Posts: 202
Location: Angola, IN | In all honestly, there are many things to consider....
1.) How often do you fish?
2.) How far are you pulling your boat typically?
3.) What is the terrain like (hilly vs. flat)?
If you are the "typical" musky guy who fishes 3-6 weekends a year, and you haul your boat 30-60 miles to the lake, who cares how much it is shifting or if you can feel the boat behind you?
If you are the kind of guy who needs the 5.3 to keep your truck into a budget, you don't really have any other options, do you?
If you are the kind of guy who could care less about a $10k difference in the purchasing price of a 5.3L 1/2 ton vs. a larger 3/4 ton truck with 6.0 or 6.2L, then get yourself the bigger truck. You'll like it.
I pull a VERY heavy 18' glass boat with a 23 year old truck that BRAND NEW the V8 had 190 HP. I pull it 3.5 hours going 75MPH one way several times a year. Not because I want to, but because I'm stuck with the boat and truck I have. It works fine. Truck does great actually. But even if it didn't, there is nothing I can do about it.
You never mentioned if you were looking at new or used trucks. But honestly, if you can afford to buy new, get the 6.0 or 6.2L motor.....the discounts right now for 2012's are ridiculous.
If you can't afford a new truck with that kind of engine, buy a good used truck. The old Vortec 454's (7.4L) from 1992-1999 are workhorses in Suburbans and pickups. And the 8.1L 496cu beast from I like 2001-2004 sit at the top of mountain.
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