What do you prefer: SUV or Truck?

Another question for you IDO guys. I need a new vehicle to pull my 16 1/2 ft. northwood and also something to get out on the ice with. Definetely getting a 4X4, and thinking about fuel efficiency, but still want good power to pull the boat out. Craigslist is flooded with cheap suv’s (explorer’s, blazer’s), but I don’t know if I would be happy with an SUV. What are your pros and cons for SUV vs. Truck? I’m considering an SUV because I’m finding it really hard to find a ford ranger or similar vehicle in good shape, relatively low miles, in my price range. Could get an older ford/chevy/GMC full size cheap, but MPG?

I figure SUV would be fine for pulling the boat, since most of the crap stays in the boat, but what about ice fishing…. is it a pain putting all your snow covered ice fishing stuff in an SUV. Portable shacks fit?

Could be a stupid question… but the opinions of avid fishermen would help.

Also, would like to know what you get for mpg. in similar vehicles.

I love my Crew Cab Silverado for that very reason. I used my brothers Tahoe a few times and getting the ice stuff in and out (only two people can ride also) led me to the truck. Love tossing the smelly dog in the kennel in the back of the truck after a weekend of running the woods and swamps.

Next time I MIGHT consider a topper but maybe only for the winter.

I drive a Jeep Liberty, Great for Towing and getting around town, but mileage average 18, (Trip high of 21, but trip towing is 14) and cramped when going to Tournaments as co-angler.

As for Ice Fishing I use a trailer and a trailer is needed for any hauling of mid-large size items and dirty stuff.

If/when I trade or buy next I will go with a Silverado or similar extended or quad cab. It’s a Truck for Truck things but you still have a nice interior.

For a boat, really no difference, if you keep everything in the boat. For winter….Truck, hands down. I have both and the SUV never goes, unless I am not bringing a house, say for a contest or something, otherwise, its the truck. I avg. 19 MPG with a Ram Hemi, hauling the ice stuff around. Get about 17 MPG pulling the boat, don’t know what it would be with the Durango, but guessing around 15 if pulling.

big G

I had an SUV and switched to an F-150 4X4 this year. I will never go back to an SUV. I get better mileage with the truck than I did with an SUV, both in general driving and pulling the boat.

Truck seems to be the overwhelming favorite so far. Just need to decide V8 or V6 I guess. oh, and i’m looking at this for my only vehicle and around 2 grand, so crew cabs and nice new stuff like that are out of the question. I’m thinking a 4X4 ford ranger with the 4.0 is going to be my best bet, but some guys say they get the same mileage as a full size though, even though they are rated for more mpg.

Quote:

---

Truck seems to be the overwhelming favorite so far. Just need to decide V8 or V6 I guess.

---

I’ve got a Chev blazer with the Vortec V-6 and as far as an suv goes that is not a bad ride. She has enough power to pull an 18′ deep V with a 305 in board probably looking at 15-16 MPG pulling something like that. As far as ice I usually lay the seats down and can fit everything I need in the back including the shack. Pick-ups are nice but the choice between SUV and pick up depends mostly on your family size. I will be upgrading to a suburban or tahoe…I keep thinking pick-up but I like my gear DRY and INSIDE

Here’s a pic of the rig completly loaded and the boat full of camping gear, firewood, coolers, chairs, fishing gear and whatever else we needed for a week long camping trip…..Highway speeds easily reached 90MPH on this trip

I have a 06 F-150 and a 02 Mercury mountaineer, the SUV is what the wife drives. We use the SUV for getting around town ect. they both do a great job pulling the boat. But the truck rides so much better. For ice fishing I have used both.

My Marcum red F-150 King Cab short box pulls my 17 foot well. I miss the turning radius of my Trail Blazer and the view for backing up though.

With the Fords high box and the cab obstructing the view when backing up, it’s forced me to become a mirror backer.

15 months and I haven’t hit anything yet!

Gas mileage about the same. I use a trailer for the wheeler and house. No matter how hard a person looks, once a bucket of minnows are tipped over in a Trail Blazer, they aren’t all found until spring…and the FW jumps in.

I’ve got a Sequoia out of necessity. We have a Great Dane that goes most everywhere with us, and it just woulnd’t be feasbile to keep him in the back of a truck during the really hot and really cold months. It really is a great vehicle, but if I didn’t need the SUV, I’d have a truck. I’ve learned that I can fit a lot of mulch in the back of a Sequoia, but it’d be a lot easier in a truck because you can just hose it out at the end of the day.

Nice thing about the Sequoia, though, is I’ve got heated and air conditioned seating for 8 if I need it!

Mileage–not so good

So, my vote if for truck unless you really need the interior space of an SUV.

I have a full-size suburban.
I will never give it up, unless I replace it with another full-size suburban (not a tahoe).

I can lay the seats down and I have a full 8′ box enclosure inside. Same width as a truck. Same height as a truck w/topper.

It stays warm, dry, secure…..secure……secure……I can pack all of my gear back there, or even a full size “Otter” Fish sled, with all ice-fishing accesories (auger, whatnot).

Lay a tarp down to keep the ice/dirt/deer blood from the carpet.

Never again, will I go to a truck or a mid-size SUV (Explorer or Tahoe)……never.
The difference between a Tahoe and a Suburban is the back last 18″. Behind the rear, 3rd seat in a Tahoe is 18″, on a suburban, it is 36″.

Gas mileage: 16.8 tank average…….same as a full size chev truck w/topper.

Quote:

---

Behind the rear, 3rd seat in a Tahoe is 18″, on a suburban, it is 36″.

---

From what I remember, the third row seating in Tahoes pretty much touches the back door–no room whatsoever.

Pickup and topper for me.

-J.

Pickup with a roll top cover!! Can still haul the wheeler and what ever smelly, wet things a guy needs to move

Jami

I would vote for a pick-up with a topper. you have the benefits of the truck and your gear stays dry in the topper. You can usually find used toppers around cheap if you look.

Great for late season hunting trips with dogs also!!

Another vote for the Suburban(Yukon XL). I had 3 extended cab pick-ups before this. 2 kids and 2 dogs made the Yukon XL a much better choice for me. With the 3rd seat out I’ve still got room for 4 adults and whatever gear you could possibly need. My otter shack, augers and other stuff fit in there fine. I can get 3 dog kennels in the back during pheasant season, and it pulls my 19 ft boat or my snowmobiles great. I get 17 mpg unloaded and 13.5 when towing.
My next vehicle will be another Suburban or Yukon XL for sure.

Quote:

---

Pickup with a roll top cover!! Can still haul the wheeler and what ever smelly, wet things a guy needs to move

Jami

---

That’s what I went to. Had a F-150, went to a Expedition, now back in a Crew cab Silverado with a roll up Tonneau cover (a truxedo). LOVE IT.

No topper for this guy.

My view on SUV has always been that they are all the worst things about a truck (gas milage), with all the worst things about a car (no space for gear, small).

I drive a extended cab pickup. My next will be a 4 door 3/4 ton rig.

I have had both. For me the truck bed is far more useful for my outdoor activities.

Red-

Simply put, I vote truck. It’s awesome to ‘separate the elements’ and throw gas-cans, wood, minnow buckets, and not worry about making a mess.

About 2 years ago I was sitting in the same situation as yourself, bringing my boat to college with only a small car to drive.

I started looking at early 90’s full sized trucks, only to find that an 18yr old truck with a load of miles can still easily cost $2,000-$3,000. I wanted a V8 and 4×4 as it was really only going to be used for pulling my 16ft boat and ice-fishing, but both V8 and 4×4 cost more money.
IMHO, The best advice before you settle on a particular truck/model/spec ‘s is to go start test driving them and giving them the once over. Even if whatever you purchase only initially costs you $2,000, is it going to cost you another $2,000 in a few months? You’ll begin to realize that a 93’ Silverado/F-150 really isn’t too far off in price from a 96’, and newer etc etc.

All that being said, I ended up purchasing a 99’ Silverado for just slightly more than the older truck’s with no regrets.

Shop around, find the right truck/deal, buy once

I went from pickups to mini-van and now to an SUV and when the time comes it will be a pickup with a topper from here on out. I just miss the box of a pick up for carrying everything you may need.

The SUV is okay and is nice for hauling the family around but with the room in the crew cab’s these days that is where I will go!

I went from pickup to Yukon, then to a Yukon XL. If I didn’t have kids, the pickup might be a good choice. 2 kids plus a couple of their frieds makes the pickup not too practical.

Whatever you go with, get the V8 oover the V6. Unless you like driving like an old lady when your pulling a boat because you can’t pass someone on a 2 lane road.

Quote:

---

I have a full-size suburban.
I will never give it up, unless I replace it with another full-size suburban (not a tahoe).

I can lay the seats down and I have a full 8′ box enclosure inside. Same width as a truck. Same height as a truck w/topper.

It stays warm, dry, secure…..secure……secure……I can pack all of my gear back there, or even a full size “Otter” Fish sled, with all ice-fishing accesories (auger, whatnot).

Lay a tarp down to keep the ice/dirt/deer blood from the carpet.

Never again, will I go to a truck or a mid-size SUV (Explorer or Tahoe)……never.
The difference between a Tahoe and a Suburban is the back last 18″. Behind the rear, 3rd seat in a Tahoe is 18″, on a suburban, it is 36″.

Gas mileage: 16.8 tank average…….same as a full size chev truck w/topper.

---

I will echo Gary’s statements!!

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Behind the rear, 3rd seat in a Tahoe is 18″, on a suburban, it is 36″.

---

From what I remember, the third row seating in Tahoes pretty much touches the back door–no room whatsoever.

---

18″ on the Tahoe and 36″ on the Suburban behind 3rd row seating.

A note:

I’d never go to a Tahoe. Only a Suburban. The Tahoe has all the negative reasons above. Just too short. It is like buying a shortbed truck (6.5′ bed compared to an 8′ bed). You loose too much space.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Behind the rear, 3rd seat in a Tahoe is 18″, on a suburban, it is 36″.

---

From what I remember, the third row seating in Tahoes pretty much touches the back door–no room whatsoever.

---

18″ on the Tahoe and 36″ on the Suburban behind 3rd row seating.

---

Maybe 18″ on the floor.

Truck!

Topper or roll cover if need stuff dry, or just put little stuff/clothes in plastic totes…

If you need to haul rocks, dirt, mulch, ATV’s, duck boats, sleds, ice shacks, etc, throw it in the bed. Topper can haul anything and more than back of a suburban, and getting the bed dirty/wet won’t matter.

Pick up noooooooooo doubt. Get a Quad cab with 4 doors or at least an extended cab. That way you have the cab room and the bed room. I love my Dodge 4×4 Quad cab. It feels like an suv in the sence that I have front and back seats with plenty of room. The bed is the best though for reasons mentioned before. It gets abused and dirty with no worries.

You youngsters have apparently never had to look for a
disposable diaper in a p/u bed (with or without a topper)
in a typhoon.

It’s always in that last “tote” at the front of the bed!!

Quote:

---

You youngsters have apparently never had to look for a
disposable diaper in a p/u bed (with or without a topper)
in a typhoon.

It’s always in that last “tote” at the front of the bed!!

---

Yep, for hauling rocks, dirt, wood…..that is what a small utility trailer is for. Because that isn’t a daily activity with the daily commuter.

Again, for fishing trips, I feel more safe/secure with all my fishing gear in the back of the burb vs. the back of a topper/tailgate. And with the seats folded flat, it sure is nice opening the rear passenger doors to grab the stuff in the front vs. crawling over the platics totes to find stuff.

I’ve had my truck/topper. Loved it. Love my Burb 10 times more! Like I said, I will NEVER go back!

I vote pickup for the reasons stated above.