Hello all,
I recently purchased a 21 foot toy hauler and as all I owned at the time was a 2012 VW Golf TDI, I figured I should probably find something that can.... tow things... I know what you are thinking: "Who the hell uses an Escalade as a tow rig???" Basically, due to the fact that I have three large dogs I was limited to either a Suburban, Yukon XL, Excursion, or Escalade. I initially started looking at diesel Excursions because that seems like the logical choice for heavy hauling but after doing a ton of research I started to become very leery of the 6.0 diesel engine. A family member has an F-250 with that engine and it has been a financial ruin due to the repair costs. So I shifted my search to the GM line of large SUVs. I set a budget of <$10,000 because I didn't want to finance and hit CL and Autotrader. After looking at many many vehicles I noticed a pattern. The trucks that were cosmetically very clean tended to have neglected mechanicals. Oil leaking, rusted, and blown rear shocks. The converse was true as well. I finally found one that had some cosmetic blemishes but that was mechanically sound. There wasn't even a moist spot of oil anywhere on the bottom and the entire RTD suspension system was recently replaced with OEM parts. The engine sounded great and seemed to be in mechanically/electrically sound condition despite having a ton of miles (132,000). I jumped on this and took it home that day. If you are wondering why I went with an Escalade instead of a Suburban 2500 or something, here is why. I plan on going on 1,000+ mile road trips with three dogs so I want to be comfortable first and foremost. Second, I am a real big fan of an auto-leveling suspension when hauling heavy loads. Third, there is some crazy depreciation on Escalades. A similar 2500 would have been several thousand dollars more and they are far more difficult to find in the wild so I was able to buy a nicer vehicle for the money by going with an Escalade. Now then, I have a few questions regarding this set up. I would be greatly appreciative for ya'lls feedback.
Basically all I am going to be using this thing for is towing at its MAX capacity. Like right at the 7,400 tow rating. I understand that this isn't a new vehicle and most people would be retiring their cars at this mileage. I have faith that this ol girl has at least another 50,000 miles left before she gives up the ghost and I want to make sure I do everything I can to get her to 180,000+ miles even with all that I will be asking of it. From what little research I have done this vehicle seems to have a pretty reliable powertrain. I will be changing the engine and diff fluids to Mobil 1 (If this stuff is good enough for airplane engines its good enough for my truck). I am still not sure what fluid to put in the transfer case and transmission yet? I will put in new iridium spark plugs and wires. Flush the coolant system (Which antifreeze to put in?). Going to put on a high load rating tire (yet to be determined) and new rotors and pads. Ohh, and possibly an AUX tranny cooler. Anything I am missing? Any tips/feedback are greatly appreciated. Even if it's just to say "That's dumb and you are stupid for being so dumb!" Thanks everyone!
I recently purchased a 21 foot toy hauler and as all I owned at the time was a 2012 VW Golf TDI, I figured I should probably find something that can.... tow things... I know what you are thinking: "Who the hell uses an Escalade as a tow rig???" Basically, due to the fact that I have three large dogs I was limited to either a Suburban, Yukon XL, Excursion, or Escalade. I initially started looking at diesel Excursions because that seems like the logical choice for heavy hauling but after doing a ton of research I started to become very leery of the 6.0 diesel engine. A family member has an F-250 with that engine and it has been a financial ruin due to the repair costs. So I shifted my search to the GM line of large SUVs. I set a budget of <$10,000 because I didn't want to finance and hit CL and Autotrader. After looking at many many vehicles I noticed a pattern. The trucks that were cosmetically very clean tended to have neglected mechanicals. Oil leaking, rusted, and blown rear shocks. The converse was true as well. I finally found one that had some cosmetic blemishes but that was mechanically sound. There wasn't even a moist spot of oil anywhere on the bottom and the entire RTD suspension system was recently replaced with OEM parts. The engine sounded great and seemed to be in mechanically/electrically sound condition despite having a ton of miles (132,000). I jumped on this and took it home that day. If you are wondering why I went with an Escalade instead of a Suburban 2500 or something, here is why. I plan on going on 1,000+ mile road trips with three dogs so I want to be comfortable first and foremost. Second, I am a real big fan of an auto-leveling suspension when hauling heavy loads. Third, there is some crazy depreciation on Escalades. A similar 2500 would have been several thousand dollars more and they are far more difficult to find in the wild so I was able to buy a nicer vehicle for the money by going with an Escalade. Now then, I have a few questions regarding this set up. I would be greatly appreciative for ya'lls feedback.
Basically all I am going to be using this thing for is towing at its MAX capacity. Like right at the 7,400 tow rating. I understand that this isn't a new vehicle and most people would be retiring their cars at this mileage. I have faith that this ol girl has at least another 50,000 miles left before she gives up the ghost and I want to make sure I do everything I can to get her to 180,000+ miles even with all that I will be asking of it. From what little research I have done this vehicle seems to have a pretty reliable powertrain. I will be changing the engine and diff fluids to Mobil 1 (If this stuff is good enough for airplane engines its good enough for my truck). I am still not sure what fluid to put in the transfer case and transmission yet? I will put in new iridium spark plugs and wires. Flush the coolant system (Which antifreeze to put in?). Going to put on a high load rating tire (yet to be determined) and new rotors and pads. Ohh, and possibly an AUX tranny cooler. Anything I am missing? Any tips/feedback are greatly appreciated. Even if it's just to say "That's dumb and you are stupid for being so dumb!" Thanks everyone!
