Which full size hunting vehicle to buy?

[RoseAllen]

What's the pro and cons full size truck crew with top vs full size suv . Would use for cross country hunts, pulling trailers, ect.

 

[wildwilderness]

I see a truck as more versatile. With a topper can sleep just fine, water protection, and most importantly it’s A lot easier to put a dead elk in the bed of a truck.

 

[Jbehredt]

And old suburban is a decent compromise if your wife won’t let you buy a truck. Otherwise truck is the answer.

 

[sneaky]

Depends on bed length and how tall you are. Beds are getting shorter and shorter on trucks these days

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[Hayduke541]

I have owned 4 SUVs and regretted it every time. They are great until you need to haul something. My wife can have the plush suv. I drive a 15 year old Silverado.

 

[Dented]

I just bought a truck. I've been driving an SUV for about 14 years. The short wheelbase is an advantage, crawling in the back to sleep is great, the rest? Not so much.

 

[cworkman]

I think crew cab with 6.5ft bed is hard to beat. With a topper.... Size depends on your needs between 1500 size or heavier duty.... Smaller trailers go 1500 size for sure, if you're towing heavy long distance a heavy duty is more comfortable. I wouldn't want an SUV for a hunting vehicle and my wife has a full size sport ut so I spend some time in one of those too....

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have a 2020 Cummins and have been thinking about going to a 4runner trd pro or a sequoia trd pro. Even with a topper, dust and dirt gets into the bed of the truck all the time. I get being able to throw a elk in the back, but they ride just as good in a roof rack or one of those racks that slip into the hitch. I just lost my 2nd horse to a freak illness and won’t be pulling near as much in the future.

 

[Bmhunts]

I’ve been really happy with my 100 series Land Cruiser. It’s a 2002 that I bought July 2013 with 128k on it, it now has 303,000. I bought it right before I pcs’d from FT Bragg to Ft Richardson in AK. I took a month to make the drive from NC to Ak, it was a trip of a lifetime.

As soon as I bought it I ripped the second row and 3rd row seats out, there’s so much room that if I’m car camping I just sleep in the back. My buddy has a similar sleeping setup in his Chevy 2500 with a topper but It’s nice to be able to crawl into the back and rack out without having to get out and crawl into a bed. It’s also nice in the morning I don’t even get out of my sleeping bag I just crawl up to the front and start the vehicle and put the heater on full blast.I tore out the rear carpet too and replaced with rubber.

Despite its age and miles I still run it very hard, but I’m meticulous with maintenance. I always get myself into precarious positions but it always gets me out of it. I’ve had to beat on it like I’ve never beat on a vehicle before and it’s never left me stranded. It’s still my daily driver and hunting/adventure rig, and if I was in the financial position to do a trip circumnavigating the globe I’d leave in it tomorrow without any concerns (regarding my vehicle anyway)

My next vehicle will be a truck but I'll keep the cruiser and it will be the rig I jump in when I go hunting.

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[Billinsd]

War wagon!!!

 

[keystone112]

As someone already said, if you go with a truck, get the 6 and 1/2 foot bed.

 

[hiker270]

Crew cab truck with a cap on is hard to beat as a hunting vehicle. I had a suburban for a couple years and went back to a pickup. The ability to keep the dirt, slop and smell in the bed of a truck beats having to clean a SUV. I had a cooler with antelope meat leak at the plug in the back of my suburban and the mess was difficult to clean up.

 

[keystone112]

Not an SUV, but I once put a deer in the back of my hatchback.

Never did get the smell out.

 

[CorbLand]

Buy an inflatable kids pool and blow it up when you need to put any dead animals in the back of an SUV.

If you haul a lot of wet, nasty stuff, it is hard to beat a pickup.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Trucks are great, but if you need 3 rows of seating you're sol. I head an extended cab long bed for 8 years, suburban now for 6. There was 1 day that I missed the truck on a huge home depot run, but thats it.

 

[Ron.C]

I've had SUV's, gas 1/2 ton extended cab 6'6 box , gas 1/2 ton crew cab 6'6" box and diesel 3/4 ton crew 8' box. All have their pro's and cons. Shorter wheel base vehicles (SUV's) are more manouverable, but carry less. PU trucks are more versatile for towing and can carry more but cant go where smaller trucks and suv's can. Some are inherently more costly to operate and maintain then others.

for me, I've settled on the gas 1/2 ton crew cab 6'6 box.

-just can't beat having an open box for doing whatever you need to do, however messy it is. Just hose it out when done and carry on.
-My dogs kennel fits nicely behind the seat and with my boat rack keep my waterfowling gear ready to go most of the season.
- throw a topper on it, put a cot in the back and turn it into a mobile elk camp with tons of room for gear/coolers.
- put my quad in the back (with tailgate closed) load 2 large marine cooler with full of ice+ camping gear and hit the hills for spring bear, or whatver else I'm chasing.
- Can do extended hunts with everything from quad/wall tent/stove and all asociated gear no issue
-can get it into most places I would think I want to drive to and when the road gets skinny, manage to get turned around
- can pull my 21 ft travel trailer, or 8' box trailer to meet any needs not covered above

At the end of the day, all about personal preference, the type of hunting YOU do and the type of terrain YOU hunt and YOUR family requirements. Figure out the capabilities you want from a vehicle and purchase what meets your needs.

 

[7mm-08]

I’ve been really happy with my 100 series Land Cruiser. It’s a 2002 that I bought July 2013 with 128k on it, it now has 303,000. I bought it right before I pcs’d from FT Bragg to Ft Richardson in AK. I took a month to make the drive from NC to Ak, it was a trip of a lifetime.

As soon as I bought it I ripped the second row and 3rd row seats out, there’s so much room that if I’m car camping I just sleep in the back. My buddy has a similar sleeping setup in his Chevy 2500 with a topper but It’s nice to be able to crawl into the back and rack out without having to get out and crawl into a bed. It’s also nice in the morning I don’t even get out of my sleeping bag I just crawl up to the front and start the vehicle and put the heater on full blast.I tore out the rear carpet too and replaced with rubber.

Despite its age and miles I still run it very hard, but I’m meticulous with maintenance. I always get myself into precarious positions but it always gets me out of it. I’ve had to beat on it like I’ve never beat on a vehicle before and it’s never left me stranded. It’s still my daily driver and hunting/adventure rig, and if I was in the financial position to do a trip circumnavigating the globe I’d leave in it tomorrow without any concerns (regarding my vehicle anyway)

My next vehicle will be a truck but I'll keep the cruiser and it will be the rig I jump in when I go hunting.

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Land Cruisers are at a level all their own!

 

[RoseAllen]

I like the idea of a suv but crew cab truck with topper sounds like the best compromise(never had topper). Now what's the best way to purchase vehicles these days dealer, broker, facebook, ect? I have never had a good experience with dealers ever. Looking for new to newish. I have four older trucks and suvs (90s) easy to work on and keep running. Looking for newer vehicle travel/hunting, fishing.

 

[SwiftShot]

Hauling large animals is easier in a truck. If you deer hunting we'll a SUV will work. Loading up an elk in a Toyota RAV4 might be difficult. With a canopy the bed can be set up nice for camping. Cot with gear under it on one side, table with cooking on the other.

 

[jdmaxwell]

I have crew cab long bed truck with cap.
I will never own anything again except 8 ft bed... no comparison