[Chevy454]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Pulling a 24 footer with a 1500? Are you able to stop effectively with the brakes on the 1500? do they have big enough brakes? The one reason I've been using 2500 suburbans for decades was that they had much bigger brakes than the 1500s. I still have the 1995 diesel K2500 suburban I bought new 15 years ago. I pull a 24 footer as well. Not a whole lotta power with the 6.5 diesels but they seem to hold up pretty well. They were cost effective back when diesel was cheap but nowadays I wouldn't waste the extra 10 grand. </div></div>
If a guy tows/hauls very much at all, just about any diesel made within the last decade will make you throw rocks at anything else you've owned before...

Re. 5.3 versus 5.7...look at the numbers...255hp @ 4600rpm and 330lb-ft @ 2800rpm for the 5.7L to 295hp @ 5200 335lb-ft @ 4000 RPM for the early 5.3L...the 5.3's power is higher up in the rpm band. The 5.3's move out better because they have a bit more horsepower, but the higher rpm peak makes better use of gearing...and being from the LS family means the aftermarket for the 5.3L is ENORMOUS!