Longest sleeping platform in a truck.

[Safari997]

Hello,

I’m looking for a model of truck to built it in an overland.
The big issu is that i’m 6’3. It’s for use in the back road of Rocky’s, Utah, Alaska, Labrador. It’s not for rock climbing! But do some back country road. Dom me and my wife. Short trop to 1 month on the road. We are very nomads. We don’t stay more than 2-3 days at the same place.
I found those models:
Ford excursion 7.3L Diesel
Toyota 4Runner
Maybe you could suggest me to look something else.

I need:
Price between 8000 and 10 000$
4x4 mode (not awd)
Good clearance
Minimum of 19-20 MPG
Reliability
No pick-up or car
Love Diesel but not close to gas

So what vehicule do you suggest me?

 

[Martinjmpr]

Any full sized SUV (Suburban, Yukon XL, Excursion, Expedition, Sequoia) should work for all your needs except MPG.

"minimum of 19-20 MPG" - Yeah, that's not going to happen. No way, no day.

Forget the 4runner. I'm 6'1" and I barely fit in my 4runner by myself. With another person? No.

If it was me, with your budget and your requirements I'd consider a GMT800 Suburban 2500 with the 6.0 V8. No, you won't get your 19 MPG but then again, there is nothing in that size that does.

Under PERFECT driving conditions (not a lot of weight in the back, easy on the throttle and keeping my speed under 65) I've gotten an honest 18mpg in my 1500 Suburban. But a realistic expectation is 12 - 15 under mixed driving conditions. A 2500 will do worse than that, but on the plus size it's more rugged and has a bigger tank.

 

[Clutch]

The Canyonero Unicorn XL fits all your requirements.

 

[marshal]

a 7.3L diesel Excursion will net 20MPG on the highway pretty easily stock. If you lift it and put larger tires on it, it will need to be regeared so that the engine is turning at the optimal efficiency speed.

 

[UHAULER]

The Canyonero Unicorn XL fits all your requirements.

Yep, they are perfect for what he is looking for. I like the model with the anti-stuck button on the dash and the super rock crawler lever.

 

[Safari997]

Thanks,
So have to forget 4Runner. Alter the Canyonero (lol) the suburban 1500 look very interestant.
The excursion is a beast but are rare diesel under 300 000 miles and are more expansive.
Do someone know the lenght of the platform we could build in the back space of the Sub?

 

[chet6.7]

I suggest you PM some of the Suburban owners any specific questions on specs. and mods.
A pickup with a Craig's list cap might widen your chances of finding something workable.
You may have to reevaluate your mileage criteria,I suggest looking at gas vehicles and settle for 10 MPG as a more reasonable goal.... considering your price range.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Thanks,
So have to forget 4Runner. Alter the Canyonero (lol) the suburban 1500 look very interestant.
The excursion is a beast but are rare diesel under 300 000 miles and are more expansive.
Do someone know the lenght of the platform we could build in the back space of the Sub?

With the seats folded forward I can carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood, the Suburban/Yukon XL are basically an enclosed truck and are very versatile other than mpg, but as cheap as they are on the used market mpg is not much of an issue.

 

[F350joe]

You will need twice the budget for a 7.3 Ex, probably have a hard time finding even a pickup 7.3 for under 10k.

 

[Martinjmpr]

From the back of the front seat and console of the GMT800 suburban to the inside of the lift gate is just over 96" or 8'.

If you're in Kanuckistan that 2.43 meters but I presume Canadians buy their plywood in 4' x 8' sheets just like those of us South of the 49th Parallel. Plenty of room for a sleeping platform of just about any size.

Nice thing about the GMT800 is that you can fold the back seats (2nd row) down and have a nice, flat load deck. The 3rd row removes completely. If you build your platform so it is removable you can still flip the 2nd row seats back up and carry passengers.

Note that the Suburban (and Tahoe) don't really have "fender wells" like the 4runner and other SUVs. Instead, there are big plastic interior body panels that completely cover the inner fenders. What I'm saying here is that on some vehicles building a platform will get you a wider sleeping area but on the Burb it's not like that, your sleeping area is still only going to be a little over 4' wide unless you remove the interior body panels too.

I've attached a few photos to illustrate.


This is with the 3rd row removed and the 2nd row folded flat. The right side fender cover contains the sub woofer, the left side contains the spare tire tools.




Close up of the footwell covers that flip up to allow for the 3rd row passengers feet, or flip down to allow for a flat load deck. If you shop for a Suburban, make sure these are on the back of the 2nd row seats. From what I've heard, these were optional items and not all Suburbans have them (or else they were removed by previous owners.)

Here's my measurement of the cargo area: Exactly 96" (8'.)



Even with all 3 rows of seats in place there is still an impressive 32" of cargo area behind the back seat:

 

[Martinjmpr]

To me, the great thing about the Burb is that it has all that space but even though you think of it as a "big" vehicle, it's really only the size of a full size, single-cab long bed pickup. At 130" the wheelbase is much shorter than a full size crew cab short bed truck (those are typically 145" or so.)

I went from a 4th gen 4runner (2007) to the Suburban and have really liked it. More powerful engine, more comfortable cabin, and literally twice as much interior space and when pulling the trailer, my MPG is actually about the same (10 - 12 vs. 11 - 13 in the 4runner.) Since the Suburban has a 31 gallon tank (compared to the 23 gallon tank on the 4runner) it has much longer range.

 

[al_burpe]

Here you go. This one is already set up with the bed and everything and right in your price range.

https://twinfalls.craigslist.org/cto/d/overland-off-grid-camper/6541369450.html

 

[BigTilda]

I had the exact same demands and went with a pre-emissions cummins. Mine is a 2002, but anything from 1991-2006 (if cared for) will be reliable into the 500k mile figure and you'll have more space than you know what to do with. Don't have any pictures of the finished product handy but here's a shot from halfway through my camper shell build - that's an 8 foot bed. Gets 22-23 mpg on the highway, 18-19 around town.

It's a bit of a diamond wrapped in a turd situation with the second and third gen 3/4 ton dodges until you refresh the front end and do a little preventative maintenance, but once those are done they're pretty bulletproof. I've put 15k on mine in the past 3 months without a hiccup.

 

[Safari997]

I had the exact same demands and went with a pre-emissions cummins. Mine is a 2002, but anything from 1991-2006 (if cared for) will be reliable into the 500k mile figure and you'll have more space than you know what to do with. Don't have any pictures of the finished product handy but here's a shot from halfway through my camper shell build - that's an 8 foot bed. Gets 22-23 mpg on the highway, 18-19 around town.

Thanks for all this infos! I realy like to considère the cummins, but i look for SUV style. Something you can go from front to back from the inside. That is why i don’t look for pick-up.

I dont think i Can find a truck with cummins like that. I know there are somes duramax.

 

[Safari997]

I didn’t open my post this week-end. Wow! À lot of advises and answers. Thanks folks!
The MPG is important because, you probably see that i’m a french guy with my english!
Y know here in Canada the fuel is much more expensive than US. Now you probably pay 0.70$ CAD à litres of fuel. Here, it’s more like 1,45$ CAD. Almost double the Price!