Would you rather have a truck or an SUV as a tow vehicle?

No vans, as this would end up being my DD and I dislike vans.

I realize a truck gives you more space to put dirty/stink things, but a decent sized SUV could give you a sheltered place to crash and a bit more "secure" storage for some items when at or away from the track.

What say ye?

Truck, because when it's not towing it can be used as a truck (hauling dirt, guano, hay etc.), not an oversized minivan.

If fuel isn't a concern

2500 Suburban
1/2 ton pick up

If fuel is a concern, reverse that.

We had a 88 454 C2500 Subruban 14 mpg - towing, lite, up hill, down hill, in town, highway. 80 mph or 55

14 mpg. Great rig if you can feed it.

Else a more modern 1/2 ton. Little better on the MPG in town if you are nice to it because of less weight.

Suburban is hard to beat towing though.

If you don't have a suitable trailer for other stuff then pick up all the way

Crew cab truck. Best of both worlds.

Coincidentally, that's what I have

There's a Truxedo soft cover over the bed of the truck. Keeps anything in the bed dry and out of sight, but it's easy to roll back if I need to carry anything with size.

Depends on the trailer I am having to pull.

But I would choose an extended cab, long box truck over most everything else. They have the weight and wheelbase to make towing easier.

If I needed more of a people hauler, Suburban or Excursion. Everything else is too small and light weight for anything serious, IMO.

I've got an extended cab truck with a top on it. Works awesome for all of the above. Mulch runs, secure kart storage,moving, taking 6 autocrossers to the local fast food joint, you name it, it's done it easily.

Keith Tanner wrote: Coincidentally, that's what I have There's a Truxedo soft cover over the bed of the truck. Keeps anything in the bed dry and out of sight, but it's easy to roll back if I need to carry anything with size.

We might have the same truck.

I prefer SUV which is why I have a 2500 Suburban. The way I use my beast of burden, sometimes it is towing 7000, it often goes to lemons races where I want the enclosed dry space, and that is locks is nice for stopping at rest stops and not having to unload right when I get home. Several times a year I put 7 people in it, which is nice. It fits 4x8 sheet with the tailgate closed. The only thing that a truck bed would do better is haul bulk materials, but my car trailer is a flatbed, so I use it for anything I don't want to put in the Sub, like mulch, loaded pallets of stone, etc. Having the large SUV with the flatbed trailer is really the best of both worlds.

mazdeuce wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: Coincidentally, that's what I have There's a Truxedo soft cover over the bed of the truck. Keeps anything in the bed dry and out of sight, but it's easy to roll back if I need to carry anything with size.

We might have the same truck.

Yep, carries 6 in a pinch, 5 comfortably, hauls and tows great. It's the same length and almost the same wheelbase as a 'burb but with Pickup capabilities.

Pickup, because it ends up getting used more often for open air hauling in my family.

truck...only because I've hauled some nasty ass (and stinky) car parts I wouldn't want to carry in my burb....even with rubber flooring.

Miata with a 5th wheel!!

Sorry...couldnt resist

Extended cab truck with camper shell.

For me the answer was "van" because I can put a mattress in the back to sleep at the track, change clothes inside, etc. Not too many SUVs that I you can sleep in comfortably. So, I'd go with truck for the utility of having an actual bed to haul around stuff like motorcycles.

z31maniac wrote: No vans, as this would end up being my DD and I dislike vans. I realize a truck gives you more space to put dirty/stink things, but a decent sized SUV could give you a sheltered place to crash and a bit more "secure" storage for some items when at or away from the track. What say ye?

The vastly cheaper cost of entry for a used large SUV vs. a used fullsize truck will overcome many of the downsides, IMO.

Since I only pull a small trailer, I can side with a small SUV, so I do that.

That replaces a car in our fleet.

And if I need to get stuff that would normally go into a truck bed, I have a trailer.

Our Edge gets decent city mileage and ~26mpg on the highway. If the 2.0l EcoBoost came with a tow package, I'd get it.

it's all how you value your compromises. As evidenced by all of the replies.

I want me some diesel Ford Excursion, but I need to stop being broke first.

I had a Yukon Denali that I towed with for years and was convinced that was the ticket.. I bought an enclosed and was sad that I had to go to an actual track. 6 months later with the Crew Cab/Long Bed, and I dont regret a single thing. IT is 5-bajillion times nicer to have a bed to haul stuff around in, and I paired it with a Retrax Cover (hard roll up cover). Dry, secured storage. Will never suggest an SUV again, unless you have kids.

Truck, because when it's not towing it can be used as a truck (hauling dirt, guano, hay etc.), not an oversized minivan.

Great post, EXCEPT that most suvs are actually UNDERSIZED minivans when it comes to actual usable interior room. Most minivans with the seats out/down are WAY bigger on the inside than SUVs (AND easier to load/unload) until you get up to the truly monster-sized stuff.

I personally vote for a 4 door truck with a real back seat. Most of the SUV people goodness, most if not all of the truck's cargo goodness, and same or slightly better towing ability.

Thanks for all the input gents. I tended to lean toward a truck as well (Crew cab of course), but wanted to see if there were convincing arguments to go the other way.

I'm looking 1-3 years down the road based on how addicted I get to my track habit, or if I decide to end up building an Exocet.

I'd likely be looking at newer vehicles than some of you are imagining, I really like the new EcoBoost F150s. I'd want something nice since I'd have to drive it everyday. But still looking used since new the optioned out ones are topping $50k

There wouldn't be room to keep the track car, gas friendly DD, truck, trailer and the wife's car.

Truck, long wheelbase tows better and most of them are ready to go for heavy towing right from the factory.

Also, the race tires and fuel cans go in the bed so so the inside of the truck doesn't smell like rubber and high octane.

I like the smell, SWMBO doesn't.

I second pickup truck with a cap. I've had SUVs for as long as I remember and there were many times I wish I had a barrier between me and the cargo area.

I hate carrying gas cans in my SUV

Sonic wrote: I prefer SUV which is why I have a 2500 Suburban. The way I use my beast of burden, sometimes it is towing 7000, it often goes to lemons races where I want the enclosed dry space, and that is locks is nice for stopping at rest stops and not having to unload right when I get home. Several times a year I put 7 people in it, which is nice. It fits 4x8 sheet with the tailgate closed. The only thing that a truck bed would do better is haul bulk materials, but my car trailer is a flatbed, so I use it for anything I don't want to put in the Sub, like mulch, loaded pallets of stone, etc. Having the large SUV with the flatbed trailer is really the best of both worlds.

This.

Full size Burb all the way. It can do everything a full size truck can. They tow just as well.

Plus keep the contents secure, dry and snow-free. A definite plus when you are carrying construction supplies (like drywall, or wood).

Plus it can carry 7 to 9 people safely.

Plus they are nicer to drive.

Plus they get a slightly better highway mileage.

For the one to two times a year when I need to get bulk stuff, I simply get the little utility trailer or I just get my stuff in bags. Around here, it's about 10% more for bagged mulch, so you need to buy a lot of mulch before it is worth having a pick-up.

3rd the pickup truck with cap if racing, specifically, one of the "tall" bump up caps.

Crewcab pickup gives you the space you need for humans, bed w/ cap gives you the space you need for tall stuff that you can't secure on the trailer/valuables you need locked up.

Unless I needed to seat more than six (w/ a seatbelt) I would opt for the pickup with a hardtop over the bed. While a minivan can swallow cargo, most of the stuff I would use it for is not stuff I want on the inside of my car (like whinning children ) If I did opt for the van I would use a trailer for stuff I don't want on the inside of my car.