I’m deciding between a pickup truck, a minivan, and a small cargo van (such as a Ford Transit Connect) for my home organizing business. It would need to fit a shop vac, rug shampooer, storage boxes, and cleaning supplies. Nothing huge. I know there are pros and cons to each option and I read a few previous posts on the topic, but none described my exact situation, so I thought I would ask the community for advice. The pickup is appealing because it can fit a baby seat in the back row (in case I need to use my work vehicle to pick up my kid), and it could potentially haul larger items to the dump if needed. A minivan is appealing for similar reasons and because there are lots of them and they are relatively inexpensive. That being said, the Ford Transit Connect seems like a natural fit - it’s the first thing that came to mind when I started thinking about this. Thanks for the help :)
Of all those options, the pickup truck is the only one I would avoid unless you’re going to get a locking cover. Too easy for things to go missing while you’re unloading or doing something else. You want locking storage. For hauling things to the dump, no matter which vehicle you choose you probably want a separate trailer. That way you don’t have to unload your supplies to free up cargo area, plus that would keep the inside of your vehicle nicer, keep the garbage in the trailer.