The Top Speed blogging crew recently shed light on some very resilient truck owners who own a Silverado that you just can’t keep down! The incredibly heavy-duty Silverado 3500 is a tried-and-true workhorse that managed to offer one very happy couple in Michigan six wonderful years with no major problems or repairs needed. The LBZ Duramax engine found in this million-mile model is legendary and takes up residence in a very aspirational 2006 model. Owners Hugh and Tammy Pennington were thrilled to put over 600 miles a day on the truck to hit this astronomical number.
The 3500 heavy-duty is equipped for towing very large loads and bulldozer-grade jobs, deriving power from the insanely good 6.6-liter Duramax V8. This glorious engine was released just before strict emissions regulations swooped in and required DPF installation. This reduces gas mileage AND on-the-spot performance and was a game-changing element for those who loved unfiltered performance. Hitting a million miles in a truck is an amazing achievement, and Hugh and Tammy were very diligent when it came to routine maintenance.
Long hauls and transporting goods on the interstate attributed to this particular Silverado’s ability to shine this brightly and successfully. When Tammy had a personal longing in her heart to help victims who were suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she was hauling RVs for the displaced. She very rapidly put 150,000 miles on Hugh’s 2001 Silverado, and the couple then decided it was time for a new truck. The two were moving 39-ft long RVs back and forth across the nation constantly, while also sneaking a few much-needed vacations in.
On their vacations, the two would be hauling their own 35-ft fifth wheeler while also lugging their 16-ft Sportscraft boat behind it. Since the truck gets things started out of the gate with an 8-ft long bed, the feat of towing an extra 51 feet behind it is quite impressive. The standard oil and filter service was what these two (along with seasoned mechanics) said was a huge boost at racking up this many miles. Even though this translated into around 50 oil changes a year, the valiant transmission itself didn’t even need to be replaced until a startling 850,000 miles.
On the “All Things Considered” program back in 2008, proud truck owner Frank Oresnik was interviewed. His incredibly faithful Silverado had also allowed him to hit the million-mile mark, with not a single breakdown and the original stock transmission. Frank’s 1991 Silverado had undergone 400 oil changes, and ultimately tipped the scale at an astonishing 1,219,000 miles. After he had hit the 300,000-mile mark, the truck was paid off and he decided to stubbornly keep it for the interim. He had delivered delicious steaks and seafood between Chicago and Wisconsin and had put a million miles on in just 12 years. This is incredibly impressive for a truck that was in the potentially perilous hands of another driver for its first 40,000 miles. This particular rig had a new set of injectors put in at about 610,000 miles, and not being too lead-footed was also a huge help with this truck’s longevity.