GMC auto-driving no more?

[wiredgeorge]

Noticed that GMC commercials have stopped the drivers from sitting there clapping their hands while driving. Same commercials as before but now only the passengers are rocking back and forth like they are drugged and clapping their hands. Somebody in GMC land must have noticed it looks really bad to have a driver pulling a camper and passing someone while rocking and clapping their hands. They are still running the Silverado HD commercial where they are pulling that Fuzion. Lightest has a 17K lb. gross weight. The Chevy HD is the high end, short bed, crew cab with 4WD and is likely overloaded payload-wise. Short bed trucks always look better and it has a hood scoop making it look, well, never mind my opinion on that one.

[rhagfo]

When you go to Keystone's site as you look at floor plans, the listed weight is the Dry weight. The payload is also only 3,291#, it doesn't list the fuel capacity.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

When you go to Keystone's site as you look at floor plans, the listed weight is the Dry weight. The payload is also only 3,291#, it doesn't list the fuel capacity.

Did you intend to post this here?

[dutchmensport]

I wouldn't be surprised a bit if GMC stripped the entire inside of that camper completely out, removed everything, and left only the outer skin to lighten it up as much as humanly possible without it falling apart, then put it on a stretch of road and towed it just long enough to make the commercial!

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

I wouldn't be surprised a bit if GMC stripped the entire inside of that camper completely out, removed everything, and left only the outer skin to lighten it up as much as humanly possible without it falling apart, then put it on a stretch of road and towed it just long enough to make the commercial!

Don't forget that GM and Keystone/THOR entered into a marketing agreement last year. GM will be the "sole proprietor" to develop the In-Command integration system in their tow vehicles so they can "talk to" Keystone's In-Command system.....

It's a "win-win" (and no accident) that the commercial features a Fuzion from Keystone in the commercials.... If they bought it, stripped it and put it on a stretch of road to tow for a commercial, I'd suspect that the agreement probably includes some "legalize" clause that states GM can only use Keystone RV's in all their "RV related advertisements".....

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours agreement ?????

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Did you intend to post this here?

Yes, the smallest Fuzion has a GVWR of 17,000#, the discussion is based on hands free driving and GMC showing a SB, SRW 3500 towing a TH with a dry pin of 3,000#.
All relevant todays advertising is just crazy.

[bsmith0404]

Ok, I’ve seen the complaints about the 3500 Silverado towing a Fuzion several times in here and not understanding it. The 357 Fuzion dry weigh is less than 14k, with a GVWR of 17k. Pin weight is listed at 3k. The Silverado 3500 crew cab weighs less than 8k, but for argument sakes, let’s say fully loaded is 8k lbs. it has a GVWR of 12,100, so for round numbers, let’s say it has a minimum of 4k lb payload and is rated for 21k 5th wheel towing. Why would the Fuzion need to be a stripped out version to fall into specs for towing with this truck?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

Ok, I’ve seen the complaints about the 3500 Silverado towing a Fuzion several times in here and not understanding it. The 357 Fuzion dry weigh is less than 14k, with a GVWR of 17k. Pin weight is listed at 3k. The Silverado 3500 crew cab weighs less than 8k, but for argument sakes, let’s say fully loaded is 8k lbs. it has a GVWR of 12,100, so for round numbers, let’s say it has a minimum of 4k lb payload and is rated for 21k 5th wheel towing. Why would the Fuzion need to be a stripped out version to fall into specs for towing with this truck?

There's a lot of "image" going on with those commercials. They started out with that truck "towing a Fuzion triple axle fifth wheel" and the three adolescents, mom and dad all clapping as the truck towed the trailer. That quickly changed to a tandem axle trailer with the same 5 passengers all clapping and singing. Now, the same tandem trailer, 5 passengers but the driver has "hands on the wheel as the other 4 clap and sing"...

The "image" is that you can take the entire family (all 5 people/700+ pounds of payload), tow a HUGE toyhauler, (3000+ pounds of payload), include the hitch (another 100-200 pounds of payload) and tow "relaxed while singing and clapping while passing other vehicles"... The "image" and "reality" (with 5 people and a empty pin weight of 3000 pounds) are not necessarily closer to reality than fantasy.....

So, "why would the Fuzion need to be a stripped out version..." is not the reality of the history of those commercials. GM's "intended image" has shifted through at least 3 versions of what marketing is trying to display to the public while it appears that at least "someone in engineering" still has a conscience and is pulling back on the reigns.....

[wiredgeorge]

I could probably put a 5th wheel hitch on a 1/2 ton and pull it down the road a bit for the camera shot. I never saw anyone pulling the Fuzion at all... every commercial I saw was the tandem axle Fuzion and the short bed HD. The announcer starts by saying "10 speed Alison transmission" then goes into an auctioneer voice touting the rest of the wonderful things about the GMC HD.

GM, like all the manufacturers have upped the payload on their heavy duty truck lines and I get confused as to how a truck equipped much like the ones sold 10 years ago can gain payload to the extent they have. And the hand clapping guy in the truck with his backup clappers was dragging an Airstream down a straight road and passing some other vehicle (if memory serves correctly). That commercial now has his hands on the wheel. And don't recall ever seeing a triple axle Fuzion... not to say they didn't show this commercial but I don't recall it. Would a triple axle toy hauler affect the pin weight of a fifth wheel?

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

There's a lot of "image" going on with those commercials. They started out with that truck "towing a Fuzion triple axle fifth wheel" and the three adolescents, mom and dad all clapping as the truck towed the trailer. That quickly changed to a tandem axle trailer with the same 5 passengers all clapping and singing. Now, the same tandem trailer, 5 passengers but the driver has "hands on the wheel as the other 4 clap and sing"...

The "image" is that you can take the entire family (all 5 people/700+ pounds of payload), tow a HUGE toyhauler, (3000+ pounds of payload), include the hitch (another 100-200 pounds of payload) and tow "relaxed while singing and clapping while passing other vehicles"... The "image" and "reality" (with 5 people and a empty pin weight of 3000 pounds) are not necessarily closer to reality than fantasy.....

So, "why would the Fuzion need to be a stripped out version..." is not the reality of the history of those commercials. GM's "intended image" has shifted through at least 3 versions of what marketing is trying to display to the public while it appears that at least "someone in engineering" still has a conscience and is pulling back on the reigns.....

Ok, not going to argue that. I don’t recall all the different versions of the commercial, I’ve only seen it a couple times (don’t watch tv that much) and can’t say I’ve paid a lot of attention to it However, the posts saying the Fuzion had to be completely stripped down to a shell just enough to hold it together is a bit extreme. If we wanted to split hairs, I’d say your estimate of weight for that family of 5 is a bit high as well. I’m sure there are plenty of family of 5s that are in that range and if you take it in the scope of any 5 passengers, ok, but that family of 5 I would guess is closer to 500 lbs. I’m not a fan of the commercial with people clapping their hands and letting the computer do the driving. From day one I saw that as a lawsuit waiting to happen. First accident where the person was taking a nap while letting the vehicle drive itself….of course they would rely on disclaimers, but I don’t like the impression it leaves.

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I could probably put a 5th wheel hitch on a 1/2 ton and pull it down the road a bit for the camera shot. I never saw anyone pulling the Fuzion at all... every commercial I saw was the tandem axle Fuzion and the short bed HD. The announcer starts by saying "10 speed Alison transmission" then goes into an auctioneer voice touting the rest of the wonderful things about the GMC HD.

GM, like all the manufacturers have upped the payload on their heavy duty truck lines and I get confused as to how a truck equipped much like the ones sold 10 years ago can gain payload to the extent they have. And the hand clapping guy in the truck with his backup clappers was dragging an Airstream down a straight road and passing some other vehicle (if memory serves correctly). That commercial now has his hands on the wheel. And don't recall ever seeing a triple axle Fuzion... not to say they didn't show this commercial but I don't recall it. Would a triple axle toy hauler affect the pin weight of a fifth wheel?

The differences in pin weight between triple and tandem axle toy haulers is very little. With 21k+ of towing capacity, even a triple axle with 21k GVWR falls into towing capacity and payload specs. Not going to get into speculation of loaded pin weights and 5th wheel hitch weights. That’s something that can be debated all day. I know mine increased about 600 lbs total and I have a lot more storage up front than most toy haulers.

As for how they increase the GVWR over the past 10 years, beefed up frames, suspension, rear ends. The springs on then new trucks are 1/2 wider than older ones, the frames have been completely redesigned. For GM, I believe most of those changes were made in 2017, and then again in 2020. Not sure on the other brands, but they’ve all been upgraded over the years. BTW, the hood scoop on the dmax, is a functioning hood scoop, not just there for looks.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

The differences in pin weight between triple and tandem axle toy haulers is very little. With 21k+ of towing capacity, even a triple axle with 21k GVWR falls into towing capacity and payload specs. Not going to get into speculation of loaded pin weights and 5th wheel hitch weights. That’s something that can be debated all day. I know mine increased about 600 lbs total and I have a lot more storage up front than most toy haulers.

As for how they increase the GVWR over the past 10 years, beefed up frames, suspension, rear ends. The springs on then new trucks are 1/2 wider than older ones, the frames have been completely redesigned. For GM, I believe most of those changes were made in 2017, and then again in 2020. Not sure on the other brands, but they’ve all been upgraded over the years. BTW, the hood scoop on the dmax, is a functioning hood scoop, not just there for looks.

Yeah, a functioning hood scoop...should also have added swoosh stripes. Still think a hood scoop on a pickup is TACKY but that is my humble and subjective opinion.

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

And don't recall ever seeing a triple axle Fuzion... not to say they didn't show this commercial but I don't recall it. Would a triple axle toy hauler affect the pin weight of a fifth wheel?

I scaled my Fuzion 405 (loaded) about a year ago while towing it with my 4x4 F-350 crew cab dually. Total weight was 26,020. Steering axle was 5,240, drive axle was 7,480 and (3) trailer axles were 13,300 just as a reference point. And my payload (from the door sticker) is 4,529. This was when I had a toolbox in the bed that was loaded with about 300 pounds of tools, tow chains, etc. I put an electric tonneau cover on it since and removed the toolbox and just carry probably 40-50 pounds of extra gear now. My truck is 11 years old, I'm sure the newest ones have a higher payload. I know from weighing the truck alone (with toolbox) that it was right around 8,000 pounds by itself.

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Yeah, a functioning hood scoop...should also have added swoosh stripes. Still think a hood scoop on a pickup is TACKY but that is my humble and subjective opinion.

Well the swoosh stripes makes it faster.

I like the looks of the GM hood scoop. Although, I don’t like how the damn sand in NM gets in around the chrome trim on it and leaves a nice little dirty water sand trail on the hood when it runs out after washing. It doesn’t stick up above the hood, it’s integrated into it which, IMO, is a nice clean look. Having air rammed into the intake vs drawn in helps the engine breath. I will agree with you and say I never liked the ones that people put on top of the hood with 3M tape and a black sticker where the opening was supposed to be. I’ve actually never liked a fake hood scoop on any vehicle, always felt that if you’re going to have it, make it functional.

[flybouy]

Two points:
1. Commercials are intended to sell a product thru imagery and not necessarily reflect reality. Ever notice how roomy those small SUVs look inside? What are those people, like 4'6" tall?

2. No need to alter anything as the vast majority of video commercials are CGI. Reference back to the first sentence in #1.