Car Spot: 96 Ford F-350 XLT 3-Row

When two rows in a big pickup truck just aren’t enough

America loves pickup trucks! Once found only on work sites and farms they are now a mainstream family vehicle and can be optioned out better than most luxury cars. Out of the top five sales of US manufacturers pickup trucks take up three spots with the Ford F-Series is the most popular truck and best-selling truck in the US.

Crew cab pickups make up 83% of sales but sometimes that’s not enough so enter the 3-row, the subject of this week’s spot. None come off the assembly line like this so there are lots of places that will be happy to make one for you. The process begins with a crew cab which new can cost anywhere from 70 to 100 grand depending on how heavily optioned it is. Then the cutting starts beginning with the frame where it gets stretched to accommodate the extra set of doors that will be added. The length of the truck might be increased by around two feet. However, there are places that will keep the total length of the truck the same and making space for the third row out of the area occupied by the bed.

RELATED Spot: Another monster Ford for camping.

So while you’ll be able to carry more people, there are some drawbacks. First off, your new ride’s size can be stretched to a massive 30 feet so six-door trucks won’t fit into standard-sized parking spaces, and maneuvering in any kind of narrow space will be difficult. This one I found in Peoria took up about four spots in a mall parking lot. There’s also the loss of capability because of their longer wheelbase.

If you’re thinking of doing any off-roading these trucks lose much of their breakover angle and maneuverability. They also can’t tow as much, due to the curb weight forming a much greater part of the maximum GVWR. But hey, if you want to haul a lot of people and in a pickup truck, this is your only option right now. Well maybe not soon. Ram just filed a patent for one similar to what they debuted on the 1500 Revolution Concept last year. But if you have to have one now……plan on dropping at least 200K for a new one while used ones can be found for as little as 30 grand.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. Come back next week for another one of my finds along with some of its history and have a great weekend.