# Towing 250 Rs With Suburban



## fpl (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi. I am new to the board as we just purchased at 2011 10th anniversary 250 RS. I currently have a Reese Dual Cam HP hitch that I will likely sell with my current camper, but I am wondering which hitch is better:

Reese Dual Cam HP
Blue Ox Sway Pro
Equalizer

I know this is like a Ford / Chevy thing, but just looking for opinions. I will be towing the 250 with a 1500 Suburban with a tow package.

Thanks!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Welcome...Welcome...Welcome.

Glad you found us.









Congrats on the new Outback. You're going to LOVE it.
















I've had two Outbacks and two Equalizer hitches. I have never had ANY issue with either one. Seems to do a great job. I would buy another Equalizer if I ever had to in the future.


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## fpl (Mar 9, 2011)

One more thing, I have researched the daylights out of this, and since we never use our fresh water tank, I should be more than safe I assume towing this with my suburban? It has at 7500 pound capacity, and fully loaded (GVWR)the outback I believe is 7450.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

fpl said:


> One more thing, I have researched the daylights out of this, and since we never use our fresh water tank, I should be more than safe I assume towing this with my suburban? It has at 7500 pound capacity, and fully loaded (GVWR)the outback I believe is 7450.


That Outback is listed at 5980lbs from the factory. That gives you plenty of headroom before you hit the GVWR. Any chance you can "test tow" the Outback and take it to a scale to get the real weight?

Or...take your existing trailer to the scales....weight it...then take ALL your stuff out (everything)...then go back and weigh again. Then you will have a good understanding of how much your personal stuff adds to the trailer. Keep in mind you need to add another 100-150lbs or so for the typical food/drinks/coolers/etc... you would bring along.


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## Ish (Jun 15, 2010)

As long as you are at it, I'd also check the payload capacity of the suburban. That is more likely going to be the one you are closest to vs the tow capacity. We have a 2010 250rs and love it!!!!


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## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

Hello and welcome!

I think the Reese is good. Believe the Blue Ox would be good as well, but I think you'd have to stow your spare tire someplace else to make room for the hitch.

You didn't say how your Suburban is configured, but my personal experience with a 1500 Yukon XL with the 5.3 engine and the 3.73 gears was less than desireable. Granted, I towed my 25RS-S up to Southern Illinois and back, but it was a looooooong drive. I found the engine lacked power and if you had a head wind....forget it. We pulled over to take a break after having a headwind for 20 miles or so and you could see the heat coming off the engine. It was obvious we were working the truck pretty hard. Wouldn't do that again.

If you have a 6.0 liter engine and 4.10 gears, you may have a better experience than I did. But....that's just my perspective. Will you be safe? Probably. But if you're like me, you probably won't enjoy it. Don't mean to be a downer, and that's just my perspective. I'm sure others will chime in.


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## GO WEST (May 25, 2009)

Half ton Suburbans are not noted for their towing ability. That being said, I had an 84 Suburban 1500 with a 350ci, and I towed a 34 ft travel trailer, but not "travelling". I just towed it from one place to another to live in for months at a time. I found the engine got pretty hot and we chose to tow at night. You will work that half ton pretty hard, but quite a number of people on this forum tow with Suburbans.


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## GO WEST (May 25, 2009)

I have an Equalizer. It works good.


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## Tangooutback (Apr 16, 2010)

I have a 25 RSS and had a Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.3L engine and rear diff was most likely 3.73. I towed the 25RSS on two trips for a total of 800 miles. One trip was to west Texas hill country. The tow vehicle best speed on level terrain was 60 miles/hr with only my wife and I and about 150 lbs luggage. On hilly terrain best speed was 45 miles/hr. The transmission blew after the second trip. The vehicle had barely 48K miles on it at that point.

If you plan on using the half ton truck to tow, it would be dollar wise to install an extra good size transmission oil cooler and a good set of temperature gauge to keep close watch on your transmission.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I towed my 28 with a 5.7 equiped 1500 Burb for a short time. Granted my outback is a little more than yours but the combo was not good for me. I switched to the 2500 Burb that I have now. It is rock solid and I use a Reese setup. ---Mike


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

fpl said:


> One more thing, I have researched the daylights out of this, and since we never use our fresh water tank, I should be more than safe I assume towing this with my suburban? It has at 7500 pound capacity, and fully loaded (GVWR)the outback I believe is 7450.


I won't beat a deadhorse (we have had this "discussion" ad nausem on this forum for the last 6 years on what "safe" means .. in fact if you do some research you will find that there are probably 100 pages at least wrote on the subject).. but getting a vehicle that close to GVWR is simply asking for trouble when it comes to suspension capability, engine wear, transmission failure and the ability to safely STOP it. You need to weigh your vehicle and trialer after it is fully loaded and you will be amazed how far over the limit you actually are. Manufacturers specs are calculated for a single 140 pound driver and a 1/4 tank of fuel -- nothing else ... everything else you add -- people, gear, fuel, food in your tow vehicle takes away from the GVWR capability ... also -- manufacturers come up with that number on a test track towing on a flat surface at 55 mph ... (a confdition i have never experienced in my entire towing life)... NHTSA recommends that you do not exceed 90% of the manufacture rated GVWR ...

But then again you will find folks that swear they can tow a 35 foot trailer safely wiht the volkswagen ....

ABILITY TO TOW DOES NOT = SAFE TO TOW.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I have the Equal-i-zer and wouldn't have anything else. For the money (about $450 from RVWholesalers.com, delivered to your door - easy installation and setup), you can't beat the weight distribution and sway control abilities.

That said, I had a 2003 Suburban 1500 when we bought our Outback. It had the 5.7L engine with 3:73 rear end, tow package (brakes, tranny/oil cooler, etc) and the Tow/Haul Mode. It handled like a lumber wagon with the trailer behind and lacked power and braking ability. Even here in central IL, I couldn't maintain 50 mph on long grades. So after 4 trips of 200 miles or less, I traded for my current 2007 Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab. Best move I ever made. The truck handles that trailer with ease and the 6.0L/4:10 combination, although not fuel efficient, has plenty of towing power. The suspension easily handles the tongue weight and can control the trailer.

If you are going to tow long distances or if you live in a hilly or mountainous area, the 1500 'Burb will die an early death. (I know - I lost a tranny on my '99 Suburban, soon after towing our Coleman Bayside popup on a 5000 mile trip.)

The 2500HD pickup will pull and handle your Outback more safely and reliably, in my experienced opinion.

Mike


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## jake's outback (Jul 24, 2010)

I hate to admit this, I'm a bit embarrassed! I pulled our 260 fl with our 2009 crew cab GVWR=7000 lbs. the toungue weight from Keysyone is 785Lbs. so remember this is before propane/ battery/... We jump in the truck with Jake, full of fuel, some fire wood... guess what, I did the math and I was over the GVWR. Sure I could pull it but noticed the stopping wasn't the best. I had to be strategic in the packing and ended up having almost nothing in the truck and more in the trailer. 
I was tired of this and watched for the right deal and upgraded to a 2500hd. I'm looking forward to towing this year. I had the storage place clean the snow from the front of the trailer as I wanted to put it on the scales but never got to it. I upgraded before I got a chance to see the real #'s.

I feel better now, oh and I use the equalizer and do like it! Hope I can still afford to go camping!!








Pat


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