K1500 VS K2500 Band Vehicle w/ trailer

Hey there,

My band is looking for a 'burb to haul ourselves and our trailer to our shows. We have a couple vehicles that we are looking at and I just wanted to get some opinions on which would be the better buy. I'm not mechanically inclined, but I will try to provide as much info as I can.

One of our options is a '99 K2500 (w/ a 350) for $5450 with 130,000 on it. Another option is a '99 K1500 for $5500-$6000. That vehicle has 123,000 on it. We have a 12 ft. single axle trailer, but will soon be getting a 16 ft. dual axle. We carry a full PA system, lights, and all of our other gear with us. Probably about 2000 lbs of equipment, plus the trailer weight (which I don't know).

Of the two vehicles, which would you choose and why? I'd appreciate any info you could offer. Thanks a bunch!

Go with the 3/4 ton. Pulling a trailer with a 1/2 ton isn't always fun, the truck tends to follow the trailer more than it should. The only reason to go with the 1/2 ton would be if you want a comfortable ride, not that 3/4 tons are that bad, but the 1/2 tons are softer.

I agree with getting the 2500.Load is the primary reason.You will be over loading and over working the 1500.

chuck's

I would like to say I disagree about the 3/4 ton. I own a 99 1/2 ton K1500 and have towed two vehicles across country from San Diego to Norfolk, Va and Norfolk to Orem, Ut. The trip to Norfolk I towed a 1991 Nissan Maxima and to UT I towed a 1994 Honda both on a 16ft. tandem trailer. My trailer rode smoothly in both instances of towing across country. In fact, my truck rode smoother with a load behind it. The only issue I had was the brakes which will be the same on both the K1500 or the K2500. Have the rear brakes checked out thoroughly on which ever you decide. If these trucks have California emissions standby to have problems with the injectors as GM has put out a service bulletin on this problem. If the trucks are still in California (just putting out info.) then GM will repair or replace the injection system free. Just food for thought as I have already gone through this problem.

I would like to say I disagree about the 3/4 ton. I own a 99 1/2 ton K1500 and have towed two vehicles across country from San Diego to Norfolk, Va and Norfolk to Orem, Ut. The trip to Norfolk I towed a 1991 Nissan Maxima and to UT I towed a 1994 Honda both on a 16ft. tandem trailer. My trailer rode smoothly in both instances of towing across country. In fact, my truck rode smoother with a load behind it. The only issue I had was the brakes which will be the same on both the K1500 or the K2500....

I didn't mean to say that a 1/2 ton won't pull a trailer, it just isn't as good of a choice as the 3/4 ton. This truck's primary purpose is to pull a trailer for a band. Presumably, that means pulling in stop-and-go traffic, making sharp turns, and doing that a lot. Highway driving (even pulling 5,000 lbs) is still highway driving. I pulled 2,000-2,500 lbs with my 4 CYL BERETTA. It was all highway and it pulled the trailer just fine and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, however, I would not want to pull it through a city, and certainly woudn't want to do it very often. The brakes are different (or at least there is an option) between the 1/2 and 3/4 ton, the axles are different as well.

I would go with a 3/4 suburban if you are purchasing a vehicle 99 and older. With the load your talking, a 2000 or newer 1/2 ton suburban would work fine. The weak link in towing with a 99 and older 1/2 ton suburban is the transmission. The 3/4 will have a higher towing rating and a much beefier transmission. The 2000 and newer suburbans have an updated transmission and are more reliable for towing. As in everything there are always exceptions to the rule. When I was looking for a suburban last year, it seemed like all the 1/2 tons in 99 and older had a rebuilt or replaced transmission. Most didn't have 100K miles. My 2 cents.

Chris