Which SUV will tow 9,000 lbs?

[Lori Meyer]

I've been looking at F250's and 2500's but was wondering if there is an SUV (2003-2007) that would tow 9K lbs. (that includes TT, hitch, people & cargo). Also, do they sit on the same chassis and have the same towing components as a pickup?

Once I find one then I'll check out the numbers to see if it's a good match for a 2012 Keystone Cougar 32SAB.

Thanks!

[bulldog2]

any ford excursion plus it holds 8 people only made 2000-2005 bult on a f-250 frame

[dcarver]

2003-2006 GM suburban/yukon xl 2500. Seats 7-9 depending on configuration. Autoride suspension that definitely inproves ride quality loaded and unloaded over the excursion. Sits on the 2500 frame, not HD 2500 frame but is sufficient to pull up to 12k with 4.10 rear end. Has a full float 11.5in rear end like the trucks. Plus with those years you can get the big block 496!

[SmokeyWren]

2003-2007? Maybe. The only SUV that can maybe tow that much TT without being overloaded is the GM 2500 Suburban/Yukon XL. And even with the 2500 you cannot haul a wagon full of people and tow a heavy trailer at the same time. They stopped production of the 2500 a few years ago, but there may be some still available on the used car market.

For a 2006 Suburban 2500, GM says

Originally Posted by Chevrolet Customer Service

"The 8100 V8 engines in the 2500 Suburban for 2006 are able to tow a maximum of 12,000 pounds. The 6000 V8 engine can tow a maximum of 9,900 pounds in the same configuration. I hope this helps to answer your question.

Jeff Morris, Chevrolet Customer Service

But take that with a grain of salt. They mean you can tow that much without being overloaded ONLY if the only cargo in the Suburban is a skinny driver. GVWR (payload capacity), not GCWR (tow rating) is your limiter. So the only way to know for sure is to take that SUV for a ride loaded up with everyone and everything that will be in it when towing. Go to a certified scale and fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded SUV. Subtract that weight from the GVWR of the SUV and the answer is the max hitch weight you can have without being overloaded. If you don't have at least 1,350 pounds of payload capacity available for hitch weight, then that 9,000 pound TT will probably overload your SUV.

[TDI-Minnie]

The 2500 Suburban and Yukon XL were built through 2012 with a few still sold in 2013.
These are great if you can find one for a good price.
There is supposed to be a new one for 2016, but those will certainly be pricey.

[Hikerdogs]

Take a look at the Ford Expedition. With the proper equipment it can tow 9,200 lbs. Here's a link to the Ford 2007 towing guide. The Expeditions are on page 8-9.


http://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/...guideApr08.pdf


I have a 2010 Expedition with the heavy duty towing package and regularly tow an equipment trailer with 7,000 lb. to 8,0000 lb. loads.

[dcarver]

The 2500lb suburban has 3000lb payload BTW

[TDI-Minnie]

Originally Posted by dcarver

The 2500lb suburban has 3000lb payload BTW

That is truly good.

[wandering1]

Read the tow specs from the manufacturer. Dont listen to the personal opinions and guess work. Get the facts, you are legally responsible for having an adequate tow vehicle.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by wandering1

Read the tow specs from the manufacturer.

Agreed, but those tow specs are misleading to most owners who haven't delved deeply into the fine print of those specs.

For example, my current F-150 has a manufacturer's tow rating of 8,400 pounds. But I'm overloaded with my small TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road. My '99 F-250 had a tow rating over 13,000 pounds, but I was overloaded with my small fifth wheel RV trailer that grossed only 8,000 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.

And if you look only at the tow rating, you would think I could tow my 5er with my F-150. Tow rating of 8,400 should be able to tow an 8,000 pound 5er without overloading anything, right? Wrong. I towed that 5er on one 300-mile trip, and my poor little F-150 was severely overloaded over the GVWR and rear GAWR of the F-150. 830 pounds over the rGAWR, and 880 pounds over the GVWR. So much for the manufacturer's specs.

For almost all pickups and SUVs with single rear wheels (SRW), be concerned with the payload capacity, which is based on GVWR, and ignore the tow rating which is based on GCWR.

[WiliWali]

If you want a people hauler/two vehicle newer than the older Excursions and Suburban/Tahoes, check out the full size one ton passenger vans with big gasser or diesel engines. With the proper towing package, they can do a pretty big load ....

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

I have a 2010 Expedition with the heavy duty towing package and regularly tow an equipment trailer with 7,000 lb. to 8,0000 lb. loads.

But what did the scale say when you weighed the wet and loaded rig with a full tank of gas? I'll bet you exceeded the GVWR of the Expedition by a lot with a tandem-axle trailer that grossed over 7,000 pounds.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by WiliWali

If you want a people hauler/two vehicle newer than the older Excursions and Suburban/Tahoes, check out the full size one ton passenger vans with big gasser or diesel engines. With the proper towing package, they can do a pretty big load ....

The only one-ton passenger vans (wagons) available now are the GM 3500.
You can order one with 3,673 payload capacity and 10,000 tow rating with the diesel engine or 9.700 tow rating with the gas engine.
2015 Savana Full Size Passenger Van | Capabilities

Ford no longer makes the old Econoline vans, and the new Transit full-size 350HD wagon cannot tow much of a trailer. In the following link, realize that "van" is the work van with nothing but bare metal behind the front seats, and "wagon" is the passenger model.
2015 Ford Transit | View Towing Specifications | Ford.com

Ram and Ford are in bed together. Neither one offers a passenger van suitable for towing a decent-size TT. Here's the Ram:
2015 Ram ProMaster® - Multi Purpose Work or Cargo Van

So if you want a new family van suitable for towing a big TT, then your only choice is GM, preferably with the diesel engine. GMC and Chevrolet passenger wagons are identical, so make your choice based on the quality of the dealerships in your neck of the woods. You might even find a few dealers like mine, that are Chevy/Buick/GMC, so the same dealer can order either a Chevy or a GMC with the same specs.

[dcarver]

Originally Posted by dcarver

The 2500lb suburban has 3000lb payload BTW

Ha I meant to say the 2500 suburban has a 3000lb payload.
2500lbs with a 3k payload would be amazing lol