Moving from Wrangler to Full Size maybe need advice

[ACFaulk]

I'm a jeep guy(04 TJ) and have out grown it. I have an 11 year old and wife and we look like the beverly hillbillys whenever we go camping in it. Thinking a larger truck or tahoe might be my next rig. thought my son and i could also use the use the bed of the truck as a camper and sleep in it when the wife is not with us. My question is how do the bigger Chevy, GMC, Ford, Tahoes perform offroad? I have never wheeled them. I know it will be different but I'm thinking of something around a 2010 year and a V8.

Thoughts?

 

[ExplorerTom]

Here in CO, full sized vehicles are not a common sight on trails. They are just too wide. Georgia might be different.

What about a mid-size instead? Either an SUV or pickup. Still fits in those same places as the TJ but with more cargo room.

 

[Trophycummins]

Owner of 4 door diesel 2500 here. It fits just about everywhere with a little patience.

 

[ACFaulk]

love the pics! still debating different platforms. Found some cool diesels. Early Ford 250s. 02 and 03 with the 7.3 engine. Not a diesel guy...hows the maintenance compared to a gas engine.

 

[redthies]

My thoughts are that if you are going to go fullsize, you might as well go HD. it is very easy to load the space up well beyond the capacity of a 1/2 ton. I would also add 5.9 Cummins powered Dodges to your research. They are known for needing front end work, but that can be solved with a one time investment in some quality (Carli or Dynatrac) ball joints. I would far rather fix my front end once, than deal with the issues that come with the acronym-mobile. HPOP, CPS, GPM, FICM, etc all equal big dollars, and potential time hooked to a tow truck. I've owned a couple of OBS (96 & 97) Ford 7.3s and they are definitely stout trucks, but there is not the same reliability in the Ford diesels as there is in the Cummins.

The long and short is, there is a whole lot of research in your future. I'd suggest finding which options suit you best, and maybe go drive a few so you can see if one or the other turns you on or off. It's all just hearsay until you see if you like driving them.

 

[wagex]

i just sold my TJ for something bigger, ended up getting an 01 land rover disco 2, already took it on a couple short trips since buying it on saturday much more comfortable... considering since having the 3rd kid we had to take the journey out to the river lol! and ALOOOOT more storage in the rear.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

My buddy has a Rubicon Unlimited , and it is spacious by Jeep standards, but you won't be sleeping in it. I have an '05 Power Wagon, Quad Cab/short bed with a cab-high shell and a rack, and it has been a great truck. One of the guys on the PW Forum has a huge camper on his and he takes it all over CA on trails it will barely fit thru. The PWs will go anywhere a Rover or Cruiser will, as long as they can physically fit.

Fbenross's big *** camper on a 3G PW.

A 4G Cummins with ARB rack and custom ladder.

My 3G PW with water tank and bag awning.

 

[armymgdude]

My buddy has a Rubicon Unlimited , and it is spacious by Jeep standards, but you won't be sleeping in it. I have an '05 Power Wagon, Quad Cab/short bed with a cab-high shell and a rack, and it has been a great truck. One of the guys on the PW Forum has a huge camper on his and he takes it all over CA on trails it will barely fit thru. The PWs will go anywhere a Rover or Cruiser will, as long as they can physically fit.

Fbenross's big *** camper on a 3G PW.

A 4G Cummins with ARB rack and custom ladder.

My 3G PW with water tank and bag awning.

I vote Power Wagon too. I may be biased since the silver regular cab is mine

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[kmcoop7]

full size

I wheel full size crew cab long bed trucks all over Colorado. Lots of places where the only other vehicles are atv's. They fit anywhere you want them to. You can fit them where ever you have the skill to fit them.

Diesel is way more maintenance than gas. Parts are more money too. Lots of modern HD truck gas engines are fine through 300k. The vintage diesels you are looking at are the most problematic. Even the supposedly reliable 7.3 will need some work given the age most of those are at. Cummins of that vintage will be most reliable.

I would give the nod to an HD if you are going to wheel it hard or ever get a camper. If you are just going to drive forest roads, and put a topper on it. Get an F150 crew with the 6.5' bed if you want to sleep in it. You could get a 2009-2010 vintage f150 with 150k for the same price as the 15yr old diesels you are looking at that have likely been beat and have closer to 200k on them.

 

[kmcoop7]

wheeling ability

Ford or dodge HD trucks will have the best potential for wheeling.

F150 or Dodge 1500 in 1/2 ton flavor are pretty good wheelers as are the Tundras.

If you are coming from a Jeep, you will find GM products lacking in off road capability. This is personal opinion based on trying lots of stupid things in all of the above mentioned vehicles.

Midsize trucks are fine, but you wont like sleeping in the back of one, especially if you have ever slept in a truck with an 8' bed.

 

[kmcoop7]

gen 1 crew tundra

Check out some gen 1 (2005-2006) crew cab tundras. I think you might be surprised by them.

- reliable
- good wheelers
- not expensive to do mild mods
- 6.5' bed in 140" wheel base
- reasonably priced
- good v8 power
- roomy back seat.

 

[rayra]

You can get a GMT800 series 2006 Tahoe for $6-7k, much less than the 2010. And only need to put a small portion of the savings into maintenance and upgrades. They've got a good bit more room above a TJ, with a lot of similarity in form and function. I personally think the steering end links are too spindly for much rock or rut action, but I haven't upgraded those in either of ours as of yet. Beyond that, they've cruised and crawled all the access roads and fire trails I care to drive thru.
And for about the same price you can go full land yacht and get the Suburban. MPG is about the same, 14-16 mixed depending on your driving habits. And it doesn't matter much if you load it full, either.

If your off-roadign includes a lot of hills or ditches, I suggest the Tahoe vs the Sub, for its shorter wheel base and better departure angle. Such as it is.

They're exceedingly comfortable travel vehicles, too. Long road trips in great comfort.

 

[eggman918]

Been driving my full size on trails in the mountains for over 25 years and the best advice I can give is when your gut starts to tell you that the trail might be getting too narrow and you see a place that you could turn around stop and walk ahead a bit to get the lay of the land.............in the early years with my truck I was forced to back down trails for WAY too far, no fun without a spotter on a too narrow a trail with mountain on one side and cliff on other...........$.02

 

[justcuz]

I just touched on this in another thread. Your 11 year old is still growing.
I went from a Baja Bug to a Jeep, shortbed truck, long bed truck, Jeep Chrokee and finally a Suburban.
Skip all the middle steps and go full size. If you can afford it keep the Jeep to flat tow and use for the tight stuff when you are expecting it.
Most true overlanding does not require a small vehicle, or even a solid axle (though preferable).
If I could do it all over again, I would have bought the 3/4 ton Travelall I was first looking at and been done with it.

 

[ACFaulk]

Lovin all this info! Appreciate everyone's input. Did not even get my TJ listed and already got two people interested just from word of mouth so next step is to Drive some stuff but I like the idea of skipping the "next" car and going to the one that I'll most likely end up with. So many options. Again I really appreciate all the input feel free to keep it coming