I know what you mean about the need for cargo space, power etc. when the whole fam damly goes on vacation and gas mileage taking a backseat (bad pun) to these. For that, we also own an extended cab 3/4 ton puck-up with canopy. It has the space to haul all the stuff (stroller, bikes, luggage....) and the canoe and tent trailer. But fuel is a killer. To help defray that cost I looked and found a used truck that runs on both propane and gas. Propane in Alberta is about half to 2/3 the cost of gas and gets about 85% of the mileage of gas. Deisel would be an even more economical way to go interms of mileage versus fuel costs but the engine is so darn expensive an option to buy and used deseil trucks just hold thier value too much to make it econimical unless you drive mega miles ayear to recoup the expense.
But with our last child growing in size (2 yrs old now), it looks like an extended cab is soon not going to be big enough to hold everyone and I'll be in your position, dreading the hunt and payments for replacement vehicle. I'm thinking a crewcab truck is the way to go. The big SUV's like a suburban are just too pricey and I don't like sharing my interior space with the dead deer, moose and waterfowl I usually haul home each fall.
