hmmm.
the transmission thing is a transmission thing. these units are stronger in most ways then anything before....i have heard of flash/tune shifting issues....no failures from non loaded use with stock programming.
i suspect most transmissions that are physically failed before 50 k have tuners that turn off the powertrain power restraining protection features so you can fry tires and run 11-12 second 1/4 miles at 115 plus through the traps...
if your friend has no tuners and a bone stock setup and drives like a reasonable responsible person with a 3.5 ecoboost... he is the only person to ever do it, and it might be the reason the transmissions keep falling out of it.
Seriously???? I see more bad ass vehicles like sports cars and new trucks that just putt around town and barely do the speed limit. There's a ton of people who don't understand what a gas pedal is and drive like reasonable people. I also have heard many bad things about the ecoboosts. Also I see a lot of guys who own full size diesels and they consider going to a "half ton that can tow 10k" and change their minds really quick. Guys who drive real trucks know the difference in fake trucks that can tow 10k but they struggle to stay straight, stop, accelerate, decelerate and so on.
everybody i know with a eco truck has a hard time driving "easy" as the rule...i am sure it gets done....sometimes. that said...for fleet use i would go 5.0...1/2 tons and 6.2 for the 3/4 and 1 tons using generic drivers...the modern diesels are costly and having reliability issues in the market i am working in.
well depending on what company i work for depends on what i am driving. i get to use many types of vehicles...
for fun....i work on and build all sorts of vehicles. but my main vehicle, my personal vehicle is a 30 year old pos ranger.
i am a diesel guy....i am an old school guy. i am a v8 guy.
i can say for sure the 2014 3.5 ecoboost 150 with air bags out performs a 2014 6.0 silverado 3/4 ton pulling the exact same trailer which was over 10 k.....
in every metric.
especially when unladen.
the gm rides like my ranger...great on smooth roads....need a kidney belt on shitty roads...of course with a 3/4 or 1 ton i expect lower ride quality...but surely....a 14 2500 gm should out ride my captain cavepig leaf sprung ford ranger?? but no...it does not...
that top towing equipped 150 i refer to, still rides like a modern 1/2 ton when you dump the air out of the bags........a cadillac by comparison.
the cost of the "real" truck vs the ecoboost when you tow less then weekly and less then 10 k is beyond justification for my ability to earn income.
the modern diesel at this time is hard to justify....
and i am a diesel guy.
if this chevy thing works out....it will be good for everybody with old trucks and jeeps...so i hope it is a success..