Existentialism and the New Truck Bug

[lostcause]

you can spend more time researching and comparing than you do actually using vehicles if you let yourself. spend enough time here or anywhere else and it's the same old story of people trying to convince you (and mostly themselves) that one brand or model is better than the other. I've got many friends that are mechanics and my family used to have a new vehicle franchise, and the one thing i can tell you is that every manufacturer makes vehicles that last forever, and every one also makes ones that don't last long at all. they all wear parts and rust.

i used to go through cycles of wanting a new vehicle, and then cycles of not liking making payments, and then if i would change to one that was older, cheap, and used that i could buy for cash i got sick of spending what free time i had making repairs. the one thing that really bugs me is the thought of having to pay for repairs on a used vehicle while still making payments on that same vehicle. lately i've decided that my free time is paramount when compared to wrenching a daily driver, and my job affords the ability to cycle vehicles at a reasonable frequency if i choose to, so i will go that route as long as the income will support it.

it's fine to ask opinions and advice , but try to identify mentally block out the rabid ford dodge chevy toyota fanboys as much as possible. every manufacturer sells hundreds of thousands of each of them each year - if any one of them made junk people would stop buying them pretty fast and you would know it. for every person who puts down a specific engine transmission etc, there are hundreds who love that some one. it's your money, but what works best for you.

 

[oosik]

I bought the Taco Wagon for a few reasons. I'm big and it's big and it's comfortable( more or less ). I've always wanted a Power Wagon and now I finally have one. I make no excuses - it's for fun and for transportation. View attachment 684513

 

[BravoXray]

I've way more comfortable in a full size truck. I'm sort of a full size guy. And the Fords and Doges seem to rack up respectable mileage. I only average about 20-22 in the CRV, with mostly highway driving. The trucks add a lot of room, comfort and a bit better mileage depending on options.

I agree with being more comfortable in a full size truck. I have a 2006 F150 4.6L V8 RWD standard cab and 8' bed that I bought new. It has almost 230K on it, and I toyed with getting a new one to replace it, but after test driving a couple new ones, I decided to keep it. The new vehicles have way too much electronic crap on them and just didn't seem a comfortable as my truck. It just fits me better. In fact I have a 2004 Lincoln Town Car that I only drive if I have to haul more than one other person or feel bad about letting it set there in the garage gathering dust because I just like driving the truck more.
I had a local body shop that does excellent work fix the rust and repaint the truck so it looks like new again. A lot cheaper than a new truck. It still runs great and only uses a quart of oil between changes so it should be good for a lot more miles.

 

[nybirdman]

I have owned maybe 20 new GM trucks;used to trade every two years or so.Had good luck with them for sure,my current 2017 Silverado only has 14K,so a keeper for a while.The new Rams are getting rave reviews but I just don't like the "look".Dealer inventory is extremely low other than Toyota's:lots of them on the lot.

 

[Patches]

The problem with that theory in the northeast is any vehicle of that age with that mileage has the frame/uni-body and brake and fuel lines rotted away due to the winter road treatments used. Calcium, Magnesium, salt brine, to say nothing of the amount of rock salt put down; and you have a vehicle with 230,000 miles on the chassis and drive line. oops nybirdman got between us

 

[bdeboer]

I knew you guys would get it!

Same issue here, spent 6 months deciding what to replace my daily driver 2012 1500 Silverado with. 16 year old son is now driving it. I ended up trading off my 2500 for a newer 1500 due to rust.

 

[old and tired]

I have the same disease :confused2:

I think I have that disease's ANTI-Body.... I hate the research, looking and definitely the shopping, and only do it when the old vehicle is on it's death bed... We got two new ones in 2009, wife got a Nissan Versa that cost 10K (sticker was 17K) cash for clunkers & other rebates, traded a 17yo Villager w/ 300k; I got a Tacoma 4x4 which I'm not happy with (never was) but I'll drive it until the wheels fall off of it.

So with your disease, is one of the side effects cleaning / polishing your vehicle? Inside and out? I also have the Anti-bodies for that... very rarely wash or clean vehicles. They just get dirty again...

 

[truckdiagnostics]

If have found pick a vehicle, keep them the same and have more than one. My wife's Subaru, bought the first one low miles, as the miles got up there on that one I bought another one just like it, same year same color interior options slight difference. It has it's advantages, she has to have good tires to get to work in the snow. So, I put new tires on hers switch hers to the the higher mileage Subaru, which I drive in the winter snow. Then I have 1 1/2 dodge vans, with the stow and go seating. Had two the same color everything. Cracked one up used the parts from that one on the other and now it sits and is used as parts. The van is a great people mover great on the highway. Then I have a 2 door pick up. That is the work horse it is driven hard and put away wet. It is used and abused, not the go too for long trips. I have only one of those completely rebuilt it from scratch. Took me three trucks to rebuild it. Twenty years ago did the same thing with the Toyota corolla, then the Chevy impala. I think the vehicle needs to fit what you are doing finding the same vehicle to do everything and do that everything well is not possible. A pick up truck that can haul 14,000 lbs is just not going to be good for going in and out of parking lots, anymore than i can expect the Subaru to haul 14,000 lbs. Therefore I think you need a vehicle for what you intend to do. IMO it is not so much the brand as it is knowing each manufacturers nuances. And those nuances change from model platform to model platform.

The Subaru is not hard to work on once you figure out how they do things. At first I hated them. The chevy impala the same way, not the best car, but had good ride, not small like the corolla, once i figured them out it was easy. I had five at one time. My kids used them to go back and forth to school. I used to keep, an engine transaxle assembly all repaired all set to go, i would drop the one swap in the other one. Do heads, trans valve body what else was wrong, leave sit for the next one.
My current truck is not big enough so rather than try and turn it into a medium duty. Why not buy one, better yet build one. I have a 1990 Camaro I am completely rebuilding.(dump move). Then there is the take the engine and drive train out of the newer school bus and put it in the old truck(my medium duty project) Bought my skid loader used and have rebuilt most of that. And I have built all the buildings and tools and equipment to do all this from scratch.
SO I HEAR YOU, I have it real bad.
i am older now and it is harder to physically to do the work, or i can't work sun up to sun down. I am looking into putting in tracks so i can move things around on the welding table and between parts washing tanks.
I have ADD sitting around after my two rotator cuff surgeries almost killed me. Or I should say my wife almost killed me.
Bought a used dump trailer, fixed it used it for a project, now I will repaint it, maybe i will keep it maybe not. my kds tell me just sell it you don't have to fix everything and make it like new before you sell it.
my wife is scared when i finally get done building the house i am going to want to sell that

 

[fried1765]

I have the same disease :confused2:

I was able to cure that disease back in 1992, when I was almost 52 years old.
Have not bought a NEW vehicle in the past 29 years.

 

[Oaktree]

I think I have that disease's ANTI-Body.... I hate the research, looking and definitely the shopping, and only do it when the old vehicle is on it's death bed...

I'm that way too. I'll buy something used (7-8 yrs old generally) and drive it until the wheels fall off. Way too cheap to buy new, and at that age they still have a lot of life in them but you know which ones to avoid.

I get where the OP is coming from regarding vehicles that are uncomfortable/unpleasant to drive...to me most Japanese brands fall under that heading, though Honda seems to be the best of the bunch in that regard as well as some Nissans. Even American sedans aren't as comfortable as they used to be...I find the huge consoles make anything feel claustrophobic.

I've always wanted a Power Wagon and now I finally have one.

Isn't "power wagon" just a trim line these days or is there an actual difference between it and a regular Dodge truck? Once upon a time it was a separate model all into itself, but that's long gone.