You could even get a small RV A/C for the topper.

We bought a 2001 Expedition 2 months ago and love it so far. Gets virtually the same MPG as our minivan did (18.5 vs 19). Doesn't pull the boat as well as my F-150 did due to different gears, but i can live with that so I don't have an expensive truck collecting dust 20 out of 21 days.

That's what the Admiral suggested! And its the most logical/economical.

I've thought about a sliding front window in the topper, but I don't think the truck a/c could blow enough air through the sliding rear window to keep it cool enough for the dogs. No rear seat air ducts to rig something up with either.

Remember, its a wet heat here.

I like to take my truck to Pottery Barn and then eat at a soup and salad place afterwards.

I'm with the "topper" crowd. Mark (harbor owner) got a fully carpeted (read: insulated!) topper with matching bed carpet for his Nissan pickup. Not '70's shag rug either, it's very soft, very short pile stuff, real comfy. The windows are tinted, too. The bed area actually stays cooler than the cab, and is no problem to keep cool while driving...

A man should always have a truck

I echo the idea of a cap for the bed. Or, a waterproof toolbox for your luggage and stuff and then the dogs could ride on it with their heads above the cab and tongues hanging out See that all time.

If you go with a cap for the bed, an RV style vent with Maxx Air to help with ventilation.

I like the Expy approach. Rent a truck from Home Depot for $20 if you have to haul crap. It's not like you're going to have time to do that every weekend anyways.

No space for even one of these folding types ?

BTW, I'm with the topper crowd. You could modify that topper so that you can get adequate ventilation for your hounds.

I LIVE that expression. Have had a truck to drive since getting my license at 16 (with only about three years total in the past 40 of NOT owning a pickup).

My current reasons are work-related, of course. I NEED 15,000# towing capacity and the ability to haul tools and equipment on a near-daily basis, so my situation can't be compared to yours. But there have been many times when the versatility of the pickup made the decision for me.

Had a Tahoe. Nice car for a station wagon. Woulda preferred a classic Oldsmobile custom cruiser and enjoyed the extra two seats.

I'll keep the truck. Mine's 13, has 190,000 miles on it, gets 12 mpg on a good day, and does ANYTHING I ask of it. FWIW, YMMV.

This is only my experience and maybe the 6 speed is better in the Exp. My 06 Explorer has been in the shop 5 times for shifting issues with the 6 speed transmission. The issue can not be fixed by Ford and if you check the web you will see others with the same issue.

Unluckily for me Illinois has a terrbile lemon law.

When a tornado passed by me a few weeks ago I was hoping to get the Ford in it's path.

The explorer tranny is a completely different beast than the Expedition. Unfortunately, the Explorer doesn't have the greatest reputation when it comes to transmissions in the 5R55W/N. It is supposedly a derivative of the C3 family, the transmission that powered the Pinto. Not sure what family the Expeditions 6R80 comes from, or if it even has links to an older trans. The 4r70W in the previous Expeditions/150s were linked to the C5/AOD.

That last line is , but sorry to hear at the same time.

My Dad has an 06 Explorer EB with the 6 spd. He puts about 45-50K miles/yr on his. I haven't heard him speak of any issues whatsoever, but sometimes he ignores those kind of things. What issues are you having, SF?

+2
My first vehicle, at 16, was a 1959 Ford F100. Just like this, except in metallic navy blue:

Waterdog,

The issue is shifting down to first, the truck will slam so hard you think you just got hit in the rear. The trans has been flashed 3 times to correct the issue, now it shits hard from first to second. Combine this with the Ford fly by wire gas pedal and you have a truck that shifts like a drunk guy is at the controls.

I am looking at a new 07 Jeep CRD. As soon as I am ready for my bath on trading the Explorer.

I'm thinking of going the other way. I have a 3/4 suburban, which I bought cheap when gas shot up over $3 a gallon three years ago. Works great - tons of interior space, all the bells and whistles and it's not as hard to park as I thought it would be. It gets 12-15 mpg, but I've only driven it 25K miles in 3 years.

But I do miss having a bed that I can throw a dirt bike, or a generator, or pile of brush into, and since my son started driving it's rare that we all travel together anymore.