Tow vehicle

[StevL]

You think the 3.5 Ecoboost is strong?  You can add a Hypertec tuner and get another 80 hp or so--just plug in.

I have done a bunch of reading about different tunes, guys are getting these 6,000lbs trucks in the low 13 second 1/4 mile times with a 6 cylinder 3.5 Eco and a custom tune. I may try that a little later along in my warranty.

This is my second 3.5 Eco, I'm sure there will be a third unless something else comes along.

Steve

 

[lakeliving]

 Do you also have PADS when it comes to automobiles?

No that is Semp!!!!!

 

[JoeR]

Honda Fit!!!!!, Gets almost 40 mpg, Sure does struggle when pulling the Benny though.I have to leave the 51 gal tank empty, all boat accessories must be out, no engine on boat, supper inflate the trailer tires. 

Joking, Just Joking!!!

 

[Maynard G. Krebs]

1989 Suburban.

Big, reliable, goes anywhere.

Gets poor mileage and lacks power but punches a big hole in the air for the boat.

Inexpensive to purchase and insure.

I can do my own maintenance.

I really like the fact that it's different from everything else out there. I can always find it in the parking lot.

Only real negative is the fact that it isn't TomS' Touareg or fastmnstealth's D-max Suburban.

 

[fastmnstealth]

1989 Suburban.

Big, reliable, goes anywhere.

Gets poor mileage and lacks power but punches a big hole in the air for the boat.

Inexpensive to purchase and insure.

Only real negative is the fact that it isn't TomS' Touareg or fastmnstealth's D-max Suburban.

Very clean burb Maynard!

I love the suburbans!. The Duraburb is my third. I had a '97 1/2 ton and an '01 3/4 ton with the 8.1l.

I was not impressed with the 6.0l in the '08, so I sent it to FL for the conversion. Here is a video that Eric from Duraburb did on my build.

http://youtu.be/mrcWt6sZgpQ

 

[Maynard G. Krebs]

That's a really nice rig, I wonder why GM never offered the D-max as an option in the Suburbans.

 Kinda makes me cringe when I think about yours being exposed to Minnesota winters.

 

[fastmnstealth]

That's a really nice rig, I wonder why GM never offered the D-max as an option in the Suburbans.

 Kinda makes me cringe when I think about yours being exposed to Minnesota winters.

I've got to think it is cost because there is no technical reason.  It fits perfectly and as long as you stay with the same model year series (I could have gone up to a 2010 donor), all electrical just plugs right in.  MSRP on a loaded 3/4 duramax burb would probably have been in the 70-80K range.  Likely that the bean counters said not worth it.

The conversion wasn't too bad (cheaper than new suburban).  In 2013 I bought a real low mileage (28K miles) Suburban in Texas.  I flew down there with my daughters and drove it back.  I then sources a wrecked 2008 2500HD (49K miles) in TX and had both shipped to FL.  The conversion took about 3 weeks (pulled the body of suburban) and he shipped it back to me.    I've put 30K miles since 2013 on the conversion and it has been perfect.

Yeah, I agree about MN winters (salt).  It was real clean coming from TX.  I try to do my best to keep it clean and washed.  I'd like it to last a long time! 

 

[Bill N]

Can I borrow that burb for a few snowmobile trips out west?

 

[fastmnstealth]

Can I borrow that burb for a few snowmobile trips out west?

It can probably make it on its own   Many trips to Cooke City, Togwotee, Jackson, Alpine, etc pulling my 7x29 Aluma enclosed.  Does great in the mountains!

 

[lakeliving]

Damn fastmnstealth! That thing is sweet!

 

[Wild and Free]

I would take an older Suburban like Krebs in a 2500 chassis and do a Cummins conversion. :wub:

 

[keithkz]

Don't need to tow hardly ever but have been using a 2003 Dodge truck...single cab, sport edition with 20" rims, 5.7L Hemi. Yeah, it does the job but it sure knows my pontoon boat is behind it.  Gets about 9 mpg towing vs. 14 mpg not towing anything.  My boat is really heavy being 25', tri-toon and that 5.7L Volva Penta engine in it.  I'm going to get either a Suburban or a GMC Yukon XL next year but I'm pretty sure I'm going to insist on the 6.2L engine that is available in the Denali versions of the Yukon.  I just don't believe that 5.3L engine will do the job despite what the dealerships around me have said.  I'd get the Suburban but for whatever reason they don't offer AWD like they do with the Yukons (and yes I realize you can get 4WD in the Suburban and yes I know the difference between AWD and 4WD).

 

[Remediation]

I looked at the 2015 suburban.  The 5.3L lists higher horsepower than my 2009 6.0L Suburban.  On E85, it picks up 40 more HP.  I don't like that they don't make a 3/4 ton anymore and the "hidden" 3rd seat row is a absolute joke. 3 showroom cars had the plastic parts broken on the 3rd row seats.  Was told that the higher beltline and smaller windows was for increased passenger safety.  Make sense but I don't like the new look. 

 

[adkboater]

I'm using a 08' Dodge 3500 Megacab. 6.7 diesel/Aisin automatic (SRW). You could say it has a little extra juice under the pedal!   I get about 16-17mpg around town/21-22 on the highway. I only get about 15 or so towing if I keep it under 75.  A little overkill for our boat, but we also snowmobile (4 place enclosed) and I tow a couple mini excavators for work too. Love the truck, not the price tag!

 

[Landscaper2009]

2013 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 6.7 Cummins

 

 

[Bamaman]

That's a really nice rig, I wonder why GM never offered the D-max as an option in the Suburbans.

 Kinda makes me cringe when I think about yours being exposed to Minnesota winters.

The frames on SUV's and Suburbans/Tahoes have to be extremely heavy because the body cannot have any flexing.  With another 500 lbs. of a diesel engine, and even heavier frame, and it'd be a 10,000 lb. vehicle--without passengers and boat trailer. 

You throw an engine with 750 ft. pounds of torque into a really stiff frame, the torque could literally rip a frame in half.  That's why tractor trailer trucks have an extreme amount of frame flex.

When I hit the throttle hard on my old F250 with an 80 hp tuner (700 ft. pounds of torque), it feels like I'm ripping the rear end out of the frame.  Pickup trucks and cab/chassis frames have some flex in them that a 3/4 ton Suburban simply cannot have--and still be structurally sound. 

 

[Remediation]

Good explanation.  So old suburbans could have the diesel because it was not as powerful as the D-max?

 

[prd2hnt]

We tow primarily with our 2013 Tahoe. 5.3l. No problems with our 21 slx.

 

[Maynard G. Krebs]

Good explanation.  So old suburbans could have the diesel because it was not as powerful as the D-max?

The original Detroit 6.2L horsepower and torque rating was 143/257. There have been 5 versions of the D-max, starting with 235 hp & 500 tq. while the current version is up to 397 hp and 765 tq. GM had a 4.5L version of the duramax in development that was supposed to debut in the 2010 1/2 ton Suburbans and trucks but the economic downturn and subsequent company bankruptcy put the project on indefinite hold.

I've been doing some reading (lots of time, I'm at week one of four with a leg cast) and the frame is one of a couple reasons for GM not offering a Duramax Suburban. The frames on the hd pickups are taller which allows the D-max block to fit. It's commonly reported that the Allison transmission is the problem, but GM offered it as an option in 2000-2001 Suburbans when coupled with the 8.1L gas engine. The diesel equipped heavy-duty pickup frames are actually much stiffer than the Suburban's but there have been no issues with Duraburb conversions handling the extra power of the diesel. 

Duraburb conversions are built on a standard 2500 (3/4 ton) chassis with a 2" body lift.  GM quit offering 2500 series Suburbans in 2013 due to low demand and a need to meet fuel economy goals. The company has confirmed that a 2500 will again be offered in 2016, but only to fleet rental companies. A 3500 (1 ton) will be built as a platform for armored military use. 

I suspect that GM's thinking was that since sales of the 2500 series burbs was so low that they couldn't continue production, orders with the D-max option would be even lower.  My guess is that most buyers were thinking "Why order a 2500 if you can't get it with a Duramax?"

 

[fastmnstealth]

I've been doing some reading (lots of time, I'm at week one of four with a leg cast) and the frame is one of a couple reasons for GM not offering a Duramax Suburban. The frames on the hd pickups are taller which allows the D-max block to fit. It's commonly reported that the Allison transmission is the problem, but GM offered it as an option in 2000-2001 Suburbans when coupled with the 8.1L gas engine. The diesel equipped heavy-duty pickup frames are actually much stiffer than the Suburban's but there have been no issues with Duraburb conversions handling the extra power of the diesel. 

Duraburb conversions are built on a standard 2500 (3/4 ton) chassis with a 2" body lift.  GM quit offering 2500 series Suburbans in 2013 due to low demand and a need to meet fuel economy goals. The company has confirmed that a 2500 will again be offered in 2016, but only to fleet rental companies. A 3500 (1 ton) will be built as a platform for armored military use. 

I suspect that GM's thinking was that since sales of the 2500 series burbs was so low that they couldn't continue production, orders with the D-max option would be even lower.  My guess is that most buyers were thinking "Why order a 2500 if you can't get it with a Duramax?"

That is correct, I've had no issues with my Duraburb conversion with ~150hp tune (Actually EFI Live/DSP-5 with 5 tunes (stock, heavy tow, light tow, sport econ, perf)).  I'm pretty active on Dieselplace.com where they have a forum dedicated to "frankenstein" conversion like the Duraburb.  Most of the talk is about the 3/4 ton suburban/yukon conversion, but there are many 1/2 tons as well.  I've not heard of any issues with frame twisting causing body/door/glass problems on the 1/2 tons either, so I believe the 3/4 tons have sufficient margin.

I believe it was purely a financial decision vs technical.  Just too expensive with kept the sales numbers low.

BTW, the reason for the 2 inch body lift (Duraburb actually uses a "progressive lift" (2' in front and 0" in back)), was not for the engine or trans.  The cooling stack is much larger on the Duramax and requires the extra height.  The cooling capacity of the gas motors is not sufficient, so the lift is needed to accommodate the larger radiator.

Mark