Who's made the change from compact pickup/suv to full size?

[alfio]

hello everyone

i've had a compact pickup in one configuration or another for the last 20 years or so (man, i'm getting old!) and while it is hard for me to think beyond my comfort zone, as the kids grow older and take up more space, i'm considering moving away from the Toyota to something larger.

anyhow, i don't want to turn this into a thread about me but instead want to focus on people who have wisdom to share on this transition. i've seen plenty of examples of nostalgia for the smaller platforms (e.g. wish i hadn't sold it, etc) or what they like about the larger one (lots of that) but not a thread where people explain what they like about their full size in the context of what they miss about the smaller platform. in short, i'm looking for folks who've made the change from compact pickup/suv to a full size rig and want to share their experiences.

i've laid out a few starter questions (if people are interested), they might be a good way to get the ball rolling:

what did you think would be the pluses of going to full size?
how have those expectations matched up with your current experiences?
what do you wish you had known about full size rigs before you made the change?
if you could go back to the smaller platform rig, would you? why?



thanks:lurk:

 

[Jr_Explorer]

You left quite a bit out for a good discussion. Two wheel drive or 4X4? Expedition travel, daily driver, 2nd vehicle? But I've had quite a bit of experience with both'ish. I had a '93 Explorer for 12 years and then a Chevy Trailblazer until present. The weekend toy is a full size Chevy Silverado diesel for camping and having fun. I'm in the market for a 2006 Jeep Liberty diesel for a daily driver to replace the Trailblazer. For work I've driven full size half ton crew cab shortbed pick-ups for years (from the domestic big three).

what did you think would be the pluses of going to full size?

Size. Size. Volume & Size. If you want to haul six people around in comfort and some dirty junk in the back a full size 1/2 ton pick-up is hard to beat. Pick your poison amongst the big three or even the full size imports (my boss has a Tundra). They are cavernous inside. The short bed option makes them easy to drive and park. And if you drive them easy they get reasonable mileage for a 5,000+ lb. hunk of steel. Dodge is REALLY going to have a great combo with the 1500 Ram with a diesel for 2014!

how have those expectations matched up with your current experiences?

Personally I love these trucks. Yet I don't own one as a daily driver. I like a little smaller and these days am looking for better mileage (although my Trailblazer does ZERO mpg better than a modern 1/2 ton full size!)

if you could go back to the smaller platform rig, would you? why?

Well as I said before, I'm looking for a KJ Liberty for my zippy daily driver (we just got one for my gf and we both LOVE it). If I'm going out to play I drive the Silverado 2500HD. I want the room in the Flippac and despite it being a behemoth it's just fun.

All vehicles are a compromise. When I need the room I like having it. When I don't smaller is better (within reason). I opt NOT to drive a Honda fit and NOT be able to see over/around ANYTHING else on the road.

One more suggestion... If you opt to try a 1/2 full size Enterprise car rental is worth looking into. They sell their vehicles for low bluebook. They are fanatical about oil changes (every 3k miles) and they carry a very wide selection including all three domestic full size trucks (including some 4X4!). And they are only a few years old. You could buy one, drive it for a year and turn it over for not much out of pocket.

 

[82fb]

I drove four Toyota pickups, a Toyota Trekker, a Toyota Trailblazer, three Jeep Cherokees over the last 20 years. Used for everything from daily drivers to pretty gnarly offroad type stuff. Hammers, Dusy, Rubicon, Fordyce, etc. In the last 8 years, I have moved toward Suburbans for their space. Three kids made it a necessity. However, in addition to the volume of space, they are super comfortable, quiet on the highway, and do pretty well offroad. If they fit, and don't high center, you can go a lot of places.

 

[verdesardog]

I went from a Dodge Dakota 4x4 to a Dodge Ram 2500 4x4. The dakota even though lifted a bit was still too low for search and rescue here in central Arizona. The Ram is lifted about 3" and is a beast! I have hauled seach and rescue teams in my dakota and it looked like a chinese fire drill as they all got out of the truck....LOL

 

[mattiep11]

2000xj traded for new 3500 chevy srw 4x4.

xj pros; parking, gas econ., cheap parts, low insurance cost, turning radius, jeep fun with four or so friends
cons; rusted out from ohio, feeling like an ant in the mountains, actual safety from getting hit by a elk or giant boulder in the road, cant fit all my gear in the jeep, to tall to sleep in, stock height off road. weak steering. plastic interior fell apart. Lack of power above 10000ft

silverado pros, 2 doors, long bed space!!! With a fiberglass topper for year round sleeping, camping, exploring. take all my gear wherever whenever. Gas econ. (not to shabby for the gasser). smooth on road and off road it is smoother then the jeep ever was. quiet interior, warranty!! feel safer when on mountain roads and if the animals are out. stock road height, good ground clearance, can carry a camper or a house or whatever no sweat. Got a new truck with all the other add ons for under $30k!!!
cons, parking sucks, poor visibility, blind spots. my GF loves to drive it!, insurance and taxes and registration in COLORADO ARE HARSH!! turning radius is not the best and not the worst of the group. 2 people and a dog b/c 3 is a squeeze

retired exploration/ plow truck 1500 z71 96' was my first truck and still running strong. saw trips over imogene pass with 10 people three dogs all our ski and camping gear and several coolers full of the cold stuff. people hauler, rock crawler, tow rig, money maker full size rig.
cons; gas sucked, visibility poor blind spots, turning radius.

If i could have both a jeep and a full size i would but parking in telluride is hard to come by. so for now the truck will park in the garage and take up the whole spot, and the jeep will be on the back burner.. but still has a place in my heart.

I knew what i was getting into b/c my first truck has been with me for over 15years. the jeep was a splurge and go getter. the new truck is all that i could want and need and will probably last longer then most cars and its a one ton so that answers it!

 

[3 DOGS]

I went from a full sized Chevy 1500 extended cab, to a Toyota Tacoma 4 dr, to an H3 and now along with the H3 I have a Ford F150 crew cab.
I love the room for me and my passengers in the cab and in the back (I have a fiberglass topper) I can store all my gear and my 3 dogs - 2 over 90 pounds and one over 140 pounds. Under the rear seats I have a Tuffy lock box - I can store my valuables and know that they safe. You "lose" the overall storage under the seat but you gain the security of locking stuff up and it's out of the line of site for bad guys.
The H3 has been my favorite vehicle since my 1980 K5 Blazer. I can go anywhere with it and do it in luxury (leather and heated seats...I might as well spoil myself a little). The lack of room in the H3 is my only complaint. Up through mountain trails I've gone everywhere I wanted to and some places I probably shouldn't have but I made it in and out no problem. GM should've kept the H3 line to compete with Jeep and Toyota IMO.
The Tacoma was ok but I felt cramped inside - yes worse than the H3. I liked it because it was a crew cab so I could still have room for most things but my passengers hated the seat comfort and the bed seemed too small for all the gear and dogs - even with a hitch rack. I felt confident in taking it anywhere - it def was Toyota strong and I never had any problems with it.
The Chevy 1500 was a nice truck - I probably never should've gotten rid of it but the extended cab was a pain. I hated having to open the front doors to get in the back and fight putting stuff inside - especially in a parking lot.
The smaller rigs are great for the trails and turning on a dime. The full sized rigs are more powerful and A LOT more comfortable. As I get older the comfort factor rates higher and higher for me.
I've seen enough rigs on here that no matter what you choose you can make them a DD, a dedicated expo rig, a combo of both or whatever. Just remember what you love/hate on one will be just the opposite on the other.

 

[Binksman]

First truck I did any real travel in was my Dakota extended cab. For me and the what was then girlfriend, it was a good size. Great loading stuff in the bed if you could keep it dry. I built a camper top just like my grandfather and actually lived out of the back for 3 months while traveling a lot for work. The turning radius was horrible though, and the ground clearance was too low for anything particularly adventurous.

Moved up to a half ton Ram extended cab. More space, more capacity, but I really worked that truck like a one-ton and it wore out quicker than I would have liked. Decent mileage for a truck, but I learned to also keep things stock if I want them to last. Age and rust finally made me scrap that truck. It was great on trips and exploring. My girlfriend became my wife, we both got back into motorcycling, and then had kid #1 and the truck weathered life changes just fine. Plenty of room for gear and stuff in the bed. Towing a large trailer is always a nice option too.

The rust killed the half-ton and I used all my experience to hunt down an ideal truck. I tracked down a 3/4 ton Ram that turned out to be a former NPS truck from one of the parks in CA that was spec'ed the same as a 1-ton truck. Best. Truck. Ever (*except for the v10 fuel mileage). More than capable off road, still quite comfortable on road trips. Had kid #2 and I need a better gear storage solution. The cab gets tight on a day-to-day basis trying to keep stuff in the cab like the wife does. It wouldn't be such a problem with a cap or bed cover, but this is very much a work truck. Long trips aren't such an issue because I just load as much gear as possible in the bed.

In between the two trucks, we picked up a ZJ for my wife. It's our daily runner since it gets better mileage than the trucks (high teens on the highway), but with two kids, storage space can get tight. We usually grab a hitch rack for long trips, but the roof is a better option when off road. The ZJ is also slightly less capable off road for my needs than the truck is. The ZJ is comfortable around town, but can wear thin on long trips and a few stops at truck stops can fill the floor boards with rearranged gear.

At the moment, my future vehicle thoughts are about something with more room in the back seats for leg room. I don't fit well in the back of the truck or the ZJ which means when my boys are teenagers, they won't fit well either. I've been thinking about older Suburbans. I'm actually quite impressed with the cab of the Nissan Titan, but I don't foresee a 1/2 ton truck fitting my needs.

 

[alfio]

You left quite a bit out for a good discussion.

hmm, maybe, but it got you going, didn't it? :wings:

Two wheel drive or 4X4? Expedition travel, daily driver, 2nd vehicle?

my main concern here is size, everything else is secondary on some level. personally, my biggest hurdle is that i can't quite bring myself to go from the smaller toyota platform to something full size. i've had some (good) experiences with a tundra but that's not exactly full size (as in US american full size truck)

All vehicles are a compromise. When I need the room I like having it. When I don't smaller is better (within reason). I opt NOT to drive a Honda fit and NOT be able to see over/around ANYTHING else on the road.

agreed, it's all compromise and that's what I'm curious about. what did people think they would be compromising and what they actually ended up giving up

 

[alfio]

they are super comfortable, quiet on the highway, and do pretty well offroad. If they fit, and don't high center, you can go a lot of places.

that's very surprising to me... i would have thought they wouldn't be very quiet (with most being V8 powered).

 

[alfio]

thanks everyone, let's keep it going, i'm leaning over the edge but not quite ready to jump in. even though i've driven eveything smaller than an 18 wheeler (had to do lots of different kinds of driving for a previous job), personal vehicle is something else. i may take a test drive this weekend and see how it feels.

 

[pappawheely]

I have traveled many offroad miles in Jeeps, a fullsize Blazer and a two wheel drive prerunner with long travel suspension. I think your vehicle choice comes down to where you go and what you bring with you. The longer you are staying off the grid, the larger vehicle you will need if comfort is your goal. For pure performance you can't beat a Jeep. For comfort and convenience a one ton with a camper gets you good stuff like hot food, (without dirt in it), cold drinks, a comfortable bed, heat and a real bathroom. The blazer was somewhere in the middle. You can survive sleeping in the dirt. If you are going to be on extended trips and still need to function with your daily life, the list of things you need to bring gets longer.

 

[Mako1114]

I went from a 2007 Toyota Tacoma DC long bed TRD 4x4 to a 2011 Nissan Titan CC Pro-4x and there isn't anything I liked better on the Taco. The Taco got slightly better gas mileage but nothing major.

Cheers

 

[rxinhed]

Why choose? Have both like me.

We have mini and full size pickups, a mini and full size SUVs.

 

[98dango]

I have been having this internal argument for 15 years. What I have come up with is if you can only have one rig I look to a blazer tahoe expedition bronco. Year and options are all your choice but there a good size for daily use as well as big enough to sleep in on a short trip or haul all the toys on a long trip.

Now I have to be honest my wife and I own 4 rigs and it will be 5 at the end of the year.
2005 tahoe mostly stock leveling kit and 33" tiers wifes daily

2003 1500 standard cab long box wife's first truck and we both love to drive it. This truck is our 3rd rig back up will never be sold and soon to get solid axle 39s and end up a main camping rig.

2000 superduty crew cab short box 35s winch and more goodies. This is the tow all easy camp truck was supposed to be the main camping offroad truck. I love the truck but that's the problem I can't use it as planned.

1994 gmc sonoma extra cab flat bed Toyota axels 4 speed 205 36" irocks or boggers depending on terrain. I have had this truck 5 years never been able to sell it always starts never let me down. Beat to hell and I like it that way I have driven it 20+ hours on the freeway many times wheeled it hard and driven it back.

My superduty for what the wife and I do is to big to fit on the trails comfortably. The Sonoma is to small to take camping for more than 2 days my self it was fine but add wife dog and old age comfort items its way past over loaded. The Tahoe is almost perfect and will be the main camping once its paid off.

 

[cyclic]

Does getting the wife out of a 2004 Civic and into a 2004 Avalanche count? :sombrero: