2010 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 2 Wheel Drive

I did a lot of research before we bought our Silverado back in 2010.  Even though I worked for a Chevrolet dealer at the time I looked at other models for comparison.  When I finally didn't see any really strong reason to purchase something other than a Chevrolet, I started doing research to see what combinations provided the best towing and fuel mileage for my particular needs.  Turned out that at 2 Wheel Drive LT Crew Cab had pretty much everything I needed.  I don't like a lot of electronics gizmos and didn't need 8 way power seats or any of the other electrical items that cost an arm and a leg to repair should they decide to break (remember I worked in the auto parts industry).

So the choice was made and we have been very happy with the vehicle.  The only downside that I can find is in the seating.  Especially during long trips the seats are not premium quality leaving you with a stiff back and sciatic pain after long drives.  We had discovered these issues on earlier trips and now we have them again on this trip which will last until September.  I haven't sat in a newer, higher trim level to see if the seating has changed any.  According to what I have read, Chevrolet has made huge strides in the driver and passenger comfort over the past few years.

Another thing that makes us happy is the 20 miles plus per gallon combined city and highway we get when we don't have the trailer attached to the bumper.  It drops dramatically when you attach the trailer at nearly 6,000 pounds but still well under the 9,600 payload that the truck is capable of towing.  Chevrolet added another button on the gear shift called Trailer Towing Mode in 2009 and we have this item in our truck.  Our Nash 25S weighs 5050 dry and nearly 6,000 loaded for us to tow bringing it safely under the total payload.

The trailer towing feature, when used, gives you better pulling power and higher shifting points making it unnecessary for the transmission to continue hunting for the proper gear or the driver having to add more gas pedal to keep the momentum going.  It has worked very effectively and I have chosen to leave it on at all times when towing the trailer.  Unfortunately cruise control does not work in the trailer towing mode.  Another nice feature is the down hill braking.  When in trailer towing mode the TCM (transmission control module) recognizes the change in pedal pressures and determines if the vehicle is on a downgrade.  Together with the ECM (engine control module) the TCM reduces gearing and utilizes the engine RPM's to slow the momentum of the truck.  Another words, you don't have the truck constantly searching for the right gear when climbing and you get to use the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle downhill saving brake wear and tear.  The truck runs right at 1800 - 2000 RPM's consistently unless you're climbing a steep grade or the driver forces the issue.

Not only does it help with the torque necessary to pull the trailer but the fuel mileage is much better in the trailer towing mode.  Best I got without it was just over 9 miles to the gallon.  So far, the best we have gotten in mode is 10.45 mpg but a good portion of that was a low elevation, long pull on the interstate.

We will be using trailer towing mode for the remainder of the trip so long as we continue this type of result.

Today we went shopping in Casa Grande and plan to hang around the park and do some laundry.  Tomorrow we'll likely take another of the many available day trips and Sunday I will be heading to Peoria early in the morning to catch the Mariner game.