How to Choose a Truck - READ ONLY

54 messages, Last post on Aug 03, 2004 at 1:10 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet C/K 1500 Series, Toyota Tundra, Ford F-150, Dodge Ram Pickup 1500, Car Financing, Truck

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#8 of 54 Look for the Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, or GMC nameplate for a REAL Truck by hansienna Jan 25, 2004 (3:58 am)
But don't be fooled by the small light utility vehicles some people erroneously call pickups. These light utility vehicles come with many names: Ranger, Colorado, Dakota, Canyon, Mazda B-Series, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma. REAL pickups have F-150, F-250, F-350, Silverado 1500 (2500 HD, 3500), Ram 1500, Ram Heavy Duty, GMC Sierra 1500 (HD 2500,3500), Titan, or Tundra prominently displayed. For any serious towing or hauling, the half-tons just can't successfully perform the task whether they be from Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Nissan, or Toyota. I have owned little "toys" (1975 Nissan/ Datsun pickup, 1991 Toyota pickup, and 1985 Ford Ranger. I now have a 1993 Ford F-150 Extd Cab LWB 4X4 which is a REAL truck. Those little toys can haul a small load of manure, light weight bulky items from Home Depot, etc. Titan and Tundra ads try to deceive people into thinking they can do serious towing. DON'T BELIEVE that crap. A close friend towed a 35' Jayco 5th wheeler with his Chevy Silverado 1500 for a year before he realized he needed a more substantial truck. He then got a Ford F-250 Extd Cab with 460 CID V8 and said he did not hold up traffic on hills any more. True, the Ford F-250 burns much more gas while just driving around town than did the Chevy 350 V8 but got the same towing the 5th wheeler. The Ford F-250 got the same mileage empty it did while towing a heavy load. Titan and Tundra are NOT satisfactory for heavy loads. Nissan and Toyota build fine passenger vehicles but have not yet built a viable truck for work. If 95 % of the usage is just hauling people, go with the Titan or Tundra if you want the Japanese label but if the truck will be used for jobs where work is involved, forget them.
#9 of 54 by tundradude Jan 25, 2004 (1:54 pm)
If you define heavy as 2500, this is one argument. Only 3/4 and 1 ton trucks will do the job. There are few exceptions, like a T100 1ton model (very rare) If heavy is around 1600 lbs, a Tundra will be find.
#10 of 54 ? 4cyl vs. 6cyl by dm13 Feb 13, 2004 (8:34 pm)
I researching the Tacoma's ability to tow a 20' boat. I have heard the 4cyl is fine for light towing but I'm not certian what is considered light. I have owned full size truck's,(2500,3500) and have towed some RV's that way in in the 11k range so I know what heavy is. My need now is for a small pickup that is easy on fuel and fun to drive around town. But on a clear day it's time to pull the pontoon to the lake. I am guessing the total package is not more than 3200 lbs. not including the truck doing the pull. I live in east central Florida so it's really flat towing except when we get to the boat launch. My big concern is extricating the loaded trailer from relitively steep wet ramps. Will the 4cyl pull the load or should I locate a 6cyl. for the overall job I've defined. I have already decided on 4wd just to avoid rear tire spin on those wet areas.
#11 of 54 dm13 by mullins87 Feb 14, 2004 (7:27 am)
Forget the 4 banger. Granted, with the 4x4, you could use 4-low to get up the ramp, but I really don't think it would have the power to pull it down the road at highway speeds. I think the 6 cylinder would probably have the power to do the job. However, there's more to the towing equation than just the engine's power. You should also be considering items such as the brakes, suspension and wheelbase. I am assuming the boat trailer doesn't have brakes on it. I seriously doubt the Taco's brakes have a sufficient heat sink to prevent them from overheating during a "slight" panic stop, much less a full blown panic stop. If you have, or put, brakes on the boat trailer, then you might be ok here. The next thing to consider is the trucks suspension. Is the Taco's suspension heavy enough to handle that boat? The truck needs to be able to control that load under all circumstances. If the truck is too light, then the trailer will push it all over the road and will even cause it to jack-knife in a moderate avoidance manuever, causing a wreck. The next is the wheelbase. If your looking at a regular cab short bed, then I'd say no. The wheelbase is too short for that big of a trailer. If your looking at the model with the longest wheelbase - I don't know what combination Toyota offers, whether it is a crew cab long bed or just an extended cab - it may be long enough. The reason I mention wheelbase is based partly on personal experience, but mainly on the experiences of several people in my area of the country back in the late 70's and early 80's. I have towed an approximate 5,000lb trailer with a regular cab short bed truck and the same trailer with a regular cab long bed truck, both GMC 1/2 tons. The drive was more comfortable in the longer wheelbase truck. The trailer wanted to push the shorter wheelbase truck around when I would try to slow down. Back in the 70's and 80's, people were taking Jeep CJ's and putting V-8's in them. Then something would come up and they would hook a, for instance, 16' flatbed trailer to them to carry wood or whatever they needed. Well, you know how it is if you have towed very much, someone would pull out in front of them. When they hit the brakes, the Jeep would jack-knife and several were killed. I didn't know any of them personally, but my brother-in-law did. So I have rambled on for so long, but it just kills me to see someone struggling down the road with too large of a trailer coupled to too small of a tow vehicle. You are really wanting the best of both worlds, good fuel mileage with decent towing capabilities. I doubt you'll find it. I don't know your particular situation, but if it were me, I'd buy that 4 banger Taco for use as my daily driver and an older 1/2 ton to pull the boat. It might cost just a little extra in insurance, but you'll get that back in the fuel mileage of the Taco.
#12 of 54 by tundradude Feb 14, 2004 (4:52 pm)
I have seen old Toyota 4X4's with 116 (22RE) hp pull boats out of the water. However, going down the road you are limited to 3500lbs of towing. For this application, the V6 is the way to go. The new Tacomas are supposed to be bigger and the wheelbase has increased (so I hear). I do agree with mullins87 and a bigger full-size (even with a six) would be much safer. Another alternative would be a used T100 4X4. I tow a 5200 (wet) camping trailer with my Tundra.
#13 of 54 BIG vs. NECESSITY by nmr353 Feb 17, 2004 (5:49 am)
My husband and I are ready to buy a truck. Our major "need" is a Quad cab b/c we have 2 kids in carseats. We will not be towing (except a move this week and maybe in a couple of years), it will not be used for commuting, and it won't be used for much work. We have 2 in mind...... a 2002 F150 crew cab w/ 30,000 miles and a 2001 Chevy Silverado 2500HD w/ 8.1 liter engine and 59,000 miles. Two COMPLETELY different trucks! Both trucks look great, drive great, and are at comparable prices. Which would tend to last? Any suggestions would be very appreciated! We like both trucks but worry that the 2500 is way too big for our needs.
#14 of 54 Chevy v. Ford by lennx Feb 17, 2004 (8:07 am)
This kind of question can incite a riot. I have the 2003 F150 Super Crew. It is a great all around truck while also being able to cary 6 people (which I do about once a week). Gas milage with the 5.4 is 18 on the highway, 15 around town. With winter my combined average has dropped to about 15 mpg. It sounds like the Chevy is more truck than you need. The HD with an 8.1 is set up for serous hauling. As for which will last? All I can say is I had Camry that had a number of problems. My F-150 had a couple of minor things that the dealer fixed on the first service. 2nd service in the next month will be just oil and tire rotation.
#15 of 54 Ford versus Nissan by trucker49 Feb 17, 2004 (9:42 am)
I like the handling and performance of the Titan and except for a few problems I've heard they've been having with the brakes it seems like a fine vehicle....car and driver picked it best in a 5 truck shootout, but the F-150 is quieter and better looking but perfprmance is disappointing....I can get a $30,000 F-150 on the a-plan with the rebate for about $23,000 so I suppose it's up to Nissan to see how close they can get(do prefer the buckets w/console in the Titan).
#16 of 54 nmr353 by tundradude Feb 17, 2004 (6:47 pm)
If you are not using a truck for towing, commuting, or hauling. Why do you need a truck? Buy a family sedan or a minivan.
#17 of 54 Best Used Truck Choice? by abilene Mar 13, 2004 (7:22 pm)
I'm really wanting to buy my first full-size truck (I have 2 minivans right now), but I'm limited in my budget, so I was hoping for all of your thoughts on my best choice. Here's what I'm wanting: Full-size Extended Cab (I have 2 kids & another on the way) Prefer Automatic transmission Price range $3000-7000, ideally I'm thinking of a Chevy, GMC, or Ford at this point. I won't tow much (an occasional tow of a boat or light trailer load), and I expect to have to buy one with over 100k on it. I want something that will last me and that wears well. What are your suggestions? Pros and cons to different models? Thanks for helping a new guy!