DuraBurb: Suburban w/ Duramax & Allison

[Silver Otter]

Brian and Lucius,
Other than hauling more ppl in comfort, what are the advantages of a Dura 'Burb over our nice LTZ? There are only the two of us, usually.

[moosetags]

We currently have two tow vehicles. One is the 2005 Suburban 2500 4x4x4. The other is the 2011 Silverado 3500 Duramax. We like both, but would sure like to have a diesel SUV.

Brian

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[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by Silver Otter

Brian and Lucius,
Other than hauling more ppl in comfort, what are the advantages of a Dura 'Burb over our nice LTZ? There are only the two of us, usually.

It certainly comes down to personal preference. I like Suburbans for a variety of reasons but I'm sure I could live with a quad-cab truck.

I like a Suburban for various reasons. Interior access to the rear area is first on my list - unlike a truck. People carrying capacity, as you said, but we don't use that often - a quad-cab would certainly work reasonably well.

The lack of a diesel and it's advantages (even if perceived rather than actual) is frustrating. For instance, I want the added braking that comes with a diesel. I want the added transmission/gears that come with the Duramax/Allison although that may soon be a thing of the past with added transmissions from GM. I want the added fuel mileage although I realize diesel costs more so the $$ may be about the same.

In general, I like Suburbans and I wish GM would put a Duramax in my favorite tow vehicle.

When I started this thread I did it for a few reasons - some mentioned above - and because I thought the DuraBurb was a very cool home-grown solution to a problem. I still find it amazing that a few guys in a little shop in Apopka, Florida are doing this.

[jcl]

There is another potential path to a diesel Suburban, although I am unaware if the aftermarket has swung into gear yet. When the Excursion stopped production, the aftermarket began producing them from newer pickups and Excursion sheet metal. They often call them XUVs. I became aware of them when I saw an F650 pickup conversion with Cat diesel power.

This company will produce a 4 or 6 door custom Excursion on a 2011+ F250 or F350. They will even make a Raptor Excursion based on an F150. They also produce a six door three row crew cab pickup. When GM stops producing factory 2500 Suburbans the same sort of product may be available.

CABT ...The Stretch Truck Company! CABT

Jeff

[Steve Bryant]

Is DuraBurb still in business?

[field & stream]

I went internet searching for Duraburb recently and could not locate them.

Supercharging is an interesting alternative -- I did this to my 2001 6-liter Denali 25,000 mostly-towing miles ago and it has been trouble-free. The towing performance is remarkable with about 500hp and 500 torque.

Here is a LINK to my supplier: Silverado 2014 5.3L Direct Injection Radix Supercharger - Magnuson Products, LLC

Another option: Callaway offers a supercharged version of the pickup and SUV through Chevy dealers: Callaway Silverado/Callaway Sierra

[Tincampers]

Duraburb is indeed still in business but they are severely backed up. We had a Jan 18 appointment to have our Suburban upgraded to a Duramax. They called and said the earliest they could get to us was mid February. We canceled and they refunded our deposit. They don't have a website. Send me a PM and I will give you the sales persons name and phone number.