2011 Suburban 1500 with tow package

[jenjen77]

I've been looking through the forums, just because I hate asking the same quesiton someone else already has. But here we go, last year we took our 11 burb from florida to yosemite and back (we have a 2008 freedom lite trailer which has a slide out queen bed, 4000 lbs dry weight, max of 5k) I can tell we had ALOT in our suburban, we added bike racks ont he back of the suburban, carried our 200 lb generator a few gas tanks. It was ridiculous. We were gone a month, gas mileage was terrible, but we expected that. This year we are wanting to upgrade to something our burb can handle, we are looking at a keystone bullet 2400 (I have 3 kids, and 2 adults, so we need a bunkhouse!) Its gross weight says 6800, our tow rating is up to 8100 lbs. We are looking to travel to Yellowstone in the summer time next year in it Do you think that is too much weight for our burb? We have been researching and researching, and I just don't know. we know we want to upgrade though!! Any advice, or maybe an advice on another trailer we should take a look at it, I would be open to look at!! Thanks!!

[BenK]

jenjen77 wrote:
I've been looking through the forums, just because I hate asking the same quesiton someone else already has. But here we go, last year we took our 11 burb from florida to yosemite and back (we have a 2008 freedom lite trailer which has a slide out queen bed, 4000 lbs dry weight, max of 5k) I can tell we had ALOT in our suburban, we added bike racks ont he back of the suburban, carried our 200 lb generator a few gas tanks. It was ridiculous. We were gone a month, gas mileage was terrible, but we expected that.



This year we are wanting to upgrade to something our burb can handle, we are looking at a keystone bullet 2400 (I have 3 kids, and 2 adults, so we need a bunkhouse!) Its gross weight says 6800, our tow rating is up to 8100 lbs.

MTWR (max tow weight rating) is derived using a 'stripper' model TV
with one 150 lb driver, tow option and nothing else

So you would have to weigh in at 150 lbs, no options (AC, power seats,
windows, 4x4, etc, etc) in order to have that MTWR

We are looking to travel to Yellowstone in the summer time next year in it Do you think that is too much weight for our burb?

Yes, and I'd not do it

Boils down to a 'can' vs 'rated for it', or how safely and how long it can do it

We have been researching and researching, and I just don't know. we know we want to upgrade though!! Any advice, or maybe an advice on another trailer we should take a look at it, I would be open to look at!! Thanks!!

Suggest you consider a lighter trailer.

First, decide if you believe in the OEM ratings or not

If not, then this is just an academic discussion and do whatever you
wish, but know you have taken the OEM(s) off the warranty and liability hook

If yes, then read up to learn how the ratings system works and go out
and weigh your setup, fully loaded up with people/pets/cargo/etc...axle
by axle


All things designed are not engineered for the good days out there when
a half ton can town the Space Shuttle (around 190,000 lbs...stripped)

It is for the worse day out there when Mr Murphy crosses your path

Either you have the right sized or not...to manhandle the setup during
that encounter spot on. As there will be no time to go back the store
for bigger/better/etc...nor time to re-adjust or re-load

Only the driver is responsible for the setup...no one providing an
opinion on these freebie forums have any skin in the game. That driver
might not even be the OP here, but their spouse/friend/etc...

[mkirsch]

Take a look at the Suburban 2500. It is built with more capacity than your current Suburban 1500, and has the same powertrain as a 2500HD pickup truck.

Unfortunately you won't be able to "have it all." There is no such thing as a light nimble fuel efficient take the massive family to church on Sunday vehicle that can also be loaded to the gills and pull a massive travel trailer. They're two different vehicles. If you're limited to one vehicle you either need to go with the big beefy machine that can haul the massive family with the massive travel trailer, or go with a much more modest travel trailer.

[IdaD]

A sixth passenger would be tough in a pickup. My Ram actually has a front bench, but that center front seat has really limited legroom because of the center dash stack and organizer tray on the floor. It also only has a lap belt in that position. I've only used that spot for seating somebody over pretty short distances.

[jenjen77]

Yes we are actually reviewing trucks as well. We have 3 kids and us but I also have an older kid in college that likes to travel with us at times. She maybe just be sol..lol..thanks for all your advice. !!

[IdaD]

You can alleviate some of the vehicle weight by loading more of your stuff in the trailer. 6800 lbs is a lot for a full size SUV with a big family, though. I don't think an Expedition would be any worse than a Suburban, and actually with the Ecoboost it may actually perform quite a bit better from a power standpoint (especially at elevation out west).

Three kids and two adults fit great in a crew or mega cab, by the way, and then you step up a class and have no trouble at all. If you want the enclosed cargo space that the big SUVs offer, just add a topper.

[jenjen77]

We camped in yosemite for 2 weeks. No water or electric hookups. We traveled from Florida to yosemite so we naturally had to bring our generator.

[PAThwacker]

Expedition is even worse. You are trying to do a task that a one ton dual rear wheel CC may be your only answer.
If you had one of those dual hitch/bike racks you were not using a WDH hitch. Another impending doom type of scenario could have occurred.
Bikes, generator, gas, firewood, bikes, need to be in the bed of a pickup, roof of tow vehicle or front hitch. Half ton burb is one step above a minivan bwahahahahahaha

[Ozlander]

Why are you carrying a 200 pound generator and 80 pounds of gas to go camping????

[jenjen77]

What do you guys think of an expedition el 4x4 pulling a trailer??

[mkirsch]

Agree with donn above. You were almost certainly overloaded with all that stuff in/on the Suburban, along with the trailer.

There's a catch to "tow ratings." Your Suburban has a limited payload capacity, which has to account for people, stuff, and the trailer tongue. When a manufacturer says your Suburban can tow 8100lbs, for example, that is a best case scenario where there is nothing in the Suburban except you and maybe one passenger. It is NOT packed to the gills with kids, generator, bicycles, etc..

Every pound you put in the Suburban beyond you and your wife is about 8lbs less trailer you can tow. 1000lbs of stuff is 8000lbs less trailer.

If you were not pleased with the performance before, you will HATE it with the larger camper unless you can shed a lot of the weight you had in the Suburban.

[donn0128]

I hate to tell you this, but with the family and stuff on board your probably already overloaded before you hitch anything up. Suburbans are nice, but the 1500 series are really only people movers. If you did not like last year, you will positively hate this year with a bigger trailer.

[APT]

I really doubt you'll notice much difference with a 4000 dry TT to a 4700 dry TT, the Passport 2400?

I'm certain with all the extras you had on the last trip more than one rated for your vehicle was exceeded. If you plan to do these kinds of trip every 2-3 years, then a 3/4 ton Burb would handle the extra weight of generators/etc better.

[colliehauler]

I would weigh the Burb loaded for camping with family and subtract it from the max weight the Burb is rated for. The remaining weight is what you have left for tongue trailer weight. The TT tongue will be 12 to 15% of the trailer weight and this will be the limiting factor not what it can pull. On a 1500 Burb its very easy to exceed the rear axle weight rating.

Any chance of trading for a 2500 Burb ?