Chevy Suburbans

[Takeem406]

Thinking about buying a slightly used Suburban as a family hunting vehicle next year.

I've got two babies right now and I'm not ruling out a couple more.

But it seems any time we load up for a road trip in the pickup there's no room for gear or even luggage.

How are the newer Suburbans? It seems Chevy went full retard and made them like the Escalades. I had to get one for work as a rental in early 14 and it was sure nice but it seemed like it was for going to Walmart and not loading the back with a couple deer.

My brother inlaw mentioned that the new ones use an air back suspension now? He said a farming family had one and the gravel roads punctured the air bags or something.

Just want to know if they can handle some off road use like the old ones.


I would be nice to see em put an Ecco diesel in them!

Thanks

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[RallySquirrel]

I think it depends on the model on whether you get the air ride suspension. I have a 2010 1/2 ton with the z71 package and it does not have air ride. If I remember right, you had to get he LTZ package for that option but don't quote me.

Regarding hunting rig... It does pretty well. I've hauled a 6 hole dog trailer all over SD and been on plenty of other trips with it. A friend of mine bought the latest rendition and it does not have quite as much room behind the third row as the my model. They gave the third row more leg room in his. We have the bucket seats in the middle and that makes the third row access much better and also leaves room for a cooler to be placed in the center of the vehicle. That is definitely nice for the long trips. The third row seats have to be manually pulled out in order to get maximum storage capacity behind the third row. That is different than the Ford Expedition EL where they fold flat into the floor. The ford does not have a solid rear axel so that is your trade off. I have 5 kids and three of them fit pretty well across the third row. It might be tight when they are teenagers but my wife and I make second basemen and point guards so not sure if we are the best to judge by. As to how great an off road vehicle it is... Tough to answer that one. Heck IMO, the 1/2 ton pickups they make today are more like cowboy Cadillacs. Not sure how great any of them are as a true off road rig. I put our suburban through the paces a couple of years ago in SD when all the roads had turned to swamps due to all the rain they had that year. I mean we were spinning and sliding for miles at a time. She held together just fine and kept us on the road even with marginal rubber. I've but some more aggressive tires on it since then and get better traction but at the expense of gas mileage. For a rig that spends 90% of its life shuttling kids to and from soccer practice those tires aren't the best but when you need them you need them right? As far as piling deer and such in the back, I think I would recommend a hitch hauler or trailer. You only need rotting blood inside your vehicle one time to justify that expense (and yes, a deer does fit into the trunk of a Taurus).

Rambled a bit there but I hope it helps!

 

[Grumman]

My wife has a 2007 that is sweet for her use hauling kids and taking on vacation. It has the air-ride which is nice but expensive if you do have problems with it. With the stock 20" wheels and low profile tires on hers I wouldn't think much of it for a hunting rig that is to see hard off road use. Of course with different wheels and tires and a small lift they can be made quite capable.


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[jm1607]

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[jm1607]

I have an '02 hoe as my travel/hunting/dd, the year before it went all electrical. It's solid as a rock. Not sure about the newer more electrical/plastic-y models

 

[Jpeaston]

My wife currently has a 2009 GMC Yukon (regular size) and after the last family trip we realized we have outgrown it. After looking at the prices and driving a couple new age Suburbans with 20 inch wheels, I have pretty much made up my mind that we will keep the 2009 for daily driving. Our last Yukon was a 1999 and had no problems when we sold it with 280k miles, so I am thinking I'll wait for a clean, low mileage 1992-1999 model which can be had for $3000-$6000 around here. Also since it won't be a daily driver, I am thinking about holding out for the 3/4 ton with the 454, which are cheaper I am assuming because of the fuel mileage. It seems as though the older models had more ground clearance, plus it can pull a boat/trailer if that happens in the future.

 

[5MilesBack]

But it seems any time we load up for a road trip in the pickup there's no room for gear or even luggage.

A camper shell would be cheaper than buying a Suburban.

I do a little bit of towing and quite a bit of hauling, but the main purpose for my F-350 CC LB is to fit the family for trips or for hunting. Plenty of room in back with a camper shell and fully loaded 18mpg at 80+.

I have three daughters and my wife, so plenty of luggage no matter where we go or for how long. Took it to San Diego for Spring Break fully loaded, then took it to Yellowstone and Glacier last month full of luggage and all the camping essentials. There's no way I could have fit even 1/2 of what we take in a Suburban.

 

[kodiakfly]

The new ones? Yeah, full-on P-Diddy grocery cars. I just truck shopped and gave them a quick look before discounting them and getting a 3/4 ton CC Silverado. Like was said above, a canopy ( I consider to be standard equipment on a truck) is cheaper and better for gear and dead animals than a newer Suburban. Plus, that price tag...dang.

 

[camelcluch]

You can get used suburbans for a decent price. There are a ton of aftermarket parts and accessories too. I have see some awesome suburban hunting wagons that were very functional. I'm not even a Chevy/GMC guy but they make a pretty sweet rig.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I was looking to trade my 2003 Yukon XL in on a new Chevy Suburban (needed the same size vehicle). It looked too much like a hearst to me. Other than transporting dead Elk, I couldn't stay in that year round. I ended up with a Nissan Armada

 

[fngTony]

I would look for a low mile 3/4 ton. Think 13 was the last of the 3/4 ton. Or the expedition El with the eco boost motor.

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