# Suburban Xl Or Crew Cab Truck?



## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

I'm looking at upgrading to an Outback from our current pop up. Right now I use a small block chevy extended cab pickup truck, hauling 4 bicycles and 2 night's worth of firewood in the back of the truck. Our two kids don't have much room in the back seat. If we upgrade to a TT, then I will also need another TV because of weight.

I can see the benefit of a Suburban or Yukon XL for comfort, plus the ability to take kid's friends on trips, but what do you do then with the bicycles and firewood? A crew cab pickup would certainly solve that issue, but there is less room for extra travellers in the cab. How many 21RS and 25RSS owners actually use the bicycle door/storage in the camper? How many bikes can you put in there?


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

justlookin said:


> Suburban ... what do you do then with the bicycles and firewood? [snapback]57867[/snapback]​


We haven't done it yet, but are planning on installing a front receiver and mounting all 5 bikes up front. We don't want to take the risk of installing them in the back (more weight on the TT, stress on the bike mount, can't see the bikes).

There is a thread from the summer on front-mounted bikes, including pictures.

Ed


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

In my crewcab truck, there is plenty of room for 5 adult size people. I have had three bikes in the bed along with other stuff, and I have the shorter bed on mine. The cap keeps things nice and dry also.

Good luck in your search.

kevin


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

action *WELCOME TO OUTBACKERS, JUSTLOOKIN!* action 
It's always great to get a new member!

We use a crew cab pickup, and are very happy with the setup. I have a steel tonneau cover with Yakima racks for four bikes mounted on it. This leaves the entire bed area available for firewood, etc. And it's lockable!

This setup does limit the number of people we can carry vs a Suburban, or such, but we can handle five adults comfortably.

Which layout (people mover vs. cargo capacity) is best for you, is a question only you can answer.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

We have a Suburban and will replace it with another when the time comes. Really for only one reason - carrying people. As the girls get older they want to bring friends camping, sometimes Grandma will tag along, and for extended drives the crew cab's just don't have the comfort we're looking for. Bummer too, because I would prefer a truck for just as you listed. The ease of carrying bikes, wood, generator, etc...

All of this is more difficult in the Burb. I typically pull out the 3rd seat and stuff the bikes and gear in the large rear area. But I can only do this when it's just the 4 of us, or maybe 5 if we're not rolling too far.

I'll eventually need to install a bike carrier on the back of the Outback with a hitch receiver.

Both styles are great for towing. Just a matter of what your priority is. Good Luck


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Simply put - I think that my Crew Cab can carry more type things (dirt, wood, lumber, bikes, camping stuff) then a Suburban the same size...

Crew Cab just simply gives me more versatility...


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

If you need the third seat, obviously the Suburban. My sons GMC crew cab has the same room in the second seat as my Suburban and as Ghosty said it is easier to put dirt and such in a pick up. I plan on going to a crew cab and then I can only take one guest at a time, might be a good thing.

John


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

Appreciate everyone's input. If my 2 kids each take a guest, then we have 6 people -- and a problem if it is a crew cab truck. Right now if we take guests, we have to take 2 vehicles, and gas is expensive enough with one vehicle!

How about the 21RS and 25 RSS owners out there -- any of you actually put them in the bike door in the camper? Does that work OK?

If the answer is a Suburban, the wife trades her minivan and I keep my 97 chevy truck; if the answer is a crew cab, daddy gets a shiny new truck!


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

Hey PDX Doug, why not a camper shell instead of the tonneau cover? Just curious.


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> Both styles are great for towing. Just a matter of what your priority is.


I agree. I all depends on what you'll be towing most....inside stuff (to include people and the like) or outside stuff (bikes, wood, toys).

Personally, I like the Suburban.

Bikes can go inside the trailer if put in the right place. Wood, too, in many storage areas. Think about a carrier for the top of the car. Or a bicycle carrier for the bikes. Lots of possibilities and still have room for the people in the Burb.

Good luck with your decision. Besides, it never hurts to get the DW the new TV.









Mark


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## jgerni (Nov 10, 2003)

I've got experience with both the Suburban and a crew cab truck.

The Suburban is nice if you need the people hauling capacity.

The trucks crew cab provides ample space and leg room inside for 5 people. The thing I like the most about the truck is being able to throw all your dirty, wet or smelly items in the back of the truck. I use to struggle breaking camp in rain with the Suburban. I didnâ€™t want to put the wet stuff in the trailer or the Suburban. Also, bikes are very easy to carry in the back of the truck as well as firewood and large coolers etc.

Donâ€™t get me wrong I love the Suburban and its ride but for camping the truck gives a lot of flexibility.


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

mswalt said:


> Think about a carrier for the top of the car.
> [snapback]57932[/snapback]​


On the Suburban, it's a LONG way up there. I'm 6-feet and I have a hard enough time getting them down, even with a tall stool (I'm always feeling like I'm going to slip --- and the penalty for slipping is a hole or dent in the sheet metal). Over the next few years we are transitioning to a camping model where Ellen takes the kids out in mid-week and I join for the weekend. That means that Ellen needs to take them off the Suburban and overhead is not an option. That's why we are moving toward doing a front-hitch mounted bike rack.

Ed


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

justlookin said:


> Hey PDX Doug, why not a camper shell instead of the tonneau cover? Just curious.
> [snapback]57928[/snapback]​


justlookin,

The two main reasons for the tonneau instead of a shell were rearward visibility and aesthetics. I didn't really have the need for the amount of enclosed storage a shell would provide. Also, the tonneau gives me secure, weatherproof storage, yet is much easier to remove if I have something really big to carry.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

As for us we went with the Armada
We take 6 people so we need the room
As for bikes I have a receiver on the back of the camper(works great)
Even haule dthem to Canada without any problems
As for fire wood I carry a large plastic container for starter wood
And usaully buy fire wood at campground.
I usaully don't burn it all so I carry it in the TT.

Don


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

Another vote for the Suburban here. I like the Suburban for the ride and comfort that it gives you when you aren't towing, NOT that any of the crew cabs ride that bad but they are trucks and as such they are light in the back. I also like the fact that we can put 4 adults and 4 kids in the truck (why would anyone want to put 4 kids in the truck







) and all go in one vehicle.

I have mounted on the back of my Outback one of the hitch racks and carry my BBQ in a box on the rear. I am going to install another box for fire wood on the rack. I am working on a bike rack that would carry the bike above the propane tanks on the front of the trailer but have gotten it worked out yet.....

Gary


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

justlookin said:


> Appreciate everyone's input.Â If my 2 kids each take a guest, then we have 6 people -- and a problem if it is a crew cab truck.Â Right now if we take guests, we have to take 2 vehicles, and gas is expensive enough with one vehicle!
> 
> [snapback]57924[/snapback]​


Get the Crew Cab with seating for six ... My Silverado Crew Cab has three up front and three in the back .. and very comfortable for 6 ....


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## DANJOGAVINMO (Apr 17, 2004)

I agree with ghosty, I have taken 6 in my ford supercrew several times, but in general we usually just go as a family with 2 adults in front, 2 kids in back. We are very happy with the truck and each kid can take a friend with them (I couldn't handle more than 1 friend per child going!!







).

Regarding the elusive question of bike door. We have the 25RS-S (2003 model, the doors have changed in newer models) and we did put the bikes in the camper for a year or two. We had issues fitting them in through the bike door, by the time you get one bike in, you can't fit another through it (handlebars start tangling up). We ended up putting them in through the front door. With that said, you can really only fit 2 adult bikes under the front bunk. We would end up putting a third kids bike (20" wheels) in front of the bunk and the forward galley. My son's small 16" wheel bike we would put further back in the outback. Then comes the task of tying them all in so they don't beat everything up. 10 minutes later after some cussing and sweating you are done with the task.

We have gotten very efficient as a family in packing up to leave, but we found putting this number of bikes in was more pain than it was worth, plus if they are wet from the rain outside I really hate putting them inside. I built a wooden bike rack that fits in back of truck, and all four bikes fit in the back just fine (supercrew bed is actually pretty short, but the tailgate still closes). Throw one quick ratchet strap over them and you are good to go.

In summary, if you plan on regularily bringing bikes with you, don't count on doing it by putting them inside the outback.

In a different post I also mentioned that I really recommend quad cab trucks. I hate putting wet gear into the outback when rushing to break camp during a downpour, and living in the PNW, that happens quite often









Good luck
Danny


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## bearlyrunning (Sep 10, 2005)

justlookin said:


> I'm looking at upgrading to an Outback from our current pop up. Right now I use a small block chevy extended cab pickup truck, hauling 4 bicycles and 2 night's worth of firewood in the back of the truck. Our two kids don't have much room in the back seat. If we upgrade to a TT, then I will also need another TV because of weight.
> 
> I can see the benefit of a Suburban or Yukon XL for comfort, plus the ability to take kid's friends on trips, but what do you do then with the bicycles and firewood? A crew cab pickup would certainly solve that issue, but there is less room for extra travellers in the cab. How many 21RS and 25RSS owners actually use the bicycle door/storage in the camper? How many bikes can you put in there?
> 
> ...


We use a Yakima rack on the top of our burb, it holds 4 bikes, and I just traded for some more crossbars to mount a second set behind, for a total of 6 bikes and 4 wheels. My buddy with a 25rss was just telling me the other day you can get 3 bikes inside the door if you take the front wheels off and make a little rack with some cheap fork mounts and a piece of 2 by four, with one bike facing the opposite way. I prefer to have them locked on the suburban and leave that space for my two mutts, I figure I can make a little kennel for them in that space. It is a long ways up there to get the bikes, true. Suburban sales have dropped radically in the last month, there are deals to be made right now.
Good luck,
John


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