Truck - what do you drive, and why?

[Beck]

I drove a ford 2013 F-150 for years. When it got to 100k lbs miles everything started to break. Every time I had my oil changed something new would need to be repaired for $2k. I drive the lexus equivalent to a toyota prado now - thing is built like a tank, and it is a beast in the snow. Only downsides are gas mileage, and the gas tank is too small.

 

[PARA45]

Beautiful & Congratulations!!!

 

[BB416]

I’ve had my 1965 series 2a Land Rover station wagon for about 15 years. Daily driver for about 12 of those. I recently moved to a small farm and the commute in rover is problematic as it won’t do more than 60 mph. I love this truck.

I have a 2002 tundra 4x2 that came with the farm. Currently surplus to my needs and will likely get sold this year. This summer I had 2 new additions to the fleet.

A 1997 Diahatsu Hijet minitruck. I bought it as an alternative to a gator around the farm. 4x4 with added advantages of AC and street legal (at least in NC). Loads of fun with a tiny 660 cc mid engine. It also won’t go faster that 60.

Most recent addition is my 1980 Mercedes Unimog 416 DOKA (double cab). Diesel, front and rear PTO, hydraulics, tipper bed, pto powered winch. True beast.

 

[Pheroze]

I had a 2018 Tundra that endured everything. I traded it in and bought the new 3.0L Chevy diesel and I could not be happier. It saves me a pile on fuel costs. I haven't plugged it in and have had no issues this winter. The fit and finish is well done, I think they upped their game after the bankruptcy. This engine is in its second generation of a completely purpose built design, not a repurposed marine motor. It's telling that it is the last man standing in the world of eco diesels.

One difference is that I think it tows nicer than the tundra did. It feels more like a "truck" where the tundra felt biased towards a car feel, if that makes sense.

 

[ActionBob]

@mdwest for the use you describe I would recommend a Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi engine. They are capable of 20+ MPG driving hiway speeds and are capable of towing everything you list. Be aware you will trade fuel for towing,, especially at speed... Personally I'm willing to "buy time", in other words I drive fast enough that I sacrifice milage on long trips across western states.... Running 80 MPH for hundreds of miles just takes fuel no matter what you drive. And especially if towing.

Some must haves once you get them are the ACC or adaptive cruise control, the automatic headlight dimmer. And the radio/info center with U Connect that Bluetooths to your phone for gps maps and phone. Way better than the old built in Garmin. I personally liked the full air bag system in my old 2016. I always said it rides like a Cadillac yet hauls like a 3/4 ton. It is not trouble free but most issues are with -20 degree weather and parking in a heated garage solves most of that.

No experience with Toyota or Nissan, liked my old Fords but most recent was a 2005 F150. It is finally close to death at the farm. 5.4 was a good motor and the tyranny was solid as well. I've heard complaints about the turbo lag and the twin turbo v6.

One of my managers just recently got a new Chevy 1500 with the small diesel and he's liking it. He pulls skid loader trailers happily with it. But he's a Chevy guy, I'm not I have had several with the 5.3 Liter v8 and they seem anemic and shot lived with hard work. We've have top end problems with those in our farm/work fleet.



Currently @Just Gina and I have a 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 Dually bought used with 20,000 miles for $90k. I think we bought it January of '21. So about the peak of the market. It has the 6 speed Aisin Transmission (granny low and 2 overdives)
and the High Output Cummins 6.7 diesel. It is rated at 1000 ft pounds torque with the unbeatable power band of an inline 6 diesel. This thing will pull the ass off the World If you are not worried about milage.... It will pull our 42' triple axcel toy hauler 5th wheel camper loaded to over 20,000 pounds uphill into the wind at 80mph if I want it to

It has 42,000 pounds CGVW! With my 36' flatbed gooseneck loaded to the max with hay, I've weighed it a tad over that and it hauled it with no problem. It has factory automatic air bag overloads. Crew cab with 8 foot box. Just a beast of a pickup.

With that 8' box loaded with @Bullthrower338 's brass and lead full up under the roll tarp, and an overloaded 29' enclosed bumper hitch trailer behind, it road from like a Cadillac from Houston to Alder MT .... Normally it rides like a lumber wagon

 

[Ontario Hunter]

1998 GMC Jimmy with 330K miles (not km). Great outfit for hunting and road trips. On average it commutes twice a year to Montana. I don't know the mileage for those trips but it's about 30 hrs straight through one way. It also traveled all over the US when I was a US Park Service ranger. Everything has been replace at least once (including engine @ 70K miles) except transmission, tie rods, and front CV axles. I put electric seats in it years ago and they are a godsend during road trips. The hood is now a different color thanks to a muley buck on Hwy 2 three years. ago. This is a great outfit. Relatively easy on gas, easy to get in and out of (+++!), easy to maintain, great for the dogs (tailgate drops for them to jump in and with back seats flat I formerly traveled with two Labs and this Fr Brittany). As many as two mule deer bucks have been transported at once (two on top with one in the carrier box and once with one on top and one on the "deer duster" hitch carrier). A helluva lot easier loading a deer in the back of this Jimmy or onto the carrier than trying to toss one up onto a 4x4 pickup bed. My Jimmy has a good frame under it (vs bullsh*t unibody construction) with sufficient clearance for sensible offroad work. This rig is also highly maneuverable around town. Pisses me off everytime I have to negotiate around one of the big 4-door monster pickup locomotives hanging out into driving lanes of parking lots. And I've even hauled my 19' camper behind this Jimmy ... albeit very carefully with no wind and at night so I'm not holding up traffic. This has been the best vehicle I have yet owned. I've taken some ribbing over the years for driving a soccer mom vehicle. I just smile. Especially at the gas pumps.

 

[Sika98k]

Taliban taxi aka Toyota Hilux or Tacoma gets my vote. 140,000 miles and only one breakdown (fuse board burnt out on the pump solenoid).
Otherwise it’s just been regular maintenance, oil, filters, brake pads and shoes. I upgraded the shocks 3 years ago.

 

[Safari Dave]

I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 diesel because I used to tow very heavy boats.


If I were going to get a new full size pickup truck, it would probably be a Toyota Tundra.
(I wish they still put V8's in them.)


I drive a 2015 Ford F-250 gas burner as my work truck, and the "check engine" light stays on almost all of the time, there seems to be some type of transmission issue, and it gets 9 MPG when towing a 4,000 pound box trailer.


Everyone I know with a new diesel truck is having problems. Emission control, DEF, etc. seems to be a problem. A diesel engine will last forever, if there is no emission control.

 

[uplander01]

Land Rover D130. I've had Dodge, Chevy, GMC, trucks and tahoes, and suburbans, Jeeps all sorts, subarus, even an AEV Prospector, and none, and I mean none are as comfortable to me as this rig right here. I have a wife, kids, dog, we mountain bike, hike, hunt, fish, pull a 19 foot Lund Tyee. I work as a gun rep so sometimes she's loaded to the gills with firearms for shoots,...sometimes just a classy ride taking customers out for lunch or dinner. 20 mpg, not terrible given it weighs a shit ton and rides better than a cadillac.

 

[VertigoBE]

I’ve had my 1965 series 2a Land Rover station wagon for about 15 years. Daily driver for about 12 of those. I recently moved to a small farm and the commute in rover is problematic as it won’t do more than 60 mph. I love this truck.
View attachment 586148

I have a 2002 tundra 4x2 that came with the farm. Currently surplus to my needs and will likely get sold this year. This summer I had 2 new additions to the fleet.

A 1997 Diahatsu Hijet minitruck. I bought it as an alternative to a gator around the farm. 4x4 with added advantages of AC and street legal (at least in NC). Loads of fun with a tiny 660 cc mid engine. It also won’t go faster that 60.

Most recent addition is my 1980 Mercedes Unimog 416 DOKA (double cab). Diesel, front and rear PTO, hydraulics, tipper bed, pto powered winch. True beast.

View attachment 586149

Gotta love those Unimogs! It looks to be in excellent shape too

 

[Safari Dave]

This graph can tell you a lot about dependability:



Mainly, to avoid Land Rovers and Ram's...

 

[318AE]

I’ve had my 1965 series 2a Land Rover station wagon for about 15 years. Daily driver for about 12 of those. I recently moved to a small farm and the commute in rover is problematic as it won’t do more than 60 mph. I love this truck.
View attachment 586148

I have a 2002 tundra 4x2 that came with the farm. Currently surplus to my needs and will likely get sold this year. This summer I had 2 new additions to the fleet.

A 1997 Diahatsu Hijet minitruck. I bought it as an alternative to a gator around the farm. 4x4 with added advantages of AC and street legal (at least in NC). Loads of fun with a tiny 660 cc mid engine. It also won’t go faster that 60.

Most recent addition is my 1980 Mercedes Unimog 416 DOKA (double cab). Diesel, front and rear PTO, hydraulics, tipper bed, pto powered winch. True beast.

View attachment 586149

You’ve got quite the collection on the farm!

 

[318AE]

The Rivian sucks for a few reasons.

1.) Price is awful. It’s a Ford Ranger-esque vehicle for over $90,000
2.) The service network is microscopic. All the annoyances of owning a rare super car when it comes to service, but with none of the impress yourself or your friends benefits.
3.) Their stock is down 90+% since IPO and the odds of a bankruptcy are measurable. You might own a worthless, irreparable piece of junk in 3 years.
4.) It has none of the charging network features of a Tesla.
5.) Insurance on them is extraordinary because their costs to fix are astronomical. Unlike Tesla, they didn’t have the finances to underwrite insurance until there was enough data to support reasonable actuary tables.

And the biggest of them all: They are an exoskeleton unibody design. A fellow got a ding in the corner of his Rivian. Looked about the size of a softball, no tailgate damage at all. Rivian quoted him $41,000 to repair it, because the ENTIRE body had to be replaced all the way around the vehicle. The guy ended up sending it to the nation’s top paint less dent repair guy via car hauler, 500 miles away. The fella worked on it for a week with elaborate dent pullers and charged him about $4000 to pull the dent from the face. This was interesting, because there is ZERO room under the body to back a dent out from behind the quarter panels like a normal car. There is a YouTube video on this topic. Look it up, Rivian $41,000 body repair.

Sounds like an electric Edsel. I pointed out a Tesla Cybertruck I saw in traffic to my wife and she said “that redneck Delorean looking thing? It looks like back to the future with a mullet”

I think the Dodge Ramcharger may be the first one that actually makes sense, particularly if you tow something.

 

[rnovi]

2016 Toyota 1794 4x4 here, currently at around 92k on the clock. I figure this truck will carry me into retirement in 10 years and still be worth a decent resale.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Land Rover D130. I've had Dodge, Chevy, GMC, trucks and tahoes, and suburbans, Jeeps all sorts, subarus, even an AEV Prospector, and none, and I mean none are as comfortable to me as this rig right here. I have a wife, kids, dog, we mountain bike, hike, hunt, fish, pull a 19 foot Lund Tyee. I work as a gun rep so sometimes she's loaded to the gills with firearms for shoots,...sometimes just a classy ride taking customers out for lunch or dinner. 20 mpg, not terrible given it weighs a shit ton and rides better than a cadillac.

Obligatory tool box in back cuts down on payload space. The old saying comes to mind "An English car requires a driver who's either very handy or very rich."

 

[1dirthawker]

I am driving a 2003 dodge 2500 diesel... because its paid for! it has 150k miles on it. its been a great truck.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have my 2002 Ford F250 7.3 diesel that I purchased used in 2005 with 42K on it. I NEED that power/torque to pull my fifth wheel. In the past I've owned a '73 Ford F100 5.0L, an '88 Chevy K2500 5.7L and also have now an '07 Dodge 1500 4.7L. All long beds except the Dodge with a six foot bed. If I were to replace my Ford F250, I'd be looking hard at about a three year old Dodge 2500/3500 diesel. However, for your described needs, I would personally be looking at a Dodge 5.7L Hemi as it's conventionally aspirated with no turbo(s). The neighbor next door has a newer F150 EcoBoost and has already replaced one of the two turbos at $2500. I wouldn't buy a diesel unless you'll be hauling/pulling something heavier than you've described. More costlier maintenance and fuel than a gas engine. Just my 2 centavos.

 

[CoElkHunter]

This graph can tell you a lot about dependability:



Mainly, to avoid Land Rovers and Ram's...






View attachment 586218

Interesting chart.

 

[Badjer]

Late to the thread, but wanted to add my .02.
In 2010 I started looking at a new truck. I made a list of must haves, would be nice, and didn't wants, then shopped all brands online before visiting dealers. I ended up with a new 2010 Tundra with the 4.6 engine. Now with 201K miles I offer my experiences.
As an every day driver I have been happy. True the mileage is not what I would like, but with a 26 gal. tank, it's manageable, unless towing (more on that in a bit) Plenty of room inside and in the bed. I've used it to haul a roofs worth of shingles, towed a 14 person 4 Winns boat for my neighbor, hauled scrap iron to recycle, many miles across snow covered frozen lakes, hauled plenty of fire wood, yard waste to the dump, pulled other vehicles out of snowy ditches, and have many trips with an enclosed trailer. 6w x 10l x 6.5h interior (so read sail) including 2 from Wisconsin to Idaho. (LOTS of gas stops due to the western speed limits and terrain)
Issues? Due to my using it as a 4 season Wisconsin truck, not a luxury SUV, I have busted a leaf spring which I had replaced with 3/4 ton springs, bent the receiver (probably due to the 4 Winns) and replaced the front u- joint. The good? Everything else. Just normal wear and tear. Ride has stiffened with the heavy springs, but it's a truck.
While I think Toyota has improved engine torque and gearing to improve towing and hauling ability, my opinion, if you are looking for a every day driver, or a truck to haul stuff to the jobsite. Toyota. Lots of trailering in your future? Might want to look elsewhere.
Toyota doesn't officially make a 3/4 ton. Not a fan of turbos on work vehicles so unless something changes my next will be likely be a 3/4 ton from one of the big three. JMHO

 

[Scott CWO]

Gives new meaning to “Ram”