New Diesel Pickup Questions

[UT Cardinal]

I currently have a 2010 Chev 2500HD (with Duramax) & I am currently on the ragged edge of being over my capacity with towing my 5th wheel. I would like to add a trailer & ATVs to the end of my 5th wheel - the additional weight concerns me. I guess I am thinking of upgrading to a one ton pickup for the additional capacity. I have a concern with the DEF being used on the newer trucks. I like to play in the mountains of Utah in the winter & it is quite often -20 degree F. Am I going to have problems running the newer diesels with DEF with these cold temps? Especially after letting the pickup set for 8 to 10 hours?

[Rob & Cathy]

Found this:
Q. When will DEF freeze ? A. This 32.5% solution will begin to freeze at 12 deg F (-11 deg C). At 32.5%, both the urea and water will freeze at the same rate, ensuring that as it thaws, the fluid does not become diluted, or over concentrated. Unthawing will not cause harm to the product.

Q. How do I keep the DEF from freezing in the tank of a Truck? A. SCR systems are designed to provide heating for the DEF tank and supply lines. If DEF freezes when the vehicle is shut down, start up and normal operation of the vehicle will not be inhibited. The SCR heating system is designed to quickly return the DEF to liquid form.

Rob

[Mike Clay]

I have not been in the minus category this year but darn close. I would remote start mine in the morning and after about 8 min the def pump was running at pressure. There was one morning I had to drive a little while until the pump kicked on but knock on wood I have not had a problem as of yet. You do hear of more problems in the very cold areas about the def problems but not as much as you did with the 2011 trucks. (Im talking Chevy) know nothing about the Ford trucks.

[chuckteri]

This is my second year running my GMC 2500HD without a problem. This truck has seen many a days below -25 degrees, doesn't bother it abit, (crossing fingers and toes and knocking on wood). Chuck

[LuvRving]

I have had the GMC 3500 HD with DEF for 2 years. This winter the temperature has dropped to as low as minus 7 F here and I do the remote start for 10 minutes and drive away with no problems.

[teallen]

If you are going to a one ton, make it a dally, that will increase stability and braking, that is what I will get for my next truck.

[Gary & Misty]

I currently have a 2010 Chev 2500HD (with Duramax) & I am currently on the ragged edge of being over my capacity with towing my 5th wheel. I would like to add a trailer & ATVs to the end of my 5th wheel - the additional weight concerns me. I guess I am thinking of upgrading to a one ton pickup for the additional capacity. I have a concern with the DEF being used on the newer trucks. I like to play in the mountains of Utah in the winter & it is quite often -20 degree F. Am I going to have problems running the newer diesels with DEF with these cold temps? Especially after letting the pickup set for 8 to 10 hours?

I loved my F150, but when we decided to get rid of the motor home and go 5th wheel I had to get a bigger truck. So I ended up with a Ram 3500 diesel dually Longhorn edition. I had it a week or two when we picked up our new 3850RL and were on the road in less than 48hrs! Put right at 3200 miles on the rig for our first trip and absolutely love it!! Drives and handles SO MUCH better than either of our motor homes. I think a big part of that is being a dually.

On the DEF question...I have no idea! If my truck EVER sees -20 degrees...I screwed up really bad!!!!

[snoking]

Drives and handles SO MUCH better than either of our motor homes. I think a big part of that is being a dually.

MH's without training wheels are a bummer to drive!!! Chris

[UT Cardinal]

It is good to hear that the cold temps should not be a problem. Thanks everyone for the responses.

[Traveler II]

The only problem you might see in cold weather with DEF would be if it froze with an over full tank, in this case the freezing weather might damage the tank.

[jacknife]

I pull a 30-30 I have had 2 1 ton SRW unless you have a larger trl then this I have never had a stability problem . the brakes are the same on either 1 tons as far as aRam is concerned.The ride and handling are better when empty and 2 less tires to buy. I could mention a few other things but I don"t want to start a war. The DEF is the way to go . Much less EGR needed which means a cooler running motor and less stress on your turbo due to less egr" with the added benefit of better fuel mileage.

[bfast54]

The D E F...I cannot address.....
The Dually........this is my Second Dually,and in a Heartbeat,would not hesitate...to go that route again.......
Think of it as ALWAYS having a Spare Tire...in case needed.......The stability...is worth the price of admission,in my book

[jtaylor1920]

My next truck will be a dually. Pin weights are getting heavier and these things are getting longer. I'd also like to have the extra payload for an auxiliary tank so I can drive longer distances without having to stop and fuel up. So far I haven't heard of issues with DEF diesels and would buy one with no concerns.