Tow vehicle/daily driver SUV recommendations?

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 .
Keep in mind. My original request was for what would be a good recommendation for an upgrade in tow vehicle to tow my current camper and a possible future upgrade to a different camper. I received a lot of good information and thanks to all.
 
I've seen hundreds of trailer weight stickers , never seen one with the statement with full propane
Here is one for you
20220115_174044.jpg
 
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I ask the moderator to close this thread down . We are beating a horse that we don't even know .

Can I tow a " I won't tell the make or model or year trailer " with a Suburban with " I won't tell miles or condition of "
Pointless thread .
 
The 6.0 escalade and denali SUVs will give you a good power bump over a 5.3 suburban but it wont be as good as pre def diesel truck. Your mpg will be terrible. I am hand calculating on the high 9s for all city winter driving in my 05 escalade. The 2500 suburban adds a lot of weight, but you might need its added capabilities. On the 2500 you get the 6.0 but i dont think its the hot LQ9 6.0 in the escalade.
 
I ask the moderator to close this thread down . We are beating a horse that we don't even know .

Can I tow a " I won't tell the make or model or year trailer " with a Suburban with " I won't tell miles or condition of "
Pointless thread .
Trailer is a 2010 Starcraft, 180k miles on Suburban, Condition is pretty well maintained...needs paint, only rust was under my roof racks. I have owned and maintained since 66k miles, needs rear main seal, leaks a couple drops every now and then. Please don't have thread closed, there is some good info here I would like to reference back to, especially the response with vehicle revommendations
 
Keep in mind. My original request was for what would be a good recommendation for an upgrade in tow vehicle to tow my current camper and a possible future upgrade to a different camper. I received a lot of good information and thanks to all.
 
I am not factoring any weight distribution from my hitch setup
And you shouldn't. The WD hitch has nothing to do with payload or tongue weight calculations. You can move some weight from the rear axle to the front axle but it doesn't reduce tongue weight.

By your sticker you've got a GVWR of 7500 lbs, it's interesting how it's worded about the generator fuel.

Fitz98, you're on the same learning curve many of us have gone on when you start towing trailers. Your Suburban will likely be fine until you decide where you want to go with trailers. The advice above about tires is no joke, trailer tires usually age out before they wear out. Getting a flat isn't the problem, not knowing you've got the flat and running until it comes apart and tears up the side of your trailer is. A TPMS for your trailer is a really good investment. Find a scale somewhere and know what your weights are, don't trust what's on paper. Have fun and be safe.
 
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If you want a quality upgrade in tow vehicle you’re going to need to expand your budget quite a bit unfortunately.
 
And you shouldn't. The WD hitch has nothing to do with payload or tongue weight calculations. You can move some weight from the rear axle to the front axle but it doesn't reduce tongue weight.

By your sticker you've got a GVWR of 7500 lbs, it's interesting how it's worded about the generator fuel.

Fitz98, you're on the same learning curve many of us have gone on when you start towing trailers. Your Suburban will likely be fine until you decide where you want to go with trailers. The advice above about tires is no joke, trailer tires usually age out before they wear out. Getting a flat isn't the problem, not knowing you've got the flat and running until it comes apart and tears up the side of your trailer is. A TPMS for your trailer is a really good investment. Find a scale somewhere and know what your weights are, don't trust what's on paper. Have fun and be safe.
Thanks. I agree on tires, I like to keep mine in good age and good shape. I had one blow on my boat trailer once and it was a disaster and a good learning experience. I am glad it didn't put a hole in the boat, but trailer needed some work after that. Replaced them all the same day.
I will research to try to find a scale.
 
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?

Yes, An "HD" cluster will allow you to monitor Trans Temp & it's a 100% drop-in modification if you stay in the '03/'04 year range & it's from a truck with a 4L80E.....Allison 1000 clusters are different.

A used cluster will show mileage that was on the Donor Vehicle, If you buy new or rebuilt....You can have your mileage flash into it.

You can also retrofit a Cadillac Escalade cluster into your Suburban, I think they look out of place in a Chevy/GMC in my opinion, But my opinion doesn't matter.
 
I will add that if you buy a Cummins 6.7L make darn sure it has the Aisin behind it if you are going to do heaving towing. We know this from experience.
Just stay away from the early Aisin AS68RC, They have a terrible reputation in the 4500/5500 Rams. The AS69RC seems to holding up okay though.

I'm not sure what the engineers were thinking when they decided to beef-up a gasoline trans (68RFE) & call it good, Ford kinda did the same thing with the 4R100....But the 7.3L didn't make 325hp & 650tq either.
GM did use a 4L80E behind de-rated Duramax's in vans....Even being de-rated....Start beating on it & see what happens.

I think the 545RFE (2001?) was the last clean sheet design Chrysler engineered...Which is what the 68RFE is based on.
 
I’m never quite sure how to view the 4L60. If the OP is not exceeding the rating given by the OEM for his truck, then this trans should take it, and its not abuse, right? assuming all the details are considered, GCWR and all. But then at this age any failure is hard to tell apart from normal wear and tear, right?

Half tons aren’t “meant” to do this work day in and day out, like a 3/4 ton. Yet OP is not doing this day in and out, just a few trips a year, so… its still light duty usage.

Although 6k trailer plus the usual stuff in the vehicle does strike me as at or beyond the limit of a half ton. Let alone any future upgrades to the trailer.

I have this same conversation all the time with owners of 4L60E's. The design date's back to the late 70's when GM's most potent engines made 180hp.
It's a far more efficient design than it is a robust one, In fact to get a 4 speed O/D auto with only 2 Simpson Planetary Carriers was quite the feat of engineering at the time. Ford had to use a Ravigneaux Planetary Carrier to achieve this in the AOD. Chrysler just added a O/D unit onto their existing 727/904 3 speeds.

Cycling the 3/4 Clutch to much is hard on the 2/4 band & the 3/4 clutch.....That's exactly what towing heavy up & down hills does. Keeping the ATF temp in check (less than 220 degrees) is job #1.

GM did none of it's 1/2 ton truck buyers any favors by calibrating the units the way they did, All of them can use a "Corvette" 2nd Servo & at least 1 more 3/4 Friction & Steel for a total of 7 frictions. Sonnax has a drum you can fit 8 or 9 3/4 Frictions in, But the drum costs $1,000.

While I don't consider towing within factory ratings abuse....This unit likely has at least 150,000 miles on it already.
 
Ill chime in and say that most older gas trucks just aren’t going to have to HP to tow big grades, especially if you get up in elevation.

And also mentioned was transmissions. If you only have 4 gears the chances of being at the RPM you want are slim to none. People think these new 8,9, and 10 speed transmissions are about efficiency, but they sure do help a whole lot towing. I would rather have a weaker engine with a 10 speed than a more powerful engine with a 4 speed.

Ive towed my 5500 lb travel trailer with my Lexus GX that has 301hp and 328 ft-lbs as well as a 6 speed transmission. at 6500’ where I live it REALLY struggles. If you want a gas powered truck that can tow well in any conditions I would look for at least 350 hp. A turbo’d truck(like an Ecoboost) or a diesel would probably be ok at ~300 since they compensate for altitude with the turbos.
 
The vast majority of gas engines need to rev to make their power. I’d heard armchair comparisons about how the older fords needed to spin up more than the older gms but im not sure how factual that is. My tundra had plenty of power but had to climb hills at 4500 if I wanted to pretend I was a car. I found it much more suitable to tuck in with the big trucks and just go their speeds, and if it needed to spin, let it spin. There’s not much sense in being in a hurry with 6000+ lbs behind a 5000lb vehicle.

that said, the ecoboost is a fabulous tow motor. It doesn’t have to rev and seldom needs over 2800 rpm unless I’m passing. It’s useless however for engine braking, so there is a trade off. they also can overheat in higher elevations - under heavy load they can burn more gas than they can cool down. I love mine - the 2.7. Folks can also raise concerns about their complexity, and rightfully so. Mine has been weeping coolant at poorly-chosen o-rings since 2 years old. Towing with it does generate heat. Think about it, that’s 5.4 liters of fuel burn and heat concentrated in a 2.7L block.

there’s nothing wrong with a Chevy v8 turning 4600rpm for extended periods. That’s a normal day on the lake for any gm equipped boat. Boats don’t do well unless they are on plane, and gm 350s spin at 3200-3600 or so to get there and stay there, and higher to humbly motor to wherever they’re going. The engines are up to the task. This is why, however, loud exhausts are bogus for a tow vehicle. The drone under tow for 4 hours would be awful.

me personally, ‘burbans are wonderful trucks. I’d always wanted one when I was younger but couldn’t justify it for my uses. I say stick with it for now and enjoy it. Some camping advice I learned which was true for us - you’ll always buy a 2nd camper; the first one teaches you how you’ll camp, and the second one is the one you’ll stick with. We actually downsized for our second one, and it’s been the keeper.

now, 6000lbs to me is right on the edge of considering a 3/4 ton, so if you do go any bigger, you’re looking at that. And a 3/4 ton doesn’t ride as well if you want to DD it, and they aren’t cheap to run. But you aren’t far from that point. you also mention a 10k budget …. run away. I see 250k mile 3/4t trucks going for 25-30k here. So I know this is a long post, but just camp for now and see how it settles out. It takes a couple of years to figure out what your camping style is going to be.
 
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Very true in the “second” camper. We are on our third and this one is likely a keeper. Can’t go a whole lot bigger with a tow behind @ 37 feet! Won’t be going to a 5th wheel, have a cap on the truck I use for the dogs/gear/equipment.
 
Cycling the 3/4 Clutch to much is hard on the 2/4 band & the 3/4 clutch.....That's exactly what towing heavy up & down hills does. Keeping the ATF temp in check (less than 220 degrees) is job #1.
I totally forgot about this until tonight. For a long time my thinking about the advice to not tow in overdrive was because of early programming that would unlock the convertor in hills for a few more rpm—leading to very high atf temps. Interesting that there is a hard parts failure here with this particular trans shifting in/out of OD while under load.

Seems like for a long time GM liked 3.42:1 gears, I always thought that made for “decent” rpm in 3rd on the highway while leaving second for winding out on hills when under load… but deeper is always nicer off the line.
 
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