Recommend a 7 passenger w/10,000 tow

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sasilverbullet

sasilverbullet

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My son needs a vehicle that can seat at least 7 and pull at 7,000 lb trailer with a 680 lb tongue weight.

He'd have the vehicle loaded up with his large family and of course the trailer would be packed for a trip.

I figure he needs at least a 10,000 lb tow capacity.

Can't afford something new, prefer something that doesn't blow plugs or have some other nightmarish problems with the drive train.

Be specific on the year/model/engine drive chain combination you recommend.

What would you guys recommend?
 
Smells like a job for a Suburban, to me. I'd look at a 2500 model with whatever V8 is standard. 2wd, unless he needs 4wd.

Maybe a low miles used one, such as an 04-06, with the 6.0 liter and a 4L80 transmission would be perfect.
 
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An 8.1L Suburban and an Excursion are two that come to mind. I would personally avoid an Excursion with the 6.0 diesel which showed up in 03 I believe. Prior to that was 7.3 diesel (pretty much bulletproof but getting harder to find with reasonable miles). Gas V10 was an option but some years had the spark plug issue you mentioned. I think Suburban got the 8.1 around 01-02.
 
How about this. A 2008 Chev Suburban 3/4 ton with a 6.0 liter gas engine, 6L90 transmission, 6 Speeds, factory transmission oil cooler, integral motor oil cooler in radiator. It has a tow mode and the ability to control the transmission gears electronically with a button on gear selector. It has 352 HP and 383 ft lbs of torque. The tow rating is 9300 lbs. Tires are LT 265 70 R17 with load range E.

The stopped selling the 3/4 ton a few years ago.

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Originally Posted by sasilverbullet
What would you guys recommend?


Really need to know the budget. Are you talking $5K or $25K? What about full size passenger vans?
 
+5 on a Suburban 2500 or Yukon XL 2500.
The 8.1L big block is a beast but gets horrible gas mileage and is not necessary, the 6.0L will be fine. The 6-speed 6L90 automatic on the newer ones would be preferable but the 4-speed 4L80E automatic would be acceptable and is a very good transmission. Either way, the drive trains are pretty much bullet-proof. The problem will be... trying to find one. They are few and far between, and nice well cared-for low mile examples are going to be expensive.
 
Originally Posted by wag123
The 8.1L big block is a beast but gets horrible gas mileage and is not necessary, the 6.0L will be fine.


How much worse could it get? I have a truck with the 6.0 and towing with a total weight around 11,000 pounds, I get in the 12's mpg. Empty at around 7,500 pounds, maybe 13.
 
Chevy Express 2500. We took one down to NC and pulled a truck on a trailer back through the mountains and it did awesome. Quite comfortable too. Can't say I'd recommend an E350, overhead cam engine in a doghouse seems like a nightmere.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by wag123
The 8.1L big block is a beast but gets horrible gas mileage and is not necessary, the 6.0L will be fine.


How much worse could it get? I have a truck with the 6.0 and towing with a total weight around 11,000 pounds, I get in the 12's mpg. Empty at around 7,500 pounds, maybe 13.
8, maybe 10 if you are very careful.
 
Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by wag123
The 8.1L big block is a beast but gets horrible gas mileage and is not necessary, the 6.0L will be fine.


How much worse could it get? I have a truck with the 6.0 and towing with a total weight around 11,000 pounds, I get in the 12's mpg. Empty at around 7,500 pounds, maybe 13.
8, maybe 10 if you are very careful.


Why is that? I'm no engineer but all things being equal, shouldn't it be about the same? The 8.1 would have less throttle opening vs. the 6.0 in a identical load so it should even out.
 
Originally Posted by wag123
+5 on a Suburban 2500 or Yukon XL 2500.
The 8.1L big block is a beast but gets horrible gas mileage and is not necessary, the 6.0L will be fine. The 6-speed 6L90 automatic on the newer ones would be preferable but the 4-speed 4L80E automatic would be acceptable and is a very good transmission. Either way, the drive trains are pretty much bullet-proof. The problem will be... trying to find one. They are few and far between, and nice well cared-for low mile examples are going to be expensive.


Yep. I towed a 27' boat with a Chevy Express 15 passenger van full of kids and gear with the 6.0 and the 4 speed. The 6 speed would be gravy. The 6.0 did just fine. They can be found and are worth the search.
 
One thing more on the 3/4 ton Suburban. Mine has hydro-boost ( the power steering pump aids the power brakes) and it has disc brakes all around. Going up grades I manually held it in 4th gear (out of 6) at 3500 rpm at 60 mph with a 3.73 rear end. They also have a 4.11 option but you're at the mercy of what's available on the used vehicle market.
 
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Price point will be the major driving factor. A full-size van will be the cheapest, since they're not very sought after in the consumer market. A large SUV will be more expensive, but probably have more creature comforts and higher tow capacity due to it's size and weight.

The tow capacity will dictate engine/drivetrain needs, which is going to affect mileage. 2wd is going to get better mileage than either AWD or 4wd, the latter are also going to have higher wear and tear and maintenance costs.

The 03 Suburban I bought last February is the 1/2ton, 2wd, with the 5.3. In town it gets 12 to 14mpg, on the freeway she gets 17 all day long. I recently towed a utility trailer to the dump, the tipping weight of the load was 2100 pounds, the empty weight of the trailer is probably around 1000 or 1300 pounds for a combined total of 3400-ish pounds and I really couldn't even tell the trailer was there, the only real sign of the load was slightly increased increased braking effort and distance. I only towed this for a grand total of maybe 20 miles, so I can't report any mileage stats for towing.

I found nadaguides.com helpful to know the factory stats on potential vehicle choices. Here you will find curb weight, tow rating, factory amenities, etc. If buying used, it also gives you a value for whatever you spec out, which means you can put the specs of any potential purchase into the calculator to know what it's actual street value is to know if the seller is smoking crack or actually knows the value of the vehicle.
https://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/Manufacturers

Kelly Bluebook is another valuation site, but doesn't have the depth than NADA does.

I've got several other sites where you can check the vin # for recalls, stolen vehicle, general service issues with the make/model you're choosing, etc., if you're interested.
 
2008 or newer Toyota Sequoia (with 5.7 and 6 speed) has a 7,400 lb towing capacity (2WD) and 7,100 lb (4WD).

Not quite 10,000 but bulletproof drivetrain.
 
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If you're looking at new, the Durango SRT can tow 8,700lbs.

Edit - never mind, I don't think you can get the bench seat in the SRT... only seats 6.
 
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If towing alot then probably go with a diesel Excursion but they ride and drive like the 3/4 ton super duty frame they are built on. If only occasional towing then gas is the better option as repairs on diesel get expensive as in 10X gas engines. Also probably try to get a common engine transmission combo that many jinkyard options can be found at reasonable price. When my Montero need a transmission very hard to find and expensive parts. Not a common vehicle. Lesson learned especially at higher mileage.
 
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