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Brainstorming my next rig. How to fit 4 mountain bikes inside a 4x4.

sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I'm really liking the idea of a utility shell. My bikes are around 74" tip to tail with the wheel on and 44" tall. I'd really love to be able to have exterior toolboxes/access hatches, or a drawer system inside, so it'd need to be pretty tall. I handn't considered shells with windows being easier to break into, thanks for bringing that up.

My buddy bought a 2011 F350 6.2l gasser yesterday and we drove around in it last night. It's 6-12 inches longer than the van, and his wheelbase is about 6" longer. I think he had a 7 foot bed or so. It wasn't enormous, but it wasn't small either. Very little ground clearance underneath. That's about the biggest I'd want to go. Bikes would easily fit in the back. It was helpful topark it next to the van and compare size.
 
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Deleted member 12904

Guest
I think you need a Tundra. If you're anything like me once I have my mind made up as much as you ill always regret not just getting what I want. It will do what you want it to do. You seem to have realistic expectations of how well it will do those things.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I wish I had measured it. I'll see if I can get him to measure it for me. I know it's over 74" because it fits his bikes in there without taking the wheels off. The bed (and cab) looked like this:

FUSFB-1112FORDRB1999-2014F250F350SuperDutyFusionRearOff-RoadBumper03.jpg


It wasn't as big as the silver one below. While the silver truck's huge bed would be awesome for storing gear, I fear it'd be too big for us to drive around town or to get groceries.

00-super_duty_6_inch_kit_series_1_49-26002.jpg


I'm not sure what size bed it was. That would have been helpful to measure. Maybe I can have him measure it for me today.
 
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nnnnnate

nnnnnate

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
WVC, UT
Looks like the short bed is 6.75' or 81" and the long bed is 98" or just a smidge over 8' for the 2011 F350.

I had a 2007 F350 crew cab long bed and it was an awesome truck but I had to park in a parking garage which sucked. I thought that a short bed would have been plenty bed, a little more nimble, and still had the room up front. I miss that truck.

Just checked specs on the Tundra vs F350 and it looks like the DC LB Tundra and F350 CC SB are both 246" long. The short Tundra is 228.7 and the long F350 is 263". tundra specs f350 specs

You and Tess had to get used to driving Fred right? You'll have to get used to either the Tundra or F350 as well and they are pretty close in size.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Yeah, I'm sure we'll get used to it. Tess still doesn't love driving Fred, it feels huge to her, but it's a necessary evil. Overall length isn't a huge factor for me, but a longer wheelbase is since it affects turns. I really like the bed size of the Ford.

Are any of Ford's naturally aspirated gas motors decent?]

A 6.5 foot bed will be big enough to fit bikes in it, but just barely. So, let's make a 6.5 bed a minimum bed size requirement.
 
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rholbrook

Well-Known Member
Location
Kaysville, Ut
I would normally buy a new truck every 2-3 years. I have not owned a Tundra or a Ram. Can bring myself to buy a Ram when the interiors fall apart and the seating is so uncomfortable IMO. The rear 1/2 ton middle seat is terrible. I do love the room behind the mega cab on the bigger Rams. The chevy/GMC has the most comfortable seating IMO. The rear seat on the Ford Eco-Boost is ginormous. My current truck is a 2012 Ford F150 Supercrew 3.5 ltr Eco-Boost with a 5.5' bed and 35 gal tank. Like I said, I normally keep a truck 2-3 years but this one I have absolutely loved. I just passed 135K miles and I did have to replace an exhaust manifold at about 120K miles. It got a crack in it. Other than that its been oil changes, brakes and tires. It was eating cheaper tires pretty fast but I have since been putting michelins on it and that has taken care of it. I have a friend with a Tundra and he was unfortunate to get the smaller tank and he has to hit the gas station way too much. That is so annoying to me but at least it would coincide with my wife's potty breaks while on road trips. Speaking of road trips, we took my truck to Whistler Canada last year for some mountain biking for my son and we explored on the way up but on the way back we were in a hurry to get back for a mission farewell and we made it back from Whistler on less than 2 tanks. I probably averaged 75-80 mph because Washington and bits of Oregon the speed limit was way too low for my liking. Last week I had to go to Cedar City for a race, I topped off in Kaysville, drove to Cedar, out to Tri Mountain back to Cedar and then home. Still had 1/4 tank. I love the big tanks. My wife asks me weekly when I will get a new F150, I keep asking her why? The only thing I would change on my EcoBoost is I would get the longer bed. I pull a lot with mine and I absolutely love how it handles everything I pull with it quite easily. Great Truck.
 
pELYgroso

pELYgroso

'Merica
Location
LEHI, UT
Have you thought about possibly buying a motor home and pulling a Tacoma? We currently have a bumper pull toy hauler and it's nice to haul the sxs but when we had a small van-front motor home it was SO nice on long trips to be able to make lunch or work on a laptop at the table (seat belted in) or grab the baby a bottle, all while driving. If you'd be able to park a motorhome at 99% of your camp spots and drive a Tacoma to wherever you're adventuring for the day, it might work out nicely. A Diesel might get the same mileage on long trips but you'd have the 20 mpg Tacoma for your day trips. You'd always have an "extra" vehicle as well. Just a thought.
 
D

Deleted member 12904

Guest
pELYgroso said:
Have you thought about possibly buying a motor home and pulling a Tacoma? We currently have a bumper pull toy hauler and it's nice to haul the sxs but when we had a small van-front motor home it was SO nice on long trips to be able to make lunch or work on a laptop at the table (seat belted in) or grab the baby a bottle, all while driving. If you'd be able to park a motorhome at 99% of your camp spots and drive a Tacoma to wherever you're adventuring for the day, it might work out nicely. A Diesel might get the same mileage on long trips but you'd have the 20 mpg Tacoma for your day trips. You'd always have an "extra" vehicle as well. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

You would need a huge motorhome to comfortably fit 4 bikes inside while living it it. And fitting 4 bikes in a Tacoma out of the elements would be a difficult task
 
Evolved

Evolved

Less-Known Member
Location
Your Mothers Dwelling
I remember watching a YouTube video of yours where you went and laid down in the back of a van at the dealership. I cannot remember what van/dealership it was though. For some reason I wanted to think it was a new Nissan cargo van??? Well, if it wasn’t have you thought of a Nissan van?

Just came across this... https://www.kengarffnissanslc.com/nv-passenger-vans/

Could be an option... could also be way more than you want to spend too.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
That video was a transit. The Nissan NV is a cool van. Only the Nissan and Chevrolet vans can tow close to 10k. I haven't driven an NV, but I'd like to. I dont know anyone making 4x4 conversions fort them, but I could get away with a limited slip and maxtracks. I like that they have a factory hard top. I wish they made one that was a little longer. I think I need to test drive one.

A lot of people have been wishing they would put the v8 Cummins in from the titan. They teased that they would, but it never made it in anything more than 6 test mules.
 
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