OK guys I'm getting new truck fever and I'm seriously thinking of moving up to either a 2008 Chevy or GMC Dually mainly because I'm pretty much at the limit of my 2500 HD for towing the size RV I'm towing. Which leaves me no room to upgrade to a larger RV in the future, plus I've read a dually is a much more stable platform when traveling.

For you guys that have gone from an ext cab to a crew cab or vice versa which of the two do you prefer? I can't make up my mind as to which would be better for me. I love the ext cab concept and have owned several ext cab trucks but have never owned a crew cab so I'm not sure of the pros and cons of a crew cab, in fact this will be my first dually purchase.

I don't have a family it's just going to be me in the truck when I travel so I'm not sure I really need the extra inside space of a crew cab. I do own 2 large dogs (a Dalmatian and a Doberman) that travel with me and they do fine riding behind the front seats of the ext cab now, but they might enjoy a little extra room back there that a crew cab offers.

Also there doesn't seem to be a lot of ext cab dually pickups sitting on dealers lots. When I go to chevy.com and try to locate one they are very few and far between, on the other hand crew cab duallys are very plentiful. Which leads me to believe either the crew cabs are way more popular so dealers order them up in a larger quantity, or the ext cabs are more popular and aren't sitting on dealer lots all that long.

Also since I've never owned a GMC truck. Are there really any differences between a Chevy and a GMC other than cosmetics and that GMC trucks are usually priced a bit higher? Any help, suggestions, and replies will be appreciated.

Bigger is always BETTER !!!! No matter if you need it or not....Easier to find at the dealer,better on resell,better ride,all around nicer truck...

That's why ext cabs are sitting on lots. There is like (or was) around $800 difference for crew vs ext. There will be at least four or five times in the duration of ownership that you would cuss the ext cab or praise the crew. I don't have kids either, but there are always friends or family that want to go wherever we are going. It is nice to be able to offer them a full seat and their own door(s).

Bottom line is, how many people will be riding in your truck?
If it's more than two, then you'll need a crew cab. The ext. cab is good for coats, groceries, and a medium size dog crate.
My dually is a reg. cab. Never more than two people, and it's usually just me and the dog.
My play truck is ext. cab, longbed. Once you go to crew cab, long bed, you probably won't fit in the garage.

I'm in a similar situation. Our fifth wheel was getting to be a bit too heavy for the 2500HD (ext. cab) so we are upgrading to a 3500HD dually. Our dogs (2 labs) also rode on the floor behind the front seats. We went for the crew cab to be able to haul people around when we go to rallys and for the dogs to have a bit more room.

I had to give up my garage for the new one but that's OK.

I guess since I have a family (wife+2 kids) my comment doesn't really count, but after driving an ext cab for 7 years and now having a CC I love it. Just getting any crap out of the back seat is easier sionce I don't have to open the front door first, bit then again I'm lazy. If you get a crew you won't be sorry.

I am now driving a GMC Dually, primarily because I prefer the front appearance over the Chevy. But the most important reason to get the CC is because of my DOG! With the CC the back seat folds down to a flat load floor, giving my dog the entire area to herself (or a great area to store tools or cargo protected from the elements)

I'm in a similar situation. Our fifth wheel was getting to be a bit too heavy for the 2500HD (ext. cab) so we are upgrading to a 3500HD dually. Our dogs (2 labs) also rode on the floor behind the front seats. We went for the crew cab to be able to haul people around when we go to rallys and for the dogs to have a bit more room.

I had to give up my garage for the new one but that's OK.
You are gonna love the new CC. I just took my Choc Lab to the vet the other day for the first time in the new truck. He has hip problems and I have to lift him into the truck. The new body style crewcab seatbottoms fold UP against the back wall. This leaves the whole rear floorboard for the dog to relax on. Outstanding.

I would go Crew Cab as well as GMC. I like the look of the GMC better than the bumper on the Chevy. I also paid less for my GMC then the same thing but Chevy.

Bigger is always BETTER !!!! No matter if you need it or not....Easier to find at the dealer,better on resell,better ride,all around nicer truck...

I agree, I have both and I like the crew cab alot better. Its better to have the extra space and not need it then to need it and not have it..

Go for the crew cab, for us we went from a 12 pass van to the dually, and were used to lots of space. Just me and the wife, but there is always somebody or something to bring along.

GMC or Chevy? go with what you like the look of better, (or where the deal is) list price should be the same, at least in Canada it is.

I used to like the look of the GMC better, until the new body style came out, then my preference changed toward the Chevy, but they are both an awesome truck.

Cheers!

I bought an extended cab because like you I have no family or anything and I thought it would be plenty big. Boy was I wrong. Definitely get the crew cab. You will want the extra room and as a bonus the extra wheel base will make it easier to tow.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I spent a good part of the afternoon at the dealers and I even drove a black 2008 GMC dually. I know it's only about 9.5 inches or so longer than my ext cab but it looks like it's a city block long...lol. I'm still trying to decide.

Back in 96 I got my first crew cab, I had three kids. My dad gave me heck, said an extra cab was plenty...He used my truck for a week, and traded his extra cab for a crew cab...Just him and my mom. In 05 my last child moved out, I got a new truck in 06...A crew cab.

I would never have an extra cab again. I like the room and the way the doors open. 80% of the time it is just me in the truck.

I had a standard cab for 21 years because an EC or CC was not available on '84. Wife has had 2 S10s w/EC and we loved them. I vowed that the next truck I got would be a EC. I saw this dually (I was only looking for a 1500) and it was a EC. Got a really good deal on it, and I went home thrilled. Still am, I love my truck. But the CCs look soooooo cool, and I'd bet they ride a little nicer.

I do like the way you don't have to walk around an open door to reach into the back like you do on a CC, though.

I went with the extended cab because the crew cab would not fit in my garage

I went with the extended cab because the crew cab would not fit in my garage

I had to build a new garage so mine would fit.. :rolleyes:

First, the GMC/Chevys are exactly the same except for badging and price...GMC a bit higher. The CC is 7" longer than the EC. I figured with a truck this big, what's another 7" and it (the CC) is so much more convenient...resale is better, too.

Get the D/A CC, you'll love it.

I like the GMC 3500HD Dually a little better in the styling department...

I like the GMC 3500HD Dually a little better in the styling department...

Everyone has an opinion on the different front end of the trucks, I also like the GMC front end, but got a better deal on the Chevy. I like the Chevy now because I own it.:) As far as CC vs. ExtCab I would not own another ExtCab after being in a CC. JMO

I had to build a new garage so mine would fit.. :rolleyes:

:ro)Awesome!

Thanks again guys I'm glad I started this thread now, it's enjoying just reading all your replies. I'm still on the fence as far as an ext cab or crew cab.

Get the CC. Both seats fold down giving you more room for stuff that you might have to get at while traveling, that you don't want to bury in the RV. Also you can put an old rug down so the dogs won't drool or anything else on the nice leather seats.
I was in the GM assembly plant in Wis. on a field trip. The last guy on the line puts the grills and emblems on. In one box he has Chevy stuff, in another he has GMC's. That's the difference. That being said, it wasn't always that way. Years ago, the GMC line was indeed a heavier duty truck than the Chevy. It even had its own dedicated engine that wasn't used in any other GM application. It was a V6 with an incredible amount of power and torque. The suspensions were heavier and the interiors were more work orientated. They also cost more than a comparable Chevy, not so today. If you are asked to pay more for a GMC identically equipped, you are getting screwed. They are identical trucks. The differences are purely cosmetic and should cost no more.

Went from an EC to the CC and will never look back. Love it.

You will never hear anyone say, "Damn, I wish I had less room." It's better to have space you won't use than to need space you don't have. Plus, the Wheelbase of the crew cab is 10" longer which is better for towing. This is important especially if you are looking at a longer trailer. Also, crew cabs will have better resale value because they are what most most people are looking for. The only real disadvantage of the crew is parking and fitting in a garage(not that the extended cab excels at either of these). As far as GMC vs. Chevrolet, I have always liked the looks of the GMC's better which is why I bought one. I will have to say that the new Chevy's front end looks much better than they used to, but I still don't like the big ass square chrome things on the ends of the bumpers. What I would do is take one on a test drive to a dealership that sells the other and park them side by side and make your decision that way. Other than some styling cues, and badging, they are identical.

It even had its own dedicated engine that wasn't used in any other GM application. It was a V6 with an incredible amount of power and torque.
Oh you mean the GMC Syclone and Typhoon? Being I own an 87 Buick Grand National I know all too well about these powerful V6 trucks and SUVs. Turbocharged, intercooled, and all wheel drive, an incredible combo.

Most guys prefer the CC, and I probably would too, if I had one. The EC is all I've had since I started buying full-size trucks. They work well for me and it's just my girlfriend, my nine year old, and myself. If I can't fit it in the truck, I don't bring it. My siberian husky rides in back, in his crate, where I think he would rather be (I've never asked him).
I also went to a dually to accomodate my future 5th wheel. I think the demand is certainly higher for the CC and that's why they are easier to find. At least up here, most of the dually's I see are CC's, on the dealer's lots and on the road.

just try to open the rear doors on an ext cab in a parking lot,and everybody wants a crew cab daully ,so you will get a better trade-in or sale down the road,just like 4x4 vs 2x4,,i had a real hard time selling my 02' 2wd truck

You must be a youngster drthv8r. I believe the cyclone and typhoon were performanced versions of the 4.3 L v6. The v6 in the older Jimmy's came out many years before the newer ones. At the time it was the only v6 engine in use in either cars or trucks and nothing at all like the 3.0's, 3.8's or 4.3's. It was about the size of a small block with wide valve covers like the old 409's. I only worked on a few and then it was only tune-ups. They were about bullet proof. Buick division started making the new smaller cast iron v6's in '62, i think, for use in their compact Specials and Skylarks. Then chevy made a version that ran smoother and the rest, as they say, is history.

You must be a youngster drthv8r.
I'm young at heart that's about the only part of me that's young at all anymore...lol. You are correct GMC used 4.3 V6s in the Syclones and Typhoons.