Lets talk trucks for WW hauling

[Mike Heidrick]

I want a newish truck under 26K if possible. I have a 9 month old (carseat) and wife and also want to haul full sheets of plywood. What trucks do you folks use. How many of you use 4X4? I am trying to decide if it is worth the extra money for it. I have 4X4 in my Jeep Grand Cherokee and rarely use it - maybe 3-4 times a year but I do have a gravel lane and we get some snow here in IL. What do you guys recommend? Any 4 door crew cab owners hauling full sheets with that smaller short bed in the GMC/Chevy? Any Titan owners out there? Thanks for the info.

[Jason Beam]

I guess i can't really respond as requested, i don't own a truck, but I do haul sheet goods home so I figured i'd share what i chose:

We have two sedans and they're both great cars. On one, I installed a trailer hitch. Then I picked up a 4x8 foot trailer and I use that car for when I need to make lumber runs. It works great!

I decided on this option for two reasons: First and most importantly, the gas mileage of a truck doing non-truck things 95% of the time is just a silly waste. Secondly, a hitch and trailer was way way cheaper to buy than a truck would cost me.

A third bonus: i'm not one of those "friends with a truck" :P

I wanted optional fuel inefficiency :)

[Steven Wilson]

I had a Suburban which was great for hauling plywood just fold up the seats, put the plywood in the back and close the door - who cares if it rains. I have a pickup now with the shorter box and it's ok for plywood, just need to make sure things are secured correctly and that the plywood is protected from the elements.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have a 90 Toyota pick up. It's beat so badly not one piece is sheet metal is without a dent or hole. It's got no heat, no radio, new ball joints and new windshield and only the minimum for liability insurance. There are holes in the seats and the new cat' rattles like mad.
I have tuned it up once since I bought it new and changed the oil maybe three times.

It's is my wheelbarrow.

I can't kill it.

[Joe Pelonio]

I haul 4x8s flat in my 4 dr Ranger, it only has a 6' bed but with the tailgate down they don't stick out far enough to need a red flag. The rear jump seats are not car seat compatible though. When I was looking some of the mid-sized trucks like Dakota had a full rear bench seat but only a 5' bed. Many of the signs I do for parking companies are 4x6 so I wanted those to fit in with the tonneau closed.

Mine is also 4x4, and I'm glad. We normally only get 3-4 snows a year but I live at 800 feet so it's all hills getting in and out. This summer I had several occasions to use 4WD on some pretty rough forest service roads.

[Chuck Saunders]

I have a Ford F-350 crewcab with the fullsize 8' bed. I think you could get by with the smaller bed for the occasional 4x8 hauling. if you hauled often or large quantities, I would recommend the fullsize bed.

[Cary Falk]

I have a '03 Toyota Tundra 2WD. I don't need 4wd in the PNW very often. I can haul full sheets of plywood flat with the tail gate down. Mine is a 6' bed. I would recommend Toyota since you asked.;)

[Chris Damm]

I bought a new 2007 K2500HD Silverado Classic last December for $24k out the door. Of course I got the employee discount but there are deals out there. Only you can decide if you need 4x4. We get a lot of snow here and I plow.

[Heather Thompson]

I have an 05 Dakota Club Cab, 3.7 2wd, get 14.5 around town and 21 highway. There is a Bedrug in the bed with an ARE truck cap, I throw two heavy duty storage bins in the back to get over the wheelwells, hall plenty of 4X8 sheetgoods(drywall, MDF, plywood, etc.). In the winter I put a couple of sandbags in the back for extra weight and all is good. My son is 21 so the babyseat is not an issue, but the Small rear seats are set up for that application. I like my truck, but I do not drive very much, just over 10,000 miles to date.

Heather

[Al Willits]

Mike, what else are you going to do with this truck?
Seems like a bit of over kill to transport a few sheets of plywood every now and then.

Number of miles may make a difference, that Titan isn't noted for 30mgp..:)
People I know that have them, sure like them though.

I need something to tow the boat with, or I'd be giving serious thought to a trailer, considering other than the boat, the truck isn't hardly ever needed.

Al

[Joe Mioux]

Chrysler/Dodge Grand Mini vans.

I have folded the seats down, (not Sto in Go), just the backs flat and have hauled sheets of plywood (4x8's) in it. It is a bit of squeeze but it an be done. Taking the seats out easily accomodates 10 sheets of plywood.

Now, if I am hauling more, I can do two things, take my seats out of the mini van or take one big cargo van.

Front wheel drive is plenty sufficient for me and I drive in some pretty crappy weather at times when business deadlines need to be met.

I don't suppose this is/was the recommendation you are looking for, but it works for me. Those minivans provide the best compromises between kids, wood, mpg, and traction.

joe

[Matt Meiser]

I have an 06 Colorado Crew cab. Plent of room for my family of 3 + 1 dog, tows our popup camper great, and has a nice feature that allows carrying 4x8 sheets flat even though they don't fit between the wheel wells or inside the bed. I have the I5 engine, which has amazing power. The mileage averages around 20 for my driving which is probably 1/2 highway and 1/2 general driving.

[Dave Sinkus]

2003 Dodge Ram 2500 (3/4 Ton) Crew cab 4x4

Has the hitch as part of the frame. I have a car trailer that currently has a 1950 Plymouth Deluxe coup sitting on it until November 9th when I deliver it the BIL.

I have the 6' bed, but with the tailgate down, I can stick 4x8 sheet goods flat in the back.

I have 2 car seats in the back. I can take the MIL and 3 kids and LOML to soccer games.

[Jim Becker]

If I were going to buy another pickup it would be another Tundra. But what I did since I need the SUV for "family" hauling is buy a good utility trailer for hauling woodworking and home improvement materials...

[Kevin Groenke]

Hey Mike,

I struggled with the transport ? a couple years ago. Was driving a Ranger Ext Cab 4x4, but was never enthusiastic about it, the "super-cab" was basically worthless for anything other than clutter. It got cra**y gas mileage, it couldn't transport more than 2 people, the bed wasn't even long enough to transport plywood, 2wd was treacherous in winter and 4x4 was unnecessary. I only drove the Ranger for a year before deciding it just didn't do it for me.

I thought about a full size truck but it wouldn't have fit in my urban garage, I'm not into scraping windows and shoveling snow out of a truck, so that was out. Of course the fullsize truck would have basically given me full size Ranger issues.

Found from the dad-in-law that the mopar mini-vans can tote full sheets. The stow-n-go seats in particular are a feat of engineering, these vans convert from family haulers to plywood haulers in ~5 minutes. Really the perfect vehicle for work, pleasure, travel etc... Decent gas mileage, nicely equipped, V6 actually had some pep, pretty comfortable, good for camping, etc...

Shopping around, I found that Grand Caravans/Town and Countrys are plentiful and gently used versions can be had for a song. After several test drives and nearly taking the plunge on a couple of occasions, I simply concluded that I just couldn't drive a mini-van... This was the ultimate image-based decision, other than being a mini-van, these cars fit my needs absolutely (though would be better without all the carpeting).

I ended up with the car that I had wanted before I even bought the Ranger: a Honda Element. Full sheets of plywood don't fit in the Element, so I engineered a glass truck style side mounted rack (WORKS GREAT, btw). The back if this plywood rack relies on a 2" class3 receiver hitch for which I also have a cargo platform and trail bike rack (for kayak shuttling). If I need more stock than I can fit on this rack I have it delivered to the shop for free from the distributor I use for work.

The Element is basically my fun and work truck, there is usually at least one bike in it, we've had 2-4 people and our kayaks or bikes in/on it for many outings. I had 960 lbs of busted up concrete (bathroom floor) in it last weekend, last summer I had 3)~1000 lb loads of reclaimed pavers in it for the short drive home (it sags, but I haven't broken anything yet, should get air springs in it). I get ~ 25 mpg in spirited, mostly city driving (people with 6 speeds get as much as 35 mpg on the highway). With a yakima rack I've transported 20)14 gax20'x1-1/4"steel tube, as much as 100 bd ft of hardwoods, 2)20' canoes, lots more. 12' 2x's fit inside the car by just folding the seats down.

The inside of the element is pretty spartan and sturdy, so I don't hesitate the throw anything in the back.

The Element has an available AWD system that engages the rear wheels
when the fronts slip. Had great fun tooling around after a few pretty heavy storms last winter, plowed through as much snow as I care to. Though by no stretch of the imagination is this a Jeep or a 4 runner, it can get you off the beaten path quite capably. The 2wd version is front drive so it doesn't suffer from the slip and slide that 2wd trucks exhibit in the winter.

For me the Element is the perfect vehicle that isn't quite a mini-van.

g'luck
-kg

[mark page]

I have to have a van in the family since with 5 kids (when unusually all under one roof) I need the seat space. I have the Dodge Caravan long wheel base that will hold 4x8 ply with seats removed, plus have a class II trailer hitch for a trailer for larger/longer wood purchases. It's a 50 mile round trip for me to the closest wood supplier, plus daily commutes for LOML is appx 50 miles and me closer to 85 miles. A 4x4 truck or even a large sized 2wd truck is just not economical. Plus I'm not into playing musical vehicles trying to get in and out of the driveway. Between kids car and ours, I have no need to find space for another.

[Charles Wiggins]

I've got an '89 S-10 beater (bought it brand new in '89). It's our 'spare' vehicle and I really just keep it around to haul stuff (lumber, firewood, my BIL's crap) and to loan out when someone needs a temp. ride while theirs in in the shop (usually my BIL). At this point, I'm spending less than $250/year in gas, insurance & maintenance on it. I drive a Corolla for everything else.

I've driven a lot of 4WDs, and wouldn't bother with one unless you are expecting to make a wood run in the snow, or maybe going into the rough after logs to take to the mill. Or, if you just want a big toy, but then you risk not having your WW transportation because you wrapped it around a tree, or broke the axle on a stump.

I'd love to have a Tundra. I'll probably shop for a good USED Tundra when the S-10 finally bites it (I NEVER buy new anymore).

[Leo Graywacz]

Just picked up a 2007 GMC C2500HD Extended Cab Sierra with an 8' bed. Can carry 6 people comfortably and 1 1/2 tons of cargo. Has the tow package rated for 10,000 lbs. Great truck.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have a Ford F150 extended cab. 6 cyl. I love the truck but only get 15 MPG on a good day. That thing is kinda big to drive downtown (Cincinnati) etc… Next time I think I will go the small cross over SUV and a trailer.

[Joe Mioux]

I have to have a van in the family since with 5 kids (when unusually all under one roof) I need the seat space. I have the Dodge Caravan long wheel base that will hold 4x8 ply with seats removed, plus have a class II trailer hitch for a trailer for larger/longer wood purchases. It's a 50 mile round trip for me to the closest wood supplier, plus daily commutes for LOML is appx 50 miles and me closer to 85 miles. A 4x4 truck or even a large sized 2wd truck is just not economical. Plus I'm not into playing musical vehicles trying to get in and out of the driveway. Between kids car and ours, I have no need to find space for another.

Hey, im glad i am not the only one! Those Chrysler product Grand mini vans are great. Even if it is a "soccer mom" vehicle.

Like I said earlier, I do have access to my cargo vans and I have a trailer as well, but it is really easy to toss a sheet of plywood in the old mini van

Joe

[Jim Young]

I use this:

http://www.fordf150.net/photos/data/500/5567lowside.JPG

It has the 6.5ft bed which means that I can still get a full size 4x8 to lay flat in the bed and not have it stick out the back when the tailgate is down. With the 5.4l engine I still get 19mpg putting around town. As for the 4x4, I opted out of it since we already have a 4x4 in case the streets ever get that bad. And so far with 70k miles I haven't had a lick of problems with is.

[Mike Heidrick]

I own a John Deere 3320 tractor - medium frame (not a lawn tractor but not an ag tractor) and about 3000lbs without the loader (another 1000lbs with the loader) or any other implement.

I have a 1998 4X4 Jeep grand cherokee (and a 2001 JGC for that matter) that is really in perfect shape and has 75K miles on it. Guess I could go with the utility trailer and haul the plywood like that. Most likely that is my best short term answer.

I eventually want a truck that will handle the tractor but for now that is not a problem really - don't really need to haul it anywhere.

I do have a friend with a truck as well. In fact on Thursday we are picking up a set of pallet forks for the tractor with it. I just HATE having to ask him all the time to help me out. I like taking care of my own business. Guess the utility trailer would have done that as well.

Man I still want a 2500HD or Titan though!! Don't cherish having another car payment though - tractor payment and bike payment is enough.

[Randy Denby]

My wife has a Titan :D ! ...... after 3 or 4 years. And I love it,:) so does she !
It has awhole lot of power. Matter of fact, it seems more potent than the Hemi dodge. It is rated at 305 hp, but I feel thats conservative. The 5 speed with overdrive probably helps the acceleration....but it just feels like an old 454 torque motor. Gas mileage is around 16-17 in town and 19-20 or so on the hiway. It is also a very stable and solid feeling truck. Our F-150 felt loose and would skate in wet conditions in comparison

[JayStPeter]

I've got a supercab F150. It's OK for transporting kids in forward facing carseats, but the rear facing have to be in the front seat. It's OK since there is an airbag override.
Back when I bought it, there were other reasons for having a truck. If I could, I'd get something smaller and get a trailer. But, there's no place to put the trailer and the HOA is a pain about them. My wife drives a minivan and I see them as the best vehicle to own as far as family utility goes.
I chose not to get 4x4, but it usually only snows a couple times a year here. Good tires and a pile of cinder blocks in the bed gets me through. It is a pain to put the blocks in and out, but 2WD pickups are very squirly in the snow, even with limited slip. A LOT less so with a few hundred pounds behind the rear axle.

[Gary Whitt]

I want a newish truck under 26K if possible. I have a 9 month old (carseat) and wife and also want to haul full sheets of plywood. What trucks do you folks use.

2005 Ford F250, 6.0 Powerstroke diesel, 4 door crew cab, 2wd, I bought in June with 36,000 miles.


How many of you use 4X4? I am trying to decide if it is worth the extra money for it. I have 4X4 in my Jeep Grand Cherokee and rarely use it - maybe 3-4 times a year but I do have a gravel lane and we get some snow here in IL. What do you guys recommend?

If you have that, you only need a 2wd truck.
You will get less fuel mileage and more crap to go wrong when you go to 4wd.


Any 4 door crew cab owners hauling full sheets with that smaller short bed in the GMC/Chevy?

I have the standard bed (61/2 foot) and have no problem with full sheets.


Any Titan owners out there?

Hahahaha.....:D :D :D


Thanks for the info.

HTH

HAND

[Mike Heidrick]

Well I am very close to owning a 2006 Titan King Cab SE 4X4 with 12K miles. Turns out my friend that needs to get rid of the payment is interested in trading for my 98 Jeep grand Cherokee. I drove the truck last night and it is very very nice. More to come. Wife has consented to helping out our friend as well. I am getting excited about owning a truck! We will still have her 01 Jeep grand Cherokee so we will have both bases covered.