Can Our Three Old & Sketchy Big SUVs Tow Big? The Answer Is Just a Click Away!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
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Can Our Big SUVs Tow Safely? We Run Them 0-60 MPH with a 7,000 Lbs in Tow!
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#Escalade #Suburban #excursion
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In the table at the end it says Ford Expedition instead of Excursion. Just wanted to let you know.
Thanks again to Zach and Ray!
I drive a Cadillac SUV so I knew who the winner would be. 😉
@@OtayBuckwheatuntil it gets to ownership and you realize it uses random Cadillac parts that cost double😂😂. That Suburban is less reliable then the generation before and still waaaaaaaaay more reliable then the other 2
@@Rays_Bad_Decisions
I have a '97 K series step side reg cab Z-71 Silverado and a K series 2-door 6.5 Turbo Diesel Z-71 SLT Yukon, a Lexus, a 65 Cutlass Convertible with 68,500 original miles and a newish Caddy SUV that's never given me a problem in 92,000 miles because I maintain my shit, and the only vehicle that has given me grief is the Lexus, so I think I'm good on advice about my GM rides.
What is crazy to me is the rpm drop from 1-2 shift on these rigs. I wonder how good these engines would do with just the new 10 spd tranny's from gm and Ford. You can tell once they got on the power band all the engine's pulled quite strong. The higher number of gears would help the engine's stay in that power band.
Yeah to me transmission technology has been the biggest change over the years. Tons of gears, super close ratios, and quick and smooth shifting with manual control. Not sure how well they’d adapt to older engines with less electronic control, but would be cool to see someone try.
Wish they’d develop transmissions for old vehicles at least like a 6 speed to replace the old 4speeds, my old taco does this when it shifts 😝 falls on its face until the rpm’s climb back up
The tried and true solution is rear axle ratio. Likely the differentials are on the taller side in these vehicles, because finding properly set up examples are few and far between.
@@freedomisntfree_44 you can get a standalone computer for like a 6l80e or something or people a while unit in a kit but it's just not cheap
For my 03 suburban, one day it’s getting the duramax swap with the Allison
Not to be that guy, but at 16:06 the results page says "Ford Expedition" instead of Excursion. But still a great video as always! Love the No Payment Needed series!
The Suburban is my favorite as far as looks. It’s the oldest with the most miles and still stayed close to the other two.
When i was growing up my neighbor had a 2500 suburban that had like 340k miles on it... looked brand new... the old man moved back to NY but id bet he still has it with half a million miles on it
FORD
@@JohnDoe-qy8vr found on road dead
Shame it wasn't a 454 suburban.
@@omardevonlittle3817 my 93 gmc sierra c2500 with the 454 has 250k and still going strong without any rebuilds
Love these types of videos I grew up watching top gear then gran tour! It’s nice seeing another show that has fun testing regular everyday used vehicles that most of us actually drive.
I had a '97 Suburban with the 3.42 axel. Even that had no problem betting a towed mass up to 30-40mph due to the flat and early torque curve of the Vortec 5700. Once drag became a major factor though... that mere "255" hp struggled. Without a trailer I could do 100% of my driving under 2,000rpm even on 75mph AZ freeways.
@Corrie Elieff Yeah, one downshift meant 2800rpm, max torque, at freeway speeds. Perfect for hills.
Yeah, they're focusing on the relatively low horsepower of the 350, but ignoring the fact that it makes like 330 foot pounds of torque at 2,800 RPM.
@corrieelieff2446 is very true. The LS series block is more camaro/corvette oriented in design, so it likes to rev higher. I prefer old small blocks or a big block to tow. The 6.0L LQ4 or LQ9/etc are amazing. You get the best of both worlds! Tons of low end torque, and decent power in the upper rpms! They're no slouches!
@Nanaehhco45 I totally agree, until they added the dod/afm crap.
310HP spread over ten cylinders is actually a nice recipe for longevity. Still amazed ford found a way to botch that.
haha
We are talking about the same 6.8L V10 that pretty consistently lasts to over 400k miles? That engine?
@@tylerdunlap6787 talking about the one that is known for firing the spark plugs out of the cylinder heads.
@@rusty2381 I read many comments about these engines and their longevity. Yes they had a spark plug problem. But outside of that many people will tell that these engines are solid
@@rusty2381when over torqued... properly serviced tritons (4.6, 5.4, 6.8) last hundreds of thousands of miles in work trucks.
-ex fleet parts guy
I love the series and I get excited like a kid waking up to cartoons on a Saturday morning. The intro music is awesome. Keep it up the good work.
I like Tommy, he’s a smart guy. But its always nice to see the original three. The chemistry is and always has been amazing.
Would be cool to see the 8.1 suburban in this competition!
They didn't want to put the others to shame it seems
Heck The 454 (7.4L) Suburban of the same vintage would have been more than sufficient enough. This old 5.7 was really holding it's own
@@jkheslekrants eh maybe, I've heard the 454 isn't all that well setup. The 8.1 would crush it though, which is its successor engine...
@@ImprovisedExpletiveDevice 7.4 and 8.1 are both slow but durable.
@abundantlifechurchcortland3117 yes! Very slow, but towing is unbeatable!
This series is your best yet. Referencing James May made me think for a minute... yeah, you guys really are a version of Top Gear that is home grown. I've been watching for a number of years now and the consistent improvements and progress as I watch your channel(s) grow brings a smile to my face.
Incidentally, with your intention of building budget overlanding vehicles, makes me very eager to see the results. Overlanding has absolutely exploded in popularity. I myself am building a 2004 GMC Envoy XUV right now, precisely to do overlanding.
Kudos to you for picking the exact right topic for a series, at exactly the right time to present it!
I’ve got basically the same truck as the Excursion, same white and gold but, 7.3 Powerstroke. Merging on the highway in Texas I hit the speed governor at 92 mph towing a 28’ camper.
Mine is the V10 and the 5star tune has taken it up to 105mph before I backed off, not towing though.
You're a wildman.
@@Malc664 The tractor trailers flew past me at well over 100 mph, I was trying not to get run over.
@@OzarksWildman Jeepers that's crazy. Be safe man.
@@OzarksWildman Damn, I've heard people speed like hell in Texas but that is wild
I have an 05 Escalade and love it. Not a fan of the fuel mileage but that's expected. Super comfortable and easy to work on. And I'm loving how it is representing in this show.
Get an after market programmer for the ECM. It makes a world of difference!!! Diablo sport has a good one for a reasonable price.
I have the same year Escalade and it has been good to me. Easy to work on and simple upgrades wake up the 6.0. I have a cold air, cat back and programmer and it made a huge difference.
@@hugieflhr03 I might have to check that out. I have a Denali with the same engine, trans combo that's feeling its age. It's also slated for a refresh and a few performance upgrades as well.
@@ericrocha4693 do you have the 6.0?
@@vulgarshots yes I do.
Great series. I look forward to every episode. Love it when the three of you are together. Everything is fun and funny. Nathan's little zingers are perfect "as long as it's on camera" and "people just call me a-hole" had me cracking up. The next episode looks like it's going to be great. Thanks guys
Andre: Is something dripping underneath?
Nathan: No
Roman: Nothings dripping
Nathan: I mean Im not gonna look but No 😂
@@elvism684 V10s don’t drip 😂😂
Sounds like you are in LOVE
@@atg1338 I take it you didn't like my exuberant appreciation of their video?
I just love Nathan's energy by simply having a V10 under the hood :-D
Torn between the Excursion and the GMC. Both are cool as hell but the Ford takes the cake.
Btw, the best thing of late on TFL has been the purchase and use of the Tumbleweed Ranch. Can't have enough of the ranch!
Yeah if your not worried about fuel mileage both are solid reliable trucks 👍
"People just call me a-hole." Haha. Love it !!
IMO the GM 800 Gen 2001-2006 Suburban/Yukon XL with a 3.73 is the sweet spot. They drive better than the shorter version are more useful have decent power and 16-17 average mpg is pretty easy to get.
Interesting perspective on the 0-60 times… The Tacoma (in prior video) towed 6400 lbs. 0-60 in 24.32 seconds. We all know how sluggish the Tacoma feels, too.
Very impressive for a midsize truck!
I tow a 32 ft camper trailer with my 01 LT Suburban. Other than the gearing at highway speeds it does great!
All of them are good vehicles but the Excursion is my favorite. Those things are beasts
TFL needs to do a “no payment needed” series on a HD truck from the 90’s and early 2000’s. Maybe a gasser rather than diesel or both to really make it interesting. I’d absolutely love to see what they could come up with for $10,000 or less
10k buys you a lot of truck. I purchased a 2005 Duramax in pretty damn good shape for 11 a couple years ago.
This is an unfair challenge to the 1500 Suburban; it only has the 350. The excursion has the v10, and the cadillac has the 6.0. You should compare with the 2500 suburban with the 454.. or at least a 2000 suburban with the 5.3.
Yup. But it's all in good fun. Although I agree.
My 5.7 Vortec is still running strong after 25 years.. up there with the Cummins for reliability
this series is cool, feels like a top Gear challenge
Would be cool to see an Ike gauntlet of the 8.1 suburban vs the 6.0 or 7.3 excursion
As someone who owns a 7.3 excursion, it would’ve put these to shame. It’s normal 0-60 is about 10 seconds. But there’s so much torque, it doesn’t slow down that much under load. I can push the gas even just slightly and start gaining speed on a steep incline in fourth gear! In the nearly 8,000 lbs truck, I’ve accidentally done a burnout on pavement because there’s just so much instant torque. And I hear the 6.0 is more powerful for all its other shortcomings!
Yep I can also attest as a 7.3 excursion owner I’ve hauled my 30 foot travel at 6500 easily and had good mpg doing it too!
I'm actually really pleased with how my 2002 Escalade tows! Have to uh replace the rusted out receiver now though.
I used to own a 1999 GMC Suburban 2500 it was the best SUV I ever owned. The suburban was a fleet vehicle for quest star and they maintained there fleet very good. I bought the suburban with 130k. The 5.7 v8 was awesome. Great at towing and plenty of room to sleep in. I miss it and I wish I still owned it.
"if you want a viper mixed with a truck, here you go". *Ram srt10 enters the chat with an actual viper motor under the hood*
Those are so rare and the ones that are for sale you can get a fairly modern truck for the same price. I'd love to get my hands on one though
@@ItsMeGiga they are sick
@Buddy Munro 1. He didn't say suv, he said truck. 2. Who tf cares? Couldn't compete with one even if it wanted to 😂
I wish they still made these 3/4 ton truck based SUVS. My 03 Suburban 2500 feels much more stable towing my 7000lb trailer compared to my 2017 Expedition, but expo with the ecoboost and 10 speed tranny pulls it effortlessly.
They should do this same setup on the gauntlet. 😂
fords have that very common problem with the door sensor not sensing when it's actually closed. There is a video of how to fix it sometimes with just spray lube.
I had that happen on an Excursion when I worked in a shop but spraying it didn't work... same for my in-laws Super Duty
Again Nathan is your best guy, makes the videos great. Just keep these three guys and I'll keep watching.
I would like to know if you swaped the old air filters, that can make a huge difference in the vehicle´s performance
Nothing like some morning coffee and a TFL challenge! I'm most excited about the next episode though!
Love the everyman’s rigs just having fun. The OP diesel wars were ... ^~^
The cheap car challenges are my favorite
These old beasts were pretty good in their day. Really....they are all 20 years old and running on 20 year old engineering. And a 7000 # trailer is a load. For sure more gears would help reduce the RPM drops between shifts.....and they would not have to run so hard to gain speed. Of course the SUVs of the current day would perform better but hey, it's 20 years later. I had two late 90s Suburbans. Just great vehicles. They were incredibly comfortable, durable and so spacious. They still look great to me. The Caddy just looks like an old Caddy. The Excursion is just too heavy duty and a total gas hog. So I'm pulling for the Burb.
LQ9 is 340hp and 380ft lbs of torque and it’s probably underrated. Never brake torque a GM!!! It slower when you do.
The door ajar light on the excursion is very common and sometimes can never be fixed lol. The sensors in the back doors and glass set it off.
That suburban is sweet. I have a 2011 LTZ but would love a 90’s model.
This is a great diesel truck commercial 👍👍
I would love to see an episode were you put a supercharger on that VTN or a big turbo it would be awesome there’s a guy in Russia who does that in those things are monsters he puts giant tires on them lockers on the front and rear and tears up the countryside
A 2500 burb with a 454 / 4l80 would’ve been a closer comparison to the other two.
Hahhahahahhaha!!! “I say they’re all doors, but it says one of them is a jar…” Best Dad joke ever, Nathan!!!! @4:03
Lots of people , including me still drive older trucks and have no issues with them being scary or dangerous. We drive them within their capabilities. And we didn't pay $ 80,000 for them
i thought that was a big block suburban at the beginning. but i was surprised to see the 350 when they popped the hood.
always loved the real vortec motors. when i was younger i had a 1500 z71 with the 305. actually got great gas mileage 28mpg hwy but it could outrun the camaros and mustangs in the 1/4 mile. in the tahoes they got more power than the trucks. then when the ls motors came out i was like wait this doesnt feel right wheres the power.
now that im older and can have nice things i have an s10 blazer with a built vortec motor in it. just a little 350 that can outrun the new corvette. and get better gas mileage. nobody believes my gas mileage but the math doesnt lie and neither do the results. if you dont need to turn rpms to make power you dont need to drain the tank to do 30 mph. most of the stock ls motors have a 3000+ rpm stall convertor. i ran an 1800 with my motor and hated it. swapped in a 1650 and i wish it was lower. torque is the only thing that matters when your building a motor in my eyes. yes rpms and hp are cool. but without torque youll never get either of those.
I’m a diehard Escalade girl … my caddie has been places where other cars get stuck ! (Maybe it’s the driver😂😂) anyway I found your channel because I’m thinking about getting a camp trailer … this video was great .. but I already knew the outcome .
Wasn't expecting a James May reference.
Also a screenshot of 17:33 is my new favourite image
The squeal from the excursion was "normal"
they really all do that with age, i forget the reason but i knew once apon a time. youll hear it in 4.6s and 5.4s as well
I’ll take the GMC any day of the week, the GMT400 Yukon/Suburbans were fantastic units
Something I think about with these old vehicles is you're looking at the fate of every new and shiny thing. This is how they all end up, and here they are, still providing service.
I had a 99 yukon and towed a 20' enclosed trailer with a race E30 inside and all the gear....it was at Denver altitude.....seemed to do just fine...not fast, but it worked....
The musketeers....you guys are great these vids are awesome
On my old 4.3 4 Speed auto you just towed in 3Rd gear and let it run at 2600 Rpm which made plenty of power to hold speed on hilly sections
If the trucks survive MOAB, should do a roadtrip to BG headquarters in Wichita: dyno them, do 60-0 testing, and then do some BG services to them and rerun the tests.
That 6.0 liter V-8 is a work horse.
Ya'll need to do the same test but with the GMC suburban XL 8.1 l
That Escaladed quickly! Quite surprised.
When is a door not a door? When it's ajar!
That was awesome should have ran premium in all three trucks good job keep up the good work😎
LS over everything
Please. Biggest boat anchors ever.
@@Welcometofacsistube what’s better?
Another test i think would b cool would b doing intake exhaust and see if it makes a difference in performance
I’m really curious to see an mpg comparison. That will be a race to the bottom.
V10 will have the worst mpg.
I have a 97 E350, V10, 3.73 gears
Best 11mpg, worst 8mpg.
Recently hauled a 3,000lb trailer with smaller skid steer with a few attachments overall weight was 9,000lbs 9.2mpg kept it at 60mph for the 200 miles, trailer brakes weren't working. My worst mpg was 14 people and a 7x12 enclosed trailer filled with luggage 8mpg, Ohio to Iowa and back.
My dad had an 5.4 Triton F250 when he worked for the school board. Without equipment trailer he got 12… with (dual axle with either a grasshopper or JD zero radius, 20gals of fuel and edgers/blowers).. 7
@@craigwiess1656 I have an identical Excursion as theirs and live in Colorado also, only difference is I have a 4 inch life and 35s and get 10 like clock work. I think the Caddy will take the MPG battle with the Excursion in second and Suburban last, just because I feel it’s underpowered and will be working harder.
@@craigwiess1656In 2001 i had a 2000 E350 5.4 and that thing towing around 8,500, dual axel car trailer got 4 mpg and was able to hit 65 mph maximum... i used to hold my foot to the floor as hard as i could while pushing on my knee, as that one millimeter more throttle made the difference between making it to 65 and just hitting 55- 60 on the highway... it seemed to want to run about 45-55 tops but thats not really an option when the speed limit is 75 so that truck got used hard but that was 200 hp and 290 foot pounds. sounds so weak by todays standards but it worked. Kinda, it did have some serious trailer sway if you were not careful. todays trucks are so solid compared to just 22 years ago
@@toyyoda3710 have a 98 E350 5.4 went from 3.55 to 3.73 gears 16mpg empty most I've towed with it is 5,000lbs drops to 13mpg.
The 97 E350 6.8v10 3.73 best 12mpg worst 8. Have a 2006 E350 shuttle bus 4.10 gears 5r110w trans.
8mpg doesn't get better or worse.
Used to have a 95 E350 5.8, 3.55,13mpg.
My driveway looks like a used car lot. 3 vans, 3 trucks, a few mini vans and other cars.
Roman nailed the Tommy part talking about the suburban
Were both the escalade and the suburban in 3rd for the tow test? that's what the manual suggests for towing
I don’t get that back in the 90s when trucks only made around mid 300 torque and low 200 horse power people merged onto the highway slowly because they didn’t have enough power to speed up but now that trucks have enough power to we are forced to speed up and waste gas for what safety? I’m not buying it. I’d rather slowly get up to speed use less gas because we are all paying double the amount for gas we did a year ago.
It’s people like you that cause road rage.
All closer than I thought they'd be
Need the 7.4 liter suburban times
Admiral methodical lol. Love it
The Excursion is a 3/4-ton, so this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
"I'm not going to look, but No!" I wouldn't look either.
Seen a excursion hauling a ball camper that was way to long for it wreck. Threw a child out of the back glass and the excursion landed on her arm. Don’t haul something that’s a danger to yourself, your family, or others on the roadway
Honestly to be fair the suburban needed the 454 for towing ..
Do the IKE Gauntlet with these rigs
I hate how cocky Nathan is. He is forgetting Tommy came in $6,000 under budget, so he has $6,000 he can put into his truck. Plus it does better on fuel than that horrid non diesel excursion.
You should have brought gmc suburban 2500 7.4L
great horsepower, well mostly- surprisingly Chevy missed the mark with the 99 vortec. I would love to see the performance numbers on a infiniti qx56.
That back hatch on the excursion you gotta slam.
GMC was only $4000 so it had an extra $4000 to drop in an LS engine for the same price as the Ford
The Caddy was probably the lightest one of them.
Fun series, thanks guys!
Be hilarious if running these old nuggets is what did the company in. “We have gone bankrupt trying to keep gas in these shit boxes” lol
Tough to pull trailers with a Prius
Even with the somehow woefully underpowered gigantic engines I think the limiting factor with these American trucks is their lack of gears. The ratio gap is insane and so is how long 1st is. They would tow so much better even with 6 speed can’t believe these things have 4 speeds in the naughties
Unless the vehicle is specifically designed for it which that escalate is not premium fuel actually will reduce power. Higher octane fuel is less energy dense and will produce a little bit less power than standard octane fuel.
It’s a ford thing with the lights in the excursion. My ranger’s lights don’t shut off even with the doors closed and people I know with fords from the same time have the problem too
I think my 5.4 250 series 255hp 350 torque would blow them all out of the water and only because it has 38k miles. Those trucks have lost a lot of power but are still working hard. You definitely need a good electrical tune up on the gms every once and a while ive owned 2 6.0s and am now running a 6.6 gas. Coil packs, wires and spark plugs can go a long way. Ive never ran any of my vehicles past 140k though
escalade is the king out of all three of these videos I watched
You should’ve got the 2000 suburban instead of the 1999 with the smaller 5.3 engine with 285 hp instead of the 5.7 L engine with 255 hp!
With very little modification at all the 5.3 L could have well over 300 hp easily!!
The 5.3 L also has surge power for towing!!
Actually nate, dodge did make a ram viper addition with you guessed it, a viper engine. I messaged you guys saying you should try to find 1 of them and race the trx with it.
I love BF Goodrich tires. KO2's are all I will run. Thank you for sponsoring TFL
Me as well....They wear good, they're quiet, and they do good in the snow.
gmc suburban all the way obs nuff said looks the most sick as vehicle
A really fun series. As always Andre is a star and the chemistry of all is great.
Pretty sure that escalade has the LQ4 ( 325 HP version ) They didnt put the LQ9 (345 HP version) Until 2005 or 2006 escalades. Cant remember exactly.
Great episode 👏. When you guys get to Moab call Trail Mater, and Matt's Off Road Recovery if you run into any problems.
Now I want to test my Ram Ecodiesel with my trailer (same weight). Thanks, guys.
I think the 1999 7.4L 2500 suburban would’ve been a nice test vehicle
I like the top gear reference 👍
yea the old fords/lincolns always had that door ajar annoying ding issue.. I had a town car that constantly bitched about the door being ajar and the interior lights would come on and it was so frustrating...
I dont know if I've ever merged on to the highway from a deep stop zero. Maybe 35mph
100% agree. That's the time that we need to see. 35-60
I can get my 12k lb 5th wheel to 65 pretty easily with my V-10 on the highway for a merge.