# New Vehicle



## outbacker8 (Jun 16, 2012)

Hello all. My 07 Yukon XL has gone in for repairs one to many times so I'm looking into buying a 2013 Tahoe, the rebates and incentives are good right now. Went to the dealer and found a 2013 Tahoe with a 5.3 liter vortec V8 with an axle ratio of 3.08. Now the dealer tells me I'll have no problems pulling my Outback, so I checked around and couldn,t find clear info for this . I have an 06 23rs and want to know if this Tahoe can handle my OB before I purchase the Tahoe. Any feedback would be great, Thanks in advance.


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## Northern Ninja (Aug 20, 2011)

I'd say the Tahoe will have no problems with a 23RS, but I'd look for one with some lower rear gears.


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## Bob in Virginia (Jul 15, 2010)

Outbacker8, I looked up the Tahoe in the Trailerlife towing guide. You didn't specify if the 2013 is 2WD or 4WD, so I'll give you all of the specs.

2WD with 3.08 axle - 5500 lbs
2WD with 3.42 axle - 6000 lbs
2WD with 3.42 axle and cooling package - 8500 lbs

4WD - same as above, just take off 300 lbs for the weight of the extra drivetrain.

The 2006 23RS empty weight is 4360 with 1640 carry weight giving a max gross weight of 6000 lbs.

I would pass on the 3.08 axle and at a minimum go with the 3.42. If you can get it with the cooling package, because Outbackers always fill up the 
camper and head out on the hotest day of the year, you would be well covered for a long time to come.

And just for reference, your existing 2007 Yukon XL has the following specs:

2WD with 3.73 axle - 7100 lbs
2WD with 4.10 axle - 8100 lbs
for 4WD, reduce it by 100 lbs

Please let us know what you decide to go with.


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## Dave-Gray (Jul 9, 2012)

Outbacker8, I agree with what Bob said above. Additionally, you need to ensure the rear axle will not be overloaded by the trailer's pin weight. A good web-based app that will assist you in calculating the rear axle load is the Before You Buy RV. Also, if you are hoping for a 5[sup]th[/sup] wheel trailer in your future, consider buying a ¾ ton SUV with a diesel engine and tow package. You can tow most any 5[sup]th[/sup] wheel with this type of SUV. Check out the following article: The Potential of Integrated Trailer Safety


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## NDKoze (Jan 5, 2011)

I used to tow my popup camper with a 1998 Chevy Tahoe and really noticed that the short wheel base of the Tahoe made towing less than fun.

I moved up to an Chevy Avalanche which has the same wheel base as the Chevy Suburban and it was a night and day difference in the towing.

"For me" the Tahoe was a great vehicle for the family, towing with it was acceptable but not ideal for my heavy fiberglass boat and the popup camper, but I would not what to tow my full sized camper with a Tahoe. If you want to go with the SUV, I would recommend a Suburban instead. It is still about 9 inches shorter than a Silverado so not that tough to park, but would give you a longer wheelbase. If you really want to tow in style, go with the 2500 version. But that would probably not really be necessary.

This is my 2 cents anyway.

Good luck on whatever you decide.


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## 26rester (Dec 11, 2012)

I personally, would not tow with a short wheel base truck. I do not like the way they handle the load that it put on them. The suburban is bigger and much longer wheel base and would have no issues towing the camper. The 5.3 is a great engine will run forever I have over 300K on mine, but finally broke down and bought a new to us Ford F-150 Screw. The reason is only cause Gm took the bail out money and Ford did not and in my opinion that just makes me mad.


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## outbacker8 (Jun 16, 2012)

After more research I pulled the trigger on the Tahoe, my ob is just below the limit for this vehicle. I never travel more then 200 miles from home and living in Illinois there never is an issue with steep grades or mountains ( Illinois is flat as a pancake). I used the Tahoe for a quick getaway this week and am happy with the purchase, I really got a good deal on it which made it hard not to buy. It pulled the Outback just fine and it handled perfectly. I'm really sure the Tahoe will meet my needs. Thank you all for your input


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## foxspizza53 (Jun 12, 2013)

I would not even look at a 3.08 ratio


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

I towed my 23rs with a Tahoe 5.3L with no problems. I still have the Tahoe but use the Diesel now. My Tahoe has 3.42 gears and I wouldn't go any lower than that. My Tahoe is rated at 8500 lbs and even though it has a short wheel base it is not a problem because the rear axel to hitch is short and this compensates for that. My Tahoe did a good job towing the 23rs never any sway at all even in high winds. The 5.3L is a great engine iron block so it can handle the heat of towing.


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