Survey Truck Size
Hello all
I am a solo owner/surveyor. I currently work out of a 2012 half ton chevy truck and tow my atv with either an open place or enclosed trailer depending on the season. (enclosed in the winter). I also tow a 23' long enclosed aluminum trailer from time to time. I am looking at upgrading trucks since my current rig is getting a bit rusty and has higher miles. While searching for trucks it is very hard to find a half ton with at least a 6 1/2' box and it seems that I can get a brand new Ram 2500 Tradesman (gas) a fair amount cheaper than a half ton. The new Ram 1500s have real good deals right now, but I don't want to pull the trigger on one since they have a brand new engine that has yet to be proven for reliability.
Do you any of you guys work out of a 3/4 ton? Do you prefer it over a 1/2 ton? Gas mileage isn't a huge issue since I generally work close to the office and don't put on a huge amount of miles. The main thing I don't like about the 3/4 ton is that they sit up so high and it would be more difficult to reach all of my equipment in the truck bed. I did see though that there are aftermarket springs available for the Ram to lower the rear a few inches.
Thanks,
I would avoid 1/2-ton trucks for survey work. When loaded with standard kit, my trucks have always tended to weigh in at the upper limits of 1/2-ton trucks. That continuous stress is hard on them.
I have a 2500 Ram 8' box with the ATV in the back. I also have a new 3500 Ram with the same configuration. The 2500 is a 2012 and has been bullet proof, I've had no issues with the 3500 so far and it's a pleasure to drive. I don't like pulling trailers, it's much better loading the four wheelers in the back of the truck. Even if I didn't load the ATV in the truck I still wouldn't do the 1/2 ton, I carry too much stuff.
The Rams sit higher which is a plus, I can't imagine lowering them for where I go. I tried a GMC but it dragged everywhere, so I had it lifted and it never drove right again. I've used fords and I'm not against them, the Ram Tradesman is more of a work truck to me. You would be happy with the 3/4 ton no matter which version you get, but the one ton is perfect for heavy duty surveying.
I have worked out of a Toyota Tacoma for an extended period. It's quite do-able as long as you are pretty dogmatic about what goes, and stays, in there. Nevertheless, I share John's point of view about 3/4 tonners standing up better in the long term. But if much of your work is in an urban environment the smaller unit might be the better choice.
I bought a 2021 Ram 1500 6.5' bed and put a decked box in it with a tonneau cover and I think it's a great configuration for what I do. I don't tow anything with it, but I wouldn't be worried about it if I had to.
I used a Ford 3/4 ton crew cab 6.5' bed at one place I worked and I didn't care for it. It didn't have running boards which made it an annoying pain in the ass to get in and out of and the backseat space was mostly wasted.
If I was frequently towing side by sides around the mountains and doing heavy civil work I might buy a 3/4 ton, but for the stuff I do a 1/2 ton is totally sufficient.
I've been surveying out of the back of an F-350 dually 4 door, 8' bed for the last 18 years. Plenty of room for equipment and 4 wheeler right in the bed. Just hauled 40,000 lbs of hay today with it also. Not good if you do a lot of urban stuff but great otherwise. Trucks with dual rear wheels actually sit a couple inches lower than their single rear wheel counterparts which makes bed access a lot easier. And from about 2023 and up, most trucks have built in steps on the outside front and rear of the beds. Very handy. Unfortunately, I just bought a 2022 model without that.
I'm glad I'm not in the market for a new truck. I'm still driving a 2008 Tundra 2WD SR5 regular cab with 8' bed, 5.7L V8 and towing package, and it's been perfect for the kind of work I do (mostly urban/suburban, with a fair bit of flatland rural/ag in the mix). I paid around $25k when it was new in 2007. A new SR5 (can't get a regular cab anymore; can't get a V8 anymore, either) with comparable features would run close to $60k. I only have about 70k miles on it, so I'm counting on it to carry me all the way to retirement.
I work solo out of a 2019 Suzuki Vitara Allgrip (small SUV, 1.6l) and has plenty of room for rural and urban boundary work I do. Tools behind cargo barrier in boot and instruments on backseat in footwell + on seat strapped down with seatbelt. Poles sit beside rear passenger seat. Only need Leica legs for robot/gnss base + lightweight set for backsight.
Most firm here use utes with canopy over the tray which are similar size to the Toyota Tacoma, never understand why such big trucks are used elsewhere. If it wasn't for https://www.portacone.com/ I would have needed a ute too.
Thanks for the replies. I work mostly rural ag land, but do some lot surveys etc. I would estimate that I would have around 700 lbs of gear (including the wood box organizer) in the back end at all times, so I don't think that would be overloading a half ton truck to much. For those that haul their ATV in the back of the truck, where do you store all of your other gear? Do you use the standard box or have a specialty service box with side doors etc. ? I will have to go do some test drives and see what works the best.
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