Should a part-timer step up to a full-size truck?

Let me just state that I have no immediate plans to part with my S10 anytime soon unless a catastrophic and unforeseen event happens (crash, fallen tree, major and costly mechanical component failure, etc.) that necessitates replacement. But should it come time to get a replacement truck, being that I'm only a part-timer in the scrap game, should I step up from a small truck to a full-size? It would probably be nothing more than a 1/2 ton class (Silverado/Sierra 1500, Ram 1500, F150, Titan, Tundra) but is that loss of easy maneuverability that a smaller truck offers worth it? Being that that S10 has two hats, daily driver and work truck on the side, easy maneuvering is a great thing. But I'm not intimidated at the thought of driving a bigger truck as I have driven my dad's old K2500 Suburban and know what it's like/what to expect. My gas mileage with the S10 isn't great already anyway (the 4.3 Vortec V6, despite being durable and stout, is grossly inefficient as it's an ancient design) and I've seen/read that it's actually comparable to 1/2 ton V8 full-sizes of similar vintage (it's a 2003), so that would be a moot point. So what do you think? Should a part-timer take the plunge and go from compact/midsize class truck to full especially since it would be a DD and hauler on the side? One HUGE advantage would be substantially greater payload/towing capacity.

If you find yourself needing to pass up many opportunities consistantly then you might need a bigger truck. Personally I do this part time and I use a car for 90% of my pick ups.

What you need is a truck that handles like a compact, but works like the big boys. What you need is a Dodge Dakota.

We own a 1992 with the 3.9L V6 and the 5 speed. It has an 8 foot bed (A little narrower than a full-size RAM, but still), and I've hauled over 1500# in it without an issue. It drives a lot more like a car than a truck, though. Ours is a 4x4 model- even with that, we could still get around 20MPG highway- a little more on a good day.

I've owned a Dakota, two half-tons, a 3/4 ton, and a 1 ton. To me, the 1/2 tons don't serve much of a purpose- they won't do more than the Dakota ever would, but they'll use more fuel to do it.

That's what I'd go with....

I've found my Ford E350 cargo van more valuable than our Dodge Dakota. And, you can pick up a used one fairly inexpensively. It can carry more weight, it covered for privacy and gets a heck of a lot better gas mileage. Only down side is it is "short" and you can't stand upright in it. But the space and cargo weight is worth the inconvenience of a short height.

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Originally Posted by Mudlucky

I've found my Ford E350 cargo van more valuable than our Dodge Dakota. And, you can pick up a used one fairly inexpensively. It can carry more weight, it covered for privacy and gets a heck of a lot better gas mileage. Only down side is it is "short" and you can't stand upright in it. But the space and cargo weight is worth the inconvenience of a short height.

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I'm looking to stay with a pickup though, primarily for 2 reasons:

1) Since I live in the Northeast where winters can be extremely harsh, cold, and snowy, having 4WD is a GODSEND, especially since I live in a hilly area and have seen people without it unable to make it up even the slightest of inclines in my neighborhood in a snowstorm. It's a LOT easier to get 4WD in a pickup than it is to get 4/AWD in a van, GM to my knowledge is the only automaker that offers AWD in a full-size van from the factory but that was 10-20 years ago and maybe others do now (I don't buy brand new though due to the cost, rapid depreciation in first 3 years and, since I haul crap I don't wanna go singing the blues when that brand new truck gets an accidental dent/scratch in it). I've driven/been a passenger in a 2WD truck and van and the experience not only sucked but at times was downright scary. Although after the past two winters which hammered the region with unrelenting bitter cold and snow, I'm looking to move to Florida within the next year as, after 31 years of dealing with Northeast winters, my tolerance for the cold has diminished to almost nothing. On the other hand, in Florida I wouldn't bother with the added expense (vehicle price and fuel penalty) of 4WD since I won't have the threat of heavy snowfall that was constant for a two-month period this year and last (1-2 storms a week on average).

2) Just my luck a lot of stuff I get tends to have "creepy crawlers" on/in it. Case in point I gutted a couple of discarded CRT TV's/monitors that were thrown out in the neighborhood trash about 2 months ago and two of them had become colonies for earwigs. At least in a pickup they won't be able to get near you or anyone else riding with you, in a van they have free-run of the place. Not only that but if you pick up something stinky you won't have to smell it, as a buddy of mine found out one time when one of his friends in demolition got him a piece of heavy cast-iron pipe from a job he did. Transporting it in an enclosed vehicle, the thing gave off a foul-smell, his buddy later told him why: it was an old piece of sewer pipe. :-o

Fullsize pickups are too high and wide for me. I can't reach enough in the bed over the fenders from the ground. I can reach the middle of my Ranger's bed from the sides, which saves time of climbing into the bed and over stuff to move stuff. That would be a moot point if you build bed walls or put a cap on it.

You may want to consider buying/building a trailer, if you want to keep your truck and want flexibility. There are many collapsible/lightweight trailers on the market that will at least double your capacity. Trailers add more flexibility, less expense, and are cost effective compared to a different truck. Just a thought based on searches of this forum.

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Originally Posted by JunkmanDan

I'm looking to stay with a pickup though, primarily for 2 reasons:

1) Since I live in the Northeast where winters can be extremely harsh, cold, and snowy, having 4WD is a GODSEND, especially since I live in a hilly area and have seen people without it unable to make it up even the slightest of inclines in my neighborhood in a snowstorm. It's a LOT easier to get 4WD in a pickup than it is to get 4/AWD in a van, GM to my knowledge is the only automaker that offers AWD in a full-size van from the factory but that was 10-20 years ago and maybe others do now (I don't buy brand new though due to the cost, rapid depreciation in first 3 years and, since I haul crap I don't wanna go singing the blues when that brand new truck gets an accidental dent/scratch in it). I've driven/been a passenger in a 2WD truck and van and the experience not only sucked but at times was downright scary. Although after the past two winters which hammered the region with unrelenting bitter cold and snow, I'm looking to move to Florida within the next year as, after 31 years of dealing with Northeast winters, my tolerance for the cold has diminished to almost nothing. On the other hand, in Florida I wouldn't bother with the added expense (vehicle price and fuel penalty) of 4WD since I won't have the threat of heavy snowfall that was constant for a two-month period this year and last (1-2 storms a week on average).

2) Just my luck a lot of stuff I get tends to have "creepy crawlers" on/in it. Case in point I gutted a couple of discarded CRT TV's/monitors that were thrown out in the neighborhood trash about 2 months ago and two of them had become colonies for earwigs. At least in a pickup they won't be able to get near you or anyone else riding with you, in a van they have free-run of the place. Not only that but if you pick up something stinky you won't have to smell it, as a buddy of mine found out one time when one of his friends in demolition got him a piece of heavy cast-iron pipe from a job he did. Transporting it in an enclosed vehicle, the thing gave off a foul-smell, his buddy later told him why: it was an old piece of sewer pipe. :-o

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Did you have a particular part of Florida you were considering heading to or did you just spin a globe and the finger landed on Florida? I live in the Tampa Bay area and have made life here since 1980. Being from NY, you would enjoy the fact there is no state income tax... and the much less restrictive gun laws.

Trailers can be nice- you can always find a use for them. We have an old 16' car hauler and a trailer made from the back half of a GMC. They're both very useful. Depending on how much you travel, it can be very much worth it for reliability. If your truck (Power unit) goes down, you can pull it with another truck. A one-piece assembly can't do that. I owned a Ford E350 box van- it was an unreliable piece of junk. When it broke down, it caused major problems for us. With a trailer, I could have just hooked it up to the old Chevrolet and been back on the road in no time.

A Dakota with a cap should have about the same room for stuff as a cargo van. You have a permanent "bulkhead" in the form of the back of the cab, but 4x4 capabilities are well worth that compromise.

For more serious loads, a Chevy K2500 with a cap, and pulling a cargo trailer, would offer a lot of hauling capacity.