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You can do it!
If you're getting 12mpg and I'm getting 24, you have a much greater opportunity, and need, to save gas. If you bring your 12mpg up to 18, you're saving as much fuel as if I brought my 24mpg up to 72mpg! That's because you burn so many more gallons per mile.
How to go about it? Using the same methods that I would use to reach towards 72mpg. Side skirts, weight reduction (delete rear floormats?), height reduction, replace glass with acrylic.
One thing I'd especially look at is trying to improve your engine's power output per gallon. If it calls for 10W40, install synthetic 0W40. If it has a belt-driven fan, install a thermostatically controlled electric fan. If it's carbeureted, <strike>drive it into a lake</strike> install MegaSquirt. If it's FI, maybe it can run leaner? I wonder if you could lighten the Suburban enough to get a GM 4 cyl to run it. I'll bet a 2.2L, 145HP Ecotec would do it. There's some weight savings right there.
Of course, Mercedes has already made a very eco-friendly 3/4 ton in the Dodge Sprinter van. But you could make the Chevy suck less gas.
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