GM’s 5.3 is the toughest most bulletproof engine on the planet.

I’ve been driving one in many different platforms since the early 2000’s, in Avalanches, Silverados, Tahoe and Suburbans, to Florida and back too many times to count as well, NEVER an engine failure beyond one starter.

Currently have an 03’ Yukon XL with 237,000 and a 14’ Silverado Crew Cab.

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Oh and for Toyota people saying this and that...
here is a random picture I took while waiting for Chinese food. Nice cracked/Rotted frames are all too common in these trucks.

They all can rot away, but more often than not Toyotas do prematurely. The rest of the truck looked fine.
I would personally never buy or drive a Toyota truck and their styling is hideous to boot, look like trucks for insects.

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Promise you, that if you come drive your 2001 Toyota in New England for a couple winters that your frame will be anything but strong.

From what I remember, the DANA corporation provided the frames for Toyota during the early 2000’s, and used inferior steel. Not a good combination with a boxed frame. The Toyota frame from that time is built similar to a breadstick, it’s not very thick.

GM frames will rot here but the body matches up with that rot, and they almost always had a hard life with good miles. That picture of the Toyota I provided is very common. Body was fine, frame was swiss.

The only clean 1980’s Toyota around here is the movie truck from Back to the Future, which is garaged about 15 minutes from me. No other bed from that era of truck in the North East can be seen without it looking like it was in the middle of a firing range, they just do not exist.
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Snooze.

Vans are all well and good, but a truck has the advantage in more ways than one. First, a front end hit or collision in a van? No thanks. Most do not have 4 wheel drive, kind of suck in the snow. I don't see anybody putting a plow on a van. A truck definitely looks better than a van. A van drives like...well, a van. They totally suck going over a bridge, the wind really tosses them around and they feel like you're driving a land yacht in general. My parents owned GMC conversion vans back in the day, I remember what it was like to drive one of those boats and they don't exactly get out of their own way easily. Why stop at Van? Mine as well get a box truck.

As for the rainy weather or need to protect debate, A suburban does both, and if it's still a truck, a small covered trailer does the job just fine.