Tow vehicle input

[Midamrail]

We currently pull with an F-250 crew cab long bed with the 7.3 diesel. We absolutely love the truck but were inches away from trading it in for a new diesel Excursion this week before changing our minds and backing out.

We don't have kids but have large Labradors, and our debate was how best to travel with the dogs. We have a topper on the truck with sliding, screened windows, and we travel with the dogs in the back most of the time. However, when it's really hot, we'd rather have them in the back of an Excursion with rear air than in the back seat of the truck.

But in the end, and particularly with our vintage trailers, we decided that the best solution was to keep the truck and put the dogs in the back seat. We planned ahead and got a truck with leather and then covered the back seat with a cordura cover and put down rubber floor mats to try to deal with the hair. The truck gives us SO much more flexibility in terms of needing to haul "nasty" things we wouldn't want to put in the back of a $50K Excursion, i.e. blue tanks, spare tires, jacks, etc. Many of those items are less of an issue with the newer trailers, but you never know what you'll need or find in the course of a trip. It's also nice to be able to put the dogs back there after letting them swim in a lake or river or if they've gotten muddy on a hike.

Admittedly, the Excursion would have been easier to drive on a daily basis, but we're used to the size of our truck. It only presents a problem in tight parking lots and on really tight turns, and even without kids, we use every inch of it on long trips.

I don't know about the Chevys/GMCs, as it seems the Suburbans and Yukon XLs really hold their value, but in the case of the Fords, the Super Duties seem to retain more of their value than the Excursions. Perhaps it's because there's a larger market for used heavy-duty trucks than there is for used heavy-duty SUVs.

[Silvertwinkie]

Not a bad point when it comes to the generators. That thought had not crossed my mind.

Def something else to consider when looking at a tow vehicle.

Thanks!

[Towdaddy]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Not a bad point when it comes to the generators. That thought had not crossed my mind.

Def something else to consider when looking at a tow vehicle.

Thanks!

I would add my 2 cents on the pickup. We pull with a F250 crew cab with the 7.3 diesel. It has the short bed and a Century topper on it. I had an Explorer previously (we pulled our Kodiak hybrid at the time with a E150) and I was always having to throw firewood or dirty items inside. It is very nice to be able to separate firewood, generators, fuel and other items into the bed of the truck and still have room for four adults.

The size is an issue and you do get used to it. One recommendation is to get a topper that is no higher than the truck cab. This way you can park in a standard garage or go through a car wash. The only thing I can't seem to solve is when I park away from everyone at the grocery store, why I have always have 2-3 cars parked next to me when I return!

[Midamrail]

I totally agree on the topper issue. We have a cab-height SnugTop on ours, and I wouldn't have gone any higher. As it is, our 4x4 won't fit in some car washes, garages, and parking garages. But the top is indispensible, and as we all pull Airstreams, having access to the bed for a fifth wheel is a moot point for most of us.

There are select car washes our CC long bed will fit in, and ones I know it won't fit in. And like you, I can never understand how I can pick one of the farthest spots in a parking lot away from everyone else and then come out to find the truck surrounded with cars!

We also have to watch site lengths at the state and National Forest/COE campgrounds, particularly with our 31-footer. The truck and Sovereign together are over 50 feet - almost the same as a semi-tractor with a short trailer.

I do get tired of the, "Hey, little lady, you can drive that big truck?" remarks, though.

[Davydd]

I had a 99 Silverado extended cab which is essentially the same as the current Silverado models. The Chevy has the best captain chairs in the front of all trucks in my opinion. The rear seat of the extended cab was the best at the time and could haul three adults comfortably for short period of times. We actually hauled my sister-in-law from Minneapolis to Wyoming and back and she was comfortable. In saying that, I now own a crew cab and love it all the more. The Nissan Titan has the roomiest back seat leg room of all. I carpool a 6'-3" and 6'-5" pair there every day. No complaints.

I recommend the crew cab. It is like comparing a sedan (CC) to a coupe (XC) for comfort. Having four independent doors is a very positive plus. They are more convenient for passengers and for mundane things like loading groceries. You lose a few inches out of the truck bed (mine is 5'-7") but neither CC or XC is going to give you a lay down for a sheet of plywood unless you get the overly long bed model too big to park anywhere comfortably.

[davidz71]

I hear people on the forum giving reasons for why they selected the Suburban over the extended cab or crew cab 1500 or 2500 trucks and the main reason has been for the third row of seats for a bunch of kids or to stow a bunch of gear in the back. The third row of seats is nice IF you need them for more than 3 kids but I don't buy the second reason.

I took a trip recently to the other side of Atlanta from TN. which was 238 miles. Two of my kids went with my wife and myself. My 19 yr. old is 6'1 and 187 lbs. and my 17 yr. old daughter is a petite 5'4". Half way to our destination, my wife and daughter switched seating. My son stayed in the back seat of the extended cab and never complained. A third person in the back seat would probably change that scenario. It wouldn't in the crew cab pickup where you have an additional 10-12" over the extended cab. I got in and out of an extended cab and the crew cab 2500hd back seat more times than I care to admit on this forum to see how my 5'11 1/2" medium frame would handle each. The crew cab was a little more comfortable but in the end I could not justify the extra length since this was my daily driver and I thought it would be a drag. Add that additional large kid, he's 6'2" 170 lbs. to the back seat and I would have gone the crew cab. Add my 4th and last kid 6'2" 190 lbs. and it would have to be the Suburban or somebody's riding somewhere else.

Johnhd previously mentioned that you can put on a truck topper. A good brand would make the area weather tight and a place to secure your items. By the way, do you really want to tote your smelly generator in the back end of a Suburban or in an entirely seperate cargo area away from the kids should an accident occur. I'd rather buy a fiberglass or molded plastic cover from ARE, Snugtop or others and secure my gear that way. This gives me a clear shot of the front of the trailer through the rearview mirror. Why? I don't know but it sure is comforting.

Some of this is opinion but the 2500hd seating capacity between the ext. cab and crew cab was something I had to make a decision over. I made the right choice for me.