07+ tahoe?

anyone towing with one of these?

ive kind of got them picked for the replacement for my current grand cherokee.

from my research

a LS is a 4.8/295 hp
a LT is a 5.3/320hp
and a LTZ is a all the bells and whisles version.

im looking into the LT

my current jeep is a 4.7 so the LS wouldnt be a big upgrade, especially since it weights 1000 lbs more than my jeep.
the jeep also has a 5 speed auto tranny and 3.73 gears which i really like and will miss. but hopefully the extra power will make up for it.

whats your thoughts and experiences towing with the 07+ tahoes? any long trips?

I tow a 23 ft Malibu with the tahoe LT is a 5.3/320hp
with no issues other than the air level suspention has gone out several times. I would recommend not getting the air level suspention or replacing the shocks otherwsie you will get expensive repairs. Good Luck

If you can find one in your price range I would get an 07 or newer Yukon Denali instead. Mainly because the Denali comes with the 6 speed transmission which is way better for towing. You can't get the tahoe with at 6 speed until 2009 I believe.

I just sold my 07 tahoe 5.3 LT3, it had 65k miles on it. I towed a lot and am a conservative driver when towing. I would not buy one again unless I was towing short distances or using it for a soccer mom car. It had the engine mounts replaced, the u-joints replaced the transmission rebuilt and GM also thinks the rear end needs replaced (yes, I disclosed all this before I sold it). It is a slug up hills, the transmission will get hot pulling a wake boat in 90 degree weather.

Someone gave me the same advice before I bought this truck and I should have listened. I am not going to tell you that you need a 3/4 truck or deisel... but I would not get a tahoe if you plan on towing a decent amount. I replaced it with a different brand 1/2 ton that is a much better tow vehicle.

Buizza the 6 speed info was very valuable. thanks! did not know that

EDIT: oops g/f was signed in on this computer. wrong account

-STANG KILLA SS

No problem. I have an 07 Denali that I replaced an 05 Avalanche with. The 6 speed makes all the difference in the world.

My car for when I am at home in AZ is a '07 Tahoe with a 4.8 in it. I tow to the local lakes with it and it is okay, but it will not get me and my SAN up the hill to a lake that is 60 miles away fully loaded.

I have bought six cars from these guys and might buy this one...



You might want to check it out, you can usually negotiate with them on price by about 30%. A little bigger than a Tahoe, but it will tow better and is cheap...

definatly dont want a suburban or truck. due to my parking situation and tight boat ramp parking the short wheelbase SUV is a must.

we have the '07 Denali with the 6.2 and 6 speed. I also previously had a jeep with the 4.7. As you can imagine, it's day and night. Also the Denali comes standard with suspension bags in the back and tow mode, all nice amenities.

I was kind of curious myself... I have a solid axle 2001 2500HD with the 496ci gas engine and 18" lift. I was thinking that it might be time to get a 2010 tahoe on some decent rims to tow with. You can fit more people, be super comfortable on the way, and save gas money for the boat... Its just that every time i see the truck pull around to get the boat out of the water i just smile..... one day im gonna ride in comfort.

That is one hell of a truck!! You ever crushed any cars with it?

Cory, I'd say get the truck. You know how long my tow rig is and I've never had an issue parking even at the same ramps you use (you just have to be creative and proactive). As much as you guys tow and take long trips towing...a Tahoe or Yukon is a pig pulling and fuel.

SUV + Duramax = problem solved.

says turn key units available...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yVrk...eature=related

I have and 07 LT3, I went with the LT3 over the LTZ because it doesn't have the auto level and the chrome package. I like um blacked out and the auto level is junk, had it in my 04 and it broke twice. My 04 had 125k on it before the tranny went out. My 07 tows fine, I think the dry weight on my boat is 4200/4400 I'd have to look. I installed aftermarket manual airbags in the rear suspension, I carry around 400 lbs of dry weight in my bow so the tongue weight is pretty heavy. They are awesome it doesn't sag at all, way better then factory.

Are you gonna merge on the freeway doing 70 in a tahoe, no way. If you tow up significant hills or long distances I'd go with the Denali. Tahoe gets the job done you're just not going to blow any doors off. My trans temp runs about 190-195 on an 90+ degree day.

I did the same as jason with the airbags in the rear of our tahoe - they work awesome.
To put my tahoe towing experience in perspective - I tow at least 8, 500 mile trips every year plus a bunch of 10 mile trips. The tahoe was a dog on the long trips (40-50 mph in and out of gears up long grades) and the trans got hot (230 degrees) every time. If I towed 1, 500 mile trip a year I would just deal with the truck (I loved everything else about it). Knowing what I know now I should have spent the extra cash and got an SUV with a six speed and more torque - in the long run it would have saved me money. My experience is not unique, make sure you research the transmission issues before purchasing.

I have a 2007 Avalanche and tow my 3800lb boat (likely 5k on trailer with gear). I have an LTZ with 3.73 gears and 4spd trans. It does OK, I tow in 3 and watch the trans temp. Yesterday it was 90 degrees and the trans got to 210 when going over a moderate hill at 50mph in 2nd gear. The Av is my daily driver and rides much better than my real truck did. If you can get a 6 speed trans or 4.11 gears do it and it will be a better tow rig. If you can step up to a 6.0 or 6.2L denali do it and it will tow better. I can't beat the price on my Av. It's a lot of truck for the $20k I paid for it.

The newer Tahoe's with the 6 spd (6l80) are definitely the way to go. I work at GM Power train and can tell you that the 4l60 (the one in the 4 spds), and the 6 speed are a world of differences. The design, shift quality are world's apart. The 4 speed design is/was (we don't make that transmission anymore for the US market, or any 4 speed for that matter), out-dated.The 4l60 did have it's fair share of issues, but if you search around you will find very few issues with the 6 spd.

I towed my boat (04 wakesetter vlx) from Florida to Michigan. On the highway it did great, dropped down to 5th gear once in a while. On the hills in Tenn/Kentucky it did fine, we could keep it at 70 mph, but the engine was revving.

Bottom like, great vehicle, just find a 6spd with the 5.3L. The escalade version with the 6.2 is even better

My first tow rig was a 2008 Suburban with the 5.3L (3.73) and 4-speed. It was a major let down as it did not tow the boat well on long trips over the mountain pass. I swear I thought the transmission might blow up when I saw the temp going north of 235 degrees. So after two seasons of "white knuckle" trips down to Shasta, I traded in the 2008 Suburban for a 2010 GMC Yukon XL Denali with 6.2L (3.42) and 6-speed. OMG, what a difference. Now I have to watch myself going up hills or I may accidentaly go too fast. The 6.2L pulls so effortlessly and the 6-speed transmision rairly goes above 190 degrees.

Do not get a 5.3L with a 4-speed if you are towing a wakeboat.

Out with the old...


In with the new...

Oh... and for the record, the factory airbags in these SUV's are great. I have loved them on both the Sub and the Denali. My guess is that it was redesigned from the 2004 version mentioned above.

I seriously considered a 3/4 ton Suburban after being disappointed with our first Sub. The 3/4 ton has 6.0L (3.73) with 6-speed. But they don't have the air bag suspension, which was the only thing I actually liked about the 1/2 ton Suburban. So... that was a major consideration for going with the 1/2 ton Denali. I got a bigger motor in the 6.2L (albeit with 3.42 gears) and I also got the auto leveling suspension that I loved from my original Suburban LTZ. It's also a much more comfortable daily driver / family hauler than the 3/4 ton.

anyone know when the 6 speed was first available in the tahoes?
and whats the best way to know if it has one when shoping online?

Anyone ever changed the gears in their 5.3L based GM truck? I always wondered how much better my Avalanche would have done with 4.10's on the 4 speed. After I blew up my transmission in mine (from towing), I had it beefed up and a bigger trans cooler and the temp was never a problem again just the lack of power. I think if you put 3.73's on the 5/6-speed or 4.10s on the 4 speed and a big trans cooler that it might be ok. That 5.3L just doesn't have the low end torque that you need for towing up hills but other than that, they are nice trucks with a nice ride.

Originally Posted by stang_killa_ss

anyone know when the 6 speed was first available in the tahoes?
and whats the best way to know if it has one when shoping online?

The 6-speed became standard issue on the 5.3L truck and SUVs in 2009 model year.

It was standard on the 6.2L SUVs from 2007 on (e.g. Denali and Escalade).

I just got back from a business trip to Utah where my rental car was a 2011 Tahoe LT with 2,400 miles on it. I was pretty stoked with the upgrade since I only reserved a full size.

Anyway, when I climbed in, I remembered this thread and immediately reset the MGP computer. I then drove down I-15 from SLC to Provo and got 22.1 mpg. I was amazed. I never saw anything like this on the highway in our 2008 Suburban (same engine, two less gears in the trans). So I really think the 6-speed makes a big difference in the mpg's.

I kept track of mpg the entire time I was in Utah: two full days, mixed driving, 230 miles. The computer read 18.6 mpg when I turned it in.

I'm not saying it's the best tow rig our there. But it's seems like a fair compromise if it's a daily driver, occasional tow rig.

huge thanks! great info! I really appreciate you remembering my thread and taking the time to get some data.

I figured it couldn’t hurt. I promise you that you can’t go wrong with a Tahoe. They are a great safe vehicle with plenty of room and a comfortable ride. Mine pulls my boat just fine at 65+ mph. My Tahoe is a 07 Z71 with 95,000 and it still runs like it’s brand new.