What can I tow with my 1995 Suburban 2500?

[azflycaster]

Here is the formula

1 cubic liter = 61.023744095 cubic inches

61 X liters is close enough...

[knightjohann]

Hi there. I'm not commenting on any of your tow vehicle questions.

But from what I've been reading on the forums as a newbie, some national parks limit anything over 27' in length. If that's vitally important to your plans for camping, you may want to take that into account.

HTH

j

[altamont]

We had a 1996 K2500 and they are hard to find with the smaller (350) engine in my neck of the woods. You still haven't said what size engine so I will assume the 454. We had our 96 and had no trouble at all towing our 27 FB. In fact, I sold it to another couple who bought it for their new 27 FB. Great tow vehicle for the weight we had and I believe you will be lighter with your AS. Make sure you use a good load leveling hitch and you should be just fine if you have performed normal maintenance on your burb.

[gands13]

We run a 2003 5.3L Vortec, 4WD, K1500, has the towing package, and we have NO problem towing our 1982 31' Excella. Have a 1000# weight dist. package (with no sway control), plus brake control and have towed from Charleston, SC to Townsend, TN...through the mountains. Even towed all around North Carolina. Speeds at 60-70 like a dream.

[Breiz]

Well I've not posted what engine it is cause i'm not real sure. My husband said he thinks it was the 454 and the guy we had bought the suburban from a couple of years ago was using it tow a huge modern day travel trailer. It has the 10,000 lb tow package he thinks. I know there's some sort of extra fan or something visible through my front grill. There's already an electronic brake controller (although i'm assuming the brakes on the 77 As are prob not working, it was used in a parked situation by PO).

We looked at the AS on saturday and bought it. It needed all new tires as 3 were dry rotted and 1 was flat. So it's getting new tires put on tomorrow morning and we'll be getting it in the afternoon. We did have to buy a weight distributing hicth (bought it from the rv dealer) because of the recomendations on our bumper's hitch.

Someone said don't tow in overdrive. Do I have an overdrive? Nothing says overdrive on it. Or is that why there's a circle around the letter D in drive? I thought it was to make sure you saw you were in DRIVE.

If I don't tow in D, what do I tow in? 3?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Breiz

Someone said don't tow in overdrive. Do I have an overdrive? Nothing says overdrive on it. Or is that why there's a circle around the letter D in drive? I thought it was to make sure you saw you were in DRIVE.

If I don't tow in D, what do I tow in? 3?

You have guessed right, the O around the D indicates overdrive.

We also have a 95 Burb 454, have used it since new towing our Streams.

First our 63 22' Safari, and now the 25' Classic. Been an outstanding TV.

We have always towed the flats in OD, but the first indication of grades,

or tranny temp above 186-190 have dropped to 3rd. Have not experienced

any transmission concerns in 163000+miles. Regular tranny service every

year, and a complete flush and new internal filter every third year I'm sure

have contributed to the trouble free service. Our total weight (TV&TRLR)

has always been less than 14k, anything more stay out of OD. IMHO.

Good luck and keep us posted.

OBTW..you might consider this as a worthwhile accessory.


Remote transmission filter with temp gauge.

[Minnie's Mate]

Congratulations on your new-to-you Airstream. I won't try to guess on the condition of your Surburban's transmission. A mechanic that has inspected it should know what he is talking about and may be giving you a head's up about a problem that may be down the road. You might want to invest in a trip to a transmission specialty shop or to a GM dealer and have it thoroughly inspected before hitting the road to Disney World (my favorite destination, I might add) or other long trip. AAA might also be another wise investment. Other than your transmission, any 3/4 ton tow vehicle is adequate for towing anything Airstream makes or has made in the past, save maybe the short-lived Integrity 5th wheels and that's just because I think any 10K lb 5th wheel should be towed by nothing less than a 1 ton...MHO.

Anyway, I will address one area that I do have experience in and that is Ft. Wilderness. My first travel trailer was our 30' Safari and I had never towed anything more than a 16' ski boat in high-school 30 years before that. On our third trip I had my first backing experience into a campsite (first two trips we had pull-throughs) and as you probably know, Ft. Wilderness was laid out in the '70's when most families had pop-ups or very short travel trailers or short motorhomes. The streets are narrow and there was a long 5th wheel parked across the street from our campsite with the tow truck parked crossways across the driveway in front of it. I came within an inch of its front bumper with my truck on more than one pass to get our 30 footer in the camp site, but I did without touching the other truck. It often takes maneuvering, but patience will get you in your site. Of course as soon as I got in the site three golf carts that had been waiting for me to get out of the street sped by at full throttle!

There are some National and some State Parks that limit size, but very few private campgrounds(think KOA) limit size. You can always ask when making the reservation and not be turned away when you get there. However, there are quite a few private campgrounds that limit travel trailers to 10 years old or less so that, too, is something to consider and ask when making those reservations.

We love our Airstream and in the 18 months we have owned it have traveled to the Fort six times and have three trips planned for '08 (maybe more if the annual leave works out right!). We always see at least four other Airstreams on each trip. Enjoy your other destinations and just don't get in any hurry when you hit the road and you should be fine as long as there are no pre-existing problems with your Suburban.

[Breiz]

We got our new (to us) AS yesterday, yay! We didn't seem to have any problems towing it. Although I have to say when those big rigs fly past you on the turnpike, it's a bit nerve wracking. We towed it in overdrive on flats and then in 3rd on any inclines, steep declines. Overall it seemed to go well. The AS electrical brakes weren't functioning so we'll have to figure that out. Oh and when we'd be in 3rd going uphill we'd smell a bit of coolant. Is that a bad sign? Engine temp gauge never got too hot.

Still not sure what engine is in my burb. I looked all through the engine compartment and didn't see it written anywhere. The only thing I saw at all relative could be the air filter housing has a sticker on it that said 7.4 liter.

So we got it home and now we'll have tons and tons of questions. Starting with one I've posted in a thread on the Ambassador forum.... We couldn't find the electrical plug to plug the camper into an outlet. We looked in every hidey hole on the exterior of the AS, but didn't see it. Help?

Thanks to everyone for their help on my towing questions!

[knightjohann]

Originally Posted by Breiz

Oh and when we'd be in 3rd going uphill we'd smell a bit of coolant. Is that a bad sign? Engine temp gauge never got too hot.

Still not sure what engine is in my burb. I looked all through the engine compartment and didn't see it written anywhere. The only thing I saw at all relative could be the air filter housing has a sticker on it that said 7.4 liter.

You've got your answer, just about. Ask google "7.4 liter in cubic inches" and it comes back with "7.4 liter = 451.575706 cubic inches"

You can't always take this direct number and apply it, ther'es no Chevy 451, AFAIK for this model, so you can assume that you have a 454, but the best way to check is to decode your VIN.

.:autobaza.pl:. VIN checker, Oferty - og³oszenia, Kredyty samochodowe, S³ownik has a VIN decoder, but I'm not sure how well it works. There are other sites that can help you decode your VIN as well.

You do have a better idea now though, knowing it's a 7.3L.

I'd check with your mechanic on the coolant smell and also would look for puddles. There are also many more people here with much more experience than I on this topic who, I am sure, will chime in.

Congrats on your new trailer!

[slowmover]

My parents towed their '78 Silver Streak (8,000-lb GVW) with a 1987 3/4T 454 Suburban (3.54 gears as I recall; had tow package and ENGINE oil cooler); first year for EFI (throttle-body, not port injected) and ran it out to about 190,000 miles. Engine was low on power from factory, but it was an economical vehicle to own and operate. Almost as good as the 1976 Cadillac which preceded it.

The cooling system is, for all US vehicles, the one most neglected. At fourteen years of age I would -- were it mine -- replace the radiator, all coolant hoses & fasteners as well as the thermostat and water pump (Edelbrock makes a nice HD pump; look also for Robertshaw HD thermostats).

I'd start the process by having a machine style backflush and use de-ionized water with a Prestone radiator cleaner product and follow directions. Once done, then begin the process of replacing parts by removing the engine block plugs and clean out any gunk in the lower coolant casing. Use brass (marine style) replacement plugs.

(If the heater core is easily accessible, I'd do it also.)

This is one system you do NOT want to have to keep fixing. Do it once, do it right.

I agree about adding a filter to the trans return line as well as a secondary cooler (stacked plate design) on same. (Were it mine, I'd also add a small cooler and MAGNEFINE filter to the power steering return line: backing a trailer into a tight spot can overheat both trans and p/steering as there is little to no airflow.)

Search out vacuum leaks and look to replace as much hose under the hood as possible. Much of this is quite easy when done in the parking lot of the auto parts store (NAPA). So doing will eliminate many hard-to-trace problems.

Have the brake system flushed, the brake hoses replaced and the emergency/parking brake adjusted out. Have those rear drums adjusted 3-4 times yearly.

New battery cables as well. New high tension wires (spark plug wires) are also called for.

Dry rot under the hood is a big enemy and must be addressed in a holistic manner. Better to do too much than too little.

Also, replace ALL exterior lamps (bulbs).

Good luck

[slowmover]

Also, a cleaning of the underside (chassis) with some Castrol Super Clean and next day an inspection of boots, bushings and other areas (rust) that MAY warrant attention. I know I would replace the anti-sway bar bushings (anti-roll is the correct term) as they're history by now, and upgrade them to polygraphite (Energy Suspension). I'd also replace the shocks. Pay careful attention to the springs, see if you can't shine a light (may need to use mirror) on coil spring bushings, and a careful check of the rear leaf springs.

On something that old I'd be replacing the throttle-body mounting gasket, and looking to clean that item well; also, check any sensors attached to it, they're usually not hard to replace.

U-joints are another concern. Usually best off just replacing them.

An old, experienced man is your best bet for alignment and ball joint condition.

I assume you are already overhauling the brake system (part of which noted above); I'd overhaul the calipers and the rear drum hardware if any rust is noted (has the truck been sitting up? The mileage is rather low if at 140,000 or less for that age vehicle).

Again, best of luck. Find a nice sway control hitch and check some of the many threads on setting it up correctly. Fewer than 20% of all tow vehicles on the road (of any sort) are correctly set up. The directions can be found here, this is an excellent forum to get that information. You'll enjoy the problem-solving as it will give you confidence in your rig.

[tarsands]

From the preceding posts it looks like this can be done.

However I believe the tongue weight on the AS is 820 lb's. Does anyone know if my Burb can handle this ?

[Aage]

tarsands,

Howdy and welcome to Airforums.com! You know you have found the best place for top-flight advice, and until that comes along, let me say this: if a 'Burb 2500 WON'T tow your 34-footer, I don't know what will, short of a Ford 550, or summink gargantuan.

Of course, folks will ask what you have for rear gears...?

[tarsands]

She's got 3.73 , should I look at 4.10 ?

[62bam]

I have pulled ALL sizes with our 99 Sub.... 3/4 ......454. NEVER a problem!.....even had extra power I did not need!

[Jammer]

I have a newer burb and also a 1997 K2500 small block gas and tow with both.

You'll be fine. Check the rating of the hitch itself, many from that era are wimpy. Draw-Tite makes one rated for 10,000 gross and 1,000 on the tongue.

[tarsands]

Thanks for your advice. It seems that there is little debate on these forums that I'll need one of those fancy hitch setups ?

For now I'm only planning one 500 k drive to a permanent site.

[tarsands]

This combo worked well