Truck vs SUV for hunting/daily driver?

[timberlinehunter]

I don’t tow as much as I used to. I used to tow my tractor to my hunting cabin but now keep it up there. All I tow now is my side by side every now and then.

I like having the ability to sleep in the back of the suv if needed and that I can keep all the gear dry and secure. I have a hard bed cover for my F150 and would have a truck without one.

Do you guys notice an advantage in size between an suv vs a truck. Alot of the mountain roads I go down I could see a benefit of a smaller narrower vehicle.


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[curtnapril3610]

Running a 95 GMC Suburban with seats pulled - love it. All the benefits of a truck, takes 2 minutes to throw seats in if I'm hauling the rest of the crew. This thing is a beast off road on the dirt/rock/mud roads in the PA mountains, but civilized enough on the open road. It helps that my commute to work is 7 miles roundtrip, as this thing will pass everything but a gas station .

 

[prm]

Since I got an F150 I don’t wish for less. I love the thing. 3.5 EB engine gets decent mileage and the bed space comes in handy on occasion.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

I personally have no idea how people live without a truck. I'm always hauling over-sized stuff like fridges and furniture.

I've toyed around with getting an older body style Sequoia for my growing family, but I would either have to keep the old (2003) truck or get a utility trailer.

Meh, I have friends with trucks, and access to a utility trailer for the once in a blue moon moves like a pile of gravel or a fridge. 8ft lumber no problem. Seats fold down 100% flat, recently had a washer with a pedestal in the back with plenty of room to spare. 7 seats AND a trunk space is nice to have too when needed. I can also use my roof rack and throw my cargo tray on the back. Throw a tarp down and in goes the meat!

But to each their own, some people use a truck bed continuously.

I used to camp with a vw golf, so I know how to pack stuff efficiently!

 

[MikeG]

My lease is up on my F150 soon and I have been toying with the idea of getting a Toyota 4Runner next or another F150. What is everyones thoughts on truck vs suv? Anyone make the switch and have any thoughts?


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I went from a v8 4runner with the third row seats to a f-150 platinum crew cab with a shell. I loved my 4runner to death. We used the third row seats a total of 2 or 3 times. Off road the thing was a beast. Towed with it pretty regularly, while doing so it got cappy milage, and didn't have the power I'd like.
Absolutely love the f-150! Other than hard offroading, it is superior in ever way. Well more comfortable, quiet, spacious. I miss my 4runner, right until I look at or drive my truck.

 

[Rich M]

I personally have no idea how people live without a truck. I'm always hauling over-sized stuff like fridges and furniture.

...get a utility trailer.

I have a work truck - 4 dr 4 wheel drive but work won't let me drive it across the country to go hunt. I own a Corolla, a Honda ATV, and a utility trailer. Isn't much that can't be done with that combination. That utility trailer is a necessity - even pull it behind the ATV at times...

Don't live in the mountains tho. That might change things...

 

[timberlinehunter]

I find that the stuff I put in the bed of the truck I could easily throw in the back of a suv. The bigger stuff I find it easier to put on my trailer.


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[fngTony]

In the market myself to switch from a truck to a suv. Wife has had a crossover for several years and I feel confident that it will get me to 80% of where I go. The biggest drawback would be off road in snow as it just doesn’t have the clearance for it. Our rav4 was like an atv compared to my truck because it rides so smooth and the small wheel base gives you more options for your approach the trail. Rocky trails will destroy a unibody suv, dips and bumps and gravel no problem. Using your head (I didn’t, almost left the rav in the forest) and be okay with adding another hiking mile got us most anywhere we wanted.

After looking at the 4Runner it looks to be almost perfect when you want good off-road capabilities and decent highway comfort. My priorities doesn’t afford one. Even if I did their mpg isn’t a significant increase over my f150.

Fortunately I don’t need to haul stuff. Bought a low maintenance house, no plans to remodel or expand. Large appliances? I’ll pay someone to move that. It’s nice to have the ability of a truck just not worth it if you don’t utilize it regularly.

Definitely depends on the individual needs. Last year I started ice fishing so spending more time on icy mountain highways made me appreciate the stability and confidence in an awd suv vs a 4x4 truck. Part of why I quit hunting late seasons was the six hour white knuckle drive. Ya the truck would get you home but it’s like an elephant on ice skates. Our suvs in comparison are much more stable.

 

[LandYacht]

I vacillate between a truck with a camper shell and an SUV it seems continuously.

Have had F150s and some form of Toyota SUV or Jeep. Started with a Cherokee and the went to an F150. Had to take the camper shell off the F150 to put anything of any height like an ATV back there so I got rid of it and got a Sequoia. When the FJs came out I got one of those and loved it until we started having kids, so back came the pickup, but a Crewmax Tundra and had the same love until I had to put something taller than the shell in the bed. Swapped it out for a Land Cruiser and then started to hanker for the truck again. Got an F150 with the ecoboost and loved the power but it nickel and dimed me to death, plus still had to use a trailer for the ATV. Still have the Cruiser and love every mile I drive it.

Have a sheet of carpeted plywood that I put in the back to make a bed platform, will fit a queen air mattress, but usually run a full to keep extra gear on the side. Also gives me space under it for roll out plastic drawers that hold all my clothes and gear as well. Like mentioned before it’s awesome to wake up and turn on the heat on those frigid mornings.

It all comes out and I can install my third row of seats in less than 10 minutes. I have a utility trailer and can haul more than any truck bed.

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[Dagger5]

Personal preference of truck, I throw too much crap in the back that I would not put in a SUV. From bags of seed to dead animals and just want to hose it out to clean.

 

[filthyskills]

I have a 1st gen tundra. A quite underrated truck that you can find for a reasonable price ~5-10k. Very reliable even with high miles. Although the gas mileage is awful...a 4Runner of the same vintage would also be a great option.

My daily is a Honda Fit. 35 mpg, I can use it for hunts that I don’t need to go through rough roads....likely just to an accessible trailhead or grassland type hunt in the dakotas. The back seat folds down so I can fit my 150 qt cooler and hunting gear easily. Saving $$$ means more tags in my pocket and more hunting.


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[lif]

I roll with my Toyota Sequoia. Best hunting rig I’ve ever owned. Can go everywhere a tundra goes but so much more comfortable to travel in. And as stated earlier fits 4 hunters comfortably. Any extra gear or ice chests go on a tow hitch rack. I also own a little Tacoma in case I want to go up the local muck roads and try to get stuck.

 

[tttoadman]

Chevy Colorado, long bed, crew cab. I have to have a truck bed.

 

[jjchad]

A few years back I went from a F-150 to a Jeep SUV. I really liked the SUV and the ease of going where ever I wanted to go. That thing could 4-wheel. The downside for me was the storage, not a lot of room for gear when I went out with the kids. So for me a truck is the way to go.

 

[LASTINLINE]

took a little while to adjust but had an f150 and when it crapped out now drive the wifes old Subaru forester. 2xs better with gas. does everything i want .i got a plastic sleeve type bed liner from U.S. trunk liners for the rear with the seats down. the bed liner lets me use the this mini suv more like a truck and the bed liner you can get custom sized so i got higher sides. it also made to adjust in length so i can slide back and use the rear seats. i use a aluminum hitch hauler modified to let a plastic jet sled screw onto it for game.

 

[MikeG]

took a little while to adjust but had an f150 and when it crapped out now drive the wifes old Subaru forester. 2xs better with gas. does everything i want .i got a plastic sleeve type bed liner from U.S. trunk liners for the rear with the seats down. the bed liner lets me use the this mini suv more like a truck and the bed liner you can get custom sized so i got higher sides. it also made to adjust in length so i can slide back and use the rear seats. i use a aluminum hitch hauler modified to let a plastic jet sled screw onto it for game.

That is slick!

 

[Trial153]

Considering how poorly almost every pickup performed in the latest side impact studies one thing that an SUV has going for it is safety.

 

[16Bore]

Tacoma’s don’t suck....

 

[Overwire]

I have a 4Runner that I use for most of my hunting but I also have a 1/2 ton crew cab pickup. If I had to choose just one 4x4 to own it would be a truck no question but in the end it really comes down to personal preference. There is no perfect option and you can make many different vehicles work.

The 4Runner is without a doubt more nimble and easy to manage than a full size truck offroad and a fair bit better than a mid-sized truck for that matter in my opinion (ground clearance is a little lacking from the factory though). Better traction offroad than any truck I've owned. If you are going to bring an ATV / UTV anyways then it might not matter much though.

The 4runner drives nice and comfortable (so do full size trucks) and is great for sleeping in the back. It is great solo, but starts to get a little tight with two people and gear. More than two people and it lacks space. Of course you can add a hitch rack, trailer, or throw stuff on the roof and have plenty of space but then you start to take away the advantage of the compact size. Generally if I'm driving more than just myself I take the truck.

It seems like cost is a concern for you? If going new the 4Runner is more expensive than a Tacoma and will have worse value when it comes time to sell. It is still a lot cheaper (and probably more reliable) than an F150 but there are good 1/2 ton trucks that you can get for the same or less than a 4runner. Buying used and you can get a pretty decent deal compared to a Tacoma and probably most full size trucks until you get into the higher mileage options. Gas mileage on the 4Runner is pretty bad, probably worse than most full size 1/2 ton pickups on the highway. I get about 16mpg highway in the 4Runner with a small lift, 33's, and an empty roof rack if I keep it to 75 mph or less. 16mpg in town as well. My pickup gets much better than that on the highway, slightly worse around town. The 4Runner is also pretty pathetic power wise compared to the pickup (Tacomas are pretty anemic as well).

 

[MattB]

Just bought my 5th 4tunner if that tells you anything.