Last 2500 Suburban

[CrazyDrei]

3/4 Ton or 2500 Suburbans have slowly become extinct and somewhat a desirable commodity. Their sales have been dwindling since late 1990s and have decreased so much that GMT900 was the last generation of this heavy duty platform. 2013 was the last year of 2500 Suburban and 2014 was the last year 2500 Yukon XL rolled off the assembly line.

I have always wanted one for the seating capacity as well as the increased towing capacity. I was specifically looking for a 2013 however I found a 2011 2500 Suburban fleet truck, former boarder patrol vehicle at a price I absolutely could not pass up (read: NO PAYMENTS). So I did not get the last 2500 Suburban but very close to it.

This is how I picked it up before a wonderful 1,000 mile drive home. A little rough around the edges. When border patrol decals were removed, some of the paint came off with the decals. Wiring for light bar on the roof is still present. Front bench jump seat was missing due to the inverter, emergency control operation panel and laptop mount. Rear windows and door locks have been disabled. Drivers seat a little worn but all other seats are in mint condition. Several plastic trim pieces in the interior were missing.

Ultimately this will replace my K1500 Suburban on 37" tires as an expedition vehicle, however in the mean time I am mapping out the modifications in three stages: Weekend warrior, mild off-roader and ultimate overland rig.

This is how our truck spent the first eight years of its life.

Stage 1: Weekend warrior
This will be the clean up and preparation for general road trips. We want the Sub to be comfortable and safe for the entire family to enjoy short and long road trips.

New wheels and tires
Level kit in the front
Cold air intake
Roof rack
Fixing rear door locks and windows controls
Locating miscellaneous broken or missing trim pieces
New head unit with DVD and GPS
Rear TV for the kids
Back up camera
Exterior pain touch up
Front row middle jump seat

Stage 2: Mild off-roader
This will be our 1-2 years out plan.

Lift kit
35 or 37" tires
Lower gearing
ECU tune
Skid plates
Rock sliders
CB and HAM radio
On-board air
On-board water

Stage 3: Ultimate overland rig
This will be a 2-5 year plan to replace the current K1500 Suburban for extended off-road adventures.

Solid axle swap or long travel front IFS
40" tires
Manual transmission
Low profile roof top tent

This is a rough outline for this truck and some things will be added or removed from my lists. Ultimately I will be comparing this GMT900 to my current and overall ideal overland/off-pavement expedition 2000 1500 Suburban and trying to convince myself that a 2500 platform really is better for on and off-pavement expedition travel than the much superior GMT800 1500.

Enjoy the adventures to come!

 

[Explorerinil]

Check under the rear seats really really good before you let your kiddos play around too much. I search everyone really well, however I removed the rear seat in my patrol car to do a really deep cleaning after a drunk Pissed in the back seat. I found an uncapped syringe under the backseat... and it was there for awhile.

I know how patrol vehicles are treated and what happens in them, I’ll never own a used one.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

You can still buy them, brand new:

2019 Chevy Suburban Large SUV | GM Fleet

Discover the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban large 3 row SUV with versatility, enhanced safety features and spaciousness to suit any fleet. Learn more at GM Fleet.

m.gmfleet.com

 

[Overlandtowater]

Did it come with any of the spiffy skids?

 

[lilkia]

Drei is that your actual vehicle with the decals? Or just a stock photo?

Edit. Never mind I see its not the aame vehicle.

 

[lilkia]

You can still buy them, brand new:

2019 Chevy Suburban Large SUV | GM Fleet

Discover the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban large 3 row SUV with versatility, enhanced safety features and spaciousness to suit any fleet. Learn more at GM Fleet.

m.gmfleet.com

Yup. Just have to order through a fleet account.

 

[CrazyDrei]

You can still buy them, brand new:

2019 Chevy Suburban Large SUV | GM Fleet

Discover the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban large 3 row SUV with versatility, enhanced safety features and spaciousness to suit any fleet. Learn more at GM Fleet.

m.gmfleet.com

Jnich77,

"In typical GM fashion, the “HD” denotes Heavy Duty. And in the case of the Suburban 3500HD, the vehicle is available only to fleet customers. Its starting price of $80,215 is a whopping $30,000 more than the $49,915 starting price of the regular Suburban that’s available to retail and fleet customers alike."

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/07/chevy-suburban-3500hd-heavy-duty-vs-chevrolet-suburban/

 

[lilkia]

Fleet prices are never MSRP. Theyll go out the door for 60k.

Either way if your gonna put your kids in that thing you need to disinfect the hell out of it. Theres a good chances since its a Burb it was used as an EMT rig and god only knows what was in the back.
Also make sure the rear door handle disablers are removed and the rear inside door handles are reconnected. The disablers if theyre still there could prevent the rear doors being opened in an emergency. The inside door handles would have been disconnected for patrol use.

 

[rayra]

Well the DVD / head unit will be easy, they went 2U height in the mid 800 series.

Maybe consider moving the radios into first phase. From your vids you take your young family out in the back of nowhere and often solo vehicle. You might need those radios sooner rather than later.

I'm surprised that a BP vehicle doesn't already have some skid plates, or are you talking about additional protection?

also re the phasing out of 2500 and even availability of 4wd and going away from truck frames, GM plainly notices that their overwhelming customer base is soccer-moms and celebrity transport. The Sub is basically a limo, now.

Hey does your 2013 have the hidden storage behind the center dash display?
/nevermind, looks like that starts with 2015, in the GMT K2XX series, not in the 10th gen/GMT900s

 

[Explorerinil]

Fleet prices are never MSRP. Theyll go out the door for 60k.

Either way if your gonna put your kids in that thing you need to disinfect the hell out of it. Theres a good chances since its a Burb it was used as an EMT rig and god only knows what was in the back.
Also make sure the rear door handle disablers are removed and the rear inside door handles are reconnected. The disablers if theyre still there could prevent the rear doors being opened in an emergency. The inside door handles would have been disconnected for patrol use.

I know what goes on back there, really nasty stuff! The surbarban is also used as a patrol car, espically for specialized units or command staff. The rear door locks... that’s easy, the child switch is just flipped... nothing more nothing less.

 

[TNSG]

I got really lucky with mine. Govt specs but not abused by patrol or other 3rd shift shenanigans!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lilkia]

I know what goes on back there, really nasty stuff! The surbarban is also used as a patrol car, espically for specialized units or command staff. The rear door locks... that’s easy, the child switch is just flipped... nothing more nothing less.

10 18?

The outer door handle issue is not just child locks. There is a physical disengagement to keep the rear doors from being opened after someone is placed in custody from the outside.
As for the inner door handles Ill have to check but Im pretty sure the handle linkage is disconnected. Hitting the child safety lock does nothing.
And the command staff here drives unmarked (sometimes marked) tahoes and sod generally roll around in unmarked units.

 

[BritKLR]

Check under the rear seats really really good before you let your kiddos play around too much. I search everyone really well, however I removed the rear seat in my patrol car to do a really deep cleaning after a drunk Pissed in the back seat. I found an uncapped syringe under the backseat... and it was there for awhile.

I know how patrol vehicles are treated and what happens in them, I’ll never own a used one.

So true! My partner and I picked a seizure/fortfeiture car from the US Marshals impound a year after I made the case. We drove it to fleet for service and as my partner was gassing it up I slammed the hood. He heard some thing fall inside, next thing I hear is him screaming that he's not touching that ******** and backing up. I walk over and on the driver's side floors boards is $25,000 dollars in cash that had fallen from under the dash when the lower dash panel gave out. Needless to say we sat there for the rest of the day until the GS, ET's and Marshals showed up to document and recover it. It was simply a matter of we missed the cash a year earlier due to the k9 team being out of service.

 

[Martinjmpr]

WRT the 2500 being discontinued, there is a local news station that uses a 2500 or 3500 K2XX Suburban for their "weather truck" so they do still make 8 lug Suburbans, just not very many of them.

My guess is that the crew-cab pickup has replaced the 8 lug Suburban in most markets. Businesses and government agencies that were the previous users of 3/4 ton Suburbans rarely used the 3rd row seat anyway, so a crew cab pickup will seat as many people as a 3/4 ton Suburban and the pickup bed gives more options for carrying equipment. It's also cheaper.

EDITED TO ADD: If I was to guess, I'd say most of the K2XX 3/4 and 1-ton Suburbans are being sold to government agencies or security firms to be used as armored limousines.

 

[CrazyDrei]

1,000 mile drive home!

Ironically I bought a former Arizona Boarder Patrol truck from Idaho, and the first adventure is the exciting 1,000 mile drive back to Vegas.

Unfortunately for me it just started snowing and I had two options: try to outrun the storm and head east through Idaho and Montana crossing Lookout Pass on I90 or head slightly lower elevation route to the heading west going through Deadman Pass on lovely I84. I decided to stay lower in elevation risking running into ice than staying high and facing more snow that I care to drive through in the middle of the night.

Like any adventure my first stop was the closest Walmart. I outfitted the truck with all the necessary tools to jack up the truck if I have to change the tire, basic tool kit, sleeping bag, pillow, camping stove, and food for a couple days, windshield washer fluid as well as fuel. Now I was officially ready to break this bad boy in.

The snow started to fall and stick to the ground.

I90 ended up getting shut down that night due to excessive snowfall while DOT crews cleared the road. I84 was wonderful. No closures. All big rigs required chains over Deadman Pass and everyone else just had to use common sense. Road was covered with 1" of ice with 2-4" of soft and fluffy snow on top. Stabilitrack and 4x4 high as I navigated my was through the 70 miles of fun mountain twists, dodging semis. Weirdly enough I only saw four other vehicles on the road one of which was a state trooper.

581.5 miles after the last fill up I made it into Nevada and knowing that I had 5 gallons of gas in the tank and no fuel for next 60 miles I decided to fill up prior to hitting 600 miles on a single tank of gas.

16.7mpg, not too bad for an empty 6.0L 2500 truck all while running at least 200 miles of that in 4x4 high. On a side note my 2000 1500 Suburban loaded with 6 people and nearly 1,000lbs of climbing gear consistently averaged 18.5mpg over similar terrain.

Continuing through northern Nevada.

Beautiful snow covered hills.

Nearing Elko and I80. These mountains spend more time covered in snow than without.

.

I spent the last couple hours dreaming that I had my back country ski touring setup with me for a quick run up to a summit and a pleasant ski down.

Snow pack is getting thinner just outside Ely, but still gorgeous nevertheless.

Wheeler Peak dead center in the way back ground. I chose a more direct route rather than a 30 minute detour to the base of the second tallest mountins in Nevada.

.

Mountain landscape clearing away and yielding to the desert most know Nevada for.

No traces of snow in Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and the weather warmed up to a comfortable 80 degrees.

To be continued....