1/3 of the way there..

blofgren wrote:
Very nice looking truck, OP. I rented a 2001 for my work when it was brand new and really liked it. I really wanted to buy one after that but could not convince the DW. So as I'm sure you can guess I didn't end up getting one! :B I still find myself looking at them on CL sometimes.

I looked at 1500/150-ish tow vehicles for months. I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people. I came to the conclusion that there's not a lot of difference in comparable vehicles that compete in a given sector--in the real world. I tend to like Ford but, a couple of things pushed me towards the Suburban. My wife loves showing dogs and has gotten quite good at it. So, the SUV was a better fit if we were moving away from a motorhome. I looked at vans but, it's real hard to find a nice van that's pretty much ready to go and has something bigger than a 4.7/4.8 liter V8. I found a 6.0 that looked good on the outside, the inside was not good. Trucks were not a great option for hauling show dogs and pulling a travel trailer. It kinda came down to an Expedition XL or a Suburban. I found this one at a heck of a deal, and snagged it. I did see a 2500 Suburban but, the asking price was over the high end of Kelly Blue Book.

This one needs a little TLC and I already have a lot of that done. Rockauto.com is my friend. For example, it had two bulbs burned out in the instrument cluster. 15 minute job and it was fixed. I will replace the parking brake pads next and pretty much be done. All of the fluids have been changed, cause I'm anal about service (Old USAF crew chief).

I do like driving the beast. It really rides great. Makes my CRV feel like a cardboard car. I wish I had this thing when my mother was sick and dying in Tennessee. I about killed myself driving the CRV back and forth to Tennessee twice a week. Literally ended up in the ER. That Burb would have made it a much easier trip on the body. Would have cost more in gas but, probably worth it.