SUV vs. Pick-up

[newbury]

So I am thinking I should have a heavier truck.

I currently drive a 1994 Suburban with 350 and 4x4. I have added a leaf to the rear springs. But I have been towing heavy loads of hay and want a 3/4 ton.

I can see advantages to both the 3/4 Suburban or a crew cab 4x4 pick up. Lots of lockable interior dry storage so I can get 30 bags of feed in the rain and not worry with the SUV. But with a truck I can throw firewood in the back. I think the SUV might have better traction in the snow since there is more weight over the back tires.

Just debating.

Thanks

Mike

Before I bought my '88 Ford 7.3 Maxivan I worked in a job where I often had to transport 4'x8' sheets of wallboard with aerial imagery stapled on them.

To move them with a pickup would require lot of bundling. To put them in my Maxivan requires resting them on the bench seats, or taking out the seats.

As schmism wrote:

You also might consier a full size van.

My E350 (one ton van) was 1/4 the cost of a 3/4 or 1ton pickup of the same vintage.

My 12 pass lived a life of a church van so it wasnt all beat up like some of the other one ton utility vans.

Ive used it more with no seats than with seats. I can get full 4x8 sheets inside flat on the floor, i can fit 10' sticks of lumber and conduit inside with the door closed and you can side load a full size pallet through the side doors. They have more interior height than a pickup with a topper and much more than a full size SUV. Gas millage is virutally the same as a pickup or full size SUV.<snip>

But you can also transform it into a rolling party palace/rec vehicle. I often took the family of 6 plus dog on extended vacation and could even camp in the van.

However a minivan is more practical for everyday, run-around town use.

As Ken wrote

A crew cab pickup with a full size bed is a big vehicle! It doesn't fit into parking spaces all that well When it comes to tight places, it seems to have the turning radius of an aircraft carrier! <snip>

A full size dually pickup is big. But it will pull your house. And get 10mpg.

And as Rich wrote:

<snip> I finally got rid of the pick ups and the van. The Explorer gets decent gas mileage for a 4wd vehicle, and it hauls what I need with a trailer. I never thought I'd get rid of my trucks, and I agonized over getting rid of them, but I actually don't miss them and I use a heck of lot less gas. Plus my wife now drives a 4 cylinder Dodge Caravan. That thing gets 25-30 mpg and actually has quite a bit of cargo room inside.

And the Caravan can hold ALOT with all the seats out.

So:

this is my preferred solution.

The '88 van for mixed transportation. The dually diesel 350 for when you got to haul (only gets 14mpg) and the 4 banger minivan for loads to small to justify the dually (27mpg). And a Jetta TDI wagon (47mpg) for most of the rest.

The dually is also slated for hauling gooseneck and 5'vers, which none of the other can do.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Who said anything about a loaded trailer locking the brakes?

Tell me how you are going to unload a 5th wheel? Even unloaded of personal items my neighbors 5th wheel is 11,900#. Average travel weight is 14,500#.

My boat with no fuel, water, or gear is just over 14,000# empty. My across the scales weight is 15,600#.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

Tell me how you are going to unload a 5th wheel? Even unloaded of personal items my neighbors 5th wheel is 11,900#. Average travel weight is 14,500#.

My boat with no fuel, water, or gear is just over 14,000# empty. My across the scales weight is 15,600#.

Chris

I thought you knew trailers...
As far as a camper is concerned, it's "dry weight" is "unloaded" and it's rated GVWR would be"loaded". For example, my 29ft travel trailer is rated at 7700 GVWR and 4600 dry. When it's empty, it can easily drag all four tires on pavement.
Obviously with a camper, the braking distances increase but with light trailers like my dump trailer, car hauler, v-nose sled trailer etc... all drag the truck down when braking just as quickly if not better than just the truck.
Maybe I should be warning the ones new to towing about all these people pulling loads they can't stop effectively...

 

[jejeosborne]

I thought you knew trailers...
As far as a camper is concerned, it's "dry weight" is "unloaded" and it's rated GVWR would be"loaded". For example, my 29ft travel trailer is rated at 7700 GVWR and 4600 dry. When it's empty, it can easily drag all four tires on pavement.
Obviously with a camper, the braking distances increase but with light trailers like my dump trailer, car hauler, v-nose sled trailer etc... all drag the truck down when braking just as quickly if not better than just the truck.
Maybe I should be warning the ones new to towing about all these people pulling loads they can't stop effectively...

"Unloaded" refers to the axles which I thought I made clear in my post. Even using your definition, my travel trailer will not skid tires on a dry surface. My boat trailer will not either unless the boat is in the water and the trailer is "unloaded"!

Don't tell me my bakes are defective because they are perfect. A 3500 lb axle has a 2"x10" drum which doesn't allow enough braking force to skid the tire. My 5000 lb axles have 12" drums and still not enough.

Please show us a video describing all you claim. As Judge Judy would say, "RIDICULOUS"!

Only logical thing I can see is that your truck brakes are weak or defective and you are seeing improved braking while towing. Might want to look into that because you might be a risk while not towing too.

Any yes, everyone new needs to know that ANYONE, including yourself, towing ANY trailer (loaded, unloaded, dry, wet, big, small, dry pavement, wet pavement, etc) will require MORE room to stop.

 

[Diamondpilot]

"Unloaded" refers to the axles which I thought I made clear in my post. Even using your definition, my travel trailer will not skid tires on a dry surface. My boat trailer will not either unless the boat is in the water and the trailer is "unloaded"!

Don't tell me my bakes are defective because they are perfect. A 3500 lb axle has a 2"x10" drum which doesn't allow enough braking force to skid the tire. My 5000 lb axles have 12" drums and still not enough.

Please show us a video describing all you claim. As Judge Judy would say, "RIDICULOUS"!

Only logical thing I can see is that your truck brakes are weak or defective and you are seeing improved braking while towing. Might want to look into that because you might be a risk while not towing too.

Any yes, everyone new needs to know that ANYONE, including yourself, towing ANY trailer (loaded, unloaded, dry, wet, big, small, dry pavement, wet pavement, etc) will require MORE room to stop.

I agree. Foot in mouth again. No way you are going to skid any of the heavier trailers I pull. Yes, I can skid my car hauler empty but no way on a 5th wheel or comparable trailer where the empty weight is 75% of the gvwr.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

Don't tell me my bakes are defective because they are perfect. A 3500 lb axle has a 2"x10" drum which doesn't allow enough braking force to skid the tire. My 5000 lb axles have 12" drums and still not enough.

Please show us a video describing all you claim. As Judge Judy would say, "RIDICULOUS"!

Ok, I won't tell you your brakes are defective. Since the trailers were brand new then your brake controller must be the problem.
Here's a video from a quick internet search showing a "loaded" car trailer locking the brakes at 45 mph with NO truck brakes at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mR89sT0YfA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I wonder how much "braking force" that took..

 

[jejeosborne]

Ok, I won't tell you your brakes are defective. Since the trailers were brand new then your brake controller must be the problem.
Here's a video from a quick internet search showing a "loaded" car trailer locking the brakes at 45 mph with NO truck brakes at all.
Emergency Stopping - Skid vs. ABS - YouTube
I wonder how much "braking force" that took..

It took a lot of "braking force" WOW. I enjoyed watching your video of an aftermarket HYDRAULIC brake system. Please be carefull and learn about the video before posting next time so that I don't have to spend time shooting holes in your "proof". Notice also that those axles have 8 lugs on them. What are they? 15,000 lb axles? Not a typical car trailer I have ever seen. If so, a 5000lb truck isn't loading that trailer much.

Even if I installed this elaborate hydraulic anti-lock braking system to all my trailers, my stopping distance will still be greater than the empty tow vehicle. Do you still not agree?

 

[Dmace]

Even if I installed this elaborate hydraulic anti-lock braking system to all my trailers, my stopping distance will still be greater than the empty tow vehicle. Do you still not agree?

I agree a LOADED trailer will add to your braking distance but an unloaded trailer should add very little distance if any at all. You seem to think a couple of hundred pounds of tongue weight is really going to affect a trucks brakes. You must drive a foreign truck. Even with 2000 lbs of payload in the bed the real trucks only needed 2-6ft more stopping distance from 60 mph.
http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2010/08/2010-hd-brake-tests.html
Maybe those 14k empty 5th wheel trailers can't lock up the tires but I feel if a trailer can't then it's brakes are under sized. If I can find time with some dry roads, I'll be sure to make a video for those reading impaired to watch. I know my truck and empty trailer combo can stop just as fast as a truck alone. Then again, none of my trailers are over 5k lbs empty.

 

[Diamondpilot]

So now you are backtracking. Lol.... Maybe its just that your Dodges brakes are so poor the trailer on will help it? Maybe its time for a REAL truck old buddy!

Stop while you can still climb out of the hole.

Chris

 

[yelbike]

So now you are backtracking. Lol.... Maybe its just that your Dodges brakes are so poor the trailer on will help it? Maybe its time for a REAL truck old buddy!

Stop while you can still climb out of the hole.

Chris

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing: