Tahoe vs Yukon Denali

Black Eagle wrote:
We have a 23 ft Jayco Jayfeather dry weight #4100. Current TV is our Honda Pilot touring which lags a little on steep hills but transmission stays nice and cool.
Looking for a larger SUV for and am comparing Chevy Tahoe vs Yukon Denali. I've got a family of 5 plus large dog and not sure if the 5.3L Tahoe can handle the Rockies or if I need the larger 6.2L in the Denali. I don't expect to be getting a larger trailer in future but you know how that goes. Need SUV for family seating arrangement, trucks are out.

Thanks

You don't indicate what year Tahoe you're looking at, but I can give you some perspective as an owner of a 2003 Tahoe with the 5.3L w/tow package and a 25ft Keystone Outback that, fully loaded is ~6000lbs. (See siggy below). The big difference is that I have only 2 people on board, have removed the 3rd row seating, and carry minimal equipment in the Tahoe. Combined weight recommendation max per the owners manual is 13400, my combo scale weighs at 11700 as I recall.

So...can it handle the Rockies? Short answer, yes. And in most situations, with the load I have it does the job. Slowly. You will not win any races up the mountains of Colorado. Just returned from a trip up to Estes Park via US34, no real problems there, but heading out of Estes Park on a road with some 10-12% grades, the 'hoe was struggling a bit, dropped down to 25mph in a couple of places, and in second gear with an occasional drop to first gear.

I would be concerned with a family of 5, a large dog, and the attendant payload limits of the Tahoe. Yes, the newer ones have more oomph, but still, that's a lot to ask of a Tahoe. And on some highways, particularly concrete with expansion strips, there's a lot of "porpoising" due to the short wheelbase of the Tahoe. On a long drive, that gets tiresome very quick.

You may want to consider an Excursion for your family and it's far greater towing capacity and comfort level.