'10 2500 Suburban towing thoughts

The Primetime 3150 is IMHO an improved version of your old Pilgrim floorplan with a slide in the BH, outside bath access, and probably lighter than it too. If you'd rather have the quad bunks and smaller/no outside kitchen, there are options as light as this Shadow Cruiser 280 at about 5500 pounds dry:


It is probably a bit shorter and missing a wardrobe cabinet compared to your Pilgrim.

2007-2013 GM full sized 3/4 ton SUVs are about the same. 2007 only GM used the 6.0L with 4-spd trans, 3.73 or 4.10 axle optional. 2008-2013 uses the 6.0L/6-spd with 3.73. No optional axle availible for the SUV, although the HD pickups offer 4.10. Take a look at this wheel torque comparison of GM's 8.1L to the later 6.0L/6-spd:



The 6-spd trans offers 5 usable towing gears, better gear spacing, more wheel torque in first gear. It just needs to spin closer to 4000rpm to do it vs. the older 8.1L and your diesel. Dick_B and I disagree on how well the 6.0L works compared to the older 8.1L. It is a little different towing experience for sure. Mine tows in 5th gear at 65-70mph on flat interstate. 4th gear/3000rpm to hold hills in Michigan, or 3rd gear to accelerate and 4500rpm. While the 6.0L makes decent torque at 22rpm to pull a TT through the air, it really wakes up over 3500rpm.

RV towing weight doesn't matter much for towing on the highways. Hills, city driving, and how the tongue weight affects the chassis is where the weight matters. Nothing tows as poorly as an RV, which is a relatively light high front and side profile box of air on wheels.

I only tow about 6500-7000 pounds loaded RV. I towed it comfortably with a 2003 F-150 Supercrew, 5.4L/4-spd/3.73. My Suburban is so comfortable that my wife and kids are often sleeping and have no idea we are towing unless they turn around or we stop to get out. I have no problems recommending the 3/4 ton Burb within its receiver limit. I personally am looking at TTs in the 7000-8000 pounds dry range with relatively light TW and plan to purchase a Sherline scale to assist in purchase and loading for that receiver limit.

Here is some info from another person/family of 7 who was shopping TTs and 3/4 ton GM SUV:

We looked at a 2012 Yukon XL 2500 4x4 6.0L V8 3.73 rear axle ratio
GVWR: 8600
FAWR: 4180
RAWR: 5500

ACTUAL WEIGHTS on a scale with just our family + car seats (was on test drive, couldn't load up) This is with only 1/2 tank of gas:

FRONT AXLE: 3580
REAR AXLE: 3600
GROSS WEIGHT: 7180

Looks like plenty of payload axle axle ratings left for 1000 pounds of TW, or more. FWIW, the owners manual says the chassis can handle 1500 pounds of TW using a WDH. It's that darn weak receiver!

Before anything else, I would take your family, dog & whatever you normally would carry in the back of the burb to the scales. Check the rear axle weight rating. Check the GVWR. Find the GCWR. Subtract the weight of your loaded burb. Then, you will know what's possible, while staying at under 1000 lbs loaded hitch weight. With the size of your family in the burb, I think you will need to rethink what you are willing to settle for...

Dick_B wrote:
I tow 7500 lbs with a 6.0L gas engine but don't know the gear ratio.

How does it do? What are your thoughts?

I could've sworn that the owners manual had a tow rating for both 3.73 and 4.10 gear ratios. I could be wrong or dreaming on that one, I'll have to check tomorrow.
The exhaust is a maybe the CAI was there when I bought it.
I've towed my enclosed work trailer several times with it and my WAG is that the trailer weighs in around 6500 lbs and it is more aerodynamic than a TT with its v-nose although it has an AC on the roof. Overall it wasn't bad just definitely not like towing with my Cummins. I'm just wondering how an extra couple thousand pounds and brick-like front end will affect the 6.0.
Our old trailer was a Pilgrim 303BHSS. The GVWR was 9200 IIRC. When I scaled it one camping trip the tongue was exactly 10% of the gross weight which was about 8900 pounds. Don't know if I could do that again now that I have two extra people but I'm fairly sure that I've been doing this long enough to start watching my weight if need be.
We would LOVE to have our old trailer but being that the Manu is out of business finding a used one is like a needle in a huge hay field. So I have to find other options but still need to know real world what weight range is best suited for that platform.

I tow 7500 lbs with a 6.0L gas engine but don't know the gear ratio.

HaulinBass02 wrote:
I'm very interested in the Duraburb conversion, I just can't afford to fork over that kind of money at this point in time.

Keep in mind the Duraburb will need suspension help as the D/A combo weighs about 650 pounds more than the 6.0L/6L80E. My loaded 11 LT 4WD only has 2051 pounds to start. So that takes you down to a half ton like 1400 pounds of payload with Duraburb.

The suburban has the 3.73 gears right now but I will be swapping to 4.10s which is gives me the higher tow rating. I've also got it EFI Live tuned and a CAI and will probably put an exhaust on it as well.

Don't do any of that. The 4.10 axles at $1000-2500 installed is not worth it with the 6-spd trans. GM never offered the 6.0L/6-spd with 4.10 on the Burb, so no one knows what the tow rating would be. It's not likely to matter anyway - see below. Tow whatever TT you get with stock gears and then decide. If you want more power, go to 4.56. Skip 4.10 as 10% is not noticeable enough. The CAI and exhaust will be nothing but noise with the engine load required to tow any high profile RV. Obnoxious drone is all you'll get for no noticeable improvement in power below 3000rpm. Save your money for fuel and campsites.

We honestly would like to go with the same TT we had before which grossed at 9k but I'm afraid that it will push the limits of the sub.
What weight range should I try to stay at given the current tow vehicle setup? Oh, we do have 4 kids and 2 dogs along with DW and I so a bunkhouse with at least 3 bunks and a super slide are a MUST.

What was your prior TT model? Tow rating is 9400 pounds for 4WD, but that is not your limit. This is it:


1000 pound TW with WDH. That's should be close to most 8k loaded TTs. That leaves lots of options in the 6500-7k dry range. Here are a few floorplan options:

Open Range Light 305:


Keystone Outback 301:


PrimeTime Tracer 3150:


This PrimeTime Tracer 3200 would be pushing it but probably ok:


There are heavier and lighter versions of each of those floorplan. They are just examples the some popular ones (last two) and alternatives (first two) that work for larger families.

The middle two are the leading candidates for my next TT compromising kid bedroom space vs. parent bedroom space. After the last RV show, my wife favors the Outback 301 with larger master. Our kids don't need a room to hang out, only sleep. To each his own.