Extended vs. Crew cab?

[zuren]

Hello All,

I've always had an "expedition" type mindset and only recently found this great site! I've always had an interest in vehicles capable of taking me off the beaten path but could never justify serious research toward a purchase until recently. I was in Moab this spring with a friend with a lightly modded Tacoma XtraCab and had a blast! I'm now moving to a place where I have space to park an extra vehicle and work on it.

There are lots of vehicle options out there but a full size truck keeps coming back to the top of my list. I can share that list but didn't want my initial post to ramble.

One big question - how comfortable is the backseat in the more recent extended cab Ford and Dodge trucks (both with suicide doors) compared to earlier 2-door extended and crew cab versions? I have ridden in the back jump seats of extended compact pickups (awful!) and did a cross-country trip rotating in the back seat of a mid-90s Dodge dually extended cab (pretty painful). I'm over 6' and so are my hunting/camping buddies who would most likely be riding back there.

Thanks and I look forward to absorbing as much of the knowledge I can from the members here!

 

[The Adam Blaster]

It's been my experience that they are not very comfortable, I'm 5'10, but have long legs and I have been pretty cramped back there.

If it's for short (less than 20 minutes) trips around town, then I'd say go with the ext. cab.
But if you ever think you'll want to take a couple people in the back seat on longer trips, go for the full size rear seats. And the plus side is that on a f/s truck, you can sleep on that back seat, or flip the seat up and sleep on the floor.

Unless it was my 3rd vehicle, I don't think I would ever own an ext. cab over a crew cab again.

 

[chasespeed]

It really boils down to what you intend to REALISTICALLY, and frequently use the back seat for. I've had, crew cab ford(pre- Super Duty) A Super Duty SuperCab(extended cab w/ suicide doors), and currently, a R/C Ram.

The 4 doors on the Ford Crew, were great, but, that thing was LONG. a major PITA maneuvering off road anywhere, other than the beach. But, again, huge cab....

The Super Duty, was my favorite set-up. Super Cab, short bed(6.5ft). Not TOO long, plenty of room in the cab for 4 adults on a longer trip(though, truth be told, I'm only 5'8, and most of my buddies fall into the 5'7-5'11 category. The kids had plenty of room. The interior of that truck was MUCH MUCH nicer than anything else I have ever had.

And my Reg Cab, well, I hate it. I need the back seat with the 2 kids. But, I'm stuck with it for a while.

My onpinion. A lot will depend on where you wheel, and how much of a difference the wheelbase would make, plus, your desired space.

Chase

 

[brianjwilson]

I'm not sure if you are referring to strictly 3/4 ton and up or half ton, but the back seat of my 2006 F150 SuperCrew is awesome. I'm 6', and with the front seats in a comfortable position for me, I still have extra leg room in the back seat. The angle of the seatback is comfortable as well. My truck has the shorter 5'7" bed, the wheel base is only 139" if I remember right, and I swear it turns a lot sharper than my Ford Ranger ever did. The SuperCab version of the F150 is "okay" but not ideal for four adults for a long trip.
The backseat of a Tacoma (even four door) is terrible if you ask me, and the Nissan Frontier is even worse.

Here are a couple of pictures of mine, they were taken to show the floor mats but you can get an idea of the leg room.

 

[bftank]

if your friends are 6' + the extended cab is not an option.

i own a dodge quad cab, and have owned an '03 f350 crewcab. the crew cab was perfect and pretty capable offroad. unless you're running jeep trails in the woods, or the hammers. i wouldn't worry about the length.

i am 6'1ish and friends are 6' +.

there was a crewcab shortbox that ford made pre '98 if length is a concern.

 

[deserteagle56]

From someone who has owned all 3 - regular cab, extended cab, and crew cab - if you will be hauling people, even kids, in that back seat, go for the crew cab. The extra length is not that much of a big deal off road but that extended wheelbase makes for a better ride and more stable ride. Your family will love you for it!

 

[brianjwilson]

If you want something smaller and more trail friendly, while still seating four comfortably and having a place to throw animals and gear....

This is my last truck when I lived in Oregon. It's an 05 Explorer Sport Trac 4x4, with a 3" lift, 33x12.50s, 4.88 gears, front and rear aussie lockers, sway bar disconnects and lift shackles.
It was a great rig! Plenty of power (especially geared low), reliable, fit basically anywhere a Jeep could go, and comfortably sat four adults. I always got plenty of odd looks on the Jeep trails.
There were four of us in there on a regular basis, playing in the mountains, shooting, taking trips to the mountain for snowboarding, etc. The sport tracs are pretty lame looking in stock form, but look great with minimal work and can be very capable.
They are based on the Ranger frame, sharing the front suspension, with the Explorer's rear spring-under 31 spline 8.8 with discs and 4.0L V6.

I would have loved to keep it but my needs changed.

 

[jayshapiro]

decisions, decisions...

Why choose one or the other, when it only takes a sawzall and a few hours and you can have both!

:elkgrin:
Cheers,
Jay.

 

[zuren]

Thanks for the replies so far!

bftank - So the 3rd Generation Ram 2500's (2003-2008) with a "Quad Cab" really isn't that spacious? On Wikipedia, their article states that the 3rd Gen. Dodge "Quad Cab" is nothing more than an extended cab with conventional opening doors.

So here are my initial list of "wants" that I have for 2nd/3rd vehicle. My girlfriend and I are moving in together so technically this will be a 3rd vehicle for us, me, or friends to go adventuring in:

- 4x4
- manual tranny
- $10,000-15,000 (something I can pay cash; I don't want a loan payment)
- can seat up to three 6'+ guys in relative comfort for long distances (1000+ mi.)
- diesel (ideally)
- decent fuel economy
- can pull a small trailer (future desire)
- can get down a "high clearance vehicle" road; not looking for a rock crawler or something meant for Jeep trails
- can carry a good amount of gear (3 guys and their hunting/fishing/mtn. biking/camping equipment).
- capable of providing sleeping quarters (slide-in camper, cap with camping platform in the bed, etc.)

For the time being I'm located in New England and want to explore the northern reaches of the area. I'm from rural MI and my girlfriend grew up out West; we have talked about ending up somewhere other than here (economy willing). I'm not really one to buy a vehicle for a single purpose or turn vehicles over every couple years. My desire for a diesel platform is due to my interest in alternative fuels (biodiesel, waste veggie oil, etc.), their longevity (I plan to own this for a LONG time), the ability to easily tow (grew up on boats on the Great Lakes and would love to own something one day) and the smaller penalty you pay in fuel consumption if loaded with a trailer, camper, etc. So my current realistic needs are well below the capability of a Ram 2500 diesel or a Ford F250 Powerstroke but I have goals that I think a truck like this would fill nicely. I think a full size 4x4 van built out as a mild camper would also fill my wants but most are automatics, 4x4 is rare, diesel engine is rare and fuel economy is in the teens. So I'm trying to zero in on a truck that I will be happy with and offer future flexibility.

But again, I'm open to suggestion! Thanks for the Sport Trac pics! If I elect to forego the diesel engine, this would be a candidate.

 

[brianjwilson]

Based on what you're saying, I would be looking for a 99-02 F250/F350 7.3L six speed 4x4 crew cab short bed, that has higher miles but is well maintained.

The 4x4 diesel van will be very difficult to find. You are looking at a Sportsmobile most likely, but it will not fit into your price range and still be an automatic.

Diesel rules out almost anything below 3/4 ton.

 

[chasespeed]

I agree, the early S/D with the CC, and a short bed. There was also a few crew cab, short bed, OBS model F250s made.

The only problem with up here, most trails are tough on these full size trucks. My fenders are pretty dinged up from trying to squeeze into some spots.

Go with the S/D. Solid front axle. A leveling kit allows 35s with no problem. Plenty of aftermarket support. And the cabs are very comfortable.

The Great North Woods of Maine has TONS AND TONS of old logging roads and the like. I was hopping to make a trip up there this summer, but, that's out of the picture for now.

Chase

 

[cocco78]

Thanks for the replies so far!

bftank - So the 3rd Generation Ram 2500's (2003-2008) with a "Quad Cab" really isn't that spacious? On Wikipedia, their article states that the 3rd Gen. Dodge "Quad Cab" is nothing more than an extended cab with conventional opening doors.

Wikipedia is dumb, the info on that site is not factual.

No, it is alot bigger than an extended cab truck. Go find one and sit in the back, an adult could sit back there no problem. An added bonus is how nice the rear seats fold and there is storage under the seat and a fold out flat cargo floor. It really just is slightly smaller than a crew cab, really a nice trade off.

 

[Rovertrader]

gotta chime in. I've had a bunch of trucks, mostly Ford, and the CC SD and now the 150s are huge. However, that comes at the expense of additional wheelbase. I have an '07 Dodge PW with wife and two kids and think it is the best compromise in terms of comfort/room and wheelbase. Just my 2 cents... It is all a trade off- what is the primary function of the truck, and what are the ancillary task? How much are you willing to compromise on each end of the equation? The PW Quad Cab is a JK Unlimitted Rubicon on steroids- and already has the hemi- hard to beat!!

 

[cowboy63645]

Just my .02, but the 01-03 Ford F150 supercrew's are great trucks as well. I owned an 02' supercrew, 4x4, 5.4 and auto tranny( no manual option from the factory) I cranked the torsion bars a little, stuck 285/75/16's under it, along with 4.10 gears and a rear locker and it would go most anywhere I wanted it to. However, if you can find one, a pre 99 Ford F-250 4 door short bed with the 7.3 and a 5 speed would be my pick. Still has all of the aftermarket support of the newer trucks, great styling, comftorable, and reliable. I have owned 2 of these, both with over 300,000 miles and without one ounce of trouble from either one. They can be had cheap now days, mainly because of the high mileage, but there great trucks!

 

[jasonL_031]

i just picked up a 2010 f150 crew and i am loving the extra space huge cab. and really good fuel milage.... getting 950-1000 kms on a tank of gas.... was really impressed especially since the power wagon only gets 600 if i am lucky if i get 700 kms on a tank