We think it's time to move from a motorhome to a travel trailer. There are several reasons for wanting to move to a TT not the least of which is the yearly cost of maintenance of the motorhome, 7 tires, two oil changes, insurance, etc.. We have discovered that what we do is go to the beach, park it and then drive home. We both agree that a travel trailer would suit our needs better in the long haul. We don't have any plans to drive from coast to coast. So, it's been years since I towed a TT. Back then I went through three different tow vehicles, the best being a Ford F-150. But, I had friends who had Chevrolet Suburbans and they all seemed to think that it was a good tow vehicle. I can't afford a new one but, I have several used ones on my radar and a couple of Tahoes, all with the 5.3, V-8. A pickup truck might work but, an SUV would do much better on a drive everyday basis. I like the wheelbase of the suburban. Is there anything I need to know about suburbans (or Tahoes) for towing a travel trailer? What about year models? I have a buddy with an older Burb that has a 350 and he tows a heavy cargo trailer (full of furniture) all the time up in the mountains and says his does well. What about the 5.3? I have several friends with the 5.3s that tow various trailers and think they do pretty well. We haven't started really looking at trailers yet. We feel like there's no point in that till we have a tow vehicle. My wife is turning up the heat for me to get this ball rolling so, I gotta do something sooner rather than later.

The 2500 series Suburbans can tow a LOT, and normally came with either the 454 or sometimes the 350" engines. Either are great at towing, but not so good of mileage on the 454. I think that 99 was the last year of the 454, but not sure. My buddy had a 2500 series Suburban and 454. He would get around 6 MPG while towing his 10,000 pound 31' travel trailer. The Tahoe and 1500 Suburban's are not the towing machines of a 2500 series Suburban. The 5.3L engine is probably more HP than the 350 ever had, due to it's higher engine RPM and more air flow through the newly designed heads. So it all depends on the GVWR of the vehicle, and the curb weight. As you know, the F-150 has many GVW ratings, and as you have a larger cab, and 4 wheel drive the curb weight goes up. The newer Ecoboost with a higher GVWR option, they can tow up to 10,500 pounds. I was recently researching a F-150 for my boss, and the 2014 you can upgrade the GVWR to 7,700 on the XL truck, or 7,850 on the XLT truck with the Ecoboost. He did not want to do any towing, so did not pick the super heavy duty options. Ford came out with the 3.5L Ecoboost in 2011, and there should be a few used ones sitting around by now. Many want to trade up to the 2015 with a 600 pound lower curb weight, and 2 MPG better mileage. The 2.7L Ecoboost can save my boss $600 a year in fuel costs, but he decided to get the 3.5L in a 2014 to increase his rebates, and lower the purchase price. I would be recommending the 2011 - 2014 Supercrew F-150 if you can find one with a higher GVWR and higher cargo rating. Good luck with your selection!Fred.

How many seat belts do you need?Pets?How do you pack? Fire wood? Dirty/sandy/etc and lots of fishing gear (stinkystuff for inside the passenger compartment)? How big a trailer?Where do you plan to tow? Terrain (inclines, altitude, etc). Know you saidthe beach, but really think about the potential to go elsewhere...as if that isabsolutely true...then just buy the trailer you want and have the dealer towit to your spot on the beach...or hire someone to tow it and forgo the TV andjust have your car for your trips to the beach

the Tahoe is not even close to the Burb, as a good tow vehicle. mainly due to the much shorter wheelbase.and the 5.3 is fine, IF you don't have a large trailer.i have the Avalanche(basically a Burb with a pickup bed). it has the 5.3, 4spd trans and the towing package with the 3.73 rear end.my max towing is 7200lbs. but i wouldn't go much bigger than the 24' HTT that i currently tow. but i live out West and have lots of mtn. ranges to deal with.you need to give us some possible TT choices that you have, to see what would be a proper TV.

bikendan wrote:the Tahoe is not even close to the Burb, as a good tow vehicle. mainly due to the much shorter wheelbase.and the 5.3 is fine, IF you don't have a large trailer.i have the Avalanche(basically a Burb with a pickup bed). it has the 5.3, 4spd trans and the towing package with the 3.73 rear end.my max towing is 7200lbs. but i wouldn't go much bigger than the 24' HTT that i currently tow. but i live out West and have lots of mtn. ranges to deal with.you need to give us some possible TT choices that you have, to see what would be a proper TV.X2Similar to Avalanche there is also some great deals on half-ton crewcab pickups around. The longer the wheelbase the better.

I'd like to find a 24 foot TT with a slide. It should be very towable with a Suburban with the 5.3. 26 foot would be the maximum I would consider. The steepest climb I would have would be Black Mountain on I-40 in North Carolina, or 421 up to Boone NC.

Suburbans.. | Good Sam Community

kvangil
Explorer
Jan 05, 2015
falconbrother wrote:
I'd like to find a 24 foot TT with a slide. It should be very towable with a Suburban with the 5.3. 26 foot would be the maximum I would consider. The steepest climb I would have would be Black Mountain on I-40 in North Carolina, or 421 up to Boone NC.
24-26' TTs are generally in the 5000lb-6000lb gross weight range, so you should be fine with a Suburban. I currently tow a 5000lb gross wt TT with a V6 tow vehicle, and am considering upgrading in the near future to a Suburban or Yukon XL. I'm realistic about my expectations and don't expect to tow anything more than 6500lbs gross if/when that time comes...And yes, I need at least 6 seats and room for stuff, plus it would be a daily driver. :)
APT
Explorer
Jan 05, 2015
bluepost wrote:
They can seat 6 if needed, only one person less than a Suburban with captains chairs.

6 people in a crew cab truck is nowhere near the same as 6 people in a 3-row SUV. Short trips for lunch. maybe. Family traveling for hours at a time? 3-rows required in this house. People need their space for the activities to occupy their travel time as well as farther than arms length away!

But if you have 4 seats or less to fill, crew cab truck.
falconbrother
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2015
There's just the two of us and some pug dogs. A crew cab truck would technically work but, my wife would be driving the burb as her semi daily driver. I want to keep my CRV (toad) because it does everything I need to do every day very well. We will get rid of her Volvo, which has also been a great car but, not like the CRV. Point is, she will be happier with a suburban and she can take her, her friends and a few dogs to the dog show and everyone will be happy. Probably not possible in a truck. I really think a 1500 series Suburban is what I want to get and I have my eyes on a used on that, if it's still there this weekend I'll go try to make a deal. It's a great color, dark green and tan leather interior, very good looking vehicle. I then need to figure out how to sell my old motorhome..
deltabravo
Nomad
Jan 06, 2015
Golden_HVAC wrote:
The 2500 series Suburbans can tow a LOT, and normally came with either the 454 ...

The 454 hasn't been around in years.... like probably the 90s.

Suburban 2500 will make a better tow rig than a Tahoe.

A Chevy / GMC crew cab standard bed truck (6.5' bed) makes an excellent daily driver.
kevden
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
We have a 2003 Yukon XL 2500 4x4 with quadrasteer 4 wheel steering, 6.0L motor, and 4.10 axles. 2 adults, 3 kids, and dog all love it! I do miss having the bed of a truck for carrying big or dirty things, so I installed a rooftop basket for bikes, boats, etc.
eluwak
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about the payload too much if it's just the two of you and some pugs. The 2500 would be a nicer tow vehicle, but a 1500 could probably work for you too. Just check the payload and make sure the TW of the trailer, you, DW, the pugs, and other stuff fit in that weight.

My $.02 is that you should probably find the trailer you want first and then determine if the 1500 Suburban can tow it safely. It would stink to buy the 1500 only to find out you like that 26' TT that is a little tongue heavy, or over the tow rating.
fallsrider
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
I love my '05 1500 'burb. It tows our 26' trailer pretty well. However, I wouldn't want any more trailer back there. I sometimes wish I had held out for a good used 2500 with the 6.0.

Fortunately, we don't take very many long trips. Most are local to our state park only 20-25 minutes away, so the 1500 suits us fine.
krobbe
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
My experience was maybe like yours. I had a MH that was aging(1990 American Cobra) and decided a Suburban/Yukon XL and TT would work better having had 2 kids. I pulled the cash out of the bank to look at a really nice used Yukon XL Denali and make a deal. When test driving it, there was a vibration coming from the drive train, so I pulled into a Chevy dealer and they ran a history on it. There was numerous repair attempts on this drivetrain that obviously hadn't worked. After that, I found this forum and put 2 + 2 together. I started looking for a rust free Suburban 2500 8.1L to tow something with a bunk room for the kids. Within a few months, I had found a very nice TV and TT on the used market. Am extremely happy with my combination. Good luck in your search!
APT
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
Half ton should be good for you then. If you can afford a 2007+ GMC Yukon Denali or 2009+ regular, you'll be a lot happier with towing performance with more power and far better gearing.
Tystevens
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
If the OP is under the impression that Suburbans somehow tow better than pickups, that is certainly not true. They tow pretty much the same as a comparably equipped truck. Perhaps a little worse, since the Suburban will have coil springs and a softer suspension (the ride in my '10 Suburban is slightly, but noticeably, softer than the ride in my FIL's '10 Silverado 1500).

As others have mentioned, with less than 5 people, I'd go with a crew cab pickup. Easy to find, usually equipped w/ towing goodies, and more versatile. If you want a 'Burb, it is a decent choice. It will be hard to find one equipped to tow on the used market, at least a fairly late model. The bulk of 1/2 ton Suburbans sold between '09 and the present seem to have the 3.08 gears and lack the HD cooling systems -- I had to look a long time before I found one equipped to tow the half-ton max.

Good luck.

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