Tow vehicle/daily driver SUV recommendations?

My RPO code Is GT5
That's a 4.10:1, so a better rear than my avalanche was. Probably not worth it to go to 4:56 especially if its 4WD.

Lower rears don't make power, just move your speed along the powerband. Still have a 1st to 2nd big ratio drop.
 
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As I stated before if your getting your tongue weight of trailer off a brochure it's not correct . The. Tongue weight from factory does not include , batteries , full propane , hitch etc . It's bare bones trailer.
 
Yeah leave your gearing alone, it sounds good. Changing the ratio might help if you have a spot where you'd rather be in "Gear 3.5" but would make it buzzy on the flats.

It still seems like you like what you have aside from its lack of elegance, the luxury of turning fewer than, say, 3k rpm.
 
Trailer weight was from sticker on trailer and says it includes full propane. Tongue weight is from specifications guide from manufacturer. I am not factoring any weight distribution from my hitch setup
 
After my first road trip towing my 6k lb travel trailer with a tongue load of 600 lbs using my 2003 Suburban 1500, I was quite satisfied with the ride and performance, but it really struggled on the steeper mountain inclines. I am starting to consider other options with higher tow capacity and possibly upgrade my travel trailer in the future. My wish list is an older model vehicle (to try to keep cost down to 10 k range) either king cab pick up which would give me option for 5th wheel in the future, but more ideal is a SUV. I like the space for on the road enclosed storage when exploring my destination and lots of room for 3 plus dog. Thinking of older 2500 suburban or excursion. Would like to get 10mpg while towing. Maybe financing newer vehicle could be an option. Any input, feedback or recommendations? Vehicle would be used in between trips as a daily driver for wife. I realize 10k is probably not very practical, but anything more than that would need to be financed.
I'd consider replacing the travel trailer with something lighter. $10k doesn't buy much on the used truck/SUV market these days. It sounds to me like the Suburban is working fine for most of what you do with the exception of the steep inclines. Any modifications to the Suburban still won't change the tow rating.
 
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What is the GCWR? that should be in the manual or similar.

4.10, not bad, many would have loved that back in the day.
 
Chevy does not offer that now. Its why i went Ram.
Eh, did you compare first gear ratio, final drive ratio and tire diameter? All of them work together for takeoff umph. EXCEPT usually full power is not available in first gear anyhow…. torque management….

After that the drop between gears becomes more important.

IIRC I would agree with you, I do recall thinking a few years ago that GM could use a bit more gear, 4.02:1 for the 6l80? and 3.42 was not the equal of whatever the Dodge had with the ZF and 3.92. BUT my point is, one should not hyper focus on final drive as it all works as a system.
 
From door sticker
GVWR 7000
GAWR FRT 3200
GAWR RR 4000
You left off the payload amount from the sticker. Here is the bottom line-I realize these days there are many getting in to RVing because of the pandemic. RV sales people will tell you that you can tow a 30 foot trailer with a Yugo. Your trailer is more than you should have bought-hence the uncomfortable (i.e. slow) towing experience. That's why you are on here. You won't be able to buy a truck in any decent shape to get yourself out of this situation for $10,000.00 I would suggest downgrading the trailer (which you are not inclined to do) or only towing in areas where you won't run in to mountains. No matter what others (who don't tow) say you have too much trailer.
 
Eh, did you compare first gear ratio, final drive ratio and tire diameter? All of them work together for takeoff umph. EXCEPT usually full power is not available in first gear anyhow…. torque management….

After that the drop between gears becomes more important.

IIRC I would agree with you, I do recall thinking a few years ago that GM could use a bit more gear, 4.02:1 for the 6l80? and 3.42 was not the equal of whatever the Dodge had with the ZF and 3.92. BUT my point is, one should not hyper focus on final drive as it all works as a system.
I drove both, and just liked how the ram rode and drove. Seemed to have more punch with the 4:10.
 
Said above: "For any sort of traveling to be the most fun/good times you need excess truck and no issues.."

All the participants here seem experienced and knowledgeable so it's repeatedly glaring and dumbfounding that EVERYONE is involved banging their heads against tow vehicles' performance ceilings and maxing out trailer weights.
Cut the BS. You got the capacity or you don't.

I find it odd that things as serious as tow vehicle capacity, trailer weight, hitch hardware and brakes haven't been somehow "bunched into families" if only to facilitate sales conversations.

Seriously, why is it a DOT inspector is the only guy/gal who can say, "Hey clown, get a bigger truck", or, "You're overloaded-here's your citation"?

HARSH QUESTION: Is it as simple as you lack the money to tow what you got?
"My wife likes this heavy camper-trailer, I have an older truck which is underpowered and needs a different transmission; so let's talk insurance industry nomenclature."
 
Excellent response. Thank you for taking the time to do this. This will help if I choose to look for another used vehicle. Answered my original request. My Expedition has the 5.4 with 4r100 and even though it had a high tow rating, it was horrible when I tried to tow this setup. As you said, it was a dog.
Don't be tempted to buy a 6.4L Powerstroke truck no matter how cheap it is!!

A GMT800 2500 Suburban with LQ4 6.0L/4L80E will handle towing duties better (More Robust), But don't expect much improvement in performance!

A GMT900 2500 Suburban with a L96 6.0L/6L90E will give a performance boost. About inline with a 2V 6.8L V10/4R100 equipped Ford Excursion.

2V 5.4L/4R100 equipped Excursions are dogs in my opinion.

Diesel Excursions are Big Money & usually need a lot of work on top of their high price tag! Not because their bad trucks....People just run the crap out of them then sell 'em right as they need a lot of work.

Stay away from 3V 5.4L F250/F350 trucks, Their dogs & the engine is a ticking timebomb.

The 6.2L Ford F250/F350 have decent power & are very reliable. All used Super Duty trucks need new Cab Mounts!!!

GMT900 & K2XX GM platform 2500/3500 6.0L/6L90E are pretty good, The '14 & up K2XX are way nicer!

Duramax.....LBZ & LMM ONLY, LBZ trucks are stupid expensive & LMM trucks will need a DPF delete, DO NOT buy modified Duramax trucks!!!

Daimler/FCA Dodge Rams.....That's a tough one. The Cummins ISB 5.9L & 6.7L is a great engine....But all the Chrysler around it, Especially at higher miles is mediocre at best. Before everyone gets their feathers all ruffled.....These are going to be some pretty beat-up trucks at this price point!
 
All the participants here seem experienced and knowledgeable so it's repeatedly glaring and dumbfounding that EVERYONE is involved banging their heads against tow vehicles' performance ceilings and maxing out trailer weights.
Cut the BS. You got the capacity or you don't.
Capacity is the tow vehicle's ability to safely handle the designated weight, stop, and not overheat/ blow up under normal circumstances when in good mechanical shape. It is not a guarantee that the system can climb every interstate mountain at the speed limit at a comfortable RPM.
 
(2500/2500HD/3500) 6.0L truck Clusters are a "Plug & Play" way to get a temp gauge.
Do you mean to swap the entire instrument cluster? I would love to be able to see and monitor oil and tranny temps. Would these fit my 03 Suburban?
 
Eljefino said what I didn't have the guts to say . I will add a tad more . Camping can be fun , it isn't fun and can turn into a nightmare if the tow vehicle is inadequate .
How many miles on this Suburban ? It's 18 years old , were they easy years or is it at end of life ? Tires , tires , tires on both trailer and tow rig . Trailer tires are shot after 5 years , extremely good tires might last 7 . Squishy old tires are a recipe for disaster for your family and any vehicles around you .
Age of trailer and brand ? I've seen hundreds of trailer weight stickers , never seen one with the statement with full propane ?
It's hard for anyone to give a real solid answer when info just trickles in . Towing weight capacity of vehicle really doesn't mean squat . It's the weight pushing down on the vehicle that is important . Of coarse going uphill towing capacity does matter .
 
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