Pick-up or van

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
buggyspapa

buggyspapa

Member
Nov 26, 2011
82
Scarborough, Maine
So, currently I don't know anyone with a truck. A guy I work with got rid of his this spring. I am thinking about buying something under $3k. I've always had vans before because pick-ups seemed to have a lot of wasted space, and I needed covered space. As an experiment, I rented a 3/4 ton van this weekend to retrieve a couple of loads of black locust. She was squatting pretty good on the load in the pix. I thought it went pretty well...as long as I stayed on the driveway. On the second load I had to unstick the rear wheels from the mud. PITA. I definitely feel like I could get more into the van, and loading wasn't too bad, even with green locust in 6 to 8' lengths. Not sitting as high a 4x4 pick-up is very convenient.

Now, vans are definitely unsexy, and cramped up front. And finding a decent, used, 4x4 van is nearly impossible. Pick-up would carry less, but is a bit more versatile. Van engines are a PITA to work on. I guess I'm thinking out loud here and answering my own question. Pros and cons, anyone?

Does anyone have any experience with 4x4 vans? If I could find in a reasonable amount of time, I might prefer that over the pick-up, but I haven't seen one in three months of watching CL here in Maine. I could go to Boston and look, but it's two hours and a headache.
Van load of bl locust 1.jpgVan of bl locust2.jpg
 
Only 4x4 vans that I know about our minivans and you would over load one of them. But a 4x4 astro van could pull a trailer. They have a 4.3 in them.
 
buggyspapa said:
So, currently I don't know anyone with a truck. A guy I work with got rid of his this spring. I am thinking about buying something under $3k. I've always had vans before because pick-ups seemed to have a lot of wasted space, and I needed covered space. As an experiment, I rented a 3/4 ton van this weekend to retrieve a couple of loads of black locust. She was squatting pretty good on the load in the pix. I thought it went pretty well...as long as I stayed on the driveway. On the second load I had to unstick the rear wheels from the mud. PITA. I definitely feel like I could get more into the van, and loading wasn't too bad, even with green locust in 6 to 8' lengths. Not sitting as high a 4x4 pick-up is very convenient.

Now, vans are definitely unsexy, and cramped up front. And finding a decent, used, 4x4 van is nearly impossible. Pick-up would carry less, but is a bit more versatile. Van engines are a PITA to work on. I guess I'm thinking out loud here and answering my own question. Pros and cons, anyone?

Does anyone have any experience with 4x4 vans? If I could find in a reasonable amount of time, I might prefer that over the pick-up, but I haven't seen one in three months of watching CL here in Maine. I could go to Boston and look, but it's two hours and a headache.
View attachment 66558View attachment 66559
Click to expand...

Van. Definitely van. That's what everyone really want to haul wood with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
seriouisly brother, you can't be seriously considering a van over a truck for firewood!?!? Apparently you have never cut up any wood with carpenter ants in it, you load that wood in a van and those ants would be all over the damb thing........not to mention if you want to use a truck for hauling stone, mulch, sand etc. you ain't gonna do that stuff in a van. Get that crazy notion outta yer head and get a 4x4 truck, you'll thank me for talking some sense to ya down the road. Trust me.......
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeff_t
All fullsize 4x4 vans I've ever seen are custom conversions. You might find one in the used market, but they are pretty scarce. And then there are the bugs.
I get a lot more use out of a trailer. Easier to load, too.
 
If you're set with a van, the all-wheel-drive Chevy Astro would about your only option. Around me at least, they are cheap and you may have luck finding one under 3k.

That being said, get a truck. What else do you need a van for? Family? I know you said you need covering, but what about a topper? If we're just talking about wood hauling here, you can't dispute a truck. If you get anything but a truck for whatever reason, just get a 5X8 or so trailer to throw the wood in.
 
I haven't owned a pickup in 20 yrs. Only van. Yes they have some short comings in that you wouldn't have 4WD (unless you order it new that way)and I don't haul wood inside my van only in dump trailer behind. But here is the pros. They typically cost alot less and are just as heavy duty as any PU. My van has 4600 lb payload capacity and I pull a 24' tandem deckover trailer behind. I have seating for 4 that is way more roomy than even a double cab PU and all my gear is dry and secure. Even new a van can cost typically 10K less than a PU comparably equipped.
But if I ever buy something else the cab over Izuzu's can be had even cheaper and in 4WD with a ton of options for the bed. 19-26,000lb GVW cab overs are easy to find and would make quite a log hauler.
 
Actually you can find used Chevy Express full size vans with the factory AWD system. It's a very good AWD system but it's not true 4WD. Some of them also come with a factory locking rear diff.
 
BrianK said:
Actually you can find used Chevy Express full size vans with the factory AWD system. It's a very good AWD system but it's not true 4WD. Some of them also come with a factory locking rear diff.
Click to expand...
Only problem with that AWD on the vans is it was only available on 1500 series. My Express is a 3500 but was available in 4WD if optioned before delivery.
 
Hmm, I've seen numerous Ford, full size, 4x4 vans here in Maine. Well, okay, probably a dozen. I know they exist, I just never heard about anyone's experiences. (I work in an airport parking facility. Sooner or later we see everything ever built.) Most of them seem to be driven by guides or people from upstate that aren't foolin' around. Winches, big racks, brush guards and serious tires. Mud everywhere.

I am regularly disappointed by what can't be done with the F250 and GMC one ton dump at my job. Ex cab seems to be the only way to go with a pickup. I lobbied for a dump stake body instead of the standard dump. Before we got that dump, I shoveled at least a half dozen loads of mulch each summer out of that damn pickup bed, and I don't believe there are many advantages over a decent wheelbarrow. Other than mounting a plow and carrying a sander, I can't believe how useless a pickup is sometimes. Weather? Oops, you now have a 21' long car with very expensive upkeep.

I'm not talking about vans with passenger seats, people. Cargo vans, and if you've never used one, you'd be surprised what you can do with one. No, you can't load over the side, but you've got 5 foot "sides" that trump the paltry 2' you get on a pickup. I once had 6000 lbs of business forms on my E250 and went from Philly to Manhattan. Yes, I was young and foolish, but only because the brakes couldn't hold up their end. They are built to take weight and don't waste 4' on covering up the engine.

Thanks for confirming that wkpoor. My impression has always been that vans are undervalued, especially in the used market. Oh, man, those cabover 4x4s are cool. Mitsubishi sells one, too. We were told that mounting a plow to one is fiddly and not well supported, otherwise we would have gotten one at work. I gather you don't haul wood inside because of the seats... which I don't really need. I am not fond of trailers, but I suppose it's an option. Seems like you're the only person around here with a bit of perspective.

Scotty, no, thankfully I've never picked up any wood with ants, and you have a point. Even with a barrier, vans tend to get filthy up front quickly. And they don't heat up or cool off worth a s**t unless you have a solid, insulated barrier. Definitely a plus to the pickup.

Brian, I'll have to look into that. The Ford I rented had a button for TCS (traction control system) now that I think about it...should have pushed that in the mud! Doh.

Red, in 99% of your posts, I don't know why you bother. Either your brand of humor is just not well suited for the written word, or...

Thanks,
Steve
 
We had a 12 passenger Ford E350 van a couple years back. We would take out all the rear seats and use it to haul just about anything. It was HUGE inside with all those seats out.

But it was a pig in mud or bad weather. I had to use studded snow tires and put several hundred pounds of sand bags over the rear axle to get it to go anywhere during the winter. And even with the weight there was no finessing it. If the roads were bad you just had to floor it and get the limited slip rear to kick in to get moving.

I do miss that van though. I can see the utility but it would destroy my back trying to load and unload firewood in that thing. Too much crouching reaching and straining with that long body and enclosed roof.

I'll keep my 4x4 Expedition and 6x16 dual axle trailer.
 
Steve my van is a panel also but I mounted 2 flex steel captains chairs behind the front seats and installed 4 pt harnesses. Then I have 8' behind the seats. I bought it new and keep it very clean so I wouldn't want to haul wood inside but I have a buddy who had a panel van for years and hauled wood in it. Another option for serious wood hauling is cutaway vans. They are mostly in dually form with bigger taller boxes. However will admit there off roadability may not be so great. There was a cab over 26,000GVW near me for sale for 3K but it had a little more rust than I wanted to deal with. I have seen them perfectly rust free for not much more. They have such a narrow market they seem to sell very cheap used. Saw a real nice one ton and half with dump bed not long ago. I think they use the Izuzu straight 6 diesel.
 
Had a 2001 Express 3500 with the 5.7L at one place I worked. Was 2wd and helpless in less than perfect traction situations but damn could that thing tow and haul. It was a maintenance mule so the huge covered cargo area was a must have. Gotta love that low load height. Got way better mpg than any of the pickups too. It's rumored that the 3500 can be ordered with the DirtyMax and 4WD. That would be one bad muthertrucker of a van.... >>

One safety note of hauling wood in a van kids, what happens if you gotta stop? I'd want a hell of a safety partition between me and the wood! And even then, in an accident? That's a whole lotta 10lb-200lb missliles to dodge!

4x4 Ext Cab truck with an 8ft Bed is going to be A LOT easier to find than a 4x4 van. They can be had for reasonable money as well. 2500's with suspension upgrades and 3500's (or Ford equivalents) with single rear wheels will haul a LOT of wood/weight in the bed without using a trailer and still maintain good off-road capability. Plus if/when the vehicle does need service, working on a truck is a LOT less frustrating/time-consuming than working on a van, at least up front. There are even some pickup-bed dump conversion kits that actually work pretty well for occasional firewood purposes. Let's see a van do that! ;)
 
Had a 2001 Express 3500 with the 5.7L at one place I worked. Was 2wd and helpless in less than perfect traction situations but damn could that thing tow and haul.
Click to expand...
Mine is an 02 with 5.7. Better tractor than other vans I've had but yes what you would expect from basically 1 wheel drive. But haul and tow real good. I pull my 10K lb tractor around with it.
 
Vote for a pick-up . . . simply for the mess . . . or more precisely, not having to sweep out the back every time you haul wood.
 
I couldn't imagine somebody loading a van with firewood, unless he was about 4'-6" tall. The bending would kill me and I'm not even that tall. I say open truck, 4x4 flatbed with removable sides in a perfect world.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bigg_Redd
MasterMech said:
It's rumored that the 3500 can be ordered with the DirtyMax and 4WD. That would be one bad muthertrucker of a van.... >>

...

Plus if/when the vehicle does need service, working on a truck is a LOT less frustrating/time-consuming than working on a van, at least up front.
Click to expand...

DMax in a van wrapper, with some extra moving parts underneath (xfer case, drive shaft, half-shafts) HAS to be an incredible PITA to service....probably even worse than the Ford 6.0 / 6.4 cab-off for almost everything nonsense.
 
Truck. Load from three sides, unload the same. Wood racks to increase load. Ability to have mulch or gravel dumped in the bed. Vans have a purpose but I would not use one as my main wood hauler.
 
lukem said:
DMax in a van wrapper, with some extra moving parts underneath (xfer case, drive shaft, half-shafts) HAS to be an incredible PITA to service....probably even worse than the Ford 6.0 / 6.4 cab-off for almost everything nonsense.
Click to expand...
Actually they aren't as bad as they used to be. Sure there is stuff that will always be somewhat challenging but then there are things easier on a van. I found all 8 plugs on the gasser to be accessable straight throught the wheel openings. Easiest plugs I ever done. Most of the motor is wide open with interior cover off. Hard stuff is in front down low.
 
Hey Flatbed, wouldn't you want a dumping stakebody for the perfect world? Or maybe a mini crane? I was looking at a 94 stake body with a lift gate tonight, only 88k, w/ and 8' plow. No price on it, but seems to be in reasonable shape. Has a sticker and 4 of 6 tires were new. (Man, that is an expensive proposition for rubber.) The way that rear end sits up though, gives me pause. It's like 2' higher than that E250. Loading that green BL was not that bad inside the van. Up to 8" in diameter, 8' lengths were pretty easy, over that it got a bit more intense. And I'm 6'3''.

flhipi: Loading from the side on a van is pretty easy, actually, with a big door there.. Much easier than over the side of the pickup.

wkpoor, you've got big ideas! My budget and aspirations can't hang with you. I get starry-eyed thinking about trucks those sizes, but I don't have a ice cube's chance in hell of making that pay for itself. I do appreciate your input. Sounds like you've got the whole van thing down to a science with that config.

My priorities for a wood hauling pickup have sorted themselves thusly:
1. 8' bed (if I want a short bed, I'll get a small truck, like a Ranger.)
2. 4x4. Wood just doesn't hike itself to driveways enough, and Maine is a rainy swamp, except where it's a rainy mountainside. And then there's the snow. If it were otherwise, a van it would be.
3. Ex-cab. Saw's got sit somewhere dry, and not displace wood.
4. 6 cyl. Preferably straight. Less gas, easier to work on. Force me to take an 8, okay.
5. Manual trans. I like to drive.
6. 3/4 ton. My nickname is "one more".

Great discussion, guys. Thanks!
 
My old man has an '85 F350 with a 8'x12' flatbed - 4' stake sides - dump bed. It's the greatest firewood truck of all time.
 
buggyspapa said:
My priorities for a wood hauling pickup have sorted themselves thusly:
1. 8' bed (if I want a short bed, I'll get a small truck, like a Ranger.)
Click to expand...

Take it from somebody who has driven compact trucks since he was 16.... There is a BIG difference in the amount of wood a full size half-ton will haul with a short-bed vs a mid-size with a 6 ft bed.

2. 4x4. Wood just doesn't hike itself to driveways enough, and Maine is a rainy swamp, except where it's a rainy mountainside. And then there's the snow. If it were otherwise, a van it would be.
Click to expand...

Agreed

3. Ex-cab. Saw's got sit somewhere dry, and not displace wood.
Click to expand...

Pull the rear seat if your not going to use it. Amazing how much room that frees up!

4. 6 cyl. Preferably straight. Less gas, easier to work on. Force me to take an 8, okay.
Click to expand...

Straight six ain't gonna happen unless you find an old Ford (mid 80's to early 90's) with the 4.9L.

5. Manual trans. I like to drive.

6. 3/4 ton. My nickname is "one more".
Click to expand...

Almost mutually exclusive in 3/4 ton (and larger) trucks. HD haulers with manual gearboxes are getting tougher to find with good reason. The autos are just plain better for trailers and heavy loads, especially if it's a GM truck. Less wear and tear and no clutch replacements. Ford/Dodge had some weak points for auto transmissions but they usually can be addressed before they fail and cost big $$. I love a manual box too (especially on a diesel!) but it's more for nostalgia reasons than practical ones.

If your nickname is "One More" then you should be looking hard for a single-wheel 1 ton. There out there, really popular with farmers.
 
buggyspapa said:
Hey Flatbed, wouldn't you want a dumping stakebody for the perfect world? Or maybe a mini crane? I was looking at a 94 stake body with a lift gate tonight, only 88k, w/ and 8' plow. No price on it, but seems to be in reasonable shape. Has a sticker and 4 of 6 tires were new. (Man, that is an expensive proposition for rubber.) The way that rear end sits up though, gives me pause. It's like 2' higher than that E250. Loading that green BL was not that bad inside the van. Up to 8" in diameter, 8' lengths were pretty easy, over that it got a bit more intense. And I'm 6'3''.
Click to expand...

I'd take the lift gate over the dump any day. I wouldn't want to dump my firewood because then Id have to pick it up again to split it. I split as I unload. Rounds come down off the truck, onto my chopping block. Gravity is your friend. The extra height of the flatbed can be a struggle, but I always take my Fiskars Super Spltting Axe with me and break the rounds into halves, quarters, or what ever it takes to make them manageable.

DSC06867.jpg


Unloading is made easier with my 6' pickeroon.

DSC06946.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Matt93eg
ATV Trailer needed, what do you think of this?
Replies
16
Views
2K
The Gear
Osage
Osage
P
Squirting Sugar Maples
Replies
6
Views
497
The Wood Shed
Max W
Max W
A
Pacific Energy Super 27 LE 1.5 year Review
Replies
7
Views
2K
Pacific Energy
Enplater
Enplater
G
Kuma K-180 (Aspen LE) Short Burn Times
Replies
4
Views
648
Kuma
Wisco Shepherd
Wisco Shepherd
N
Damper and air supply experience and experiment - NC30
Replies
23
Views
2K
SBI: Century,Drolet,Osburn,Valcourt,Englander
weee123
weee123
Top Bottom
Back