# Vehicles?????



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I am contemplating going from a pickup to a tahoe or suburban so the wife can then drive a car instead of the suv she now drives. My question is......Has anyone gone from a pickup to a full size suv and either regretted or been happy with it. I am always using the pickup box. I do own a trailer so I could use that when necessary to haul dirtier stuff but it sure is easy to throw it in the pickup. Also, I am concerned about where to put my final approach blind. I don't even think it will fit in a tahoe  , unless it was tied on top. Again here, I do have atrailer but it is so much easier to throw decoys and the blind in the pickup box and not have to worry about hauling the trailer. I would love to get some input from those that have been there, done that. I hate the thought of giving up the pickup but two gas hogs in one family is not very responsible or very cheap.  :-?


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

You can fold down the rear seats and put all kinds of crappola in there.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

A man of your wealth should not worry about frivolous matters such as these.


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

I wanted a SUV, but didn't want to give up the pick-up either so I ended up buying an Avalanche. I know they are spendy etc. but I love the vehicle. There is more room in the back for hauling than I thought and it rides smoother than a pickup. I also added an extender for the tailgate so I can still haul the hunting gear. If a person can get past the looks and it fits the budget it might be worth taking a look at.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

i was going to say an avalanche or a 4dr pickup.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I bought a Sububan and hated it pickup trucks are just so much handier cheaper to. I am always throwing dirty stuff in the back of my trucks that I wouldn't think of throwing in the back of a SUV plus try to haul a refigerator or furniture ect in a SUV. Why do you have to go to the SUV why not trade it on the new car for your darling wife and keep the truck? I would rather have a 10 year old pickup than a new SUV what s the rest of the story........ :lol:


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## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

I had a 96 Explorer for 2 years and last fall I got a 2000 F-150. I definitely like the pickup a lot more. The explorer was all wheel drive, all the time, which sucks. It is nice to have the option of when or when not to put a vehicle in 4 wheel drive. Especially when you are 19 like me, burning out, doing brake stands, and racing. If you are going to do any off roading, a truck is just so much better. More clearence, power, better 4x4 capablities. This spring, we had a pulling derby at my friends house with a disc and an open field. A Cummins, Powerstroke, 4.6 L F-150, and my 5.4 L F-150 all pulled. The 4.6 was pretty worthless, but my 5.4 handled it well, and the diesels conquered it. Try doing that with an SUV. Also, hauling things is so much easier with a truck. I bought some hay bales for a bow and arrow backstop and threw them in the explorer. It didn't work so well. It took an hour to clean that crap out. I also worked construction, and I had a cooler in the back which leaked onto my tools which led to a lot of rust on the carpet. You say you have a trailer you can use. They are a pain in the butt and they make your gas mileage drop drastically. Stick with the truck, a lot less trouble and a lot better vehicle. Plus they look better and the girls love them.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

> Plus they look better and the girls love them.


Djleye, I bet this reason will really convince your wife :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

DJ,Keep the pickup and buy the wife a geo :lol: .


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

I went from a pickup to a Tahoe a couple years ago. I love my Tahoe, but recently have really been missing a pickup. I have a trailer too, but like has been said its a pain having to get the trailer anytime I need to pick up some lumber or haul something around. I have found that the interior of my tahoe its getting a beating hauling tools and the assorted bigger stuff around inside. I'm going back to the pick up soon. 
I know the feeling of having two gas guzzling vehicles in the family, but with me hunting and fishing every weekend and my wife pulling her horses all over the state, I dont think only one big vehicle will work for us! I look forward to getting Thank You cards from the Gas Station soon!


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## FACE (Mar 10, 2003)

I went the Chevy Quad cab route for work/ family/ and play. Sure they use the gas but it is an all purpose utility vehicle! Bought it new last June and on its one year anniversary it will have 36,000 miles on it :-? . I seem to never mind the price of gas or the miles I need to drive when it comes to hunting and fishing but man, hauling the family around and to and from construction sites sure is costly!  Eric, When did you do the Avalanche thing? In 2004 Chevy came out with the Quad 1500 that is the Avalanche with a real pickup bed. Same length as the Avalanche but with a Man's truck look! Cheaper I believe also!


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Remember the "good old days" when we went hunting and fishing in what ever vehicle was available? I remember going out in a Chevy Impala Wagon (the ones that you could lay a 4' x 8' piece of plywood in and still get the tailgate shut).

A friend and I were hunting the Enderlin/Katherine area during a time when the limit on pheasants was 2 a day and I think a possession limit of 4. (Not many resident or NR hunters in those days). You had to "hunt" to get those birds. As we drove the old chevy around it began to snow a little heavier and heavier and soon we found ourselves out in a near blizzard. We made it through the first and second drift but the 3rd one hung us up high. No Shovel - dug her out with a couple of ice scrappers and finally limped into Enderlin a couple of hours later. Then there was the day we hunted in -70 below windchill..........

Anyway, I'd never be with out the Tahoe now. I've got a 1999 and have never had much trouble at all. They come now with a third seat that will accomadate 6 adults or 4 adults and a good amount of gear. I've thought about a pick-up but have been stuck a lot of times with a friends pick-up out late season pheasant hunting....doesn't have the weight in the back like the Tahoe. (ok, I've been stuck with the Tahoe too).

All-in-all I'd have to say the enclosed vehicles are much more versatile.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

When I first started hunting with a buddy of mine that is to blame for me getting into this obsession, I was a senior in high school. My buddy had a ford Maverick the followin year and I remember very well the four of us sitting in that vehicle with waders on driving all over the Michigan/ Lakota area. Couldn't afford dekes, we just walked the grassy sloughs and pushed them for ducks like you would push CRP for pheasants. We always got birds and never had a bad day even with few birds. It didn't matter that we were in an old ford with a cooler strapped to the luggage rack in back!!!


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

I'd say a suburban, Dan. Since you don't live out in the country and you don't have to travel a long way to work and you can afford, the suburban would be the ticket.

My friend Jerry V. traded his nice pickup with a long bed and topper for one of those stupid Avalanches. I was ****** at him. I said, "What did you do that for? We can't get our Final Approaches in the back of that dumb thing." All he said was, "Oh." But, he can now get his old dog in the warm back seat of the Avalanche with another hunter. That's the only redeeming social value that vehicle has.


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

Face, I bought the Avalanche back in April and it is an 04. Like I said it has been even better than I had thought especially with the room in the back for Jr. I also really liked the way it rides, the back panels, etc.


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## nilsmaster (Sep 26, 2003)

Pickup, pickup, pickup! And I'd take an enclosed trailer anyday for decoys. I'm still doing the pickup box thing and we all know the wind is a son of a gun during the waterfowl season. I'm sick and tired of having to strap down everything because a 25 mph plus cross wind is trying to steal your decoys.

Four door pickup!!! That's the solution. 

And thank your for calling it a pickup...it's a big pet peeve of mine when people call them trucks. Reminds me of Texas people...and I know how much you guys like Texans...hee hee hee.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

> And thank your for calling it a pickup...


Right on, that has always bugged the crap out of me.


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## MnDiver (Oct 1, 2002)

> Four door pickup!!! That's the solution.


With a sweet topper on the back.. the ultimate solution...


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

and a 16' enoclosed trailer tagging along behind!


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## Guest (Jun 11, 2004)

My next vehicle will be the 6.0 Liter Powerstroke with a crew cab. Only way to fly. I have 2 ford diesels now, man they can go. They also get between 15-20 mpg, even when pulling the blindboat!!

I chipped my 97 for an extra 70 horse, cold air inducted it, programmed it for another 30 horse, dualed the exhaust, K+N'ed it, lifted, re-painted, etc etc etc.. 650+ foot punds of torque really lays the rubber!!! Look into a diesel, compare the cost of unleaded v.s. diesel, that should be a huge selling point all in it's own!!! Plus, diesels are 500,000+ miles motors. Just don't get them stuck, I burried mine to the headlights twice and it took us a few hours each time freeing the front heavy beast!!!

As for the tahoe or burb, what happens when you hunt a mudhole, and the waders in the back stink up the whole cab??? I've had a fullsize blazer, never gonna go back. Only crew cab's with a powerstroke from now on!!! 8)


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## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

Powerstrokes are the ultimate vehicle. My Dad has a 7.3 L 2000 crew cab long box. Very nice. My friend has the same truck except it is an extended cab and has the 4x4 off road package. He did a lot of stuff like you did to it. Very nice fast truck.


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## Nate (Sep 11, 2003)

I just bought a 04 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 1500. This is a true 1/2 ton. Not a HD 1/2 ton. They took the 10 inches from the length of the box & gave it to the cab to make it a true 4 door. The box length is 5.5ft I went from a Chevy extended cab to this one, no comparison for cab room. Although it is a 04, they just came out with them 3 months ago. Send me a pm if you want more info.


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## MOSSBACK (Jun 10, 2004)

Do not get rid of your pickup! I made the mistake once never again. You will regret not having a pickup I gaurantee.

Hey Nils nice line about the truck pickup thing I thought I was the only one who went bonkers when someone calls a pickup a truck.

TRUCKS ARE FOR HAULING GRAIN.


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## nilsmaster (Sep 26, 2003)

mossback,

There hasn't been an occurance where someone said "truck" and I didn't correct them instantly. Must be a farm thing because if we said "go get the truck" we'd get confused so a pickup is a pickup and a truck is a truck. I'll let a duley fly as a truck from time time but that's it!


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