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Moving a suburban across the country. (Just drove it)

83ChevyK5Blazer said:
Tow bar and flat towing.
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I have traveled across country with nothing but a tow bar and tow lights pulling all sizes of trucks. As long as you are traveling at slow and moderate speeds, it is generally fine (avoid interstates). Get the kind that bolts through the bumper and frame. You have to plan every turn and stop carefully as you cannot back up without disconnecting the tow bar. The tow rig needs to weigh more than the towed vehicle to be safe and I think you have that covered. Just don't be tempted to load up the suburban for the move.
 
1600 miles, avoiding interstates, low speed - that's a good 3 days of careful towing.
 
kennyw said:
I have traveled across country with nothing but a tow bar and tow lights pulling all sizes of trucks. As long as you are traveling at slow and moderate speeds, it is generally fine (avoid interstates). Get the kind that bolts through the bumper and frame. You have to plan every turn and stop carefully as you cannot back up without disconnecting the tow bar. The tow rig needs to weigh more than the towed vehicle to be safe and I think you have that covered. Just don't be tempted to load up the suburban for the move.
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I have done this plenty as well.
And now I got a dolly with brakes but no brake controller so ..
And agree on the no loading up the towed vehicle.
I did that last week on a 45 mile trip and it was scary
 
Gettin close, decided on how you’ll do it?
 
When I moved from CO to ID, I had multiple vehicles to tow out, so for my blazer, I just rented a u-haul dolly, threw some small roller tires on it, removed the rear shaft and my brother towed it up for me on his way back home to WA and dropped it off at my rental in Boise at the time. Was super simple and easy.
 
Kay86K5 said:
When I moved from CO to ID, I had multiple vehicles to tow out, so for my blazer, I just rented a u-haul dolly, threw some small roller tires on it, removed the rear shaft and my brother towed it up for me on his way back home to WA and dropped it off at my rental in Boise at the time. Was super simple and easy.
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First as @kennyw said you didn't tow it. :pimp:
Second it was a Blazer.
The suburban is a different animal and if you don't have a bigger, heavier vehicle towing it, that long of a trip will be hell.

I have done crazy trips before, I even towed a 9000lbs built k5 on a dolly without brakes pulling it with my 97 Jimmy s15 for 300 miles.
I would not do it long haul, and it took me twice the driving time to be safe.
Renting even a dolly these days is so expensive, it's not worth it, rent a trailer instead, or buy a dolly and sell it afterwards
 
kennyw said:
Because you didn't tow it?
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imiceman44 said:
First as @kennyw said you didn't tow it. :pimp:
Second it was a Blazer.
The suburban is a different animal and if you don't have a bigger, heavier vehicle towing it, that long of a trip will be hell.

I have done crazy trips before, I even towed a 9000lbs built k5 on a dolly without brakes pulling it with my 97 Jimmy s15 for 300 miles.
I would not do it long haul, and it took me twice the driving time to be safe.
Renting even a dolly these days is so expensive, it's not worth it, rent a trailer instead, or buy a dolly and sell it afterwards
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That's cause I was towing a 7500 lb crew cab that was filled to the gills with my garage stuff on a flatbed. And my brother said it wasn't a big deal whatsoever. He towed it with his 2000 3/4 ton burb with a 6.0 and he said he never even noticed it behind him the whole time. And I would venture to say that my K5 on that dolly was close to same weight as a stock burb. I had the top, full doors, fully caged, 1 tons, plus filled the cab full of crap that I didn't want to load in other vehicles (the only thing it didn't have was my 44" boggers on it). I don't know about your experiences, but I've had fine luck towing things with dolly's
 
Kay86K5 said:
That's cause I was towing a 7500 lb crew cab that was filled to the gills with my garage stuff on a flatbed. And my brother said it wasn't a big deal whatsoever. He towed it with his 2000 3/4 ton burb with a 6.0 and he said he never even noticed it behind him the whole time. And I would venture to say that my K5 on that dolly was close to same weight as a stock burb. I had the top, full doors, fully caged, 1 tons, plus filled the cab full of crap that I didn't want to load in other vehicles (the only thing it didn't have was my 44" boggers on it). I don't know about your experiences, but I've had fine luck towing things with dolly's
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As I said I got away with a lot towing with dollies, flat towing with towbars, and trailers with no brakes and towing vehicles smaller than the towed.
It doesn't make it safe and not feasible for a couple of thousand miles.
I once towed with a vehicle with only front brakes functioning, not safe if you don't know, not very sane if you know :doah: .
When I have conditions that are not optimal it doesn't stop me but it makes me drive with heightened alert and I am not sure I can keep it up for too long.
 
Heads up to those between here and there, homie is on the road as of this morning. :burb:

Route - Mobile, Al > Shreveport, La (stay overnight) / Shreveport, La > north Texas(?) via I-20 (stay overnight) / north Texas > Casper, Wy (destination).

Y'all watch out for a brotha! :deal: :thumb:

I hate to see them move away but good luck to Cody and family on their next adventure! :sign29:
 
nvrenuf said:
Heads up to those between here and there, homie is on the road as of this morning. :burb:

Route - Mobile, Al > Shreveport, La (stay overnight) / Shreveport, La > north Texas(?) via I-20 (stay overnight) / north Texas > Casper, Wy (destination).

Y'all watch out for a brotha! :deal: :thumb:

I hate to see them move away but good luck to Cody and family on their next adventure! :sign29:
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Got any more Intel than north Texas to Casper? Awful lot of country to cover on that stretch.

I'd assume he could cut over to Raton/Trinidad from Amarillo and shoot straight up I-25 through Colorado all the way to the new homestead.

If I'm right and he needs anything on the southern Colorado side hit me up. Rob's roadside service is at the ready.
 
@ZooMad75 you da man!

He did mention it was around Amarilla, I thought it was "Del" something but looking at a map it may be Dalhart.
 
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