What's better Truck or Van ? PROS/CONS ? I have to buy one soon...

This is a tough choice...I'm doing construction work and I need to buy something to work out of.

At first glance it seems like a Van is the better choice...many used ones have bins and ladder racks already installed.

A Van can hold more stuff, and you don't have to worry about stuff flying out. The bins are great for tools and supplies.

I don't think I will need a 4x4, so 2WD is fine...

Trucks are good if you need to haul trash (dirt, etc). But overall I can't see the advantage, except there are more of them for sale which can mean more choices (options, colors, etc) and better/lower prices.

Am I missing something with a Truck, now for towing, a truck is a must...but I can't think what else...

I'm going to pick something up this week, so I'd like to here the pros and cons of both.

Post reply here please,

Steve

Reply to
steve
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If all you're moving is tools and equipment, get a van. If you require the cargo flexibility of a truck, then you'll need one.

Reply to
Stephen Bigelow

And a secure and heated area. Keeps tools and supplies in better shape.

In general you can tow as much as a pickup BUT you are limited to bumper tow units NO fifth wheel. My 2500 conversion van is set up for 10K tow weight.

Biggest problem with a van is ladders. But there are swing down racks that make it easy.

Reply to
Steve W.

Try dropping something in the back of your van that requires a forklift or a hoist. I haul more engines than I do drywall, so I need a truck. (I've put a SBC in the back of my S15 Jimmy, but it's a lotta work...) try moving a fridge in a van. How about loading/unloading a table saw? How about dropping in a load of shingles in your van?

Are you an electrician? Plumber? Carpenter? Bricklayer?

Ray

Reply to
ray

Use a FT to load and unload my old Fed-Ex CC Van a lot. No problem at all. You need to get a cherry picker for lifting your engines if your having problems, I have a dual cradle that allows you to put up to 4 engines on it that fits in the back also. Comes in handy when race season comes and folks want two or three done at a time. Full size TS is a pain regardless of the vehicle. That is why a local guy had me make him one that has wheels and handles. Plus the tables fold down. Shingles wouldn't be a problem as long as you plan on picking them up. Just use a lift to slide the skid in. and a pallet grabber and chain to pull them back out.

Reply to
Steve W.

I've had both trucks and vans, and I mostly use them for racing, not for construction day to day. I like the van option the best. It's nice to be able to lock the van and have soem sense of security about the tools in the back. But you have to back it up with a trailer for the loads of dirt, rocks, furniture moving, etc.

My engine hoist drops engines right in the back of the van, no problem.

Brian

Reply to
Brian

steve wrote in rec.autos.tech

A pickup can hold big stuff, and sometimes can be easier to get things out of. When traveling on the road you have to cover your load, or stand a chance of losing it and causing an accident. You also have the problem of the stuff being far easier to steal. Plus it will get wet when it rains. A van may not be able to carry as much, but it is protected from the weather, from road hazards, and from thieves. Plus a van is easier to sleep in when needed. To me, unless you are planning on carrying something oversized then a van would be a far better choice. Especially if you have to leave the van unattended while you work.

Reply to
Dick C

What kind of construction work, that's the main question. It has implications about the size and shape of materials, whether they're things you want inside with you, and sometimes weight. Also rainproofing.

Also think about whether you actually intend to use the vehicle as a workbench or a mount for one, or just as a way to haul stuff to a jobsite and set up outside the vehicle.

Vans tend to be nicer for hauling your helpers around, if that's relevant.

Consider whether a van and either a flatbed or a stakeside trailer gives you the best of both worlds. Or a Suburban-class SUV and perhaps a trailer. They offer somewhat vanlike interior room with a more accessible roof rack (and different door options, maybe better, maybe not, depending again on what you're doing). Most full-sized vans and SUVs can tow a decent receiver-hitch-type trailer if properly equipped.

Sometimes you see a customized van called a "cutaway" for fifth-wheel or gooseneck duty, and I suppose you could put on removeable sides so as to have a little truck bed when not towing such a trailer. I think they're expensive, though. The advantage over a three-quarter-ton-and-upwards pickup is better passenger room and comfort, though crew-cab pickups have come a long way in the last several years in that department, and are much more commonly available with turbodiesel engines.

If you're looking at extremes of towing or bedload, note also that pickups can be optioned a lot higher in that area than most vans or SUVs -- some of them are really shading into what we used to think of as a medium truck in their capability and equipment.

Speaking of expense, talk to your tax man before proceeding, if you are running your own business and can deduct things rather than just working a job and being out of pocket for the requisite vehicle. Something scratching in the catbox that used to be my mind suggests that vehicles above gross weight, in the hands of a contractor, get some kind of particular tax advantage. This came up in a news article several months ago about the popularity (besides the obvious technical reasons) of large pickups and SUVs among contractors. Wouldn't want to let an angle like that get by, if you're eligible.

Best of luck,

--Joe

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