What do you drive for a truck?

[ArlyA]

A truck seen here that works. (ranger)

 

[5030]

In the winter time I seldom have a hose available, the nearest car wash that does the undercarriage is 45 minutes each way.

We have terrible well water here, loaded with calcium and if you wash anything with it, you get a white haze so I don't. I have a pair of 350 gallon IBC totes hooked to the shop eavestroughs and they drain rainwater into them. One is outside and one is in the heated shop and I use rainwater to wash down all the equipment as well as the buggy's. Have a booster pump on my pressure washer to deliver the rainwater and an inline strainer just in case some crud gets in the water.

Been doing that for over 10 years now. Best 60 bucks I ever spent and living on a dirt-mud road, they get washed a lot.
\
Kind of **** about clean equipment and buggies and yes, the buggy's get washed underneath as well.

 

[5030]

A truck seen here that works. (ranger)View attachment 854940View attachment 854941

You need to wash that truck before the aluminum bed oxidizes away.

 

[Bansil]

I'm game, nice truck is a 2012 F150 with 47k miles on her, it's the wife's, the mint red one in background.

The work truck 2003 super duty 7.3 with 300/600 tune, I put a dump bed on her, she's well north of 260k miles

But she's a fat girl

 

[Oaktree]

I know some states do inspections of some sort every year/fee years; but that's the minority of states, and no idea what they actually inspect to get your registration.

Even a lot of states that have inspections, there are varying inspection rules throughout the state. In MO we have no emissions testing outside of the cities, in my county I just need tires, brakes, muffler and lights. No windshield required, not any sort of testing.

Here in N.H. we have both safety and emissions inspection, done annually, same month as registration (generally same as registered owner's birthday). Vehicles registered as antiques are April, not sure about commercial ones. Initially emissions testing was required in only a handful of communities, just Nashua and any abutting towns but this became difficult to administer so at some point the whole state was subject to it. There's a machine that plugs into the OBD port and it's a pass/fail. The results are sent to DMV so if you fail it's in the system. Kind of BS to me, but the feds can be "persuasive" when it comes to threats to withhold highway funds. Anything 20+ years old is exempt from emissions check.
Safety inspection is tires, brakes, exhaust, lights/wipers, rust etc. A cracked windshield is a fail. I don't have a big problem with it, it does keep the worst heaps off the road. Some garages look more closely than others, and it helps to be an established customer.

Beware of chain tire/exhaust places or anyone who offers a discount inspection. All but guaranteed they'll find something to fail you for.
Inspection is independent of registration, in fact they can't inspect a vehicle without a current registration.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I'm game, nice truck is a 2012 F150 with 47k miles on her, it's the wife's, the mint red one in background.
View attachment 856645

The work truck 2003 super duty 7.3 with 300/600 tune, I put a dump bed on her, she's well north of 260k miles

View attachment 856626

But she's a fat girl

Wife's truck is EXACTLY what I'm shopping for right now. Wanna sell it?

 

[Jimmy Joe]

2023 Honda Ridgeline since I retired does everything I need tows 5000 pounds heaviest I tow is my Polaris UTV easy to park roomy inside back seats easily fold up for more room in the back for tools and whatnot. Has a trunk under the bed with a lot of room, dual functioning tailgate makes bed access easy, v6 non turbo engine 9 speed transmission easy to park.

It is a unibody construction so sits a little lower to the ground easier to get in and out rides very well. Not for everyone but fits my needs well. Just hauled drywall lumber and door for a basement project no problem. Wife likes driving it also.

 

[Bansil]

Wife's truck is EXACTLY what I'm shopping for right now. Wanna sell it?

Lol, nope! She is a Ford warranty administrator, when it came on the lot and into the "assessment bay" she told the owner she wanted 1st dibs, it is a local vehicle 47k miles no rust!

It was owned by a DAV, he basically only drove it 30 miles to his VA appointments. No rust, can I say that again? Around here they have no rear quarter panels, cab corners or rocker panels...oh, and the frames are rusted in half behind the cab.

It's kind or ironic that we got it since I'm a DAV....she had been looking for several years, but they were all rusted out.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here in N.H. we have both safety and emissions inspection, done annually, same month as registration (generally same as registered owner's birthday). Vehicles registered as antiques are April, not sure about commercial ones. Initially emissions testing was required in only a handful of communities, just Nashua and any abutting towns but this became difficult to administer so at some point the whole state was subject to it. There's a machine that plugs into the OBD port and it's a pass/fail. The results are sent to DMV so if you fail it's in the system. Kind of BS to me, but the feds can be "persuasive" when it comes to threats to withhold highway funds. Anything 20+ years old is exempt from emissions check.
Safety inspection is tires, brakes, exhaust, lights/wipers, rust etc. A cracked windshield is a fail. I don't have a big problem with it, it does keep the worst heaps off the road. Some garages look more closely than others, and it helps to be an established customer.

Beware of chain tire/exhaust places or anyone who offers a discount inspection. All but guaranteed they'll find something to fail you for.
Inspection is independent of registration, in fact they can't inspect a vehicle without a current registration.

Interesting… my state California goes back to 1976 emission test… soon it will cover vehicles 50 years old!

Was not always like this… for decades 25 years and newer and then 30 years and newer and the decided 1976 is the magic year…

Of course these 1976 models are way before plug in monitoring and carburetors are the rule.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Was not always like this… for decades 25 years and newer and then 30 years and newer and the decided 1976 is the magic year…

Isn't that when catalytic converters became mandatory?

 

[ultrarunner]

Isn't that when catalytic converters became mandatory?

Pretty much although a few were able to delay like Honda with CVCC engine.

Unleaded started becoming a thing back in 1973 and remember the stations gearing up for it.

 

[RB5]

2013 F150 STX 4x4 extended cab with 5.0.. 255k miles and still runs like new. Best truck I have owned. I bought it new. I had Chevys a 97 Ram 1500 before. None of them lasted as well. I like to buy new and take care of my trucks. That way I have a number of years with no payments. I've towed trailers, a boat, pulled out a few delivery trucks that missed our driveway and got stuck, and hauled rock and compost. Never a problem.

 

[RB5]

Here, you can make fun of my daily driver too. 2007 Toyota Yaris with 158,000 miles.View attachment 854875

With the tow package?

 

[RB5]

I have found just the opposite.
My 90’s trucks had weak engines, tissue paper transmissions, and low tow ratings.
If you rode with me in my Ram/Cummins, you’d think you were in a luxury vehicle with the ability to tow 40,000lbs.

My 97 Ram 1500 had so many transmission problems and an interior that fell apart that I would find it hard to ever buy a Ram again. I do like the way they look, but I just can't do it. The 5.9 gas guzzler was still idling perfectly smooth at 225k miles when I parked it and gave up fixing things on it. Too bad the rest of the truck didn't hold up as well. Yeah the 90's trucks were great.. lol

 

[Too many Kubotas]

My 97 Ram 1500 had so many transmission problems and an interior that fell apart that I would find it hard to ever buy a Ram again.

Believe it or not, but Ram has changed a bit during the past 27 years.

 

[Runner]

With the tow package?

Here's the ironic thing about that picture: The reason I had the trailer on there that day is because I went to pick up a new refrigerator with the truck which hadn't been out of the garage in a couple of months. While it was parked in the Lowe's parking lot, thieves stole the catalytic converter, so it was in the shop being fixed. The Toyota had to pinch-hit for the Ford.

 

[Oaktree]

Interesting… my state California goes back to 1976 emission test… soon it will cover vehicles 50 years old!

Was not always like this… for decades 25 years and newer and then 30 years and newer and the decided 1976 is the magic year…

Of course these 1976 models are way before plug in monitoring and carburetors are the rule.

Initially here anything 1995 or older was exempt (pre-OBDII), but at some point 20 years became the cutoff point. Keep in mind that rust is the limiting factor here for vehicle life, not very many vehicles last that long.

 

[RB5]

Believe it or not, but Ram has changed a bit during the past 27 years.

I do believe it, but I cringe every time I remember how bad my 97 held up. It towed great and rode nice, but it didn't last. 3 transmission failures. Had a rebuilt one installed under warranty before 90k miles after the 2nd transmission issue. 2 water pumps. A/C issues. Serveral problems with ball joints and front suspension parts. I think I have ptsd from that truck.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Most people I know seem to shy away from Furds because of past and present experiences.

Which has surely helped Ram sales.

 

[RB5]

Most people I know seem to shy away from Furds because of past and present experiences.

Which has surely helped Ram sales.

My take is every manufacturer has issues at some point. Most are improving slowly over the years. Every now and then a new model or new idea doesn't work like they wanted it to. I did not like the Fords when they were made more car like in the 90s. That sloped aerodynamic front end version I really hated. I had a friend with one, and I used to hit my head on the grab handle by the front of the door frame on the passenger side every time I got in it until I learned it was there. Ford also had other issues with engines at different points. I am only talking about what I own and drive drive vs others I have driven or owned. I don't think I could go back to Ram though. Maybe if I'd had one of the Fords with engine or transmission issues I would think the same about them. I did not buy the first year of a new model, and I also went with what I thought would be more reliable long term in the 5.0 V8. Either I picked right or got lucky this time. Either way this is the first truck I have owned that I would purchase again.