Considering Suburban over smaller 4x4.. your experience?

[Bojak]

I love my 70 Burb more every day.
We just did 3 days running beaches in Baja and the rig was a pleasure on the highway and great in the sand.
So much room you have to be careful not to OVERPACK
Here is an old sleep setup

My buddy Nick is on Expo also and his diesel burb makes my fuel injected 350 seem sad by comparison

Get an old rig like mine, get a late 80's or early 90's square body but whatever you get make sure it is 3/4 ton as others have said and then try it with a very mild lift if any and 33's ....you will be very happy

I second this. Older is just cool, and alot simpler to work on. I also recommend the mild lift with 3/4 ton platform. You might consider a crewcab with a shell also.

I love my 70 Burb more every day.
We just did 3 days running beaches in Baja and the rig was a pleasure on the highway and great in the sand.
So much room you have to be careful not to OVERPACK
Here is an old sleep setup

My buddy Nick is on Expo also and his diesel burb makes my fuel injected 350 seem sad by comparison

Get an old rig like mine, get a late 80's or early 90's square body but whatever you get make sure it is 3/4 ton as others have said and then try it with a very mild lift if any and 33's ....you will be very happy

 

[Renntag]

1Leglance, What diesel is swapped into Nick's burb? Both of those trucks are sweet !

 

[rayra]

wheelbase, stock clearance and approach and departure angles are very near the same as my long bed standard cab pickup. No change of driving habits for me. Have to avoid high-center issues. And my Sub is about ~1100# more in gross vehicle weight. Only had it a couple months so far, haven't pressed things while I figure how roadworthy it is, before I try to break it. Done a little off-road travel with the Tahoe, shorter wheelbase, better turning radius, a few hundred pounds lighter, but it's 'hers' so I don't get to wheel it hard.

These are nice comfy tanks. Not something you scoot or snake around in or go boulder crawling with. Not without some mods and a willingness to sacrifice paint and metal. They're a different beast for a different job. Like hauling the family and dogs and a trailer full of off-roading goodies. Or a surf-fishing trip. Or a mountain hiking / biking / camping trip.

Funny thing is I used to wheel hard in the SoCal high desert in 2wd mini-trucks, we got them stuck and sunk many times. Had a blast. The funny part is that the Suburban is everything I wanted back then, when I was sleeping in a steel pickup bed in the freezing desert on motocross trips. And it's what I want now that I'm 50+, family, dogs plural and don't spend anywhere near as much time in the great outdoors as I used to. YMMV.

eta 1leglance is doing the stuff I'm talking about

 

[1leglance]

The orange burb is Nick-Noibn or mosesburb depending on the forum...
he has an amazing build thread on coloradok5 and 67-72chevytrucks
5.9 Cummins 12v with more quality work that most people would believe without reading the thread. I see the rig so often even I forget just how nice it is....pretty much always 20mpg highway or trail, a bit taller than mine which works for him
The NV2500 and the diesel just lets him crawl all over stuff on the trial.


I have owned a few 4wd's, both shorter wheelbase and bigger than my burb.
This is my favorite rig and I hope the last I build/own. It does everything well enough to make me happy and seeing it in the driveway or on the trail makes me smile. And best of all my wife likes it...that goes a long long way in life

 

[kojackJKU]

I have 2005 Z71, Using it as a plow rig as well as a family hauler. I try to be gentle with it, but plowing is hard on the old girl. Have most of it replaced and now she's 90 percent. Needs a new ac compressor and the rear cooling system hooked back up.

 

[jerrysull2]

I've had a YJ Wrangler, an XJ Cherokee, a ZJ Grand Cherokee, and two Suburbans (a '95, and my current is a '97). My advice largely depends on what you're trying to do.

From what you've described in your post, it really sounds like you feel the Suburban would be a better fit as far as handling your gear and sleeping accommodations, but you're afraid the size of the truck will hamper your ability to traverse backroad trails. Honestly, I haven't really faced a tight spot (within reason) that was too small for either of my Suburbans to fit. In addition, the additional cargo capacity more than makes up for it! I'm 6'3", so trying to sleep in either Cherokee was an uncomfortable nightmare! To top it off, I would argue the longer wheelbase comes in handy when it comes to on-road handling when fully loaded.

I haven't had any experience with the 1500s, so I can't comment on any related strength issues when it comes to front-end components, but I can say I have zero complaints on either of my 2500s (even sent my old '95 airborne a time or two , and the front end held up just fine). A 2500 gives you a makor advantage of working with stronger parts, but be advised, working on those heavy-duty parts can sometimes come with additional headaches (For example: to replace brake rotors, one must take apart the wheel bearing assembly). As far as '92-'99 Suburbans go, I can't really think of any major flaws with them when speaking about reliability. The only weak spot I can think of off the top of my head to be aware of is the front diff, as the engagement actuator for the four-wheel-drive is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE design. I had a band break in the 4L80 trans of my '95. I heard this is somewhat common in 2500 suburbans from an unreliable source, so I can't confirm that. Only other thing I can mention is one of the engines available was the 6.5 turbo diesel. If that's a route you are considering, read up on the motor a bit, as there are some issues related to that motor you should probably be aware of (though I wouldn't let that scare you away from one).

Be sure to let us know what you decide to do!

 

[Kmehr]

I had an 02 1500 Z71. I loved that thing, bought it from my dad at 35K and drove it to right at 100K and my sister totaled it. Load it to the gills and it wouldn't even notice, I'm 6'3 and I could easily sleep in the back with the second row folded down. Only problem I ever had was the A/c compressor locking up, pretty good considering I was a college kid back then and drove 90mph if I was driving anywhere. I drove it cross country a couple times camping out west. I was always impressed with how it off roaded stock, but i never did anything too extreme, mostly just rutted up fire roads. Can't go wrong with a small block chevy motor, they're pretty damn good motors and will take care of you for a long time if you take care of them. I'd without a doubt be driving it today if it hadn't been totaled. Like said above, you can lift it, but spend the money and do it right or things will wear faster. You really can't go wrong with a Burb, they're awesome vehicles. Look for a Z71 1500 if you don't tow really heavy, a 1500 will be perfect.

Also, I owned a 98 2500 Chevy after that with the 6.5 diesel. It treated me ok, but I'd steer clear of it if I was you. Some have great luck with them, but they're a fickle beast and there is really no advantage to it over even the 5.3.

 

[HiddenCamper53]

I own a 1998 K1500 with a 5.7l vortec, on 33's with about 215,000 miles. It works for most terrains, is very reliable. Ive only ever had to replace the coolant tees/ wyes with brass after the plastic pieces failed. Keep it maintained and they perform great. Im 6'4" and comfortably sleep in it. Nice to drive, and handles great. My only complaint is that the 1500 suspension is a little soft for a lot of gear. Granted Im talking over 1k lbs, but still could use an add a leaf or 2500 springs. The long wheel base makes towing a trailer easy, it tows better than my grandfathers 1998 f250 (light duty, not super duty). I'll take some pictures tomorrow for you. I highly recommend a suburban!

 

[Ultralite]

Along with Bojak and Kmehr I'm local to you and hopefully my 7 years with a 1500 5.3 will be helpful:

I've towed a camper (4600 lbs) that whole time and it has served us in that regard very well. Typically loaded down with 4 bikes and often a canoe. After all this time I'm still amazed at how much this thing can hold. Going down the road loaded, it's a great drive. Granted, my mindset is on vacation at that point and when towing I actively and mindfully slow things down. I'm in no hurry. I've seen giant diesel pick ups hauling *** pulling a 5th wheel and as a contrast I'm not doing that. If that's how you want to tow down the road, the 5.3 won't do it.

As far as sleeping in it and other types of camping, it's awesome! I'm 6'1" and I have plenty of room. The 3rd row completely comes out easily. I've taken it deep into the Cohutta, Oconee, Nantahala, and other national forests with no issues. We've done water crossings and mud up to the doors (I realize it's hard to convey the technicality of a ride but suffice it to say we've handled everything most folks will run into in the Southeast).

Finally, the ride between home and trail couldn't be better. A nice quiet ride. I try to keep this in mind when my eye starts wondering toward Jeeps and other 4x4s, I spend most of my time on the highway.

Bojak, if you're still following this thread and want to compare notes on local trails, just PM me. We've been all over Southern Appalachia.