Getting Started

We have always fantasized about taking slow RV trips around the country, seeing the sights and not being in any particular hurry.  Since Tom is still working, our first long RV trip will focus more on "seeing the sights" than on "not being in any hury".  

Since we felt our Pilgrim travel trailer was too cramped for an extended stay with our two dogs (Annie and Zoe), we decided to start looking at 5th wheel trailers with opposing slide outs.  That also meant we had to get rid of our Chevy Tahoe and look for a suitable truck.  We were open to both new and used for both the truck and trailer, depending on what we found for the money.  Tom focused on the truck and Terri focused on the trailer.

Tom started looking at used trucks in and around Austin with an intention to "over buy".  By that, he thought it better to buy a truck that would pull any trailer weight that came up as a good deal.  He found the winner on Craig's List.  A 2006 GMC Sierra SLT 3500 dually (two rear tires on each side) crew cab (4 full doors and full rear seat), Onyx Black, 6.6L duramax diesel (LLY), Allison 6 speed transmission with 175,000 miles.  That sounds like a lot of miles, but these kinds of engines are meant to last over 500,000.  It had been used as a commercial delivery truck for a local business, making regular trips between Austin and Houston.  We got a good price for it but had to buy 6 new tires (Michelin LTX M/S), running boards (Ionic 5" black), bed cover (BacFlip G2) and a locking tail gate.  The previous owner used it as his personal truck and it is "blacked out" with dark tinted windows, smoked running lights, etc.  Looks pretty good.

Since we expected to pull our trailer through mountain areas, Tom wanted to increase the power of the engine.  GMC tunes the engine to pass emissions, not for power or mileage.  He decided on using a PPE Xcelerator that reprograms the engine computer to increase mileage and torque.  On the economy setting (level 1) not pulling the trailer, the mileage went from 16mpg to 19mpg in mixed city/highway driving.  Pulling the trailer in the power setting (level 2), mileage went from 9mpg to 11mpg.  But the real reason is the extra torque to pull up mountains. (increases factory 360HP and 660 lb-ft to 450HP and 820lb-ft)