Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,796
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
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TB'rs with trucks vs SUVs....
- Thread starter pbass2
- Start date
The 3.6 is known for a number of design flaws, and Mopar electrical systems/electronics have a terrible reputation.
Unless you wrench maybe an older truck is not for you.
I do like trucks but make do with old trucks. I have a 2003 F350 and we pulled a 4 horse goose neck trailer and I have pulled a25 ft trailers pulling 13,000 lbs of hay before. I t still runs , goes up to highway speeds *80+) here in the high desert. I also got a smaller F150 with a 6.5 ft bed which make it useful to haul a double bass which are over 6 ft tall. Nowadays unless you go to the 3/4 ton trucks the beds will be less than 6ft. useless if you are a double bass player.
The only thing with old trucks is they need more upkeep. Toyotas seem to always take the price for longevity but I've seen Fords and RAMs/Dodges equally as reliable and probably more bangable amd abuse takers. Some generation Chevys have a weak front suspension and will probably not be my choice for serious overlanding or to reach some back country back pack camping trail heads,
I think an SUV ir even a mini van (some of them have AWD ). Many carpenters and handymen are using Siennas or Odysseys because they can carry a full sheet of plywood. Some SUVs can't and most new trucks you have to fold down the tailgate. And unless the truck has 4X4, those minivans are better in the snow.
For me it needs to carry a double bass. That is why we have TDI Sportwagens 50-60 MPG and can carry alot of things like my 2 double basses - yes 2. We also can learn a lot from Native Americans here in NM. I've seen them drive Malibus or Ford Focus sedans in some gnarly res roads and fire roads. You really do not need 4X4s. as much as you think you do,.
I do like trucks but make do with old trucks. I have a 2003 F350 and we pulled a 4 horse goose neck trailer and I have pulled a25 ft trailers pulling 13,000 lbs of hay before. I t still runs , goes up to highway speeds *80+) here in the high desert. I also got a smaller F150 with a 6.5 ft bed which make it useful to haul a double bass which are over 6 ft tall. Nowadays unless you go to the 3/4 ton trucks the beds will be less than 6ft. useless if you are a double bass player.
The only thing with old trucks is they need more upkeep. Toyotas seem to always take the price for longevity but I've seen Fords and RAMs/Dodges equally as reliable and probably more bangable amd abuse takers. Some generation Chevys have a weak front suspension and will probably not be my choice for serious overlanding or to reach some back country back pack camping trail heads,
I think an SUV ir even a mini van (some of them have AWD ). Many carpenters and handymen are using Siennas or Odysseys because they can carry a full sheet of plywood. Some SUVs can't and most new trucks you have to fold down the tailgate. And unless the truck has 4X4, those minivans are better in the snow.
For me it needs to carry a double bass. That is why we have TDI Sportwagens 50-60 MPG and can carry alot of things like my 2 double basses - yes 2. We also can learn a lot from Native Americans here in NM. I've seen them drive Malibus or Ford Focus sedans in some gnarly res roads and fire roads. You really do not need 4X4s. as much as you think you do,.
Personally I'd go with a glorious C15
I'll never understand why Americans want to buy big ass trucks, with terrible environmental cost (from production to exploitation), and it must cost you an arm and a leg on gas.
I'll never understand why Americans want to buy big ass trucks, with terrible environmental cost (from production to exploitation), and it must cost you an arm and a leg on gas.
I am jonsing hard for a Mercedes V Class, or the Vito Tourer version of same. All the modern features, all the space.
I’d say a lot of this will depend on how much actually hauling of actual large gear you’re realistically going to do.
I have a 2022 Jeep Gladiator that I really like a lot but if I’m honest it was more because I wanted the benefits of a small-bed truck and the doors/roof off capabilities of a Jeep before I ever get married and have a family…hauling large amps was a distant secondary concern as I was already hauling a 6x10 and basses in a VW Golf.
A truck is super convenient for just throwing gear in the bed but unless you purchase a topper (and the good ones are pricey) it’s totally exposed to people and the elements. The SUV would have been great in this regard except that it does still have a lower capacity for hauling gear (open truck bed vs closed rear cargo area).
If I were buying today and I was sure I’d need to move large amounts of gear I’d go with an SUV that had the proper amount of storage available. I really like my Jeep but there’s lots of opinion on their quality control, and at 50,000 miles I’m sure glad I purchased the extended warranty.
I have a 2022 Jeep Gladiator that I really like a lot but if I’m honest it was more because I wanted the benefits of a small-bed truck and the doors/roof off capabilities of a Jeep before I ever get married and have a family…hauling large amps was a distant secondary concern as I was already hauling a 6x10 and basses in a VW Golf.
A truck is super convenient for just throwing gear in the bed but unless you purchase a topper (and the good ones are pricey) it’s totally exposed to people and the elements. The SUV would have been great in this regard except that it does still have a lower capacity for hauling gear (open truck bed vs closed rear cargo area).
If I were buying today and I was sure I’d need to move large amounts of gear I’d go with an SUV that had the proper amount of storage available. I really like my Jeep but there’s lots of opinion on their quality control, and at 50,000 miles I’m sure glad I purchased the extended warranty.
Yes. And really not a lot of cargo space. Even the 4 door jeeps. Jeeps were never designed to carry cargo. That can be easily ascertained by the length of the engine bay compared to the rest of the vehicle. People buy Jeeps because they want a Jeep, and all the status, nostalgia, “lifestyle”, and image that comes with it. Not to haul music gear.
They are cool, though. No doubt. I’d have one if I could justify the cost of owning a vehicle that doesn’t really match my needs. Few things are more fun to me than tooling around in a jeep with the top down/off. Both on and off road.
I can get pa (2 JBL 15” EON’s)with stands and my bass rig plus the sax player & 2 horns in my 2015 Subaru Outback. Plus it’s a great car for NH winters. 154,000 miles and still runs great.
Interesting….
Off topic, a bit. But what years were under the recall? I don’t need that much cargo space. But I consider them time to time for a camper van build out. It would also be my primary vehicle. So it’s gotta haul groceries, Home Depot, music, dog, bike, paddle gear, too. Not being AWD would an issue. Which is why I will consider something like a Sienna, too. I think a large minivan is a good option for a weekender camper van.
The recall was for 2015-2018. My van is a 2016. The larger van is a better choice for a camper—unless you're a minimalist.
NGL the 2001 Odyssey is the best minivan ever made. You can yank out the middle seats, fold down the rear into that disappearing cargo well and put a ludicrous amount of cargo in there. Like, for example, whole sheets of plywood or drywall. One old Odyssey could fit a whole prog band's gear with room to spare. Ours has >250K miles on it now and our daughter owns it because my wife will not allow it to leave the family.
I have a a 2018 Outback now. For sure, the Outback can be a great gear hauler. Previously had a 2013 which was trouble-free until some lady T-boned me and totaled it. I'd still be driving that one if not for that. My 2018 has the very well-documented tailgate issues that Subaru simply can't fix. Sometimes it won't open, sometimes it won't close, sometimes it'll open all by itself as it's sitting parked and then it drains the battery (one time happened to me camping in the middle of the desert). When it won't open sure you can force it open manually, then force it closed, but then it won't latch unless you go drive around for 20 minutes. You have to do special little dances with how rapidly your press the button, Key FOB, how close you're standing to the car. It's insane. Lotsa fun when you've arrived at a gig with all your crap and gotta load in. Has been to the dealer multiple times and they say it's "functioning normally". Just google "Subaru Outback tailgate issues". Or go to Youtube and check out all the alleged "fixes" for it--which do not work in many cases(like mine). If your's works correctly you're one of the lucky ones. It's a joke that the issue is so common. It is the deal-breaker that has me selling this car.
mine occasionally won’t open with the fob, but fortunately always will with the buttons inside and out. It would be about a drag if it was like yours.
I’d have an Outback, if it weren’t for all the weird issues my friends and family have had with their Subarus. Otherwise perfect vehicle for my purposes. I’ll just continue to stick with Hondas and Toyotas.
Man, it is nuts. And as I say, if you're curious, just do a search--it is very common. Or maybe don't. Don't jinx yourself. Not sure what model year it started with, as I say my 2013 was trouble-free. Aside from the common issues like mine, it's a stupid design, frankly. You can't even do a tailgater with an Outback. It may drain your battery if it's left open for too long. I'm done with Subies (except for when my son lets me drive his 2013 WRX, now that is a fun car
.
The bigger, the better.
If someone can come up with an econobox that can handle a 9' snow plow or a large trailer, I might consider it.
Regarding my Blazer (the huge yellow truck on page 1 of this thread) I built that when gas was $1 a gallon and I didn't build it for economy. I've had that truck for 33 years and it was my daily driver for over 20 years.
I hear ya on all that. I'm after a smaller truck fwiw. Sometimes the truck format just works for some folks but don't need a full-size(despite the cliché that every truck is a monster truck). I've had two Nissan Frontiers in the past, the only reason I got rid of them was one was so "vintage" it had no AC, and then the second had to go as it was only a King Cab, and we had a kid and needed a family car. They're probably both out there somewhere, still running, they were bombproof.
No A/C in the Blazer, either Camaro or the ElCamino...... technology of the day, I guess.
A/C in my 03 diesel truck blows ice cold and 20 mpg doesn't hurt, either.
I used to drive this Cummins diesel monster.
Sold it and bought this Honda Pilot. I haven’t missed the truck. I did however put a rack on top for the occasional trip to the lumberyard.
Three row seating that is actually usable comes in handy on occasion and with those folded flat you can put tons of gear inside.
Yeah, that very common use case. I'm sure all 40 millions of Americans that bought a F150 these past ten years all had a 9' snow plow to carry everyday with them. (also, I thought we were talking about a vehicle to carry gig gear, not sure how a snow plow came into the picture)
Anyway, given the same gas consumption and public space encroachment, I have a really hard time to believe that picture 1 is a better use of those resources than picture 2.
If it was just a matter of wasting your money, I'd say it's your problem. Unfortunately that's also our shared planet that is getting wasted with this overconsumption mentality..
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