DISCUSSION: 8 ft + crew cab vs. SUV

[K3WE]

#1. This is not a question; pretend we're having a beer by the campfire. The goal is fun discussion and sharing of experiences. People regurgitating "canned answers" and telling me I have to make the decision will be flamed. (mild sarcam).

I've towed a 30 & 32 ft TT for ~20 total years with 0.5-ton and 3/4-ton Suburbans (That's a great subject too). I'm thinking about switching to a pickup truck- and convinced I want a crew cab AND the 8-ft box. (Please don't SUGGEST the shorter box unless you have some stories to go with it. I get it that it's a compromise)

Of course, that will be less fun in tight, city areas, mall parking lots and will put a dent in my backing ability (which is OK)...

But all this does give me a tiny tinge of fear (not of bad things, but little things).

If anyone has similar (or perhaps the reverse) experience, I'd love to hear your thoughts, what you liked, what you disliked. (Again, the seating and heating are obvious changes...I want to hear THOUGHTS, not the obvious stuff.)

PS, apologies for sounding crabby...But, I'll give you one of the beers when someone chimes in WITH the same old obvious, canned responses. 🙂

[4x4ord]

From '07 - '10 we had an '07 Yukon Denali and a crew cab short box 5 seater GMC diesel pick up. Our camper was a 5ver, so, we put the 4 kids in the back seat of the pick up and went camping... the odd time the youngest would sit up front on the council. Although I really enjoyed driving the Yukon I just couldn't bring myself to, trade in the 5ver for a TT, use the Yukon as a tow vehicle and leave the Duramax parked in the garage. The kids were happy to go camping and I don't think I ever remember them complaining about having to squeeze in.

[JRscooby]

mkirsch wrote:

Cptnvideo wrote:
We have a Ram 4x6 (why do they say 4x4 when there are 6 tires on the ground?) crew cab, 8' bed. My ONLY complaint is we can't take it thru a drive thru car wash.

So you have a 4-wheeled vehicle where 6 wheels are driven? That breaks the laws of physics, but I suspect you never studied law. 😉

Technically it would be a 6x6, but in everyday language each set of dual wheels on a dually pickup is counted as a single wheel. At least with regards to being driven. So, a 4x4.

It's funny because a tandem axle OshKosh snow plow truck is considered a 6x6 even though it has 10 wheels, but a typical tractor-trailer combination is called an "18 wheeler."

The Oshkosh referred to likely has 3 axles, all driven, so 6X6. The "18 wheeler" (never heard before became CB slang) is most often 6X4 tractor pulling a trailer.
Back in my youth ('60s and early '70s) the local GMC dealer sold a lot of 6X2 trucks. A guy I worked with has a couple of Macks set up 10X6 straight trucks.

[Cptnvideo]

Gents, I'm well aware of 4x4, 6x6 etc designations. I was attempting a little humor. Yet no comments about the car wash complaint.

Years ago I was chatting with a trucker on the CB radio. He asked what I was driving and I told him a 16 wheeler. After a couple minutes he laughed and said he got it. I was driving a tag axle DP, towing a pickup with a ATV in the bed. 😉

[mkirsch]

Cptnvideo wrote:
We have a Ram 4x6 (why do they say 4x4 when there are 6 tires on the ground?) crew cab, 8' bed. My ONLY complaint is we can't take it thru a drive thru car wash.

So you have a 4-wheeled vehicle where 6 wheels are driven? That breaks the laws of physics, but I suspect you never studied law. 😉

Technically it would be a 6x6, but in everyday language each set of dual wheels on a dually pickup is counted as a single wheel. At least with regards to being driven. So, a 4x4.

It's funny because a tandem axle OshKosh snow plow truck is considered a 6x6 even though it has 10 wheels, but a typical tractor-trailer combination is called an "18 wheeler."

[dodge_guy]

Cptnvideo wrote:
We have a Ram 4x6 (why do they say 4x4 when there are 6 tires on the ground?) crew cab, 8' bed. My ONLY complaint is we can't take it thru a drive thru car wash.

The 2 rear tires are attached to one axle shaft and aren’t driven separately. Think of it as one wide tire. A real 6X6 would have 3 axles.

[Cptnvideo]

We have a Ram 4x6 (why do they say 4x4 when there are 6 tires on the ground?) crew cab, 8' bed. My ONLY complaint is we can't take it thru a drive thru car wash.

[PA12DRVR]

"My other idea is to put a basic camper-top/cap on the truck and SOMETIMES use it for QUICK, solo camping trips.

I don't need to discuss 4WD...do most of us NEED it? Probably not."

I live in Alaska where I truly need 4WD every so often (probably need 10x per year, convenient much more than that) and I won't drive a vehicle up here w/o 4WD. When I lived in Ewe-stun, decided that I didn't need a 4WD F350, so got a 2WD F350. Some years later, at selling time, even the Ewe-Stun market dinged it for being only 2WD...and I managed to get stuck (spin-out, not buried) on wet grass (FL, AL, and MS) at least 3 times in the years that I owned it and camped (5th Wheel) with it.

Caps: Main reason my pickups have a cap is for (relatively) dry storage of the gear I carry. Caps rule out sno-go, SxS, or other bulky item transport...but that's what trailers are for. I've used the cap more than once when my "I'm a tough Alaska guy, I can camp in a tent" opinion got hammered by hard rain :(, but it's mostly so that I can carry stuff without having to worry about it being soaked or buried in snow or covered in dirt.....the bed stuff still gets dusty if it sits there for a while.

[dodge_guy]

I towed a 35ft TT with my Excursion. Loved that set up. I was thinking about a truck to replace it with a few years ago. I was considering a crew cab and 6’4” bed (Ram). After having driven my Wxcursion for so long I had no need or desire for a crew cab 8ft bed. I would’ve considered a Mega Cab and 6’4” bed but those are near impossible to find used. But in the end I went with a 1/2 ton crew cab and 5’7” bed and no trailer. We now have a class A. Hopefully this didn’t add anything useful to the conversation?

[K3WE]

ALL AROUND GOOD DISCUSSION, Special thanks to MF man, PA12DRVR, ford truck guy, Lantley, blt2ski.

blt2' We know canoe hauling very well :), and would LOVE to have the Travelall you describe!

Lantley: Spent 3 great days at Patapsco State Park last June...You might have problems getting your engine up to operating temperature 😉

I'll think a bit on the 1-to vs. 3/4 ton suggestions. I know we don't need the 1-ton, but I get it, minimal $ difference but SOME capacity difference...and there are $ to be saved on a truck vs a Suburban. I can't see going all the way to a 4-number.

Short-beds are nice, but I occasionally buy 2 by 4s and plywood sheets...and it's nice to be able to put the gate up.

Whatever our TV will be, it will spend some time as a grocery hauler, some time hauling other stuff and some time pulling a camper.

My other idea is to put a basic camper-top/cap on the truck and SOMETIMES use it for QUICK, solo camping trips.

I don't need to discuss 4WD...do most of us NEED it? Probably not. But I need it occasionally for stuff "other than camping". It means a lot for resale value. It's incredibly useful for occasional mud, snow, sand or loose gravel.
It's incredibly not useful when you use it to get MORE stuck. 🙂

Another round of beers? 🙂

[blt2ski]

Geo*Boy wrote:
Get a GM 4500 or a Ford F450, both have a tighter turning radius that the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

This is true.
My Navistar with a 188" wb out turned my 88 GM ext cab with a 155" WB, won't disCUSS the 170" crew cabs.

They have a 54* front wheel cut vs 45-50* for the 35 series rigs.

Marty

[Geo_Boy]

Get a GM 4500 or a Ford F450, both have a tighter turning radius that the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

[SteveAE]

I think it depends on:
- what a person wants to carry and/or tow with the vehicle
- if it is used as a daily driver in cities or primarily for traveling
- budget constraints
- any future plans, dreams and schemes

We have a new 3500 crew cab diesel that is primarily use for travel. Only the dog uses the back seat .... but maybe someday I will get a truck camper so I may want that space for storage.
We tow the same 22' travel trailer that we used to tow with our 1/2 ton truck .... but maybe someday we will get something bigger and/or a 5th wheel.
We also carry a full size Side by Side on a heavy duty Tonneau Cover and still have full use of the (secured and weather proof) bed area below the SxS for storage (more toys). No way could a Suburban, short bed truck (the SxS would stick out too far and hit the front of the trailer) or even a mid-sized toy hauler (toy haulers have to be parked where you are going to ride) do all of this.

So, for us, the long bed crew cab was the only logical choice. And "hopefully", as life changes and evolves, the truck will be flexible enough to change with us.

Good luck with your decision.

[valhalla360]

3/4 Suburban vs 3/4 Pickup...mostly just a different rear body. Frame and drivetrain are almost identical. Towing should be pretty much the same. If you don't need the 3rd row of seats, I find the pickup more flexible for other uses.

6ft vs 8ft bed. With a 5th wheel, the 8ft bed avoids the need for sliding hitches and such (you can get away without but it's a pain...been there done that). For a travel trailer, the only thing you lose is 2ft of storage in the bed. A crew cab with 6ft bed is still plenty long to resist tail-wagging-the-dog issues.

One thing to keep in mind with the 1/2ton trucks is that you are likely to run out of payload before you fill all the seats, drop the hitch on the ball and the fill 8ft of bed space.

[blt2ski]

20 yrs driving an 8' bed crew cab, another 8-9 with an ext 8' bed. Two SW 3500, one DW 3500. All GM. I have four kids. Put 20-30k Mike's per year on them, using them in landscape construction biz, plus personal use.

As noted vs a van the we had, less room in crew cab. The International Travel-all parents had growing up, no more room than a crew cab. That rig had no back seat. Manual steering, three in the tree, 120hp 220 I6!.

Vehicles have come a long way! In many ways, not so much in others.

I'll take a pickup over a van or SUV for multiple reasons. BUT, I do see and appreciate SUVs and Vans.

At the end of the day, back then, the CC 3500 was best option, both personal and biz wise. I could depreciate it!

I drive a 1500 dual cab, 6.5' box today. Kids have spouses, one grandkid, not doing the landscape work, pulling 10k ball/pintle mount trailers. Never had a gooseneck/5w. Would have to take off lumber, ladder, pipe rack.....I also hauled a canoe, bikes, generator, 2 Alaska malamutes in crates, firewood etc in the bed while towing TT..... I'm enjoying driving a smaller rig at this time in my life

Choose your poison. No right or wrong per say. It had better work for you, or it will cost you $$$$$.

If you have a BIG family as I have, 1209-1300 lbs of people, a 20k 5w, you may need a 45/55 series rig vs a 35 for the payload alone. I could only pull a 7-10k ball mount, I was at gvw for the DW and SW rigs.

All of mine were 4wd, as we used TT as a ski hit, most weekends from first of December, to late March early April. 4wd, licking rear, room for chains is a must for my use

Marty