GMT800 Suburban 2500... dissuade me (or not)

[rayra]

noturavgM you are looking at carfax from the wrong direction. It shouldn't ever be considered the bible or tell-ALL for a vehicle. But it can certainly be used to cross-check seller claims, overall mileage, and number of owners, where it's been etc. Lots of usefull info in a carfax. Use it to disqualify candidates.

You are on the right track for the use you describe. 2000-2002 is the bracket you seek, in terms of pricing. Good generation of motors, 4L80 trans, etc. There's another good step up in cost for the 2003-2006 bracket. I just purchased my '02 K1500 Sub this past Thanksgiving, cost me $6k for everything. I started off looking for what you want, for much the same reasons, but couldn't find any suitable candidates after a year of looking around L.A., they were either 2WD soccer mom taxis or they were 4WD and out in our ring of desert fringe communities and totally beat to hell. I 'settled' and got a 1/2 ton in very good shape and with just 116k mi on it. My own heavier towing plans are a few years down the road, figure I might find something more suitable by then.

 

[Kmehr]

Thats the exact truck I had, Z71 Package and color! Loved that thing. The roller bar on the rear of the roof rack was pure genius. Never understood why that feature wasn't on more cars.

I think a 5.3 would be just fine for your towing needs. I pulled the few trailers I did pull with mine through I-40 mountains in NC and I-75 through TN and KY and it did great. I'm sure a 3/4 ton would do even better.

As for sleeping quarter, I could fit a twin air mattress in the back of mine and still have significant space on all sides for gear. Suburbans are the tits.

 

[noturavgM]

Thats the exact truck I had, Z71 Package and color! Loved that thing. The roller bar on the rear of the roof rack was pure genius. Never understood why that feature wasn't on more cars.

I think a 5.3 would be just fine for your towing needs. I pulled the few trailers I did pull with mine through I-40 mountains in NC and I-75 through TN and KY and it did great. I'm sure a 3/4 ton would do even better.

As for sleeping quarter, I could fit a twin air mattress in the back of mine and still have significant space on all sides for gear. Suburbans are the tits.

any thoughts on the Yukon Denali XL? 6.0 but mostly 1500 underpinnings and AWD from what I gather?

 

[Kaisen]

any thoughts on the Yukon Denali XL? 6.0 but mostly 1500 underpinnings and AWD from what I gather?

All wheel drive (no low range or 2wd), coil sprung rear, autoride, all half ton except the motor.

Since you're buying it to tow a fairly heavy trailer, all of the differences that make up the 3/4 ton are exactly what you want:

Bigger frame, bigger brakes, bigger wheel bearings, bigger axles, steel front diff case (vs alum), larger axles and housings, larger ring and pinion, leaf sprung rear, hyrdoboost vs vacuum brakes, full floating rear end vs semi-floating, etc, etc,

All of those things would be missing on the Denali or Escalade

 

[noturavgM]

If equipped with good tires, thoughts on a 2500's snow performance in stock form?

 

[barefoot boy]

Kaisen, I know you are very knowledgeable about Suburbans, but I have never heard of the steel front diff housing on the 3/4 ton. Do you mean that the front center "pumpkin" is steel instead of cast aluminum? It's cast aluminum on my 2003 2500HD as far as I recall. Thanks.

 

[98dango]

I don't know about a Burb but our Tahoe did well.

Not the best picture but it did great for a stock truck.

 

[noturavgM]

I don't know about a Burb but our Tahoe did well.

Not the best picture but it did great for a stock truck.

Haha, yeah, with chains!

 

[98dango]

Yep in Wyoming you chain up alot ice is ice

 

[noturavgM]

Yep in Wyoming you chain up alot ice is ice

That's a fact. No tires on earth stand a chance on serious ice. NJ doesn't take kindly to that, or studs.

 

[noturavgM]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/391049437417?redirect=mobile

Beaut. Gonna go for a pretty penny though.

 

[Kaisen]

Kaisen, I know you are very knowledgeable about Suburbans, but I have never heard of the steel front diff housing on the 3/4 ton. Do you mean that the front center "pumpkin" is steel instead of cast aluminum? It's cast aluminum on my 2003 2500HD as far as I recall. Thanks.

You are correct, and I was thinking of something else. Cast aluminum front differential housing on all Subs and Silverados.

 

[barefoot boy]

Thanks, Kaisen. The point you were making is still valid, that the 3/4 ton is a much heavier duty truck than the 1/2 ton and would be much better for heavy towing.

 

[rayra]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/391049437417?redirect=mobile

Beaut. Gonna go for a pretty penny though.

Relatively low mileage on that one. But that 8.1L makes my wallet whimper. Those are running around $9-10k around L.A. and rare as hen's teeth.Whenever I got close to one it was already sold or 130mi away and in nowhere as good a condition as indicated or photographed. Was burning out on driving around L.A. traffic and spending $75 a pop just to go kick tires. Also maxed my budget, so I dropped back a bracket in age and capacity and was able to do a wealth of 100k mi type maintenance stuff and new tires right away, and hold back some in case I needed a new trans.

SO much room in them though. Here's the 'cargo' area with the 3rd row seat folded forward / up. IIRC it's 55" from that tipped seat to the back hatch interior. And it's 49" from side to side at the floor. With the 3rd row out it's just over 8' between the back of the front seats and the rear hatch, you can fit a whole sheet of plywood in there.

 

[jerrysull2]

Love your E36, GREAT choice for a track car! You bring back memories of growing up, spent a lot of time up at Lime Rock with my father.

It's great knowing I'm not the only one who likes both fringes of the automotive spectrum. I daily drive an E39, and have been looking on and off for a decent E36 for the track for a while now. Be sure to let us know what you end up finding!