Tacoma vs. Full Size

We traded in an 09 F150 for the Taco. Just didn't need a fullsize. With the 5.4L it got pretty poor mileage except when on the highway. Plus it is such a pain in the ass to drive that thing within the city. The Tacoma feels so much nimbler....

The F150 was damn good at towing... but we don't tow often enough to really justify having a fullsize. Whether towing our open car trailer with a car or our John Deere 3720 on the back... it didn't matter, you barely even noticed the weight. I know it will be a different story with the Tacoma though.'

PS 4x8 sheets fit fine in the back. Just gotta put them overtop of the wheel wells (there are cutouts in the bed for 2x4s to run across to support the 4x8 sheets).

 

Buy another Ford please. I am a Taco owner and now clearly and lucidly wish I had bought a fullsize. Load capacity is not going to work in a Taco for your parameters.

I'm putting an OME 886/dakar on mine to totally ditch the under capacity suspension.


jeepmor

 

The most I've hauled in my Taco was 15 wood boxes filled with rock core samples (each box weighed 90-100 lbs) over a rough job site that was a mix of rutted mud and quarry spall surface for heavy equipment (i.e, cranes, cats, etc). It did fine. I've also hauled two 55 gal drums filled to the rims with dirt.... had to have been close to 1500 lbs.

Having said that, you need a full size if you want to carry heavy stuff with any regularity.

 

I've hauled numerous loads of "1/2 ton" of gravel, but i know the guy who loads it and he always gives me a hair under 1500 pounds per load, my truck does just fine.

I do have an extra full size leaf spring in the back though.

single cab 4x4 4cyl

 

By all means I encourage him to use it, for himself, not for work. I have a few dings in my truck from using it for work and I wish I had just used THE work truck instead. The dings I've put on from personal use I wear with pride.

Generally, from experience as a Fleet manager for 70 trucks, the term 'work truck' translates to 'abused truck'.

 

I wouldn't spend the money I have on this truck or the F150 on a work truck. I would feel like shit if it got beat up making someone else money.

 

Sleeper...being the CBW (Chief Bottle Washer) of a company with over 30 employees my "work truck" makes me money at the end of the day. I know most people have a preconceived notion that "work trucks" get beat to hell day in and day out, but all of mine are in great shape. I should have been more specific with my original post; I currently own several trucks for the business. It is a mix of 1500 and 2500 configurations. With the exception of a few scratches here and there, my employees treat the trucks with respect. My work mostly consists of day to day operations of the business, but occasionally I may be out at one job site for an inspection, get a phone call that we are missing or short on material on another job site and have to run on the fly somewhere to pick up and drop off material. I had an expedition for several years as a daily driver, but it became a pain in the butt to run back to my showroom or warehouse to grab a truck or trailer to run back out to drop material off on site. I appreciate all of the different ideas and suggestions posted. I may wind up just keeping my current F-150 set up to haul heavy loads, and buy a Tacoma for estimates and daily driving. On the other hand, a new F-150 Lariat or Platinum might be a good all around daily driver.