OT: trucks

[Bill Waller]

Bill Waller New Eagle, PA

[e-mail]

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 09 Mar 2005 02:52:37 GMT, the inscrutable Lew Hodgett spake:

Yabbut that Yugo Fleetside of yours doesn't win any Motor Trend awards.

LJ--who'd happily drive a Unimog as his backup vehicle if he could afford one.

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[Ralph E Lindberg]

\.

John if you are talking used, a 3/4 ton (F250, etc) is only a few hundred more then a 1/2 ton, and the difference in tow rating... well, my ol F150 was rated at 7000 lbs, my F250 is rated at over 13,000 lbs. If tow rating is really important, get a 3/4 ton Get the long bed, yes it is harder to park, but... Get a 2WD, it will be harder to find, since most people want a toy (ie short bed 4wd) not a work truck

[J T]

Wed, Mar 9, 2005, 7:01am [e-mail] (Bill=A0Waller) laments: But that's not an 8' bed. :-(

No, that's the sport model. To get the 8' bed, you move up to the

3 axle model, but then the flame job is not an option.

JOAT Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong.

- David Fasold

[Patriarch]

[e-mail] (J T) wrote in news:3177-422E9AF6-501@storefull-

3113.bay.webtv.net:

That's truly unfortunate...

[John T]

Wow! Lots of responses...lots of them emotional too :) I'll try to shed some more light on my needs, or muddy up the waters some more:

My first trucks were F-150's, al early '70s models. My only new truck was a '87 F-150 (then the union went on strike, and I couldn't afford it anymore...). My last two trucks were GMC versions of the S-10 and S-15. In the Sonoma (S-10 copy if I remember right), for sheet goods, I rested them on the wheel wells and used a inverted U of 2x6's on the tailgate. The wieght of the goods held it in place.

I hate diesels. I hate bemoth SUV's (Hummer, expedition, etc).

I like my Windstar minivan, but it can't carry sheet goods with the rear door closed. I have to tie a rope to the plastic loop handle and the other end of the rope to a seat armrest.

It sounds like 4 door is a must, as I must haul the kids frequently (I hate driving my wifes grand-am...it hurts my back to sit in that thing for extended periods), espectially on family trips.

Towing capability is a must (Most trucks will easily haul our pop-up camper without a towing package). If I get another van, it must have a factory installed towing package.

Cruise and automatic tranny are required. AC is nice, but optional. Power steering pretty much comes standard on everything these days.

we cannot afford new, so we are looking used, '99 or later. Under 20K, preferrably 15K.

4WD is preferred but not necessary...this'll be my hunting rig too!

One of the smaller SUV's might fill the bill...I'm not familar with them, but I'll be looking!

John

[John McCoy]

John T wrote in news:eHmXd.4054$pb3.307 @fe03.lga:

Just to add my two cents (and probably repeat stuff that's already been said):

You've got three choices in cabs: regular, extended, and crew (the names change some between brands). Regular cabs are all but useles, extended cabs are ok for kids but too cramped for adults (and near- adults). If you'll end up needing to haul full size people in the back you'll need a crew cab with full size doors in the back.

You've got 3 choices in beds, short (~6'), long (8') and extra-short (5' something). The crew-cab models get the extra-short bed, unless you go for a 3/4 or 1 ton model (e.g. F250, C2500). As far as I can tell, the extra-short bed is essentially useless. A long bed is a huge convenience if you actually haul much stuff.

Long trucks are a royal pain to manouever. An extended cab long bed truck has about a 50' turning circle (compare to 35' for a normal passenger car). They don't fit in parking lots very well, and making u-turns requires 4 lanes worth of road.

Ford & Chevy trucks have slightly higher payload capacities and towing ratings than Dodge, and all 3 are better than Toyota (I don't know where the new big Nissan fits in). Fords are more likely to be "built right" from the factory, especially compared to Chevy, but if you are lucky to get a good Chevy or Dodge, they last well (Toyotas are probably built even better, but I don't know enough people with them).

John

[patrick conroy]

What kind? Can't imagine hauling twobys and sheets in a Wrangler (YJ/TJ).

I'm able to throw stuff on top of my XJ...

[Duane Bozarth]

...

Did I happen to mention the world isn't fair?

...yeah, I thought so... :)

[Mutt]

John, take a ride in the Chevy, Ford and Chrysler products (dunno about the Nissan) and then the toyota Tundra. The difference is very noticable, and the SWMBO will prefer the Tundra hands down. You will buy the Tundra. That's what happened to me. Might pay a little more for it, but resale and durability will win over the long haul. You can't beat the rice burners on those two issues. Just my opinion.

Mutt

John T wrote:

tailgate.

[Dave in Fairfax]

John T wrote: snip

The base F-150s come in between $15-20K new, definitely in there if the dealers are trying to get rid of them. The come with AC and PS. AT, CC and 4WD are extra, they tow about 6K as designed. I like mine, it's got a non-standard rear end because I have a tendency to fill it with turning wood, $18K and change.

Dave in Fairfax

[Buck Frobisher]

my vote: Toyota Tundra crew cab. I don't think you'll find one in the price/age range you're looking for (~$26k new, they've been out since 2000), but if you're going to haul the family around, you will never regret it. For what it's worth, here's a bit of what CR says about it:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Highs: Ride, quietness, braking, smooth engine, interior quality, reliability. Lows: Turning circle.

Currently our top-rated full-sized pickup, the Tundra's Lexus-derived V8 is smooth and quiet. 2005 brings a larger and more powerful V8 and a new

4.0-liter V6. The ride is civilized, the cabin is quiet and roomy in the crew cab, and fit and finish is top-notch. The power-retractable rear window is a nice touch. The crew cab has one of the longer beds in its class. Four-wheel-drive versions perform well off-road. The extended-cab model has a cramped rear seat. Good offset-crash results are a considerable plus.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and predicted depreciation are all rated "excellent". It will tow 6,700 pounds.

You're chasing what we all want, a great used vehicle with all the features, comfort and safety, but without one thing: the high price. I wish you good luck in your search.

[Buck Frobisher]

Want four doors? A crew cab 2-wheel drive XLT (base model) is more like $30 new, from what I can see.

Frank

[Dave Hall]

I am not sure that I understand the "essentially useless" statement above unless you are talking about really heavy duty payload trucks. My Dakota Quadcab has a short bed. In hauling sand, gravel, shingles, plywood, sheetrock, and most other things, I run out of payload capacity long before I run out of room in the bed (and the Dakota has far more payload than the small trucks the OP has owned recently). About the only time I miss a long-bed is when helping someone move (wait a minute - that lack of capacity when other people are moving is a GOOD thing). Seriously, it only seems to be an issue when hauling relatively light things because I run out of room in the bed before maxing out the payload. I guess it might also be an issue if I hauled

12' sheetrock or something else long that needed more support.

Dave Hall

[Dave in Fairfax]

Mine's got a supercab.

Dave in Fairfax

[Silvan]

Wah.

[Bob G]

To be honest my wife had absolutely no say in what truck I purchased...she does not drive it...OR USE IT..

But

I had no say in what she drives either...(A Mini Van).. I do not drive it. or use it. BUT I do ride in it alot..when she takes me out to dinner (she does not like 4 letter words..."cook" is one of those 4 letter words.....

I have no use for anything bigger then a standard cab... I can get by with a 6 ft bed with little or no trouble... I have to have A/C & a Radio

Thats it....

I have always had at least on truck around the house for the last

35-40 years...My neighbor was the GMC Factory Truck Rep before he retired years ago... so I was able to purchase OLD (like 6 month old program trucks direct from GM for years for about 1/2 the sticker price.. until GM stopped issuing program vehicels to their Factory Reps.. Oh well good things never last...

I now drive a little 2002 Dodge Dakota 3.9 V6 ...It serves my needs BUT to be honest is very underpowered..and geared completely wrong for a truck.. I rarely need a lot of strong low end power...if I did I would be up the creek without the paddle or the canoe ..if you get my drift....should have got a V8...

I'm like an old dog...I just can not ever see myself owning a Toyota or Nissan Truck... not interested in resale value ..I never sell them untill they stop running...

Bob Griffiths

[Lew Hodgett]

I figure by the time my Tonka Toy dies, somebody will have put on another 250,000 miles on top of my 400,000 or so and i'll be sailing somewhere in the South Pacific.

Lew

[Norman D. Crow]

hood & stick a set of training wheels under the back end, then try and get around downtown NYC!(LOL)

Some yrs. back, SIL and our boss were running two rigs to CA, got out in AZ(Flagstaff) and somebody wanted to know what those "East Coast trucks were doing out there with the "big" trucks". SIL told 'em . . "Our boss only hires professional drivers, we don't need those training wheels". Sorta shut the CB down for a couple min.(Of course, this happened while SIL & boss were both out cruising in the hammer lane through 4" fresh snow)

[Mark & Juanita]

That's just plain wrong. Funny, but still wrong.

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