Quoted from too-many-pins:

When I was younger I wouldn't own anything but a pick-up now you couldn't pay me to trade my van for a pick up regardless of what you offered me. After I bought my first van I thought "what the hell was I thinking when I didn't buy one of these before".
Last week I bought my 7th or 8th van and I have had one non stop for at least 25 years. I just bought a 3/4 ton Chevy 2500 series 2017 leftover with 4 miles on it. It has the trailer towing package (including brake controller) and the 6.0 V-8 engine but is otherwise just a big empty box and price was under $26k new. I can fit 4 fold down head machines in the back with no problem and don't ever think twice about weather I am moving machines in because it just doesn't matter with a van. But better yet I don't have to unload when I get home. Heck I have had machines in the van for a month with no issues.
So you guys that need to look cool in your pick up trucks more power to you but I am married and don't really care what statement I make when I am driving down the highway. All I care about at this point in my life is doing things the smart way. I could never understand people with pick up trucks thinking they made any sense at all. You drive down the road in something that has little to no protected cargo room and pay twice what they are worth for the honor of owning one?

Quoted from MikeTangoIndia:

Really?? You can’t be serious. You generalize all pickup truck owners as not doing things the “smart way”?? Haha wow. When you owned your pickup truck maybe you just never figured out how to put it in 4wd?? Or maybe you just had a 2wd truck? Either way I’d love to see your van do some off roading in 2wd and not get miserably stuck in some mud, snow, or sand. Sure lots of people have “bro trucks” that never see off road ever but I think the majority of people that need trucks also need 4wd with the convenience of an open payload design. Wayyy more uses for a pickup truck than hauling pinball machines. You need to get out more it sounds haha.

Quoted from too-many-pins:

When I had my pickup I had an F-250 4x4 with more invested in customization then I paid for the truck new. I was "young & dumb" and had a lot of fun with it back in the day. But it was far from a practical vehicle to haul a pinball machine in. Fast forward 10 or 12 years and I bought my first van and realized that was the way to go and have never looked back. If you want a "toy" to "show off" and have some fun with a pickup is a great vehicle if you don't mind getting "hosed" paying what they cost these days. But if you want the best work vehicle for your money a 2500 or 3500 Chevy Van wins hands down. You can still tow about 8000 pounds & I have had 5000 pounds in my last one with no issues. In fact one trip I made I had over 5000 pounds in the van and was towing an exclosed trailer with over 10000 pounds in it and the Chevy handled it all with no issues.
The things that make van better than a pickup with a cap (which is actually just a dumb way to get something close to a van):
1st) Lower deck height (for much easier loading). For me to load a pin is no issue doing it alone. Just handtruck to pin to about 2' from back bumper - take handtruck from under pin - lean pin into back of the truck & slide it right it. Try doing that with any pickup!
2nd) I can haul 4 fold down head pins or 6 removable head pins (with a little creative stacking) in out of the weather.
3rd) I can open a side door and reach in and grab anything I need without having to climb into the back of a pickup with a cap on it
4th) If on a road trip I can climb in the back and go to sleep without ever having to get out of the vehicle and better yet I can warm it up or cool it down back there so I can sleep in pretty much any weather with no issues.
5th) And likely the best thing about buying new vans I can buy one for about 40% less than a new pickup and it has just as much load & towing capacity with the same engine & trans as the pickup for way less money.
Pickup truck lovers will never understand all of this but that is OK in my book because the more popular pickup trucks stay and the less popular vans are the longer I can keep buying them cheap. Like the salesman was saying the other day "vans are loss leaders" and no one makes any money on them. "The reason a company keep making and selling them is to be sure their customers don't go somewhere else to buy a van and then start buying all there vehicles at that dealer".
Next time you see a NEW 3/4 ton pickup for under $26,000 let me know! And when I pass you in my van with my stuff staying dry in the rain or snow I'll keep laughing at you.
As far as the off-roading end of things -- a street legal pickup is about worthless anyway. If you what to have some serious fun off-roading why not build a truck for that and tow it with your new van to where you want to do your off-roading. Doing it that way you can be driving a practical vehicle and keep your tools & gear locked up while having fun off-roading. And you could likely build a hell of an off-roading truck with the $20,000 spread between the cost of a new pickup and a new van!
Agree or disagree - I really don't care. This coming week I'll be making a 5000 mile round trip to pick up another 11 machines & load of parts I bought. I'll be traveling in my new van with my enclosed trailer not worrying about where I am sleeping or the weather. Once loaded I have no choice but a motel but the trip out I'll save enough for fuel by sleeping in the van.