New to the Hobby and New to the boards!

[Strongman198]

Hey guys, been reading everything I can get my hands on flipping through these pages and figured I'd reach out,
Say hello, and ask for a little advice. I'm looking to build a rig for my wife, son, and I to travel and have some fun in. I'm playing the long game here as he's only 4 months old and I want to have it ready for him by the time hes old enough to go. Wife and I are both 28 with careers, so it'll be weekend trips mainly. We live in KY, but have family in AZ so we may take trips out there too. Anyways, for the advice. I currently have a 99 GMC Yukon SLT, 4 door as my DD. It's paid off, and mechanically sound, has 190K miles, and is 4x4 but is otherwise bone stock. As much as I love my Yukon, I find myself drawn to the big square body Suburbans, specifically the 3/4 ton ones with the 454, and have read several posts about people wanting those, and/or wishing they had those. Will the Yukon fit our needs or should I hold out?

 

[GHI]

Key word. "Paid off." Go with what you have. Long live the Yukon. Over 250k miles here and still chugging along. Although I did have to spend $30 for a new windshield wiper fluid reservoir today.

 

[Strongman198]

Awesome, thank you for your response. Other thing to consider with that is, my dad owns a car lot, so it's pretty easy for me to wheel and deal/find vehicles. My concern with the Yukon is that I've only seen a handful on here, but I see A LOT of Suburbans, furthermore most of the Suburbans are 3/4 ton, or have been "converted" that way. Not trying to argue, because I don't disagree with you just don't want to get started on this, invest a lot of time and money only to realize I should've held out for a Burban. Inversely, I don't wanna trade for an older Suburban when my Yukon would've worked, know what I mean? It's a paradox. 😂

 

[shrineboy]

Awesome, thank you for your response. Other thing to consider with that is, my dad owns a car lot, so it's pretty easy for me to wheel and deal/find vehicles. My concern with the Yukon is that I've only seen a handful on here, but I see A LOT of Suburbans, furthermore most of the Suburbans are 3/4 ton, or have been "converted" that way. Not trying to argue, because I don't disagree with you just don't want to get started on this, invest a lot of time and money only to realize I should've held out for a Burban. Inversely, I don't wanna trade for an older Suburban when my Yukon would've worked, know what I mean? It's a paradox. ��

No paradox, just get a second one. You should be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. This can be an addictive and expensive hobby. Whatever you decide, have a lot of fun with it. Oh yeah, welcome to the Suburban Life.

 

[Meili]

You know the Yukon and it's history.

Get a cheap, safe, reliable driver from your Dads lot and build the Yukon.

The options to build for your needs are endless, RTT, Pop Top, trailer etc etc

There is enough info here to make your head explode so read, read, read!

And it goes without saying, take many pictures during the build.

 

[chilliwak]

Welcome to the site Strongman. I too have a Yukon and I think its a great truck. Please post some pics when you get the chance. Cheers, Chilli....

 

[Strongman198]

You know the Yukon and it's history.

Get a cheap, safe, reliable driver from your Dads lot and build the Yukon.

The options to build for your needs are endless, RTT, Pop Top, trailer etc etc

There is enough info here to make your head explode so read, read, read!

And it goes without saying, take many pictures during the build.

That's a solid plan. I intend to read/research for at least another month or so before I make any concrete decisions unless something special comes along. Thanks bud.

 

[Strongman198]

I will man, I intend to do a full build thread when I get started. I'll keep everyone updated.

 

[southpier]

you'll need an axe. and also a shovel manufactured by a far away company which offers different "models". get the most expensive one so you're wife and children won't be embarrassed. a "Yeti" decal on the rear window is also a nice touch and let fellow Expo-ers know you're committed to the cause.

that should pretty much cover the important gear, except for snacks and water.

 

[rayra]

Yukon / Tahoe is a fine ride for three or even with two young kids. Lots of family room for road trips and a comfortable cruise. Our first was a '99 and went from it to the '05, which we still have as a DD and road trip vehicle. Even at 180k mi it's held up fantastic. 95% of those have been highway commuting, so very little strain or wear on the vehicle. They're good for 4 adults and a long weekend. You want to go for a longer trip and farther afield, they'll start to fill up. And the third row works great for 6 around town or local excursions with little more than daypacks.

You'll gain very little going for a Suburban, starting with a paid-for Yukon.

You don't HAVE to dress it up with a lot of 'overlanding' crapola. Just take it camping a few times and you'll figure what you need. Look thru the Storage adn campign gear stuck threads and you'll see a lot of useful things to get and take with you. But I strongly suggest you avoid the RTT nonsense or festooning your vehicle with stuff you aren't even sure you need yet.

 

[Strongman198]

Yukon / Tahoe is a fine ride for three or even with two young kids. Lots of family room for road trips and a comfortable cruise. Our first was a '99 and went from it to the '05, which we still have as a DD and road trip vehicle. Even at 180k mi it's held up fantastic. 95% of those have been highway commuting, so very little strain or wear on the vehicle. They're good for 4 adults and a long weekend. You want to go for a longer trip and farther afield, they'll start to fill up. And the third row works great for 6 around town or local excursions with little more than daypacks.

You'll gain very little going for a Suburban, starting with a paid-for Yukon.

You don't HAVE to dress it up with a lot of 'overlanding' crapola. Just take it camping a few times and you'll figure what you need. Look thru the Storage adn campign gear stuck threads and you'll see a lot of useful things to get and take with you. But I strongly suggest you avoid the RTT nonsense or festooning your vehicle with stuff you aren't even sure you need yet.

Some of the best advice I've read on any of the posts. Thank you for your response, and advice.

 

[Martinjmpr]

My concern with the Yukon is that I've only seen a handful on here, but I see A LOT of Suburbans, furthermore most of the Suburbans are 3/4 ton, or have been "converted" that way.

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Have to quibble with this. From what I've seen, most of the Suburbans on ExPo are 1/2 ton (1500) models, that is particularly true of the GMT-800 Suburbans.
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As far as everything else goes, Rayra has it right, - run whatcha brung. Nothing wrong with a Yukon/Tahoe, especially if it's just you, the wife and 1 kid.

 

[Ashton]

Welcome to the site! The best way to get a rig set up properly, especially with the long method (as you describe it) is to get out and camp and whittle your list of needs and wants down. Once you have a good idea of your needs and desired comforts on a camping trip, you can find ways to add those to your rig. Most people probably started sleeping in the passenger seats or the bed or the back of their vehicles and then adapted those sleeping spaces. People usually start with tubs and piles of gear and work into a storage system that fits their rig and travel methods best. You notice you didn't bring enough water, so you start designing or looking for an onboard water solution. The woman then says she wants hot water for dish washing and cleaning up before bed, so you investigate ways to make your water hot. This is the 'long' path to getting your Yukon just the way you like it.

I've come to realize on these boards that there are TONS of great ideas and neat set ups. A lot of it doesn't work for me personally, or isn't in my budget. I think you'll find that once you know what your desires/needs are you will find creative, if not obvious, ways to incorporate those.

 

[2025 deleted member]

you'll need an axe. and also a shovel manufactured by a far away company which offers different "models". get the most expensive one so you're wife and children won't be embarrassed. a "Yeti" decal on the rear window is also a nice touch and let fellow Expo-ers know you're committed to the cause.

that should pretty much cover the important gear, except for snacks and water.

No you forgot the bull bar, snorkel, tent sticking 3 feet in the air, and my personal favorite dual spare tires.

 

[Martinjmpr]

No you forgot the bull bar, snorkel, tent sticking 3 feet in the air, and my personal favorite dual spare tires.

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Around here (CO), if you want to look "salty" you bolt a high-lift jack to the hood.