Million Mile Gasser! 2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Still Hauling, Towing

Our Publisher Tim Esterdahl got a chance to chat with the owner of a 2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD that he still uses for hauling and towing on his ranch.
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[@garysarratt1]

Sorry for the loss of your wife, sir.

[@BrianDurr98]

Thank you very much, I appreciate it! We had many great memories in this truck & I still feel like she's riding shotgun with me.

[@MarcoGallo-ud8qd]

Sorry for the loss of your wife.

[@BrianDurr98]

​@@MarcoGallo-ud8qd Thank you. We started dating at 18 & were together for a long time. She just recently passed away. Cancer sucks.

[@MarcoGallo-ud8qd]

@@BrianDurr98 you’re welcome. I know that must be really really hard and I can imagine what you’re going through. I don’t know you, but I’m here for you and so all of us other KZbinrs here. wow that’s quite the story with you and your wife you were together since 18 for a long long time.

[@MrGdgdghd]

I have this same truck also red. Lifted on 35’s

[@peterjurgens4466]

I have a 2006 2500HD 6.0 gas just turned 200,000 miles. Typical replacement of starter, water pump, alternator and radiator. Other than that my truck runs very strong .

[@PETTIGREW1861]

My '06 GMC 5.3 has 160,000. Zero problems.

[@user-dp3yo1uw9y]

My motor just went out on my 04 Chevy it had 598,678 miles on it trans I put in my other truck now trans has 615k miles on original trans going strong

[@rockie307]

We have a couple at work pushing 400,000 with a good bit of max towing and hauling. Solid trucks.

[@Papolucho702]

This truck is cool! I still see them once in a blue moon and typically really well taken care of. Usually just mall crawlers but I can tell their owners love them lol

[@spiceyfrenchtoast9421]

They don't make them like they used to.

[@ALMX5DP]

True, though sometimes that comes with a cost. In this case it’s fuel, which I bet is multiple thousands more per year versus something newer. All depends on what an individual determines is worth it.

[@kevinmcnabb168]

Mexican and chinese parts don’t last as long as American made.

[@BrianDurr98]

​@@ALMX5DPIt's not that bad. Unloaded on the highway I get about 12-14 mpg, so... OK, yeah, it sucks. But, it is still a lot cheaper than the payment on a new truck with the same specs!

[@ALMX5DP]

@@BrianDurr98 oh totally, like I said just depends on an individuals priorities and such. My point was just that fuel can add up, for instance driving 1.1 million miles at an average of 12mpg versus say 16mpg can equate to around $65-70k+ difference over that duration (a bit variable depending on local fuel costs of course).

[@hochhaul]

Guys were saying that when these trucks were the new ones on the lot. The GMT800's were ruthlessly mocked as "junk" but have proven to be solid trucks. Guys should be more cautious about calling any generation of any truck as junk or disposable. I see comments all the time about these pushrod engines being "shot" by 200k or 300k. It's all about maintenance and some people are more proactive than others.

[@danielb-c9100]

2004 is the last year of Like a rock. My truck is almost a 186000 miles.

[@ALMX5DP]

GMT800s were pretty stout vehicles, though I think they went all the way up until 2006 under the Classic name while the 900's were rolling out.

[@CheekRunner]

lol is that because that’s the year you own or what because this drivetrain remained in these until 2019

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

My 94 s10 2.2 has 659,900 miles on her ! All original unrebuilt motor - trans and rear end ! Have all service records ! Runs n drives like a champ ! 150 oil changes and 30 trans services - 21 axle services ! Cant go wrong !

[@BrianDurr98]

That's amazing! My 1st truck was an S-10 that I inherited from my grandfather. Moved to an OBS 1500 just before we got married, and then the crew cab 2500 when we had kids.

[@moejr14]

Sweet. Sorry for your loss. What year of H1 axles?

[@RK57AZ]

Just a FYI I have used synthetic motor oil ( Amsoil ) since 78 or 79! As always stay safe and healthy.

[@BrianDurr98]

Nice! Yeah, I believe Amsoil was the 1st to make production synthetic oil - would have to look up the year. I responded in more detail to a random troll on here, but I should've phrased it differently. (Tim and I basically just had a conversation and recorded it live - I didn't know what the questions were ahead of time. But, I like the way that shows through. Just a couple of truck guys talking!) Synthetic oil was around then, but not like today & it has changed considerably since then. GM's specs required petroleum/mineral-based oil at the time & synthetic wasn't widely used yet. BTW - I've actually heard a lot of good things about Amsoil's synthetic, but the old-school mechanic in me remembers when I used it on a racing car for better HP. It did slightly help HP, but to do that it reduced engine protection. Worked great for that application, but I want this engine to keep going as long as it can! And, yes, I know the Amsoil that I used isn't the only type they make, it's just stuck in my head that way & I'm stubborn! Thanks!

[@RK57AZ]

@@BrianDurr98 Hey Brian, Thanks for your message. My old neighbor was an engineer at Air Research now Garrett and they did a lot of work on aircraft engines as well as automotive engines and since amsoil was designed for fighter aircraft and his hands on with that equipment, it was good enough for me! As you mentioned way back then the big 3 wouldn’t recommend the oil or honor the warranty if something happened. One cool engine development testing they did back in the 70’s was a Chevy 350 spinning at 10,000 rpm’s using air bearings. How cool was that to play with way back then! Stay safe and healthy.

[@danthompson1467]

This is why I say change the oil and buy the older Chevy 6.0 gas they will run forever . 560000.0 was the most I put on one so far and sold it . Right now 2011 2500 285000.0 2009 380000.0 2017 145000.0 great trucks 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@freedomisntfree_44]

They last about 150-200k miles for me. Not very impressed with other them

[@BrianDurr98]

That's been the major thing! Keep up with all of the preventative maintenance & they don't quit. That's one of the things I just don't understand about newer vehicles: they make things like changing fluids nearly impossible. I can't understand new transmissions that you can't open up to change the fluid, filter, etc.

[@CheekRunner]

@@freedomisntfree_44you have to change the oil

[@freedomisntfree_44]

@@CheekRunner Amsoil every 5k miles. Maybe this second one will last me

[@hochhaul]

@@freedomisntfree_44 That says more about you than it does about the engine.

[@freezinghotshot]

You need a module to tie a different radio in. Check on Crutchfield to see what I mean. Your 6.0 gets worse mileage than my 2002 8.1! Makes me feel good.

[@BrianDurr98]

Thank you! I figured someone out there would know. Will be great to have my teenagers stop laughing at me for using a portable Bluetooth speaker in the truck. 😆 Also, unloaded on the highway I get 12-14 mpg which, uh, still sucks. The lift definitely hurt that, but it's been so long I don't remember what the mileage was before it. But, your 8.1 is a beast & has a cool factor on its own as the last production big block GM ever made! Nice! (Yes, haters, I know you can get a big block crate engine but it's not the same.)

[@freezinghotshot]

@@BrianDurr98 You, sir, are now my friend. However, my big block will almost never get over about 9.5 mpg (with a lift and 35" tires) so don't rub it in too bad!

[@badazz2969]

I once mechanically totaled a 2001 Silverado 5.3 (same engine design just taller block) with 650k miles. The fram was rotted in half with zero brakes og engine and maintenance been through several 4lshittys. Chevy ls engines dont die when stock.

[@marcleibovic6879]

Sorry for the owner's loss

[@duggydo]

Nice truck. I have an 06 with the 6.0 in it. Only 28k miles and I bought it new. I always had work trucks to drive so didn’t put many miles on it.

[@WyLEE08]

The owner’s motor oil is Mobil1. I worked with Doug Deck. (his name abbreviated for privacy). Doug now retired created the M1 oil at Paulsboro, NJ Mobil research center. The many, many hours of engine test, lab formulations and analytical testing leaves me unsurprised this old truck still thrives.

[@BrianDurr98]

I don't know the science behind it, but I know when I first had the truck & used GM's recommended oil you could see the burnt-on old oil under the filler cap. After many years of Mobile1 synthetic what I can see is perfectly clean. (I'm not trying to promote their oil or anything, I just know it's worked well for me.) That, and I always use a filter with a valve that helps keep the oil from draining out of the block to help reduce dry starts & a bypass valve just in case the filter would clog and reduce oil flow to the engine. One of the many reasons I do all of my own maintenance. Jiffy Lube or whatever drive-thru oil change places are quick & convenient, but you don't get to choose these things. Plus, what the magnetic drain plug looks like when I pull it out tells me a lot! The tech at a drive-thru oil change spot can't give me that info.

[@philspear73]

This man's got more guts than me, trailing and trolling the wife (RIP) what a great story!

[@rofin9541]

Sorry for your loss. Awesome video! MORE OF THESES PLEASE. I have an 06 with the 6.0, 250K Original Powertrain. Maintained too much. Runs like a top. Hope I can get half of what this gentleman has. I think its one of the best Gas V8’s GM has ever made. These are the last of the really reliable GM v8’s.

[@CuzRepo]

Are there any records here?

[@hochhaul]

Yeah Tim very surprising to see a 6.0L gas 2500 HD with that kind of mileage. Before clicking the link, I automatically assumed it would be an LB7 Duramax. Pretty amazing really. Even the body mounts are decent judging by how straight everything looks. This man should take pride in maintaining it so well while still having fun with it. There are plenty of things with the front end (steering rack) that require patience to maintain. The 4L80 is a really tough transmission and affordable to have rebuilt. So many trucks come and go and it's hard to know which ones are going to stand the test of time.

[@DaveInCanada081]

Very nice. 👍

[@Brette_Caldwell]

Hopefully my 2012 6.2 F-250 will last as long. We will find out. I’m not going to sell it it’s my first truck.

[@clintonstubbs2319]

That has been a great truck for this gentleman and to have that many miles is amazing!

[@rockywindyfarm9215]

2005 1500 z71 in victory red 190000 miles I am the original owner.

[@BrianDurr98]

Nice ride! I had an OBS Z-71 before this truck & loved it, but had to bump up to the crew cab when kids came along.

[@bantizzle79]

Curious what mileage interval he changes his oil and transmission fluid.

[@dalephillips8250]

The last time they had a million mile chevy on here it had 3 different engines and at least a couple of transmissions. I wonder if this one is truly the original engine and transmission or if either have been torn apart to fix something broken.

[@kevinmcnabb168]

I wonder how miles does he change his oil? 3000 5000 miles?

[@andrewinaustintx]

If not abused, cat eye Silverados last a multiple hundreds of thousand miles here in Texas.

[@MarcoGallo-ud8qd]

See everyone it takes more than just changing your oil every 3 to 5000 miles gotta change your transmission fluid coolant and axle fluids and you should be good like this guy. I know the newer stuff isn’t as good as this, but I think changing all fluids even sooner than the factory tells you would go along way even on the new thick truck. I love these videos. Looking forward to more. Keep up the great work love this channel.

[@BrianDurr98]

Yes! I was shocked when I went to change the trans fluid on my wife's SUV only to discover that you can't just drop the pan to change the fluid, access the filter, etc. I don't understand why manufacturers moved to things like that.

[@PlaneSaddles]

I haven't seen a GM with the tailgate handle bezel/trim in years.

[@BrianDurr98]

I've replaced it three times 😆

[@peiguy1982]

Ram does do 4a in most models. And this would be over 500k dollars in fuel up here in the people's republic of Canada. Wow.

[@BrianDurr98]

The mileage I mentioned in the vid was while towing. Unloaded on the highway I get 12-14 mpg, which still isn't great. But, definitely cheaper than the payment on a new truck with the same specs!

[@peiguy1982]

@@BrianDurr98 I calculated based on 18 liters/100 km which was being generous. 1.3 million miles is actually 2 million KM. So should be 630000 dollars. I started at 1.8 million KM.

[@Jr210100]

Maybe I missed something, but how do we know it actually has 1,300,000+ miles?

[@jacobhandel5750]

DIY oil changes = No mileage records, lol.

[@motormossvlogs1450]

Was thinking same thing. No way has 1million.

[@EngineeringGoneWrong]

Looks an awful lot like a 281k mile silverado.....

[@nairbudy6403]

Did i miss comments on maintenance intervals, whats been replaced etc?

[@philspear73]

Flywheel was the biggest item he says towards the end of the video.

[@nlken7175]

Too bad here in the Canadian salt belt theses Trucks are all rusted out long ago.

[@ewetuber186000]

Cool truck. Good video. Just a little arithmetic… 1,000,000 miles divided by 20 years divided by 50 weeks divided by 5 days = 200 miles per day. Every day. This guy lives half his life looking through that windshield.

[@trailerparkpirate7348]

but hes got a good view with the lift

[@mr.3phase228]

No synthetic oil in 2004? Right😂

[@BrianDurr98]

Alright, if you're going to nitpick that much - yes, synthetic oil was around then. In fact, I think synthetic oil was first invented sometime in the 1800s. But, in '04 it was very different from today's synthetics, wasn't widely used & not recommended by GM at the time. I just didn't think that point in the conversation was appropriate for a history lesson in oils.

[@AkioWasRight]

How do we know it has 1.3 million? With the oversized tires, was the ODO recalibrated?

[@ALMX5DP]

I think like Tim said it was a guesstimate, but if the odometer read 2xxk, oversized tires would only downplay how many miles it had actually traveled.

[@AkioWasRight]

@@ALMX5DP Again, how do we know it has 1.3 million miles??

[@chiraqi4160]

That's over 1,250 miles a week. I don't understand how some family trips could add up that quickly.

[@AkioWasRight]

@@chiraqi4160 That's like traveling across country twice a month.

[@AkioWasRight]

@@BrianDurr98 Thanks for replying. Do you have any mileage record prior to ODO rolling over?

[@user-yz5qr7ej2u]

Bogus claim. This truck may have 300,000 miles on it. No way it has 1.3 million with all original drivetrain. No documentation, nothing. I say B.S.

[@ramaswamynarayanaswamy4806]

The vehicle was purchased with 200k miles on it, if you are not aware.