Buy a new rig or buy an older Burb and dump some cash in it

[Joel Wilson]

So the wife and I are looking at getting a new rig that she can drive back and forth to work each day (35 to 40 miles total) and can tow 5000 to maybe 5500 pounds. New trucks that can do that start at 45k and go up from there. The Jimmy can tow that much but doesn't have OD and doesn''t have the creature comforts that her current car has (2011 Honda Pilot). Neither of us likes the newer body styles of GMC, but do like anything from 2003ish and back. I am looking around and am seeing more than a few Burbs with less than 200k miles for sale for 5 grand or so. I am tossing around the idea of buying a straight, rust free one with power, rear AC, cruise and then having a new engine, transmission, brakes, maybe a new transfer case, tires and seat covers put on it. Maybe 25 or 30 grand? To me it seems money well spent for something that I know what it can do. Good idea or no?

 

[cheavyk10]

GMT 800 3/4 ton Burb with the 8.1 is the hot ticket. Every time I see one for sale it goes quick.

 

[mrk5]

I'd go for a 96-00 with the 454.

I'd rather spend $600/mon modding an older truck I can work on versus a loan payment on something newer.

 

[Greg Ducato]

I daily drive the 2005 Z71 Suburban in my signature. It does everything I need it to, has been an amazing workhorse for me and still runs like a top with 230K miles. Front and rear air, heated leather seats and a Bose sound system with subs make this a very comfy ride. I had planned to sell it when my Quigly Conversion Van finally gets here, ( ordered summer of 2021, still no build date) but I think I may end up keeping it. I don't know that I could ever go back to daily driving a square body after having put 100K miles on this one.

 

[6872xtc]

The 8.1 suburban would be a nice tow rig, but hard on gas when daily driving it. I have heard that 12 mpg is probably the best when driving it empty and gently.
A 6.0 isn't much better empty.
You can probably do just fine with a 5.3 suburban, it depends on you personal experience, physical dimensions of the trailer and the conditions where you will be towing.
I would either avoid one with self leveling suspension, or plan on deleting it. The rear A/C can need repairs, like a temperature door, which can be a pain, the digital control panels can fail.

There are other things that can cost some time, or money to pay for repairing, but I really like how simply some things are to do on that generation. I believe that the exterior is the same up to '06.

 

[82355]

I switched from an '85 K20, to an '05 K1500 Suburban four years ago when the old lady decided to have kids. It's been a decent rig. I was wanting a '91 K2500 Suburban, but this one just kind of fell in my lap. I don't tow often, but I have. The 3.42 gears suck.

Martin

 

[HankScorpio]

My '89 V2500 suburban gets better mileage than my '04 2500 Silverado 6.0

 

[centexk5]

5500lbs ain’t much. My Durango is rated at 7200lbs and with the hemi it still gets 20-23mpg on the highway and 18-20mpg around town. It’s a 16 I bought with 48k miles for 36k and it’s awd loaded with the 5.7. Anything from the 800 series to the k2 series would suffice for what you are wanting to do. For a daily driver I don’t want something I have to work on to keep it running or really even maintained. Fluid changes and gas. The modern stuff easily slots in there. I know I’m probably in the minority here but it’s just what I’ve learned over the past 20yrs.

 

[Joel Wilson]

5500lbs ain’t much. My Durango is rated at 7200lbs and with the hemi it still gets 20-23mpg on the highway and 18-20mpg around town. It’s a 16 I bought with 48k miles for 36k and it’s awd loaded with the 5.7. Anything from the 800 series to the k2 series would suffice for what you are wanting to do. For a daily driver I don’t want something I have to work on to keep it running or really even maintained. Fluid changes and gas. The modern stuff easily slots in there. I know I’m probably in the minority here but it’s just what I’ve learned over the past 20yrs.

I hear ya. I dont want to have to wrench on the wife's rig either. The Jimmy, ehhh. I don't mind as much. After my neck surgery, 2 out of 3 doctors said I should quit heavy equipment all together. No wrenching, no operating, nothing. My neurosurgeon said, "well, if you don't change something, you will end up in more pain and more surgeries". He is very blunt, no warming up to it, no foreplay, no nothing. Just blunt force trauma. At least I know where I stand... She is onboard with the K2 to 800 series Burbs and when we want to really go offroad, we still have the Jimmy.

 

[max 02]

I’d rather daily a newer rig.
97 and up.

 

[kennyw]

I picked up a 99 Suburban 2500 with the 454, 4L80E for parts. Only 75K miles on motor and transfer case rebuilds but the interior is musty and moldy from water leaks. If someone really wanted to put in some elbow gear it could be made nice again though.

 

[scouthead]

So the wife and I are looking at getting a new rig that she can drive back and forth to work each day (35 to 40 miles total) and can tow 5000 to maybe 5500 pounds. New trucks that can do that start at 45k and go up from there. The Jimmy can tow that much but doesn't have OD and doesn''t have the creature comforts that her current car has (2011 Honda Pilot). Neither of us likes the newer body styles of GMC, but do like anything from 2003ish and back. I am looking around and am seeing more than a few Burbs with less than 200k miles for sale for 5 grand or so. I am tossing around the idea of buying a straight, rust free one with power, rear AC, cruise and then having a new engine, transmission, brakes, maybe a new transfer case, tires and seat covers put on it. Maybe 25 or 30 grand? To me it seems money well spent for something that I know what it can do. Good idea or no?

I wanted to do this- maybe someday... but living in Ca means that I could not make the changes that I would want if I were spending a bunch of money. I know the cost of things is skyrocketing, but I'm not sure I would be happy making a payment on a stock suburban of yester-era...

have a suggestion after learning the hard way on which model NOT to buy... but finally took my uncles advice and bought a 2004 tundra with relatively low miles.
there is one model in a 2 year time frame that i would rather have and meets most of the life goals a suburban would afford me.

2003-2004 tundra, crew cab (the full 4 door cab) with the 6.5 foot bed, and the full rear window of the cab that rolls down. It will get similar or better MPG than most 1/2ton suburban's with overdrive. engine is a 4.7 V8 and darn near bulletproof in the 2003-04.
don NOT get the pain in the butt access cab version, and avoid the 2005-06 (insane amount of smog equipment and rare/impo$$ible catylitic converters) year at all costs if you are living in CA.

I got my hands on a 2004 a few years ago and finally sold my 2005. the 2004 had under 100K on it, I paid a little over 10 grand for it, 4 grand down, financed the rest (mainly to keep an active payment on my credit history- my payment is 175.00 a month) and will be paid off next year if I don't do it early. Its quieter, more comfortable- similar power and mpg to my old 1991 suburban, and I would not trade and go back to the suburban as a daily driver.

 

[scouthead]

unless i can find a 4WD suburban, manual trans with overdrive... I can dream I guess.

but the as far as daily drivers go- the tundra is a step in and go solution. no building, no waiting. Just have to find one with low miles for a decent price.