Prep for towing?

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BNielsen

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Your truck should play with that 25 footer; I pull a 33 foot TT and even with my truck having some issues it'll yank that camper around. Once my issues arise it shuts that party down; but I'm slowly working on getting everything dialed in.
Here's a shot of my truck for ***** and giggles pulling my 2001 Sand Piper;
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You'll like the Powerstop brakes. I have the same kit on my 96 but I'm ditching them in favor of the GMT800 knuckles when I rebuild the front end. Being in Commifornia it'll make performance modding difficult, and truth be told you'd be better off going to a factory airbox and just replace the flex piping with a solid air intake tube and running a good Wix/NAPA HD air filter. Possibly contact Black Bear or another mail order tune service if possible to wake the truck up a bit?

Maybe something in here will help you? Anyone with a 454 I try to direct them to this thread, it's got tons of information.
Vortec 454

And as far as the action of towing, a good weight distribution hitch will make the world of difference. Air bags are definitely a nice addition as well.
 

Zephian

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Your truck should play with that 25 footer; I pull a 33 foot TT and even with my truck having some issues it'll yank that camper around. Once my issues arise it shuts that party down; but I'm slowly working on getting everything dialed in.
Here's a shot of my truck for ***** and giggles pulling my 2001 Sand Piper;
You must be registered for see images attach


You'll like the Powerstop brakes. I have the same kit on my 96 but I'm ditching them in favor of the GMT800 knuckles when I rebuild the front end. Being in Commifornia it'll make performance modding difficult, and truth be told you'd be better off going to a factory airbox and just replace the flex piping with a solid air intake tube and running a good Wix/NAPA HD air filter. Possibly contact Black Bear or another mail order tune service if possible to wake the truck up a bit?

Maybe something in here will help you? Anyone with a 454 I try to direct them to this thread, it's got tons of information.
Vortec 454

And as far as the action of towing, a good weight distribution hitch will make the world of difference. Air bags are definitely a nice addition as well.
Nice!

Luckily I still have my hitch as I store it with my trailer. E2 fastway 10k hitch. I've been happy with it in high winds on the coast.
This year California made it illegal to have any tune. You will fail smog immediately. My Volant while not Carb legal has woken the truck up a lot more than stock airbox (and it sounds cool) I just don't want to replace it every other year and K&N has a CARB legal CAI.
 

GoToGuy

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Have you checked the owners manual on towing? My K2500 list towing in 3 not overdrive. You have 3.43 or 3.73 rear? Taller tires how much is speedo' off by? New brakes, good idea to completely flush all old brake fluid w/ new. High moisture in fluid, high loads, hot, water boils = loss of braking power. Hows your sway bars bushings? Gonna have higher loads. Good luck!
 

letitsnow

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Your suburban probably has 3.73 gears. Combine that with the oversize tires and stock tune, and I would tow in 3rd gear. I'd try towing in OD to see how it feels, but 3rd might work best.

7 mpg is about what most get while towing with a gasser. Most gas motors will feel like slugs when you first switch from a turbo diesel. Once you get used to it and learn what rpm range works best, they work fine. It will never be a turbo diesel, but it'll get the job done.
 
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The_Family_Tahoe

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I like your "prep list". You should be good to go after those items are checked off the list. Someone suggested air bags to level the vehicle and compensate for the tongue weight. I'd support that suggestion. You also might look into hellwig helper springs as a cost effective alternative to air bags. But even without a load leveling my system your rig was marketed to do exactly what you're planning to do with it: tow a heavy load cross country. Lastly, you might get as high as 10 mpg.
Soap Box Rant: it wasn't until the last 10-15 years the market started offering turbo diesels in 4wd crew cab, leather seat configurations from three major brands. Your burban was THE top of the line cross country family truckster until not too long ago. Maintain that badboy, and have safe travels.
 

stutaeng

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I'd say you have a good plan. Maybe add PS and brake flush/fluid change. Also double check ALL rubber hoses and belts. Don't forget differential fluid check/change. Ditto for transfer case.

What TC do you have BTW? Does that model suffer from the pump rub problem? I'm not an expert on TC, just know that if you lose oil due to the rub, you'll most likely need to get towed.

Figure out what ratio you have, and keep your engine in the "happy" powerband range and let her rip.

Happy towing.
 

Papablunt

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There's nothing wrong with towing in OD if you're not hunting for gears (I.E. Kansas I-25), and temps are proper. If you're towing through the mountains (I.E. Colorado I-70), you would want to be in 2nd or 3rd to try to limit the shifting as much as possible.

Everyone already touched on all the important stuff, but just to reiterate:
- Watch trans and coolant temps. Sometimes keeping moving is the best way to cool things down.
- Minimize gear shifts. If you're shifting between 2nd and 3rd constantly, you should be locked in 2nd. "Keep it in 3rd" is not the end all.
- Let it eat... Don't be afraid of RPMs. it's not a diesel, so you're going to be seeing 3-4k RPMs on the big hills.
 
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