p nut
butter
Lifted 4x4 Econoline or Express would be cool. (Hope you're not talking about Sienna's and the like.) That would be a great way to get around Utah backcountry.
Need recommendations for a family vehicle.
- Thread starter edwardmatt83
- Start date
Lifted 4x4 Econoline or Express would be cool. (Hope you're not talking about Sienna's and the like.) That would be a great way to get around Utah backcountry.
darkjedi351
Observer
I'm also a father of 4 and my wife used to provide daycare services. we had a 15 passenger e350 van and I had a jeep grand Cherokee. we used the van for everything from travel softball, camping, skiing and all other family type trips.
It would of been the do all if it was a 4x4 van. my vote is for a van, excursion/suburban. the smaller utes are too small for 4 kids. with the bigger ones you can keep the car seats on the 2nd row with the doors and have the older kids in the 3rd row
It would of been the do all if it was a 4x4 van. my vote is for a van, excursion/suburban. the smaller utes are too small for 4 kids. with the bigger ones you can keep the car seats on the 2nd row with the doors and have the older kids in the 3rd row
legendaryandrew
Adventurer
I love mine, and I always will. It's deceptively large in back, I've fit full size couches, full kitchen dining table/chair sets, over 1k pounds of guns and gear, along with 4 dudes, tools, etc.... All while being able to close the hatch. I've only had 1 thing go wrong in 4 years, and it was a fuel pump. Easy but a bit spendy. It's super comfortable to drive, and even lifted it tracks straight, and has a relatively tight turning radius. That and the bed is about the size of a twin bed, and I happen to have a twin sized air mattress 
Fit and finish leave things to be desired, but it's functional and easy to disassemble and fix. The IFS is more stout than people give it credit for, I've talked to tons of people 'who know a guy that has blown up 3 ifs in the last year' but never have I actually met 'the guy.' I'm biased though. I have one, and I just so happen to love it.
Fit and finish leave things to be desired, but it's functional and easy to disassemble and fix. The IFS is more stout than people give it credit for, I've talked to tons of people 'who know a guy that has blown up 3 ifs in the last year' but never have I actually met 'the guy.' I'm biased though. I have one, and I just so happen to love it.Yukon XL or Burb, period. Especially if you are packing kids. When I take the family camping (wife unit and 5 kids + chocolate lab), they like to camp in comfort and we use EVERY SQUARE INCH of our '01 Yukon XL. When I go out to mine for gold I can fit my completely assembled "3 Keene dredge, finishing equipment, coolers full of beer, tents, etc. in the back of it.
When and if anything goes wrong with it, parts are readily available and for the most part, inexpensive. The motors in any late model Chev/GMC is hands down the most reliable power plant on the market today. And they are easy enough to work on that a reading level above the 6th grade, basic metric tools and a chiltons manual will fix anything. And the amount of aftermarket modifications on the motor is RIDICULOUS.
A mid 2000 model can be had at a really good price on the market. Make sure you go with the 6.0 liter, the 5.3 is a great motor but the 6.0 does much better when it comes to towing and the rig is heavy enough to begin with. The only thing I would suggest is that you have an independent mechanic inspect prior to purchase. There are a lot of these on the used car market and most of them have been driven.....A LOT. Mine is an '01 and has 110K on it ad its considered low mileage for the year. Most I have seen for sale recently that are around the same year are pushing 200K or well over and beat up.
Long story short, they are a great vehicle and great for the family. If your chitlins are younger, make sure you get a DVD player in it. I had one put in before a road trip with all the kids and bluetooth headsets........it was the quietest road trip we ever took. Worth every penny I spent on it.
When and if anything goes wrong with it, parts are readily available and for the most part, inexpensive. The motors in any late model Chev/GMC is hands down the most reliable power plant on the market today. And they are easy enough to work on that a reading level above the 6th grade, basic metric tools and a chiltons manual will fix anything. And the amount of aftermarket modifications on the motor is RIDICULOUS.
A mid 2000 model can be had at a really good price on the market. Make sure you go with the 6.0 liter, the 5.3 is a great motor but the 6.0 does much better when it comes to towing and the rig is heavy enough to begin with. The only thing I would suggest is that you have an independent mechanic inspect prior to purchase. There are a lot of these on the used car market and most of them have been driven.....A LOT. Mine is an '01 and has 110K on it ad its considered low mileage for the year. Most I have seen for sale recently that are around the same year are pushing 200K or well over and beat up.
Long story short, they are a great vehicle and great for the family. If your chitlins are younger, make sure you get a DVD player in it. I had one put in before a road trip with all the kids and bluetooth headsets........it was the quietest road trip we ever took. Worth every penny I spent on it.
vrtsid
New member
My 2c:
We had an identical debate in our house, and we landed on the AWD Astro, mostly for price(4k)/availability(my friend was selling it)
And we love it, but that said, its beginning to show its age, I plan on driving it until it dies an unrecoverable/unaffordable death. So we have begun lifecycle planning
Im leaning towards something diesel, and 4wd/AWD is a must.
and we landed on...
We had an identical debate in our house, and we landed on the AWD Astro, mostly for price(4k)/availability(my friend was selling it)
And we love it, but that said, its beginning to show its age, I plan on driving it until it dies an unrecoverable/unaffordable death. So we have begun lifecycle planning
Im leaning towards something diesel, and 4wd/AWD is a must.
and we landed on...
p nut
butter
Mini vans in Utah back country? There are so many roads that you need a high-clearance vehicle for. Transit would get chewed up and spit out pretty fast. Granted, there are enough tamer roads out there to keep you entertained, but I wouldn't bother with one.
justbecause
perpetually lost
I know there are people who roll 7 deep in a land cruiser, but I dont know how they do it. We had the 3rd row out for camping gear. and 1 middle seat removed for the dog. It was damn near perfect for the 3 of us (one of us being k9)
I would get an excursion before suburban for the front axle.
The second reason being access to the rear. I liked my trooper so much more than my 80 series because there wasnt a tailgate in the way when you were trying to reach something in the rear. It was a real struggle for my 5'2" wife to reach up (after the 2.5" OME kit and 33s) and get something that was pressed up against the rear seat. with an excursion you get the lift gate, keeps you out of the rain when loading groceries, and two little barn doors that swing out of the way. It also gives you the option of letting longer things (2x4s or what ever) ride hanging out of the back and still secured in the vehicle. As far as I know the only two rear options for a burban are liftgate/tailgate, full barn doors, or single full rear lift door minivan thing.
I would get an excursion before suburban for the front axle.
The second reason being access to the rear. I liked my trooper so much more than my 80 series because there wasnt a tailgate in the way when you were trying to reach something in the rear. It was a real struggle for my 5'2" wife to reach up (after the 2.5" OME kit and 33s) and get something that was pressed up against the rear seat. with an excursion you get the lift gate, keeps you out of the rain when loading groceries, and two little barn doors that swing out of the way. It also gives you the option of letting longer things (2x4s or what ever) ride hanging out of the back and still secured in the vehicle. As far as I know the only two rear options for a burban are liftgate/tailgate, full barn doors, or single full rear lift door minivan thing.
rayra
Expedition Leader
The glass lifts up independently, within the full lift back. So you get all the things, ease of reaching in with no tailgate, the full top cover / shade / rain protection, and the glass open when you want the airflow or need something to stick out the back. But as I showed above, a full 4'x8' sheet product will fit behind the front seats and with the hatch(es) fully closed. And I can easily fit 10' planks / beams / pipes up the center, hatches closed. And I've even put 12' trim mouldings inside on the diagonal from front right to rear left, with everything closed up.
legendaryandrew
Adventurer
Haha one of the main reasons I went burb instead of ex was the rear access. Who in their right mind ever thought a 3 piece rear door was a good idea?! I thought it was stupid honestly. In a lot of ways I preferred the clam shell style of my fzj80, but realistically the burb rear lift hatch is smarter. You get access through the glass like rayra mentioned, plus far more rain/snow coverage with the whole hatch up. The only thing the burb is missing IMO that I really wish it had was slide open side glass in the rear compartment, like the 80 series has. That would make using it as a sleeping area much nicer.