Cars of a Flood Commission, Suburban edition

"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97) 01/22/2020 at 11:08 • Filed to: None

3

10

After the first installment looking at our utterly forgettable, but fine, I guess, 08 Taurus (with 42k on it), next up is our 2004 Suburban on this slow Oppo morning. This is a nothing fancy 1/2 ton 4x4 with 5.3 liters of LS goodness, an Eaton Auto locker in the back, load-range E all terrains and 89k on the odometer.

A few things are a bit tired from living outdoors in the high altitude desert for the last si xteen years, but otherwise it is in fine mechanical shape. The fleet department has kept up with maintenance and front end repairs making this probably one of the better steering GMT 800 trucks still around here. It does have a few dents in the fuel tank skid plate, as this thing has lived a very substantial part of it’s 89k off road going to remote sites around southern NM.

We use this to carry groups of folks to remote places. I occasionally use it to scout possible sites or when I’m going to a remote site to only do one specific thing that doesn’t require the whole setup of my work truck. It’s leading a convoy of like 15 trucks from a variety of local and federal agencies to look at a watershed conservation project in a fairly seriously remote spot of Southern NM today, so the director asked me yesterday to fuel it up and load it up with some shovels, tow straps and a highlift jack should other folks in the convoy not be as skilled off road. For a number of us around here, not getting stuck is an important part of the job. My 2016 F-150 work truck spends hours per week in 4wd-low range.

Back in the day this generation of gm suv was a fairly common law enforcement vehicle in NM. This truck doesn’t have any logos, but does have the standard government plate. Twice now when I’ve been stopped along the side of a road in it I notice everyone slowing down approaching from the rear like it’s an unmarked cop car.

I’ve owned a couple of GTM400 suvs,so driving this is always a nice reminder of what a big step up the gmt 800 was. It’ll never be mistaken for anything other than a 1/2 ton truck, but a nice driving one. Brakes are good, ride is sublime and handling is there. The 37 gallon fuel tank is nice, and needed. The 5.3 moves with some gusto and makes nice noises when asked to, but it certainly doesn’t mind loafing along most of the time.

This has been a good truck for us, and it is probably the most used vehicle by folks in the office who aren’t usually in the field or otherwise don’t have a dedicated truck for them. The director probably uses it more than anyone else. It will probably stick around as long the paint stays somewhat presentable or until it starts requiring significant maintenance investments.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 11:24

1

My first real work truck was a Chevy 2500 suburban survey truck . It was for some unknown reason a 2wd model and spent about 1/2 of it’s time driving ditches along the highway. It was fun to goose the throttle of the 454 and get the tires spinning to get it back up onto the road.

Thomas Donohue > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 12:12

1

“ Flood Commission” and “High altitude desert”. Hmmmmm.

Sounds like a bunch of no-show jobs in New Jersey.

Also, similar choice of ‘ company’ vehicles....

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Thomas Donohue 01/22/2020 at 13:24

1

Hey, when it does rain here it rains all at the same time that can end up being measured in the inches per hour, or sometimes inches per 15 minutes.  

Longtime Lurker > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 13:33

0

Does it have the front bench?

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Longtime Lurker 01/22/2020 at 14:15

0

No, thankfully. Power front buckets and a full console (but vinyl floor). I don’t know if  a front bench was an option on this generation.

Thomas Donohue > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 14:18

1

Yup. I hear ya. No worries here.

I wasn’t questioning anything...not me. We use umbrellas in the sun all the time, you know what I mean? You see what I’m sayin?

I gotcha. I didn’t see or hear anything.

DipodomysDeserti > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 15:02

1

I didn’t realize you worked in water management. That’s what I’m loo king to get into once I finish graduate school.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 01/22/2020 at 15:31

1

Nice. About   half the folks in our office are civil engineering and planner types. I came over in N ovember after leaving the academic library world. Specifically, I’m our flood warning system operator. My job is kind of a mixture of radio telemetry technician and an IT system administrator. I’ve also taken over as keeper of our mechanical things. I am having a lot of fun in this job.

Longtime Lurker > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 18:39

1

Standard equipment on the baseiest of base models.

jeepoftheseus > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 01/22/2020 at 20:20

0

I have a GMT800 Suburban in the same lovely shade of never-looks-too-dirty champagne. Just rolled over 302,000 miles this week. It was a fleet vehicle before it came to me as well and it is incredible how well it has held up. Especially considering the fleet aspect.  Old GM could make some very robust vehicles when they actually wanted to.