Chevrolet Suburban Series Thread

[Brandon]

This thread is to talk about the pros and cons of the Chevrolet Suburban series for towing

[B-Faithful]

similar response to the 1500 Silverado as it is the same motor, transmission etc.. Will edit for other details:

My wifes truck is a 2004 Suburban with the 5.3l vortec v8. The truck is a 2wd truck with the eaton g80 locking rear. I stopped buying 4wd trucks after a bunch of problems with one and never using the option. I tow my 27 Judge Chesapeake with this truck from NJ to VA. The boat on the trailer loaded with fuel and gear is about 7500lbs loaded. The tow capacity of the truck is 8200lbs so I am pushing my limits. The truck has pleanty of power for me towing here in Maryland. My tows are on flatter ground and not over any mountains. The hilliest area I tow is down route 4 to solomons haha. Towing I get around 9-10mpg but have seen as low as 6mpg towing into a stiff head wind from southern Maryland to Annapolis. (typcially I average about 17-18mpg not towing with a combination of hwy and city driving)

Where the truck is weak is in brakes and suspension. While the brakes are the best for towing, you are at the mercy of the rubber on the road and they will apply until the anti locks kick in. Good brakes on the trailer are a must when towing this weight with a half ton.

The interior of the truck looks cheap with lots of plastic. Other brands are much nicer here. It does have pleanty of room for my entire family though. I looked for a chevy truck after my father had a much better experience with his bow tie over my previous two fords. I am a fan of the chevy motor and transmissions. The tow mode of the transmission makes for good shifting with a lot of weight. It holds gears longers and takes more to downshift. It has been extremely reliable and maintenance is cheap.

The truck has been very good to me and flawless for nearly 70000miles. Great family truck that can tow when needed./

[G-Daddy]

I have a 2009 4wd suburban with the 5.3l gas v8. We used it to tow our Sportcraft 252 to Lake Ontario and the truck and boat trailer were very well behaved. 1000 miles in a long weekend up and down the mountains on I81 up through PA. Average fuel economy on the trip was 11 mpg. The truck is a dream to drive - seats are extremely comfortable and ride is great even with 7k of boat behind.