Learn me Suburban tow pigs

The Tahoe/Suburban ticked all the boxes for my recently. Sub-$2k, can tow my E36 + U-haul trailer easily, and easy to work on.

$1700 for a 2000 Tahoe LT w/ 180k miles. I wish I could find a Suburban for the same price, but no dice.

I'm thinking about one of these in the next year or 2 as an infrequently driven tow pig/doer of "truck things". I highly doubt that I would daily drive it, and I'm currently single with no kids. In short, I don't give a damn how many people it carries or how pretty it looks. I'd love to find something for around $3K if I could.

I have an 84 VW Rabbit that weights 2,100 lbs and that with a trailer would be my primary interest in towing. No boats or campers. Is a 2500 really worth it for that load? If I got a C5 or C6 vette in a few years would that need a 2500 to tow it?

Contradiction wrote: I'm thinking about one of these in the next year or 2 as an infrequently driven tow pig/doer of "truck things". I highly doubt that I would daily drive it, and I'm currently single with no kids. In short, I don't give a damn how many people it carries or how pretty it looks. I'd love to find something for around $3K if I could. I have an 84 VW Rabbit that weights 2,100 lbs and that with a trailer would be my primary interest in towing. No boats or campers. Is a 2500 really worth it for that load? If I got a C5 or C6 vette in a few years would that need a 2500 to tow it?

Single with no kids here. I got the Tahoe 1500 since I had the same requirements

I have an 02 Burb 1500 that I tow my E36 M3 racecar with and have no problems - car and trailer weigh combined appx 4300 and back of the Burb is loaded with two sets of wheels, tool boxes, fuel, wooden ramps, kitchen sink, etc., and ever growing pre-teen kid in the passenger seat. I added airbag springs inside the rear springs that help level the truck and I couldnt be happier esp since I paid next to nothing for the truck. I have no idea what your boat weighs but here in the flatlands of Florida the 1500 is more than sufficient for my needs. If I ever get an enclosed then I'll be looking for a 2500 or get an excursion.

Do I need a 2500 ? Probably not, but I don't not need it either. It's a tow pig and family fun day hauler. I figured I could pick one up at a decent price and be done with it. How can a 10 + year old vehicles that gulp gas still be so valuable?

scottdownsouth wrote: Do I need a 2500 ? Probably not, but I don't not need it either. It's a tow pig and family fun day hauler. I figured I could pick one up at a decent price and be done with it. How can a 10 + year old vehicles that gulp gas still be so valuable?

Because they are that good.

Mazdax605 wrote:

scottdownsouth wrote: Do I need a 2500 ? Probably not, but I don't not need it either. It's a tow pig and family fun day hauler. I figured I could pick one up at a decent price and be done with it. How can a 10 + year old vehicles that gulp gas still be so valuable?

Because of they are that good.

Yeah I paid a lot for a 9 year old chevy truck but it had low miles and it will last me the next 10 years now that I am the one responsible for maintaining it properly. Excursion is your next choice but the V10 is garbage, certain diesels are a nightmare and the good ones are 10 years old and still go for 30k which is crazy. Dodge doesn't offer something and don't even think about japanese or european for this kind of vehicle because it doesn't exist.

A Challenge teammate bought a 1995 Suburban 1500 with the TBI 350 off of a buddy for $1000 to tow to the $2010 Challenge. Early on during our voyage from MA to FL, it started having weird issues with the engine,. We stopped in CT and threw a MAP sensor at it and a new air filter, and it didn't help. I think the next step was going on this very forum and asking for help. We ended up unplugging the MAP sensor altogether and somehow, some way, it started running better, but was dumping all the fuel. We averaged 7mpg on the way down. But hey, it made it.

After we got to the hotel, we determined that it was a bad 02 sensor that was screwing everything up. We fixed it and yours truly knocked down a staggering 13.9mpg on the way home. And that was at night, in the rain, with me having to pass a lot of big rigs in the Carolinas.

That truck had over 200k on the odometer and was a bit worn out, but it was one of our favorite tow rigs of all time. It got scrapped a few months later after some electrical gremlins caused intermittent starting, and we got almost $700 for it!!! Not to mention, before the Challenge, we took a "test run" to the Canadian border to go white water rafting with a bunch of friends in the thing and all our stuff, so it basically traveled the entire east coast of the USA before it went to the crusher. I'm still amazed.

So yeah, I'm fully convinced that a GMT400 or later Suburban in nicer shape would make a fantastic tow pig.