Boondox
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 3,873
- Location
- Craftsbury Common, Vermont
- Tractor
- Deere 4044R cab, Kubota KX-121-3S
I have a 2002 Chevy regular cab longbed 4x4 pickup that I'm pretty happy with. Sure, it would be nice to have power windows so I can give the dogs air without pulling over. But that eight foot bed is really nice when it comes to bringing home loads of hay for the sheep, hauling firewood, etc. And the 5.3L engine has plenty of power for shoving snow aside.
My problem is the truck is fairly regularly called upon to push its hauling capacity and I worry that I'm shortening the life expectancy of my truck. Last winter our water line froze and for six weeks I brought home 400 gallons of water every Monday and Thursday. That's a lot of weight! And then there are the cab high loads of maple for firewood, the stone and gravel I occasionally bring home, and the 700# of ballast I carry in winter to offset the weight of the snowplow.
Should I, while the truck still has value and is in good shape, consider trading up to a 2500HD (or F250 for you Ford guys; sorry, but Dodge is out because of our crappy local dealers) or should I just add a leaf to the rear and drive it till the poor thing collapses?
Pete
My problem is the truck is fairly regularly called upon to push its hauling capacity and I worry that I'm shortening the life expectancy of my truck. Last winter our water line froze and for six weeks I brought home 400 gallons of water every Monday and Thursday. That's a lot of weight! And then there are the cab high loads of maple for firewood, the stone and gravel I occasionally bring home, and the 700# of ballast I carry in winter to offset the weight of the snowplow.
Should I, while the truck still has value and is in good shape, consider trading up to a 2500HD (or F250 for you Ford guys; sorry, but Dodge is out because of our crappy local dealers) or should I just add a leaf to the rear and drive it till the poor thing collapses?
Pete