In the market and have questions

[hamiltonfighter]

I have been looking at '03-'06 Suburban's and Denali XL's. One of my goals is to also purchase a travel trailer. The travel trailer would be close to the 30" size.

I would like some insight to which of these two vehicles, in your opinion, would be best.

I know the Denali XL has the 6.0, but I have read the AWD and suspension aren't complimentary to towing.

Reasons I might look toward the Suburban is, like mentioned previously, the suspension is more well suited for my wants, and the price would be lower. I would look into getting the 5.3L model if going the Suburban route. Also, I really like this Suburban: http://lincoln.craigslist.org/ctd/2853674805.html

Thanks for any help.

 

[DeepSeaFish]

Nice looking truck. Only thing that would scare me is the 156k miles. I'd have to research it and see if the tranny fluid has been changed every 30-50k miles. See if the dealer's website has a free carfax posted. If so, see if it's been dealer serviced and if the fluids have been changed. Dealer service will be annotated on a carfax. Both trucks are well suited for towing, but the Denali will do it considerably easier with the 6.0. The tow capacity for both is around the 7k lb. mark, but the XL models have slightly lower tow capacity due to the longer wheel base. I pull a 4k lb. boat / trailer with my Denali and it pulls it far better than my neighbor's 04 Tahoe 5.3 L ever has. The issue with the 5.3 is that when you're in tow mode and running down the interstate, it's very hard for the tranny to shift down to the lower RPM range. We towed my boat several times with his tahoe down I-40 in NC to the coast for 2 + hrs at 70 mph and it stayed about 3000 rpm's the whole way. Averaged about 8-9 mpg. Then we towed it with my Denali and his new ( used ) 6.0 Escalade with the same drivetrain. No problems with downshift and the milage was 11-12 mpg at 70 mph. Practically snatched it down the road without incident. Even pulled stronger than my old 9200 lb. tow rated F-150. How heavy is this travel trailer you're looking at ? . Most travel trailers have shorter and heavier tongue weights than boat trailers and it will take longer for the air ride to level out. Not a big issue, but the Suburban won't have this option but it will put alot more strain on it's tranny. Ease of towing is what sold me on the 6.0.

 

[The 'ER]

I work at an rv dealership and stay with the suburban. Even with the 5.3 it will still Need weight and sway. Big thing to look at is has the vehicle been serviced and then look at the tires that is the big thing we see is tar baby tire (p-metric) with a heavy camper. Are you looking at a fiberglass or stick and tin. Because at 30 feet stay with fiberglass trust me you will not want a stick and tin as they are way heavier.

 

[rich5368]

Crew cab Duramax dude. Pull your trailer and still get half decent mileage. My buddy had a 6.0 suburban and pulled his 32' trailer with it and got 10 mpg at best. With his duramax he just got he's getting closer to 15 on average.

 

[M3PO]

If you plan on towing this beast often, I would go with Rich's suggestion on the diesel. If not I would stick with the Denali 6.0, the 5.3 is a great motor, I have owned both trucks and the 6.0 has much more power. The Denali's transmission is supposed to be a slightly beefier version of what is in the lighter Suburban, you will have to go to a 2500 or a 1500HD to get the bigger drive train.

 

[rich5368]

If you stay with the gasser I'd say the Suburban 2500 is the way to go. I have a Denali XL and wouldn't even think of towing a trailer like that with it. According to the manual it's towing capacity is lower as well. I don't know if that's due to the AWD or the fact that it's a luxury SUV built on a half ton chassis.

 

[hamiltonfighter]

I don't have a trailer yet. I'm a family of six and want to plan ahead. First get one of these vehicles and next year get a trailer.

As for getting a diesel or the 2500 Suburban, price is a major factor in my search for the vehicle. I'm looking to spend $10,000 or less. I haven't seen any 2500's or diesels that low. High mileage doesn't scare me as I do most of my own repair work and I have seen that these engines seem to be pretty good if taken care of.

 

[rich5368]

Gonna be hard to find either in good shape on that budget. I bought my 03 Denali 2 years ago for 15k and it still books over 10. Good luck man. Hope you find yourself a truck.

 

[hamiltonfighter]

Gonna be hard to find either in good shape on that budget. I bought my 03 Denali 2 years ago for 15k and it still books over 10. Good luck man. Hope you find yourself a truck.

'03-'05 Denali XL's and Suburban's with 150k miles are selling between 8-10k. Like I said before, I'm not afraid of high miles. I think sales might be down on these vehicles due to gas prices. Especially in the used market.

 

[hamiltonfighter]

Well I went and looked at the suburban that I listed in the first post. This was the first Suburban that we have looked at.

We were a little disappointed. We are a family of six with the two older kids sitting in the third row. There is twice the amount of leg room in our Town & Country than the Suburban. I'm really wanting the Sub so we can eventually get a travel trailer, but the wife mentioned just renting an RV if we wanted to go on vacation in that manner. I think everything will depend on how low the dealership is willing to negotiate.