Many good points above that it is simply not practical. Four of us drive 2100 miles to Montana each year but using two trucks, one with a tonneau cover and one with a cap. I can't imagine cutting down what we bring enough so each of our things fit into 1/4 of a short bed.
I wouldn’t do it, that’s two truck territory based on distance and circumstances. We’ve done four to a truck many times for 27+ hours, always with a trailer and three other dudes I knew well. 15 hours is one long day, so you shouldn’t have to do much more than one driver swap. Others have covered the noted advantages of two trucks.
Two people per truck I think is most effective...building my truck rite down the middle...driver side space is mine & passenger side space is the passengers...all the way down the truck...no mixing gear & keep things organized
2 trucks and be done with it. We had 4 guys last year archery and the two vehicles was awesome. One was a 2500 diesel and the other was my jeep rubicon. surprisingly, the jeep was very handy to have. We used it as sort of a pre-runner to clear the trails and explore before the big 2500 came down the trail to avoid any real issues.
I’ve settled on 3 as the max for long trips. Anymore than 3 hunters we take 2 trucks. Our group has settled on this after 12 years of at least one trip a year traveling 20 hours one way. So much more comfortable with 2-3 vs 4.
I travel 24 hrs to Western Sask each year...I've done it from 2-4 in a vehicle and believe 3 is the best overall fit...in this case I would sure take two trucks given the amount of gear.
Agree with most on here, its not the people its the gear...I find myself having to go through my partner's gear list just to be sure everything will fit.
One of the main things to consider is will you have a base camp? If so, there is no way I would take four in a truck. If you were only backpacking, while you could make it work on the way there, you definitely couldn't if all four of you are successful on the way back - no base camp or not.
Ditto on the 2 trucks or trailer. My son and I take by crewcab with 6.5' bed with camper shell and sometimes pull a small utility trailer if we are setting up a base camp. Aside from that having a 2nd vehicle can be beneficial if one gets stuck or breaks down.
I've done several upland and waterfowl trips with 4 people. No way in hell i'd try it on an archery hunt. Especially if you are successful. Sure you can pack the coolers full of clothes/gear on the way out, but then you are fighting for space on the way back if you are bringing meat/antlers home. 2 trucks and 4 people is dang near perfect.
I think a lot depends on how close you are to the other three, what you are hunting, and realistic expectations about your odds of success. My brother, two close friends, and I took a 10 hour trip to Wyoming in a crew cab Dodge. The trip there and back was really enjoyable and it wouldn’t have bothered me a bit had it been twice as long. Lots of stories were told. We did have a bed that was about 6.5’, a cap, and a receiver hitch rack carrying a big cooler. We were pretty loaded on our trip home with a moose, and the half ton truck sat a little funny. I think you would be scratching your head if you were after elk and got more than one.