Suburban Purchase Advice: '96-'99 2500 series vs. '00-'03 1500 series
February 25th, 2016, 5:08 PM
#1
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Suburban Purchase Advice: '96-'99 2500 series vs. '00-'03 1500 series
Hi all - 1st post here, but not new to car forums or cars / trucks in general. I am a gear head....what can I say? 
So I have pretty much decided to buy a Suburban as a 2nd vehicle to be used primarily as a tow vehicle. It would see some other duty as well, but it would be local and short trips.
Here is my dilemma....I am on a VERY limited budget. I am scraping pretty much the bottom of the craigslist barrel here. Tops I will pay is $2500 or so. So this narrow's down my choices quite a bit, but at the same time I think I can get a 'Burb that will work for me.
What I am currently finding are a bunch of GMT-400 1500 series (I am looking for 1996 to 1999 with the Vortec engine only) with anywhere from 150,000 miles to 200,000+ miles. These are a dime a dozen. I am also finding some 2500 series with the 454 / 7.4L in that same price range. These tend to have lower mileage as well. Since I will use this 'Burb to tow, I figured I should go with the 2500 and not the 1500. I know that gas mileage will be bad, but like I said I won't be daily driving this rig. I also like the idea of a 4l80e transmission in the 2500 series, it seems to be a much more robust tranny vs. the 4l60e in the 1500 series.
Here is where things get interesting however. In that same price range, I am finding some early GMT-800 'Burbs, years 2000 to 2003. These are the 1500 series however with the 5.3L engine. 2500 series in this gen is out of my price range. From all the research I have done so far is seem like the GMT-800 is far superior to the GMT-400. These newer ones do tend to have higher mileage than the older ones, usually 200,000+ miles. They also seem to be in rougher condition or have some mechanical issues. I am a little concerned with the 4l60e tranny in this model as well, especially with more beat up ones I am looking at.
So what it really comes down to is 1996-1999 2500 series vs. 2000-2003 1500 series. I would like to hear from people who have owned or driven both if possible, but any input is welcome. Thanks!!
So I have pretty much decided to buy a Suburban as a 2nd vehicle to be used primarily as a tow vehicle. It would see some other duty as well, but it would be local and short trips.
Here is my dilemma....I am on a VERY limited budget. I am scraping pretty much the bottom of the craigslist barrel here. Tops I will pay is $2500 or so. So this narrow's down my choices quite a bit, but at the same time I think I can get a 'Burb that will work for me.
What I am currently finding are a bunch of GMT-400 1500 series (I am looking for 1996 to 1999 with the Vortec engine only) with anywhere from 150,000 miles to 200,000+ miles. These are a dime a dozen. I am also finding some 2500 series with the 454 / 7.4L in that same price range. These tend to have lower mileage as well. Since I will use this 'Burb to tow, I figured I should go with the 2500 and not the 1500. I know that gas mileage will be bad, but like I said I won't be daily driving this rig. I also like the idea of a 4l80e transmission in the 2500 series, it seems to be a much more robust tranny vs. the 4l60e in the 1500 series.
Here is where things get interesting however. In that same price range, I am finding some early GMT-800 'Burbs, years 2000 to 2003. These are the 1500 series however with the 5.3L engine. 2500 series in this gen is out of my price range. From all the research I have done so far is seem like the GMT-800 is far superior to the GMT-400. These newer ones do tend to have higher mileage than the older ones, usually 200,000+ miles. They also seem to be in rougher condition or have some mechanical issues. I am a little concerned with the 4l60e tranny in this model as well, especially with more beat up ones I am looking at.
So what it really comes down to is 1996-1999 2500 series vs. 2000-2003 1500 series. I would like to hear from people who have owned or driven both if possible, but any input is welcome. Thanks!!
February 25th, 2016, 9:03 PM
#2
What will you be towing? If it's under 5000 lbs, find an 00-03 1500 with the 4.10 gears and that should be fine for your needs.
If you're talking a heavier trailer, then I'd go with the 2500.
If you're talking a heavier trailer, then I'd go with the 2500.
February 25th, 2016, 11:38 PM
#3
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Currently towing a hard sided pop up travel trailer. It weighs only 3500 lbs loaded, so I figure a '00 and newer 'Burb could tow it easily. There is a good chance however that in the not too distant future that I would upgrade to a "normal" travel trailer....say 26' or so. My kids are 7 and 5 now, but they are growing fast and I see lot's of advantages to a bigger trailer with the family. From all my research, the 26' or so trailers can weigh as much as 7000 pounds loaded.
February 26th, 2016, 8:13 AM
#4
Obviously, the pop-up is a piece of cake. If you upgrade trailers, then things get a little more interesting.
A lot of the RV manufacturers are making "half-ton towable" trailers. Our first was a 29' Trail Cruiser. Dry weight was 4550, but fully loaded, it got closer to 6,000 lbs. With the family loaded up, and the truck packed with gear, this is what it looked like for weights:
The limiting factor is the rear axle weight (drive axle). The half-ton Burb has a 4,000-lb max axle weight, and you can see we were right at that maximum.
We towed that trailer down to Florida twice, with no issues.
Once we started going bigger, that's when the problems started. While on vacation with the second trailer (borrowed), the pinion bearing failed and I had to replace the entire rear end.
We got another trailer, since the kids were getting bigger and the boys didn't want to share a bed. This new trailer had triple bunks, but it was 7,000 lbs. Again, on the way out to Yellowstone, the rear end failed, forcing us to stay in Mitchell, SD for four days.
After that trip, I upgraded my tow vehicle to the 2500. It has a monster rear axle that AA rates in other applications as high as 10,000 lbs. In this application, it's rated to 5500 lbs.
Bottom line - if you'll be towing a few hundred miles, the half-ton would be fine even if you get a larger trailer. If you're planning long trips, then you'd probably be better off with the heavier-duty components of the 2500.
The key is the payload. Realize the 1500 Burb is going to give you about 1500 lbs of payload. Figure the weight of your family, gear, and the weight of the hitch in the receiver, subtract that from the 1500 lbs payload, and that's what's left for the tongue weight of the trailer. Trailer tongue weight, properly balanced, should be 12-13% of the total trailer weight.
The first time I walked into an RV showroom, the salesman said, "Oh, you have a Suburban. You can tow anything." That's not the case, by a long shot.
GM really did the 2500 Burbs well, in all years. Most folks don't even notice the difference, because the 1500 and 2500 Burbs use the same body. And most of the folks that do notice figure the 2500 has a few upgraded bits on it. In reality, they're completely different trucks - different engines, transmissions, frames, brakes, suspension, axles, etc.
Just remember, there will ALWAYS be a bigger, better trailer out there that's too much for your tow vehicle. If you're the type of person (like me) who's always inclined to get bigger and better, save all of my headaches and skip right to the 2500.
29', 4500-lb trailer (took it to Florida twice)
28', 6000-lb trailer (borrowed, DC/Virginia)
26', 6500-lb trailer (Florida, Yellowstone, Colorado, upgraded to 2500 for Grand Canyon)
35', 8600-lb trailer - (borrowed, UP of Michigan)
A lot of the RV manufacturers are making "half-ton towable" trailers. Our first was a 29' Trail Cruiser. Dry weight was 4550, but fully loaded, it got closer to 6,000 lbs. With the family loaded up, and the truck packed with gear, this is what it looked like for weights:
The limiting factor is the rear axle weight (drive axle). The half-ton Burb has a 4,000-lb max axle weight, and you can see we were right at that maximum.
We towed that trailer down to Florida twice, with no issues.
Once we started going bigger, that's when the problems started. While on vacation with the second trailer (borrowed), the pinion bearing failed and I had to replace the entire rear end.
We got another trailer, since the kids were getting bigger and the boys didn't want to share a bed. This new trailer had triple bunks, but it was 7,000 lbs. Again, on the way out to Yellowstone, the rear end failed, forcing us to stay in Mitchell, SD for four days.
After that trip, I upgraded my tow vehicle to the 2500. It has a monster rear axle that AA rates in other applications as high as 10,000 lbs. In this application, it's rated to 5500 lbs.
Bottom line - if you'll be towing a few hundred miles, the half-ton would be fine even if you get a larger trailer. If you're planning long trips, then you'd probably be better off with the heavier-duty components of the 2500.
The key is the payload. Realize the 1500 Burb is going to give you about 1500 lbs of payload. Figure the weight of your family, gear, and the weight of the hitch in the receiver, subtract that from the 1500 lbs payload, and that's what's left for the tongue weight of the trailer. Trailer tongue weight, properly balanced, should be 12-13% of the total trailer weight.
The first time I walked into an RV showroom, the salesman said, "Oh, you have a Suburban. You can tow anything." That's not the case, by a long shot.
GM really did the 2500 Burbs well, in all years. Most folks don't even notice the difference, because the 1500 and 2500 Burbs use the same body. And most of the folks that do notice figure the 2500 has a few upgraded bits on it. In reality, they're completely different trucks - different engines, transmissions, frames, brakes, suspension, axles, etc.
Just remember, there will ALWAYS be a bigger, better trailer out there that's too much for your tow vehicle. If you're the type of person (like me) who's always inclined to get bigger and better, save all of my headaches and skip right to the 2500.
29', 4500-lb trailer (took it to Florida twice)
28', 6000-lb trailer (borrowed, DC/Virginia)
26', 6500-lb trailer (Florida, Yellowstone, Colorado, upgraded to 2500 for Grand Canyon)
35', 8600-lb trailer - (borrowed, UP of Michigan)
Last edited by intheburbs; February 26th, 2016 at 8:15 AM.
February 26th, 2016, 10:08 AM
#5
CF Beginner
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh wow, thanks for the detailed info!! That really helps
I live in So Cal, and a lot of my trips will be going up into the Sierra mountains. Even on shorter trips the terrain out here can be hilly. Heck, if I want to go camp in the local mountains behind Santa Barbara there is a decent 1500 ft elevation gain over 8 miles or so.
So it seems the 2500 might be the better call, even if it's an older generation.
I live in So Cal, and a lot of my trips will be going up into the Sierra mountains. Even on shorter trips the terrain out here can be hilly. Heck, if I want to go camp in the local mountains behind Santa Barbara there is a decent 1500 ft elevation gain over 8 miles or so.
So it seems the 2500 might be the better call, even if it's an older generation.