Mini-Feature: Tristan Geile’s 2003 Duramax

The love affair with diesel trucks is one we know: starting young and watching these mammoths of machinery do their thing. In his home state of Missouri, Tristan Geile was exposed early on through truck pulls and other events, and it started a love of these trucks that kept going as he grew up. That led to this 2003 Duramax.

“It always impressed me to see how much power you could squeeze out of a 5.9-liter Cummins or a 6.6-liter Duramax or whatever size engine,” he said. “I read and learned more about diesel and decided to make my life all about it. That’s how I came to be what I am now, a full-time diesel technician working on Caterpillar equipment.”

Tristan admits he can respect other people’s choices when it comes to diesel, but in his case, Duramax was the way to go. “I just always liked the ‘classic’ body style Silverados,” he said. “I have a preference for Duramax because of the common-rail fuel system and the power they put out. I never cared for the HEUI system in the 7.3-liter or 6.0-liter Power Stroke, and while the Cummins is a good engine, their transmissions are not the best. It just made sense to me to go with Chevy because of the Allison transmission.”

The truck has gone through its fair share of modifications, starting with EFI Live tuning from Kory Willis at PPEI. “Kory made me very happy with the tuning, and everyone at PPEI has been very supportive,” said Tristan. The Duramax also has a PureFlow AirDog 150 lift pump, aFe Power cold air intake, and 20×12 Fuel Maverick wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson MTZ P3s.

“When I first bought the truck, it had MTZs on the stock wheels, and I loved them because they wore really well and lasted for a long time,” said Tristan. “I tried Dick Cepek Fun Country tires, but I didn’t like them very much. I switched wheels and went with Mickey Thompson again, partly because they were great tires and partly because the new MTZ P3 looked intriguing. After 10,000 miles of every type of terrain on these MTZ P3s, I have to say, I’m happy with them.”

Tristan admits that his truck may appear to be a pavement princess, but he definitely gets good use of his vehicle, and the MTZ P3s are always at the ready to take him where he needs to go. “I go where the work is, and that’s not always in easy-to-reach spots,” he said. “The MTZ P3s get me there without issue, and do great when pulling my 30-foot gooseneck trailer. They are a little noisy on the interstate, but that’s expected out of a mud tire with as wide as my wheels are. Still, I can’t even tell they are wearing, nor do they show any signs of cupping, which I’m very pleased about.”

Tristan is eager to take the Chevy out for some track events in the near future, once he gets his transmission and turbocharger upgrades. “I’m planning on making this thing do 800 to 1,000 horsepower,” he said.

We’ll be interested to see what Tristan’s mighty pickup can do out there, and trust that his MTZ P3s will continue to serve him well in the meantime. Look for more information on these and other tires by visiting Mickey Thompson’s website and Facebook page.