Its sounds like the OP is near the intersection of I-77 and the Blue Ridge Parkway (Hillsville, Fancy Gap, Galax, ect.). He could easily run a 20W50 in a '93 Trooper without an issue. However, it would be thicker than needed. Before my recent move to Missouri, I spent most of my life near the junction of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Gebo- the consensus is to try something a little thicker. The debate you are seeing is related to how much thicker. My advice is to be careful. If you try products that may quickly remove carbon from the rings, you may also end up with multiple leaks as you remove the gunk that is currently keeping your oil from slipping past the seals and gaskets. Likewise, if you go too thick, you risk unnecessarily high oil pressure that puts even more stress on the seals.
I recommend that you try a slow cleaning strategy like PU 5W30. Alternatively, you can just switch to cheaper oil and tolerate the consumption.