New (to us) 2500 Suburban

You found a good one! The 2500 Burb used within its ratings, is a great tow vehicle. We had a K2500 Burb with the Quadrasteer rear steering. What a great truck. I miss that truck, but the next camper we bought had too much tongue weight and GVW for the Burb. Thus the F350 crew cab came.

Your new burb will do well with your current camper. Have fun!

John

Perfect vehicle! LS and 6 speed trans…..
And folks say they wouldn’t sell if someone made a HD suv again….

Nice looking Suburban. I didn't even know they made a 2500 that recently. I thought they stopped around 2006

Burb that generation has 1000lb max hitch weight capacity. That capacity is what killed the 2500 series. You could not tow more than a 1500 sub. That’s the bad news.

PAThwacker wrote:
Burb that generation has 1000lb max hitch weight capacity. That capacity is what killed the 2500 series. You could not tow more than a 1500 sub. That’s the bad news.

Hi,

You are absolutely correct on the 2007 re-designed Suburban, 1500 or 2500 both had the 1,000# WD receiver. And it stayed that way.

As to towing, 1500 had the 5.3 V and 2500 had the 6.0 V8, towing wise 2500 had more tow rating.

I don't have a 2012 manual but I have a 2013 manual. It seems they had 3 tow ratings on 1500 with the 5.3 V8.

3.08 rear axle = 5,500# tow rating, and 11,000# GCWR
3.42 rear axle = 6,000# tow rating, and 11,500# GCWR
3.42 rear axle with the HD cooling package = 8,500# tow rating, and 14,000# GCWR

They only offered one rating on the 2500,
3.73 rear axle = 9,600# tow rating and 16,000# GCWR

2500 offers better brakes, a beefier truck, a higher power-rated transmission, more payload, and more tow rating. But you are still on a 1,000# loaded tongue rate limited receiver that no aftermarket receiver company will touch, which on a travel trailer can be a very limiting factor on a 2500 truck.

If you have kids and their "stuff", the 2500 allows more weight in the truck before you reach the GVWR or the GAWR-RR. The 1500 with kids and stuff can go over the GVWR and the GAWR-RR quickly with an 800 to 1,000# TW

And yes, when GM changed the receiver to a 1,000# limit and stopped the 2500, they made the big statement, If you want to tow a heavy trailer, get a pickup or HD van. Ford caved in 2006. The Excursion ended in 2005.

I do not recall when the last 2500 Avalanche was made, I think it may have been dropped in the 2007 lineup. The Avalanche and the Burb are the same wheelbase/setup, just the back of the truck cab is different. My son has and still uses a 2001, K2500 Avalanche with an 8.1 L and a 3.73 rear axle. It handles his 8,600# TT just fine, with the 1,200# TW. But we had to deal with GMT-800 receiver issues. I had to do the same receiver upgrade on my 2003 K2500 as I had a 1,200# TW camper back then.

Sad to see the Suburban now watered down in capability.

double post error.. deleted.

Looks like a nice rig. There are days I regret selling my 03 2500 Burb.

Bionic Man wrote:
Looks like a nice rig. There are days I regret selling my 03 2500 Burb.

GMT 800s are quickly becoming my next favorite simple reliable bulletproof line of trucks.
But 6.0 6 speed is about the best of the “lineage”. With the 6.0 LS truck motor, none of the AFM/DFM issues of basically all the newer smaller LS vehicles engines combined with none of the drawbacks of the 4l60/4l80.

Been a big fan of the little 800s 1/2 ton stuff for a few years now.
Got the boy an old 01 Tahoe last year for a DD. Found one with what appears low miles.
For reasons I’ve now decided that thing is just going to live its life without the complete care and attention I give most all other vehicles. And it’s doing it.

For years if I needed a on old truck/suv on a budget, GMT 400s were the way to go. 100%.
Can’t beat a Chevy 350, right?
Well early LS motors are usurping the og small block for me now.

We haul 4 of us, a dog, stuff, 4 to 6 kayaks on the roof rack, etc. The trunk area is usually pretty full. Yeah the payload increase is the biggest benefit, not so much the extra tow capacity. The additional stability in cross wind (we live in Colorado and usually travel to Utah) will be nice too.

Grit dog wrote:
Perfect vehicle! LS and 6 speed trans…..
And folks say they wouldn’t sell if someone made a HD suv again….

If HD SUVs were selling well before, the manufacturers never would have discontinued them.

Don't give me this baloney about EPA or whatever... They would have found a way to make it work if there was enough money involved.