Tahoe vs Yukon Denali

[Black_Eagle]

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

[ktosv]

PAThwacker wrote:
What you don't understand is payload. The most important variable in towing campers. Loaded vehicles like Denali, Laramie, lariat,and king ranch are loaded trims across all platforms

More options equals less payload. Equals less tow rating

The OP is talking about towing a 23' trailer that is 4100#. Towing a 32' 7200# GVWR travel trailer I was 200# over the payload on my Suburban with a family of 6 and two dogs. Yes, they may be near the limits, but that Denali is going to pull that size trailer very well.

The other thing to consider is that my Yukon XL has over 1500# of payload and has as many options on it as most Denali's do. The only difference could end up being the weight difference between the 5.3L and 6.2L.

[PAThwacker]

What you don't understand is payload. The most important variable in towing campers. Loaded vehicles like Denali, Laramie, lariat,and king ranch are loaded trims across all platforms

More options equals less payload. Equals less tow rating

[Black_Eagle]

Thanks everyone for the great information. We ended up going with a Yukon Denali over the Tahoe for extra power considering the trailer plus family weight. The XL options available in our area were all 5.3 unless it was a Denali version. The only denali xl i could find was $6k more than the same non XL version of the same year and mileage. We confirmed that the codes option codes GU6 and Z82 were present on the RPO sticker and had a third party inspect the powertrain prior to purchasing. Will give some feedback after the first trip!

[PAThwacker]

I went with k2500 burb instead a half ton pickup or grocery/daycare burbs. I wanted all the guts, axles, and motors of 3/4 truck and the ability to go off road. Denali XLs are nothing compared to 3/4 ton burbs and Excursions.
I do a ton with mine, goes anywhere a jeep can go and chills out towing 5000 to 6500 pound trailers with ease. I just towed a 7,000 pound boat from Lakeland Florida, to Stroudsburg, PA with V10 Excursion. Puts to shame my 6.0 K2500 lol!

[falconbrother]

I have the Suburban and pretty much love everything about it. Get the extra length. That extra wheel base really makes the towing stress free. As to the 5.3.. It really depends on the year model. I have the first gen 5.3. I'm pulling a 5500 (dry weight, more like 6500) TT. For the most part it does a really great job of towing but, on uphills I'd like a little more power. I understand that the newer 5.3s do quite a bit better so, if you're looking for something in the latest generation (aluminum block) 5.3 you will find it a great tow vehicle. I drove some Tahoe police vehicles and I'd much rather have my suburban for RV-ing. If you can find the bigger engine in the burb or XL GET IT.

[PAThwacker]

Bionic Man wrote:
The reports I have seen show the 6.2 pretty much equal to the 5.3 in mpg. For that reason, I'd o for the 6.2. (That is the reason I went with a Yukon Denali XL).

And I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing a 6.2 in a Burb.

6.2 Denali are AWD

[PAThwacker]

Lwiddis wrote:
"You may want to consider an Excursion for your family"

But, Thom, the newest Excursion is 12 years old...and beat to heck.

6.0 diesel excursions go for $30k still. No suburban 2500 of that vintage goes north of $15k regardless of condition.

[bartlettj]

I have about the same configuration, an '03 5.3L/4x4 Tahoe, family of 4, 4200 lb 23' TT. It handles hills just fine. I've taken it to the rockies, coast mountains, cascades quite a bit It has the power. It runs reasonably cool, although I did get it a little hot a couple of weeks ago climbing the Siskyous pass in 104 degree heat.

The thing I don't like too much about it is that it has 3.73 gears and a 4 speed transmission, so it spends most of its time in 3rd and 2nd gear and there's a big jump between them so it's rather loud and clunky on a long grade. If you can swing one of the newer 6 speed transmissions it will be nicer to drive because there are more gears available at highway speeds. You don't need a 3/4 ton Suburban for a TT that size unless you are packing the SUV full of passengers.
I get 9.5-11 mpg towing with my Tahoe. I've put over 40,000 miles on it and the trailer and have had no mechanical issues other than normal maintenance like tire and brake pad wear. It's pushing 170k miles now, and still reliable, but I'm planning to replace it with a crew cab 1 ton truck next year because I want to get a 5th wheel.

[KD4UPL]

For that size family and towing in the Rockies I would absolutely skip the Tahoe and get a Suburban or YukonXL. If your talking about a new vehicle then only a 1500 is really available. If you're looking for used then I'd get a 2500 Suburban. They stopped making them after 2013.

[Bionic_Man]

The reports I have seen show the 6.2 pretty much equal to the 5.3 in mpg. For that reason, I'd o for the 6.2. (That is the reason I went with a Yukon Denali XL).

And I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing a 6.2 in a Burb.

[Lwiddis]

"You may want to consider an Excursion for your family"

But, Thom, the newest Excursion is 12 years old...and beat to heck.

[APT]

If you have a family of 5+, go for the Suburban/Yukon XL. 3rd row seat is usable plus storage behind the 3rd row. I recommend captain chairs in second row for easier access to the third row by children. The 5.3L/6-spd/3.42 is good for towing. While the 6.2L offers more power, it is not necessary for mountain towing and recommends mid+ octane for towing conditions. Make sure the vehicle you select has the 3.42 and HD Trailering equipment. This can be confirmed by the option codes GU6 and Z82 on the RPO sticker in the glove box. Many full sized GM SUVs are made without these which affect tow ratings as well as real world towing experience for RVs.

[Thom02099]

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.

[austingta]

You can get the 6.2 in the Suburban and Yukon XL. If you want to be creative, there is a Suburban 2500 with 3/4 ton suspension, but it is for protective work and is aimed at armoring not towing, so it has a ridiculous 3000 pound or something tow rating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Suburban#2500HD_and_3500HD_Suburban