I originally posted this thread on a completely different forum for travel trailers and tow vehicles. Now that I've found the GM Forum I thought the members here would enjoy seeing information related to the DuraBurb - customized Tahoe/Yukon, Suburbans and Yukon XLs that have been retrofitted with Duramax diesel engines and Allison transmissions. There are several videos on youtube related to DuraBurbs.

You can contact DuraBurb directly at (407) 257-9657.

Here are some past listings for DuraBurbs - they're not inexpensive but it'* a very unique vehicle and you can customize it to be exclusively yours.


2007 GMC Yukon XL 2500 LT 4x4 - This SUV has 95K miles on the body and 54K miles on the drivetrain. It is black with an Ebony leather interior. The second row currently has captain'* chairs, if you needed a bench row that can be changed. The interior has all the upgrades including Navigation, backup camera and DVD. The drivetrain has been converted to a Duramax Diesel engine, Allison 6speed transmission and 11 1/2 inch rear end. In addition we also added heavy duty tow mirrors and changed the front clip from the Yukon to an HD GMC Sierra, making this a very aggressive looking SUV. It is equipped with a 5 stage tuner which includes towing, fuel economy and a race tune giving this SUV upwards of 650 HP. With the heavy duty rear end your stock towing capacity will now be 12K lbs. Average fuel mileage for these conversions will be in the range of 17-18mpg and 23-25mpg on the road. This SUV has also been customized with an HD GMC Sierra front clip ( hood, bumpers, grill, and fenders) giving it a very aggressive look complimenting the Diesel conversion. The cost for this DuraBurb is $57K.

2007 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 LT 4x4 - This SUV has 103K miles on the body and 49K miles on the Duramax Diesel drivetrain which includes the same engine, transmission and rear end. It is Black with a light gray leather interior. The second row is also captain'* chairs but can also be changed to a bench row if requested. The third row has a center console but can be changed to a three-person seat as well. The interiors on both these SUVs are in very good condition. This Suburban has a sunroof and the other LT upgrades but no Navigation or DVD. Those can be added for only the cost of parts. The body of this Suburban remains stock. There is a stock economy tune installed on this SUV but can be upgraded to the 5 stage tune if requested. The cost for this DuraBurb is $45K.

Here are links to YouTube videos for DuraBurbs

I watched more of the DuraBurb videos on youtube and find these vehicles really interesting. We have a 7.4L gas Suburban now and we really like the Suburban/Yukon XL vehicle platform so maybe there'* a DuraBurb in our future.

We'll likely be looking for a replacement vehicle in the next few years and I sure hope the DuraBurb folks are still around at that time.

Turns out we purchased a used 2005 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 with the 8.1L engine. For now we are going to keep the 1996 and the 2005. We'll see what happens in the future but I still like the DuraBurb concept.

I seen one on Craigslist a few month ago but I don't think if the seller understood it will be about impossible to register it here in California due to strict emission laws. It had Oregon plates on it.

ive seen this before, but they want like double what it would cost to do myself

Yeah finding a doner truck is the hard part. Ive seen totaled durmax trucks go for as much as 14k at auction.

seems ridiculous when you can buy the whole truck still good for that sometimes, if it had 130-175k.

A DuraBurb would be great.
I could see doing a 2500, but the green 1/2 ton Yukon in Vid 1?
Why?

if done right you could get quite a bit better mileage for a half or 3/4. diesels arent really about towing, either a gas or a diesel will pull heavy loads, but a diesel that is setup properly will pull heavy and get good mileage, and alot better unloaded