The idea for the Chevrolet Suburban Carryall was born out of a need for a heavier duty, truck based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered sedan based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as "station" wagons, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo to and from train "stations" and in some cases boat docks, hence the term, station wagon.  Enclosed sedan models, typically fitted without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

Much of the bodywork for these early vehicles often consisted of wood sides and canvas tops, and while they were versatile, their car-based chassis and damage-prone bodies were compromises. Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial truck chassis in the early 1930s, which gave way to the Suburban Carryall in 1935.

The base price of the original, eight-passenger Suburban was about $675, or the equivalent of about $15,450 in 2024 dollars – although the 1935 model didn't come with air conditioning, Satellite GPS, anti-lock brakes, a six-speed transmission or keyless entry. In fact, a radio, heater, clock and even a rear bumper were extra-cost options.

After the introduction of the Suburban, car-based commercial vehicles, including sedan deliveries, remained in production, but the heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers. In the post-World War II years, its popularity with private customers who appreciated its uncompromising capabilities increased steadily.

The Chevrolet Suburban hit the mainstream in the early 1990s, with the overall popularity of more luxurious utility vehicles. But while many customers were new to the Suburban then, it had garnered a legion of longtime owners who had purchased multiple examples over the decades – using them to haul Little League teams and their equipment, tow a boat, a camper, a horse trailer or seat a work crew on the way to a job site.