Chevy Suburban question

[AV8ORS]

Guys, I'm considering a Suburban or Yukon XL to haul my 40% plane. I'd like to correspond with someone that has experience with these vehicles so I am sure to do the right thing. My first question is whether or not to order the "quad seating" or the second row bench seat? I don't want to have to remove seats everytime I go fly. Let me know what you guys think is best. Thanks

[Disciple]

umm well the backk seats are easy to remove you just pull the lever out and put them somewhere. And the 2nd row of seats fold down so your clear for a 40%.

[DA2000]

I know what your talking about. The 2nd row club seating would be a pain in my opinion. I stuck with the bench. Fold it down and take out the 3rd row seat and you can fit any 40% airplane in there. I've even had my 3.3 Comp-Arf Yak on board, but you have to take off the spinner and prop. A J-Tec Extra fits no problem.

A Carden Cap or Edge will fit with the stabs on. Tail first for all of them. I also saw a guy rig up a ramp and chock setup to put it in nose first with the stabs and it seemed to work out well.

Dan

[AV8ORS]

Dan,

Does the second row bench seat fold down flat with the floor or does the back just fold down or can it do both?

To avoid removing the third row bench, can I fold the seatback down flat for both the second and third rows and set the plane on top of them?

I'm considering a 2004 GM Exec driven model but it's not available for me to look at and see how things fit. So your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Rick

[STR8HUCKIN]

get a trailer and a hitch and just drive what you have.

[AV8ORS]

The trailer thing just isn't for me, thanks.

[DA2000]

The second row seat folds down to give you a flat level floor all the way to just behind the front seats.

The third row seats fold, but stick up about a foot. Not worth leaving in even if you can get the plane over them.

Daniel

[Big J]

Hope you enjoy filling it up with $3/Gal gas. I know I love it with my Ford F150. Nothing like paying $75+ for a tank of gas in a vehicle that gets 15 mpg.

[DA2000]

Luckily the Suburban gets much better mileage than anything Ford (19.8). I have a F-150 as well, luckily it is a company car and I don't have to pay for the gas for business travel.

My Sub gets better mileage pulling a trailer (15.6) than my Ford gets period.

[todhog]

I've got a '98 Suburban and I've put a 40% Edge in it once. Then I bought a 5X10 V nose with a flat top that fits in my garage. That plane fit but one end or the other is going to be stuck between the front seats with you. The stabs will have to come off too. A 33% plane fit great. I said I didn't want a trailer either but pulling out that third seat and loading all that stuff up was really a hassle. Mine is sitting on E and my wife wants to take a trip in it tomorrow so I'm shopping for gas right now! It does get better than 15 mpg all the time so I'm happy with it, it's that 39 gallons of gas at a time that hurts. The wife can get almost 3 weeks out of that though.


Todd

[DA2000]

They put a smaller tank in em starting in 2000, so it makes you feel a little better. My last one was a 98, the newer ones with the 327 get a couple miles to gallon better. The 98 I had got just under 18.

[AV8ORS]

Dan, I hear you there. I have an '04 Ford Expedition and it averages about 15 - 16 mpg. Its almost big enough for a 40% Carden Edge but I have to take off the tailwheel to make it fit. Last week the wife totalled her brand spankin' new '06 Explorer. She was t-boned at a highway intersection by some gal doing possibly 50 - 60 mph when she blew the light in a little spam-can Pontiac Sunfire. My wife's Explorer rolled completely over landing on the wheels. Both she and my dog were totally uninjured, and I mean not even a scratch. I'll live with the high gas prices for as long as I can possibly afford too. The value of all that extra metal around my family in an accident is priceless. She now gets the Expedition and I get my BIG suv for my planes.......works for me.

[todhog]

Considering it's the size of a water buffalo and my wife can get the kids and everything else she takes to Florida in it Beverly Hillbilly style, I'm not complaining. As a matter of fact, in our search for a replacement vehicle she keeps coming back to Suburbans. It's the ultimate rolling storage unit to her!

Todd

[todhog]

I'll live with the high gas prices for as long as I can possibly afford too. The value of all that extra metal around my family in an accident is priceless.

I completly forgot about that!

Todd

[DA2000]

No arguments here. Suburbans are the only way to go.

I have a trailer, but if it is just me and the plane, I toss it in the back.

I have three kids as well. I don't know how people make it without!