Any years that we should avoid? We have a family of 7. In your experience, does this make a better tow vehicle vs, say, a 12 passenger van? Our HTT is about 4500 lbs loaded.

The Van will offer more room for 7 people to spread out than a Suburban. Properly set up for towing the Van would do amazing. The only issue with a Van is that 4x4 is somewhat harder to get. If 4x4 is a need then a Suburban is a great choice. 7 people traveling together all the time I would own a 12 passenger van for sure.JMHO...thanks!

Sorry to sound dumb, but what should I look for with the van, in terms of making sure it is properly set up for towing, aside from checking Edmunds, etc for specs? Are there certain options I should look for?

We have 7 people plus a trailer that weighs about 4500# loaded.

kdlugozi wrote:Sorry to sound dumb, but what should I look for with the van, in terms of making sure it is properly set up for towing, aside from checking Edmunds, etc for specs? Are there certain options I should look for?Not a dumb question at all; you want to look for 1) a hitch properly rated for your usage, 2) a "towing pkg," normally consisting of a transmission cooler & sometimes a specific gear ratio, and 3) properly rated tires. To state the obvious, any and all of those can be added after-the-fact, but many will already have these features.Of course this is over-and-above the normal things you'd inspect looking at a used vehicle, such as condition of the fluids, tire tread, brake wear, etc.Vans are very underrated as TVs and can often be found for literally thousands less than a comparable truck or SUV. The drawback, as Jerem noted, is the lack of factory 4x4 unless you find a jewel that's been properly converted, or have the means to drop the cash to have it done. Though you may not be able to "boondock" in winter, a 2wd van with a limited-slip rear end, snow tires, and a good driver can handle a reasonable amount of snow.Though it would be overkill for your trailer, a E250 or E350 with a V10 would manhandle your large family with the TT in tow with capacity to spare.

I have pulled trailers 10's of thousands of miles in the snow with my non-4x4 van. It does great. The balanced weight distribution makes them far better drivers in the snow than 2WD pickup. I do have limited slip, and I run good tires (Toyo M55s). I've been through waist-deep snow (miles of it) which is high enough that it was coming over the hood.

Looking at used Suburban 2500's | Good Sam Community

fickman
Explorer
Aug 01, 2013
kdlugozi wrote:
Thanks everyone. Camper and van both came home last night. :-) Now we just need to book some trips. Thanks for all your help. MUCH appreciated!!!

Pics or it didn't happen!!! :)

Great setup. . . and congrats on doing the research before buying. Too many do those steps in the wrong order.
kdlugozi
Explorer
Aug 01, 2013
Thanks everyone. Camper and van both came home last night. :-) Now we just need to book some trips. Thanks for all your help. MUCH appreciated!!!
mcsurveyor
Explorer
Jul 31, 2013
kdlugozi wrote:
Ended up buyng the E350. The price was right and, since it has a payload sufficient for 12 passengers, our family of 7 is longer pushing the payload limit, which is very nice. And since our trailer is pretty light and not super long, I feel good about the specs.

Congrats! I think you'll find it's a nice way to travel. Should tow your trailer just fine.
Mickeyfan0805
Explorer
Jul 31, 2013
kdlugozi wrote:
Ended up buyng the E350. The price was right and, since it has a payload sufficient for 12 passengers, our family of 7 is longer pushing the payload limit, which is very nice. And since our trailer is pretty light and not super long, I feel good about the specs.

Congrats! From your posts here, and on the other thread, that sounds like an absolutely perfect choice for you guys. Have a great time!!
mtofell1
Explorer
Jul 31, 2013
carringb wrote:
I've been through waist-deep snow (miles of it) which is high enough that it was coming over the hood.

Waist deep snow in a 2WD van? Come on... the only thing waist deep is the - well never mind, you get the point.
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jul 31, 2013
Congrats! happy camping!!
kdlugozi
Explorer
Jul 31, 2013
Ended up buyng the E350. The price was right and, since it has a payload sufficient for 12 passengers, our family of 7 is longer pushing the payload limit, which is very nice. And since our trailer is pretty light and not super long, I feel good about the specs.
BurbMan
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2013
That was the Astro van, not the full size vans. A burb with center bench (most had this) and a 2-3-3 seating combo would be fine if the kids aren't too big. Depending on ages, 2 older ones in the middle and 3 smaller ones in the back. Van definitely has more room, but if looking at a 350 I would definitely go V-10, considering the weight of the van and 7 passengers plus the weight of the trailer. Ditto on the 3500, look for 6.0 or 8.1 (pretty rare).

2500 burbs had either 6.0 or 8.1 from 2001-2006, 2007+ is 6.0L only, the 6 speed transmission started in 2008 I believe.
arizal
Explorer
Jul 30, 2013
MegaCab_PL wrote:
Didn't GM offer their vans with factory AWD ?

Yes, but only in their 1/2 ton units.
mrgrim007
Explorer
Jul 30, 2013
MegaCab_PL wrote:
Didn't GM offer their vans with factory AWD ?

They still do but only on the 1500s I think.