What weight TT for a '99 Suburban 1500 TV? UPDATE sold Sub

[bernercamper]

I'm completely new to all this - dh grew up with a pop-up and loves to tent camp but if I'm going to come along it must be something hard sided with a bathroom and a refrigerator!

We own a 1999 Suburban 1500 LS... the original purchase paperwork says it has the upgraded tow package and transmission cooler. I've looked in the manual and still not sure what I should be looking for as an upper limit with regards to tow weight. Could someone give me some guidelines?

I'm guessing our best rv would be a travel trailer. Haven't really considered anything else yet. I guess that's for another post though.

I'm slowly working my way through the sticky but I'm excited and want to buy something asap! There are no rv dealers nearby to ask. Do I go to the Chevy dealer with questions about hitches?

Oh we also have four little kids 10 and under, and we might bring a 60 pound dog along occasionally... My dh and I are about 150lbs each. And we have a couple teens around 150 each too, thought I don't think they'd be along as much or they might take a separate vehicle.

So what should be my upper limit? Or is it not that simple? And I'm lost on the tongue weight discussion but hopefully I'll learn.

Thanks so much,
Marie

[bernercamper]

quick update I sold the excursion - it was very problematic - lots of electrical issues that would have driven me crazy. It was just too old.

So since then I bought a 2007 expedition 2wd with the hd towing package. I know this won't be as optimal as an excursion but it suited us better on a day-to-day basis. It's so nice though that my dh jokes that I won't want it to be our camping vehicle and I'm afraid he's right. Anyway it says it can tow 9200 which I know I won't want to tow anywhere near.

So I'm looking on rvtrader for used travel trailers. I've got a lot more questions so maybe I'd better start a new post.

[jmaotto]

I think the Excursion will be a safer tow vehicle than an extended Ford van. The extended Ford vans have too much rear overhang. This causes the tail to wag the dog.

[Fubeca]

The V10 is only as loud as the exhaust system on it. A stock muffler keeps it very quiet. It is a reasonably efficient engine, and has great reliability (with the occasional sparkplug issue).

In the cheapish price range - it really is a great deal for pulling power. An older GM product with the 8.1 is likely a little better - but pretty rare.

[bernercamper]

Thanks. Yeah I guess I can see that. I don't love the v10 because it's loud. Maybe I'll look for a newer year model. Most have so many miles on them though! Or keep looking for an e350 van with a v10. I just have 4-7 kids to carry along!

[Grit_dog]

Having had a couple of both the early V 10s and several 5.4s from 97 up to 09, I'd take a high geared 6.8 over a 5.4 with 4.10s in a superduty chassis.

[bernercamper]

Well I have an update... not sure if I should add on here or start a new topic.

I sold the Suburban. To a family member. I bought a sight-unseen 2000 Excursion just based on the mileage - 150k. So now I have something with a v10 but it's not in great cosmetic shape. Not sure whether to keep it or not! It looked like it might have towed before as there's a bracket under the dash that might have been for trailer brakes? Just guessing. I took it to a mechanic and he said "fair" mechanical condition but nothing jumped out at him. I does have "D" class tires so that is not for towing I would guess. Also it's a 2wd. 3.55 axle ratio I think.

I'd really prefer a ford van but the only ones I can find are v8 engines! 5.4L. Is that strong enough with the right axle ratio?

[Grit_dog]

donn0128 wrote:
Sadly 1500 Suburbans can already be overloaded by just loading with passangers. You really really need to load your family up plus what ever you would normally have for a trip and drive across a set of scales. Then look on the drivers door post for the GVWR tag. Subtract one from the other. Thats how much payload you have. A 99 Subbie is likely going to have nearly zero payload. You might first start looking for a bit newer 2500 burb before starting on the trailer search.

never mind.......

[Grit_dog]

bernercamper wrote:
That's encouraging. I've read many different things. Also the tow weight in manual is different than specs I'm reading online.

So payload is the difference between gvwr and vehicle weight. And the payload has to be more than vehicle plus passengers and luggage and hitch weight?

As with any older vehicle, miles and condition play more of a factor than the "missing" payload sticker will.
If it is in good condition and not a zillion miles, I'd be good with around a 5klb trailer, based on hp and gear ratio. With that, better have an aux trans cooler and you won't be winning any races against anything made in this decade.
May need to help the ole rear suspension out a little too. A Sub is like a pickup that's already halfway loaded before you put anything in it.
Other than that, Vortec 350, good brakes and a healthy transmission......dog will hunt!

[bernercamper]

Thank you for that info!

[DrewE]

As those were the three possible axle ratios Ford offered that year (not all with every engine), the VIN report isn't saying anything more than that the van has a rear axle. I suppose that's a good thing, even if I might have taken it for granted.

A class 1 hitch maxes out at 2000 pounds or less, and perhaps in this case would just be a hole in the bumper without a receiver or anything. You'd need a class III or IV hitch (assuming a previous owner hasn't added an aftermarket one). You'd also need a brake controller and a seven pin trailer connector wired in. None of that should be particularly hard or expensive to procure.

[bernercamper]

Thanks! I got the vin of the van and I can't tell the axle ratio - the vin report says 3.73, 4.10, 3.55?

We are trying to stay in the 5000 range so that shouldn't be a problem. Vin says class 1 hitch which means we should upgrade right?

[DrewE]

bernercamper wrote:
Ok I'm selling my suburban to my father and looking at full sized Ford vans!

Quick question - how does a 1999 e350 v8 extended Ford van look for towing? It has a hitch. Automatic. Don't know anything else but from my limited research it has a large payload capacity! Thoughts?

Any full sized van made remotely recently will be an automatic. In 1999 it would have the 4R100 four speed transmission.

The E350 should be a very good tow vehicle. The rated tow limits for the gas V8 (I'm assuming this isn't one of the relatively rare diesel versions, which has higher tow limits) are 5700 pounds with the 3.55 rear axle ratio and 6700 pounds with the 4.10 rear axle. I vaguely recall that there's somewhere around a couple thousand pounds of payload capacity, so you can tow close to that and still have some people and stuff in the van, but double-check that (and all other information quoted here).

At any rate, if it were me and I am not too far off in my recollections, I would generally look for a trailer no heavier than around maybe 5000 pounds.

[bernercamper]

Ok I'm selling my suburban to my father and looking at full sized Ford vans!

Quick question - how does a 1999 e350 v8 extended Ford van look for towing? It has a hitch. Automatic. Don't know anything else but from my limited research it has a large payload capacity! Thoughts?

[DrewE]

bernercamper wrote:
That's encouraging. I've read many different things. Also the tow weight in manual is different than specs I'm reading online.

So payload is the difference between gvwr and vehicle weight. And the payload has to be more than vehicle plus passengers and luggage and hitch weight?

The GVWR ("gross vehicle weight rating") is the maximum the vehicle is rated to carry altogether--it's own weight plus the weight of stuff. "Stuff" includes, besides the obvious things like people and cargo, the tongue weight of the trailer but not the rest of the trailer weight, which is carried by the trailer's wheels.

The GCWR ("gross combined weight rating") is the maximum the vehicle is rated to carry and pull, the sum of the vehicle weight, the stuff in the vehicle, and the trailer weight. (You don't count the tongue weight twice here, of course.)

The payload is basically the GVWR minus the weight of the vehicle alone. The technical definition I think does include a full tank of fuel and an allowance for the weight of the driver, but no other non-vehicle stuff. However, in general concept, you can just think of it as the carrying capacity left over for the things you put in or on the vehicle, and figure exact weights based on the GVWR and GCWR (and axle weight ratings and hitch weight limits).

In your case, it sounds like you'll probably be limited by the tongue weight the GVWR permits once you've gotten all your stuff and people loaded up. It may well be negative--you might be overweight without a trailer of any sort. In that case, I guess you should maybe attach a bunch of large helium balloons to the trailer hitch. (Just kidding....)

As was mentioned, full sized vans tend to have better payload capacities than many large SUVs. I personally rather like the Nissan NV vans for passenger hauling, at least based on paper comparisons, but that's just my own opinions and prejudices. I like that they have more options for seat positioning and gave at least a little thought to making the cabin a halfway nice place to ride in.