Towing And Off Roading Questions

[TheOrteganator]

Hey guys. I'm currently trying to decide on a truck or SUV to buy for towing my track car. My first choice would be a Nissan Pathfinder since I'd rather daily drive one but the Path isn't nearly as good at towing as the Tahoe so it's looking like Chevy is going to be the winner here.

Just wanted to get some real world experiences from you guys with towing and off roading in near stock form with a 4x4 Tahoe. I'm going to be looking at 2002ish Tahoes with between 80k and 100k miles. I've done a lot of off roading in a Pathfinder so I know that they're good- but how does the Tahoe handle light to medium duty trail off roading being a little bigger and heavier?

As far as towing do you guys see any problem with towing a ~6000 lb. trailer/car combo (might be open or enclosed trailer, I know the enclosed has more wind resistance) in stock form?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[AquinoSteven]

They dont do too bad. the only problem is the trailer plug plate is just getting ripped off all the time. A leveling kit with nice tires and you got yourself a nice setup

 

[withac]

I have a 2000 with the 5.3, and AEM Brute Force, Black Bear tune, aux. tranny cooler. I tow a 23' RV trailer when the fam goes camping, not sure of the weight though. I drag it up a 6% grade that is around 4 miles long without any problem.

 

[COTahoeLS]

I have a 2000 with the 5.3, and AEM Brute Force, Black Bear tune, aux. tranny cooler. I tow a 23' RV trailer when the fam goes camping, not sure of the weight though. I drag it up a 6% grade that is around 4 miles long without any problem.

Have you had a chance to monitor trans temps? Curious what it got up to on a grade like that for that long.

-E

 

[withac]

Nope, I don't have a tranny temp gauge. I hope/figure with the larger auxilliary (I replaced the smaller stock one) tranny cooler that I'll be okay.

This is the first year I've done it but I've hauled it up there twice and it felt fine when I got to the top, I mean it didn't feel squirelly or anything.

 

[COTahoeLS]

Bummer, was hoping you would have the info center. Guess I'm spoiled with my 07 Hoe. LOL

 

[withac]

I wonder how hard/spendy it would be to install an aftermarket tranny temp gauge.

Anyone?

 

[Rivieraracing]

It's not too hard or spendy, I did it on my K-5 blazer a few years ago, bought it off of summit racing, I'm thinking I paid somewhere around $50 for it, it didn't take long to install either, I love knowing what my trans temp is at, especially towing!

 

[withac]

Cool, thanks

 

[Crazy Al]

2500HD cluster will go in with a tranny temp gauge. Direct swap, minus getting the cluster to match miles etc. Or just add the gauge to yours. Sorry Different Forum.

 

[Suburbinator]

My neighbor pulls a 23' toy hauler with his 5.3L Tahoe, and he's more than happy. I have the same drivetrain in my Suburban and pull my Jeep/trailer combo, which is right at 6000lbs and it does fine. It's no diesel, but considering the all around nature of these trucks and the simple maintenance and reliability, it's a good vehicle.
My Jeep is used for the hardcore trails, but I've found if the Burb fits on the trail, it does just fine. Wheelbase and ground clearance hurt performance, but it goes most places with no fuss and 2wd. I see a lot of desert sand out here - the heavy Burb with the G80 differential just digs in and goes with an easy right foot.

 

[TheOrteganator]

Thanks for all the input. The more I look into it the better an option the Tahoe looks. I like the Nissan Pathfinder but it just doesn't tow nearly as well, and the V8 Explorer is definitely up there on my list too but it has some major reliability issues. The Tahoe is super reliable, inexpensive to own, fuel efficient (considering it's a 5k+ lb. SUV), and nice to drive every day.

I'll probably be looking to buy in about a month or so, hopefully I can find a sub-100k mile 4x4 with leather interior for a good deal. I'd love to have a Z71 because they look nicer but I'll probably end up with the non-Z71 for the sake of purchase cost.