New (to us) 2500 Suburban

[EnzoColorado]

After towing with the 1500 Suburban for 6 years, we're upgrading to a 2500 Suburban. Finally found a mint 2012 in Georgia, no rust, with less than 100K miles.

We debated between upgrading to a 3/4 truck vs. the burb. Finally settled on continuing with the burb so we can keep the dog in the back in comfort. Dog in the back seat of a truck is bad since kids are constantly snacking on road trips and there is hardly room for the dog.

We also need the ski gear stays warm in the back instead of frozen in the truck bed. Never put on ski boots when they're frozen LOL.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/N7yJbCiwtt9sfa169

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nSCnBWhn53Y8sfdU9

[Grit_dog]

Gas prices killed the HD suvs? Lol
When full-size 4 door pickups of all flavors and 1/2 ton suvs are literally selling out as fast as any other model of vehicle? And $2 or $4 a gallon the traffic don’t seem to change around here…
If anything it was the proliferation of crew cab pickups in all sizes that gained so much popularity.
But I never said there’d be a market for a million of them a year. Just that the world has basically run out of good HD suvs.

[Grit_dog]

Anti gov? Lol.
I think you spelled patriotic wrong!

[Grit_dog]

rjstractor wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
But as dad pointed out. Just another reason our govt, as great of a country as it is, is so utterly wasteful it’s sickening……can’t wait to support them again this year soon (tax time….)
$3.6M a piece to make 10 HD Subs? Just like the old $1000hammers!
Isn’t this what Duraburb does for like $50k BYOS ( bring your own suburban), minus the bulletproof glass and cool radios?

No kidding, that's even worse than the $1.6M presidential limousine of a few years back that's basically a mashup of a Cadillac and a GM 4500 series commercial truck with run-flat tires and a lot of armor. You know that the boys at Extensive or Kindig-it Designs could have built a way nicer car for probably $250K.

You’re right!
And Diesel Bros would have built a couple Duraburb limos for free probably if the gubmint agreed to quit forking with their business! But not for the current administration….lol

[JIMNLIN]

looks like the anti gov's are at it as usual hijacking another thread. Some seems to look thru political glass at any topic.

The big 250/2500350/3500 Suvs were gazz hogs. School moms/soccer moms needed some type of vehicle like that but got better mpgs. Inter the smaller 2 seat/3 seat suvs with much better mpgs moving the kids around. High fuel prices was a huge player in the down fall of those big gazz guzzlers.
Even out here in farm and ranch country where the 'burb was king with country cow/horse/farm wife queens moving a passel of kids around/pulling a horse trailer/etc got to expensive with high fuel prices.

OP simply wanted/needed........ found a good 3/4 ton burb.

[rjstractor]

Grit dog wrote:
But as dad pointed out. Just another reason our govt, as great of a country as it is, is so utterly wasteful it’s sickening……can’t wait to support them again this year soon (tax time….)
$3.6M a piece to make 10 HD Subs? Just like the old $1000hammers!
Isn’t this what Duraburb does for like $50k BYOS ( bring your own suburban), minus the bulletproof glass and cool radios?

No kidding, that's even worse than the $1.6M presidential limousine of a few years back that's basically a mashup of a Cadillac and a GM 4500 series commercial truck with run-flat tires and a lot of armor. You know that the boys at Extensive or Kindig-it Designs could have built a way nicer car for probably $250K.

[Grit_dog]

Was thinking about this yesterday as I was following a new Escalade El and a new Burb Premier side by side down the road. Burb had a hitch stuck in the receiver. Thought there’s a guy who probably wishes he had a HD to haul all his wifes **** on camping trips!

[Grit_dog]

But as dad pointed out. Just another reason our govt, as great of a country as it is, is so utterly wasteful it’s sickening……can’t wait to support them again this year soon (tax time….)
$3.6M a piece to make 10 HD Subs? Just like the old $1000hammers!
Isn’t this what Duraburb does for like $50k BYOS ( bring your own suburban), minus the bulletproof glass and cool radios?

[blt2ski]

Dad,

I'd take a bet that this is a sorta kinda nothing new contract. A number of three letter federal groups but specialized custom rigs from manufactures. How many bullet proof vehicles, usually secrete service to protect the POTUS do we have? Burbs have been most prevalent for many years.
That alone should help keep a factory up and running.
Reality for the 2500 demise, as noted by grit iirc. Others in past too. The 8600&9900 gvwr anything but a van truck is gone. Stuck with a rig up to 7500 factory gvw, or 11-13k gvwr now a days. I for one would be glad to get the equal chassis if the 1500HD, an 8400 gvwr pickup. Prefer and ext cab vs crew cab only option. Out the LD motors in them, but chassis, typical 8 lug running gear of the older 8600 2500. Great truck, decent mpg, power to pull a 10K trailer, payload for a family of 4-6 +fido, upwards of 1000-1200 lbs of payload for said 10K trailer. This truck is missing in today's line up. Be it a burb, pickup etc.

Marty

[Dadoffourgirls]

I guess everyone that wants a HD Suburban just needs to have money like the US Dept of State.

September 15, 2021
"WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of State has awarded GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors, a contract to develop and validate next generation Large Support Utility Commercial Vehicles (SUV) for future fleet production in support of the Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). As part of the total development contract valued at $36.4 million, GM Defense will create a purpose-built Heavy-Duty (HD) Suburban, building 10 vehicles over the next two years.

Leveraging General Motors’ commercial vehicle architecture designed for full size pickup trucks and large SUVs, GM Defense will use significant commercial-off-the-shelf parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior and brakes for their government, purpose-built HD Suburban. The HD Suburban will feature a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension, designed to specifically support increased government vehicle performance requirements with a higher payload capacity and greater ground vehicle weight.

GM Defense will use advanced manufacturing tools and techniques, including fixtureless assembly and flexible fabrication, to support increased efficiencies and quality in low-volume production of the new chassis and frame. The advanced manufacturing techniques will help to reduce overall program costs and offer greater flexibility and responsiveness to address future customer needs.

“We’re excited to be developing a fully-integrated, purpose-built HD Suburban in partnership with the U.S. Department of State,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “The Chevrolet Suburban has been an iconic name in commercial transportation since 1935. Our development contract win speaks to our long-standing legacy of exceeding transportation capabilities and our new, HD Suburban will deliver government-specific advanced mobility solutions to meet the needs of DSS.”

GM Defense will deliver the vehicles in two phases, the first delivery of which will be next spring. A production contract to build a fleet of 200 HD Suburbans per year for nine years is expected to succeed the completion of the development contract in or about May 2023."

[Grit_dog]

mkirsch wrote:

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.

I agree with you. 15 years ago. And I believe the newer crew cab pickup market played a hand in it too.
And about emissions standards. Heck give ‘em a 11k gvwr and kick them into the next category.
Now they’re all used up. The few nice ones left are disappearing quickly.
And big SUVs are as popular today as they ever were. I still think at least one of the big 3 could clean up for a few years making a 3/4-1ton long wheelbase suv again. Big gasser and a big diesel option.
For me? Nope. But they’d sell like hotcakes in UT, ID and AZ at a minimum!

No one with more than 3 kids can buy a new rig capable of pulling a big trailer for over a decade now.

[K3WE]

I didn't know that GM had dropped the 2500- too bad, it serves a real niche. Towed with 1500 Suburbans for 10+ years and 2500 for the past 12 years.

The springs, tires, etc does make for better HANDLING vs. the 1500. As far as PULLING, minimal difference.

The 2500 is a lot less comfortable as a grocery hauler- much stiffer ride (no big surprise).

I HATE the 6-speed tranny...spends LOTS of time in 4th, 3rd is common, and occasionally 2 (on the Intrastate, no less) Fuel mileage is nothing special. I see almost no performance difference between this truck and our oldest 5.7 4-speed 1500 with a 3.42 rear end. They added a Granny gear (which we really didn't need) and an overdrive on top, leaving you with very similar middle 4 gears.

Just put new engine mounts in our current truck (110K miles)(shoulder shrug).

Also, I posted "the opposite" thread to this asking about switching to a pickup. No question, the Suburan will haul more buttocks, and heat and cool your suitcases, although that third row SUCKS in comfort terms.

Looking forward to updates.

[mkirsch]

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.

[EnzoColorado]

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]

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.