Got our Suburban and now the next step. Updated post #24

[goin camping]

After a lot of hunting we came home with our Suburban. As is it is perfect for towing our trailer. Now we need to modify it to also be a stand alone camping vehicle.

Meet the buRV a 2001 2500 4x4 with an 8.1

The starter list of things it needs are.

1, Front end leveled.

2, Wheels and tires. (How tall and wide can I go with just a leveling?)

3, Deck built in the back for sleeping with storage underneath.

4, The rear interior lights need on/off switchs.

5, A stout roof rack.

I welcome all of your ideas and product suggestions.

 

[zukrider]

please list your expected off road uses and maybe a list of trails it could see in the future. that will help with suggestions.

me personally, steps are the first to go. i dont have first hand knowledge, but i would imagine a 33-10.5 or 255/85-16 would fit with the leveling kit.

i would go with a fridge and some rear storage bins to keep stuff where you want it. it is real easy to fit a queen mattress back there.

good luck!

 

[goin camping]

zukrider,


When not towing most use will be exploring the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Dirt roads from smooth to rough and sandy wash's. No rock crawling. I'm a low speed high drag off roader. :sombrero:

 

[FellowTraveler]

Burb?

After a lot of hunting we came home with our Suburban. As is it is perfect for towing our trailer. Now we need to modify it to also be a stand alone camping vehicle.

Meet the buRV a 2001 2500 4x4 with an 8.1

The starter list of things it needs are.

1, Front end leveled.

2, Wheels and tires. (How tall and wide can I go with just a leveling?)

3, Deck built in the back for sleeping with storage underneath.

4, The rear interior lights need on/off switchs.

5, A stout roof rack.

I welcome all of your ideas and product suggestions.

Leveling the burb has issues like as when its loaded the rear squats and no longer level. Loaded headlights are pointing into sky.

Level keys while not twisting the torsen bar past its designed parameters creates a clearance issue w/tie-rod ends and stresses them at the drag link on that burbs suspension if I remember right because the rod ends screw straight into the end of the drag link limiting travel. The earlier tie rods ends bolt to the sides of the drag link giving them way more travel and do not have the bending/breaking issues. Inspect your tie rod ends see if they screw directly into the outside end of the drag link or bolt to the drag links side. An after market supplier "Bullet Proof Suspension" has some mods that help solve the clearance issues.

Next the control arm bushings will not hold up for long off road and suggest they be replaced with polyurethane suggest energy suspension black because its molded with graphite and provides a dry lube to bushings. I'm not sure if your lower control arms are pressed or forged, forged being better.

Some aftermarket suppliers have brackets to reinforce idler/pitman arms.

SS braided brake lines are a good addition too.

As tires go I do believe w/cutout fender flares that burb can fit 35" tires w/o any suspension lift. However, expect to trim end of front bumper. W/o lift or fender cutouts 255/85/16 e will fit great, 285/75/16 e will probably rub during turns.

Depending on driving habits front bumper can become an issue clearance wise, consider aftermarket. Adding a front bumper and winch does effect overall balance of vehicle and should be done in strict accordance to GM up-fitting guidelines. Meaning, you more likely than not need to address the imbalance by an addition of a heavy rear bumper or a combo of bumper and tire and or fuel carrier.

A roof rack is a good idea but has pitfalls like drag when loaded. Air Tabs can reduce or eliminate the drag issue. Better way would be a small off-road trailer IMHO.

I have no affiliation w/any of the aforementioned business entities. Mods suggested are at own risk!

 

[Rovertrader]

just a couple thoughts:
-255/85s are a favorite of mine:decent height w/o much increase in wear to suspension/steering/etc. Keep stock wheels, use funds for travel or other upgrades.
-run a hot seperate fuse block, and preferably a second battery, then run power points and additional lights from the hot block. This precludes messing with the factory harness as nothing is worse than sorting electrical gremlins in the dark in the middle of no where. This addresses the light switch issue...
-add airbags to the rear for adjustment of height/ride/weight as it will vary given the application- and a portable compressor(use new power block) or CO2 tank to adjust bags(or add controller) and inflate tires after desert forrays.
-when building rear area, include fridge w/ tray. Also add a hinged piece to fold over the rear seats when they are folded down to provide a level sleep area.
-roof rack- try to use a lighter option, say crossbars for canoe/kayak and use a waterproof travel gag between the bars IF needed. Best to pack lighter honestly

Best of luck, post pics, and enjoy!!

 

[bftank]

i like fellow travelers and rovertraders ideas. the only thing i would add is before lifting or changing tire size, beef up the steering. dmax store has some beefier arms and there are others out there as well.

before you do any thing with your roof rack, make sure the interior holds what you are taking as efficiently as possible. as soon as you add a rack your already mediocre mileage will drop.

i am a big fan of the surgical method of adding bigger tires with out a lift. there are some good ideas out there. make your belly smooth, and skidplates. if you're a crawler you already know this.

1st airbags and steering
2nd tires i would do at's with room for chains in the rear if needed. better mpg. i like the cooper at3r or whatever it is. 35's would be killer but would hurt your towing i think. i like the 285 series
3rd communication
4th engine performance if needed
5th bumpers. lighter and stronger. not bulky.

 

[goin camping]

Tire talk

From what's above 33 in. high without modification or extra strain on steering seems the ticket.

So let's talk tire width. The stock factory rims are narrow and the tread width is 8 in. Narrow is not good in sand. Soooo It needs some width for sand float. Plenty of room in the rear but how wide up front without rubbing. I'd like to go to at least 10.5.

It also has an autoride rear suspension in the rear. So the rear height will remain constant regardless of load.

 

[Rovertrader]

255s aired down will be fine, but I do agree with above suggestion- A/Ts!! The 285s will float better, but then comes the trimming issue, and 255s will do great and no trimming needed. I have tried both on our 'burb, and in sand at the OBX- it is definately more about the driver than the above option/selection.
I have not yet checked into it, but another thread discusses Warn skid plates for the smooth belly, and he has data supporting a decent improvement in fuel milage...

 

[bftank]

what is your rim size? 285/75's sound like the ticket. roughly a 33x12.5

 

[goin camping]

what is your rim size? 285/75's sound like the ticket. roughly a 33x12.5

Tire says 245/75 R16

 

[FellowTraveler]

Tire Diameter and gears

I had forgot to mention diff gear change is needed to keep power train in sweet spot and speedo calibration, not changing out gears then vehicle ecm needs hacking to correct tire diameter and speedo readings.

NOTE:Some GM products have access via device controller OBD-2 or TECH2 to adjust brakes (ABS) for larger diameter tires. The most cost effective OBD-2 reader and device controller I've seen and use is the OBD-2 CarCode loaded into lap top, Net-Books work good too.

While there are aftermarket steering parts I find "MOOG Problem Solvers" best overall.

Further suggest a change out sealed front wheel bearings use "Timken" only, cheap parts are not the way to go here. With standard off set / back space 33" diameter tires are ok on the front wheel bearings, going to 35" requires checking bearings often.

I do not suggest anyone w/o the skills to do the following; I separate my own sealed bearings clean and repack them then lightly bounce a brass hammer around bearing housing to reseal, a new axle seal is cheap and should be changed out too.

Good luck and great on and off road-ing!

 

[chilliwak]

Thats a nice "Burb" you got yourself camping. We are all looking forward to seeing pics of that beauty in the desert....:ylsmoke:

 

[Tahoe Diesel]

While there are aftermarket steering parts I find "MOOG Problem Solvers" best overall.

x2 on the Moog steering parts.

Also, I would recommend the Cognito Motorsports Pitman/Idler Arm steering brace kit. The Pitman/Idler suffer from premature wear on these trucks, especially when running oversize tires.

 

[FellowTraveler]

Ditto on Cognito too

x2 on the Moog steering parts.

Also, I would recommend the Cognito Motorsports Pitman/Idler Arm steering brace kit. The Pitman/Idler suffer from premature wear on these trucks, especially when running oversize tires.

The tie rod issue I had mentioned in a early reply is actually a major contributor to the pitman/idler problems. I'm not sure if the burb has a rack or a steering box, but I'm thinking a drag link from a 1999 may fit, and if it does it will eliminate tie rod issue.

Bullet Proof Steering makes a great tie rod assembly replacement that can be shaped to go around components that would otherwise bend tie rod and pull ends clean out.

Again, I have no affiliation with any of the above commercial entities, and any mods are at own risk.

 

[goin camping]

The current tires are 30x6.5 with a street tread. Clearly they gotta go.

I'm leaning towards 33x10.5 With the 33 I avoid a host of modifications and lifting the front end. The 07 F250 PSD I just got rid of sunk with a 9in wide tire in sand washes but with the 12.5 they floated along the top very nicely.

Figuring the BuRV weighs quite a bit less the 10.5's ought to keep me on top of the wash sand and spread the weight enough to keep me from breaking through the thin hardpack.

This plan will make my front bumper the low point on the vehicle as you can weave the rear diff around rocks on the trail.

Feel free to point out any flaws in my reasoning or suggestions as always.