for days, months, probably years. Welcome to the forum, stick with a duramax and you'll deliver your campers long before your dad :thumb

 

[DirtEmax-USMC]

All of the years are great trucks and will give you years of service. 06 and up you get the 6 speed allison which can take a little bit more abuse and have an extra gear which is always nice. The newer trucks like lmm and lml are great trucks but you have more emissions stuff to get rid of to be truly reliable in my eyes. An 06 lbz would be a great choice in my opinion. Keep up on your maintenance , run an additive in your fuel, and change fuel filters religiously and you will have no problems. As far as mods that all depends on your wallet size...or credit line:rofl basic mods would be exhaust, intake, efi live , and lift pump. Built trans if your running big tunes and plan on it lasting long. Tuner is your choice big names are kory willis, idaho rob, nick at duramax tuner, ridge runner, and caleb at blackout performance in no specific order.Use the search function on here and you will have enough info to read for days, months, probably years. Welcome to the forum, stick with a duramax and you'll deliver your campers long before your dad :thumb

X2 Excellent write up IMHO :neener

 

[brandonstiles]

Thanks alot for the input I guess mods of sort would be deletes for fuel mileage and cold air intake then definately programmer I've heard great things about efi live on here I'm thinking 07 2500hd lbz crew cab long box just gotta find one now for the right price

 

[DirtEmax-USMC]

Thanks alot for the input I guess mods of sort would be deletes for fuel mileage and cold air intake then definately programmer I've heard great things about efi live on here I'm thinking 07 2500hd lbz crew cab long box just gotta find one now for the right price

you won't be disappointed I am sure. Don't skimp on the modifications and cheap or cheaper doesnt always mean better. There is a lot of knowledge on this forum as far as what would be the CORRECT set up for your wants/needs etc. Very cool you are utilizing the forums to gain insight and direction, you'll be a great long term owner.

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

Where are you located?

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

I left out one of the most important things. Gauges!! Egt=exhaust gas temp, fuel rail pressure, and boost are a must. Have to know what your engine is doing. I have an edge insight. You can monitor just about everything you need to with the addition of the egt gauge.

 

[tclouse1]

Some of the best things you can do for longevity are rerouting your pcv, deleting the EGR, getting a lift pump, getting a downpipe and downpipe back exhaust, and good, clean tunes. Not sure if you plan to race it or hot rod around with it, but if you dont i would recommend keeping the power down and also getting an edge insight with an EGT probe. The insight lets you monitor pretty much everything you need and is expandable if you need more. Also you can check balance rates and codes with it if you ever have trouble. Good luck! You'll love the LBZ!

 

[tclouse1]

Also if you dont have the funds to fully build your trans you can always put a transgo jr in the 6 speed and it will help it hold on a little longer. But keep in mind that tunes, towing heavy, and a stock trans dont jive well together unless you keep your foot out of it. :thumb

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

But keep in mind that tunes, towing heavy, and a stock trans dont jive well together unless you keep your foot out of it. :thumb

Short and sweet just get it built not long after tuning or have a grenaded trans fund like me It's never any fun keeping your foot out of it.

 

[brandonstiles]

Jackson, michigan definately gonna get the gauges that show me what my truck is doing but what is a lift pump. And yes every now and then I'm gonna want to put my foot in the pedal but my money is gonna be fuel mileage so I'm gonna have to grow out of that. But getting transmission built sounds like a beautiful idea .... would a different turbo help for fuel mileage and also need some sort of Jake brake ideas?

 

[tclouse1]

^^Ya ive been saving for a little while. Went to the lake today and my trans didnt like pulling my bass boat lol. I even turned the power back to tune 2 (so i still had turbo brake) and there was alot of clunks and shuddering lol. Im scared.... lol OP please note that I do not keep my foot out of it... lol
Edit: This was meant for Silver lol I took a minute to post.

 

[tclouse1]

Okay..so.. The insight for gauges is a good idea unless you just like the look of the ones on the pillar. Its cheaper and does more than they do lol.

As for a lift pump, google Air dog or Fass. There are others that are good but these are the main 2 people run. They offer better filtration and prolong the life of your fuel system. Also it helps get rid of low FRP in bigger tunes.

As for the trans.. yes building it is a great thing but keep in mind youre looking at about 4.5k-6k for that.

Turbo.. yes and no. Depends on your goals with the truck power wise and what youre using it for. I cant remember exact numbers but on stock air and fuel with a built trans these motors are pretty dang stout. That being said you could always compound over the stock for more power and twins work great with towing.

"Jake brake". Not exactly the same but you can get a turbo brake in your tunes that works great. This would be something you discuss with your tuner.

 

[tclouse1]

And every single bit of that depends on the size of your wallet. :thumb

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

Most max effort tunes sit around 500 to 550s depending on how strong your fuel system is. If your towing campers you don't want to max it out like that. Before you start looking into turbos get your trans built, and a good fuel system. Fass and air dog are both good products along with Kenedy diesels lift pumps. I have a Fass on my truck and I am happy with it.

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

^^Ya ive been saving for a little while. Went to the lake today and my trans didnt like pulling my bass boat lol. I even turned the power back to tune 2 (so i still had turbo brake) and there was alot of clunks and shuddering lol. Im scared.... lol OP please note that I do not keep my foot out of it... lol
Edit: This was meant for Silver lol I took a minute to post.

I'm going to do a cp3 conversion with a sportsman's pump before I do my trans. I'm just crossing my fingers it holds on that long. Sorry op were hijacking a tad

 

[SilverGorillaLML]

"Jake brake". Not exactly the same but you can get a turbo brake in your tunes that works great. This would be something you discuss with your tuner.

Just get an lml then all you have to do is push a buttonoke[1]:

 

[DirtEmax-USMC]

throwing this in there, a FASS or anything else is great to have no matter what. Extra filtration etc is always a plus

 

[diggetydawg]

A thought as the OP mentioned fuel mileage, consider doing like JWC and others and go lower than stock. It'll be like pushing a smaller brick through the air and use less fuel.

 

[brandonstiles]

Holy smokes information over load lol aren't the lml in newer trucks with the Def fluid . And I guess I gotta start with truck first and work on things for long lasting first than power later