Extended cab pickup and family?

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Howdy everyone, I wanted to see if anyone else has an opinion on this. My wife DD our mini van and I DD my truck and then we have a prius for most other trips including almost weekly 100+ mile road trips.

Basically, does anyone here find any issues with using a extended cab pickup to hold a small family? We have a baby on the way now but don't know if it is going to be extremely inconvenient using a ext. cab. The truck will be our sunday car basically where we take it on small outings.

Our truck has seat belts for 6 people.
 
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A 1997 T100 extended cab? Pretty tight, but OK for baby and booster seats and young kids.

When you get tired of them kicking the back of your seat, you'll know it's time for something bigger...
 
My daughter has a 3 1/2 year old and another one due in January.
The backward facing 3-6 year old seat will not fit in the back of my 2011 GMC extended cab 2500 without the front seats shoved all the way forward.
She looked at a 2017 Canyon last month, tried the seat, same thing.

Too bad, because I would rather give her my truck and buy a new 3500 CC/LB with the new Duramax, than buy her a new truck.
So... it looks like a 1500 crew cab short box, dog 'n kid proof leather interior, prolly with the max-trailer option for the big mirrors,
8 speed & lower gearing.

I'll swap the p-rated tires out for 275/70/18 Hankook RF-10s, and dump the 0w20 for some 10 tenths 25W70 while I'm at it.
 
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If you have a Prius and a minivan, why would you take the truck on "small outings" with a baby?
 
Take the Prius on outings.

The number one thing to consider is you do not want the vehicle to break down with wife and baby. So that rules out your pickup.
 
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A 20 year old pickup, even a Toyota, is not reliable or safe enough to entrust your family with. The ext cab is too small anyway. I'd either get a modern CC pickup with good safety ratings, like an aluminum F-150, or stick with the Sienna or Prius.
 
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Originally Posted By: NO2
A 20 year old pickup, even a Toyota, is not reliable or safe enough to entrust your family with. The ext cab is too small anyway. I'd either get a modern CC pickup with good safety ratings, like an aluminum F-150, or stick with the Sienna or Prius.


Oh please.

Lots of us drive older cars.

They might not meet your personal "standards", but the OP didn't say, "I've got $50K for a new truck, what should I get?"

He asked if he can fit his family in his current truck for Sunday outings.

This truck is his daily driver - so it's plenty reliable. And taking his family in the truck for outings seems quite reasonable to me.

I used to take my family on outings in a 1990 Toyota. Taught my kids to drive in it. Didn't sell it until last year.

You must be horrified to think that people actually drive trucks that old...
 
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Originally Posted By: NO2
A 20 year old pickup, even a Toyota, is not reliable or safe enough to entrust your family with.


Who says? If you were maintaining my vehicles, I could certainly agree with you.

We routinely make family trips in our '85 F-250, even towing recreation vehicles up mountain passes for long distances when we lived in Colorado. All our vehicles made the 1100 mile trip to KY when we moved here in the spring. Despite them being 13, 15, 21, and 32 years old, none of them have left us stranded on the side of the road. I've never once felt unsafe or on edge bringing my family anywhere in them. What makes this possible is noticing problems early, and staying on top of them. Having a spare vehicle when one goes down for repairs/maintenance, helps immensely. I'm of the opinion that a well maintained and taken care of older vehicle will be more reliable than one much newer that is neglected. I'll save that monthly car payment for something else, others can keep throwing their money away on bank interest. When the time comes for a new vehicle (likely when kids are out of the house, and I actually have the time to appreciate a new vehicle!) I'll pay cash and own it outright. To each their own!
 
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
It should work fine but a Crew Cab is king.
Had both- you cant beat a CC


That's exactly right.
 
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
It should work fine but a Crew Cab is king.
Had both- you cant beat a CC
+1 on the crew cab. I would never buy a truck unless its a crew cab.
 
My cousin and his wife have a 2014 ecoboost F150 crew cab and 3 kids under age 5.

They're very happy with it. Not sure how it would do with 4 kids, though?
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: NO2
A 20 year old pickup, even a Toyota, is not reliable or safe enough to entrust your family with. The ext cab is too small anyway. I'd either get a modern CC pickup with good safety ratings, like an aluminum F-150, or stick with the Sienna or Prius.


Oh please.

Lots of us drive older cars.

They might not meet your personal "standards", but the OP didn't say, "I've got $50K for a new truck, what should I get?"

He asked if he can fit his family in his current truck for Sunday outings.

This truck is his daily driver - so it's plenty reliable. And taking his family in the truck for outings seems quite reasonable to me.

I used to take my family on outings in a 1990 Toyota. Taught my kids to drive in it. Didn't sell it until last year.

You must be horrified to think that people actually drive trucks that old...


Lordy, I just sold my 1970 C-20 Chevy and thought I'd really modernized when I bought a 1993 F-150 extended cab 4x4 with 82K on the clock ... I got A/C and Cruise and a small back seat and windows and locks and posi and a bed liner - who-ee I'm stylin now
smile.gif


Yeah, I'd take the Prius on some outings, if I had one ... But a lot of places I go, a Prius would be a joke, and get stuck quick. Maybe the OP wants to go gather fire wood, or collect mushrooms, or something. Small outing could be rock hounding or rock climbing ...

As far as using a truck for a small family - I'd get the three door style. Regular front doors, the rear half doors to it's easier to get the kids in and out
smile.gif
 
'07 F-150 SCab with an 8 year old on one side in a booster and a 5 year old behind driver in a car seat.

Have to move pass front seat up a teense so 8 year old has legroom.

Other than that it's tight but plenty big enough. Next truck will be a crew though just to have some more room.
 
Ditto what copcarguy said. I have an 07 f150 Lariate super cab. When my niece came to visit last summer she and her 18 month old and 5 year old rode in the back seats (18 mo old's car seat was behind me). Her mom rode in the front passenger seat. it was about a 2 hr drive from the air port and everyone was comfortable. If it's just the three of you, I would imagine you'd be fine.

Hope that helps
 
Trips we would take in the truck would be out camping and hiking and such with our dogs, but also to places like church. To me it is our nice flashy vehicle in a way. Was built for overlanding but with a baby on the way it has become mostly a mawl crawler that I enjoy very much. Besides my prius, I would trust this truck more than ANY vehicle I own or have owned.

I am considering getting a 4 door 2wd truck (current is 4wd) in a few years but dont expect to pay more that 10-15k on it.
 
You just need a basic crew cab pickup.

Not the limited edition and optional 'glitter and glam' package with air conditioned leather seats, 12 speaker stereo system, 22 inch chrome wheels and bumpers, navigation, sunroof, 4x4 off-road suspension, ..etc...
 
Originally Posted By: TheKracken
Trips we would take in the truck would be out camping and hiking and such with our dogs, but also to places like church. To me it is our nice flashy vehicle in a way. Was built for overlanding but with a baby on the way it has become mostly a mawl crawler that I enjoy very much. Besides my prius, I would trust this truck more than ANY vehicle I own or have owned.

I am considering getting a 4 door 2wd truck (current is 4wd) in a few years but dont expect to pay more that 10-15k on it.


I literally just bought a 1993 F-150 extended cab 4x4 loaded with every option but Eddie Bauer, that was a garage queen with 82K on the clock - $6K and a bit. Sold the old truck for $3,500. Got all the bling I need. Just keep lookin
laugh.gif
 
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