Daily Driver to Limited Use Pickup

[crashz]

Find a good plow installer and you'll be fine. For new plows, Fisher and Western make a nice 7.5 ft light duty plow that is great for 1/2 tons. I have a Fisher standard duty plow (now labeled as heavy duty) on my 2004 GMC, and its a little heavy for it.

Sno-Way, Meyer, Western, Fisher, Boss and even SnoDogg are all decent plow manufactures, but you'll proabably find a better selection of used plows from Fisher,Western and Meyer. Finding a used plow will be easy enough, but finding a truck side mounting carton and an intact wiring harness may be more difficult. Thats why I suggest paying just a little more to have an experienced shop install the plow and source the parts. Look for a shop that strictly deals with snow equipment.

 

[Iowachild]

texasjohn -
FWIW, here are a few photos of the truck...

Is that Electric Currant Red? I had a '94 that was Electric Currant Red, 302 V8, 5 speed manual, short box that I was the second owner of. Kept it 9 years. It is still around town looking good on it's 5th (that I know of) owner.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto.. keep the gas full and treated. Do try to start it and run it at least once a month.

a solar battery maintainer will help.

I have let my dodge ram 1500 become a limited use vehicle. one year I only drove it 3 times.. it nearly went to pot that year and took a year to get the truck running good.

ditto on at least 1/yr oil change..

keep an eye on the tires too.. you forget how that rubber ages when you don't drive it everyday..

soundguy

 

[tlj87]

Iowachild - That is a sharp truck! Too bad you let it go, but good to hear it is still around and in good shape. Mine is the same color.

Soundguy - Will look into a solar battery maintainer. Sounds like a good choice since I shut the power off to the outbuildings when I am gone for more than a few days. As for the tires - I just replaced them, so hopefully if they are kept out of the sun, they should last quite a while (replace at six years even if tread remains).

 

[MikePA]

tlj87 - Semi-retiring my truck was the worst thing I ever did to it. It went from a daily driver sitting on my paved driveway to sitting on the gravel driveway at the barn. One year at the barn seemed like 5 years in terms of deterioration.

As others have mentioned, condensation caused rust everywhere, not to mention the snow sitting on it and in the bed. I had to replace the gas tank, the fuel lines and the brake lines. The frame was rusting and when the rear main seal went (not caused from sitting at the barn) that was it for me. I traded it and the new truck is back at the paved driveway at the house and it's used at least once a month for a week at a time commuting to work. Never again will I let a vehicle sit on a gravel driveway.

All the advice about fluids is good and keeping the cap on it will keep snow and rain out of the bed, but sitting out on a gravel drive will, in my experience, destroy the truck in short order.

Of course, driving a pickup into downtown Pgh is not my idea of fun. It's bad enough driving a car there and some of the parking garages definitely not for trucks.

 

[tlj87]

MikePA - You're right about driving it in Pittsburgh. It's really fun shifting gears constantly. Definitely need to get something else before next spring - this is an XL and there is no A/C which is no good in traffic! Moving tomorrow, start the job on Wednesday...

FWIW, the camp is about 1.5 hrs north.

I've replaced both gas tanks within the past 5 years. Sprayed them with that aerosol bedliner goop before installing them. Replaced oil pan gasket around the same time. Also, the truck has been oiled every year underneath.

I am hoping that continuing the oiling, waxing, and keeping it under a shelter on a gravel pad will be next best thing to driving it?

Will it be bad enough to abandoned the idea of keeping it? Should I just trade it in and get a trailer to take its place and use one of my tractors or utility vehicles for plowing?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Will it be bad enough to abandoned the idea of keeping it? Should I just trade it in and get a trailer to take its place and use one of my tractors or utility vehicles for plowing?

May not be a bad idea. The worst part of that plan is some contractor or kid will buy it and tear the he!! out of it real quick. You need to sell it to a good friend who will take care of it or just give it to me. I will let you drive it whenever you want.:thumbsup:

Chris

 

[MikePA]

MikePA - You're right about driving it in Pittsburgh. It's really fun shifting gears constantly. Definitely need to get something else before next spring - this is an XL and there is no A/C which is no good in traffic! Moving tomorrow, start the job on Wednesday...

I spend a fair amount of time in Pgh. Where downtown is your job?

Also, that's a great looking truck. Maybe sitting under a roof will provide enough protection. I'd try it for a winter and see how things go.

 

[boxygen]

May not be a bad idea. The worst part of that plan is some contractor or kid will buy it and tear the he!! out of it real quick. You need to sell it to a good friend who will take care of it or just give it to me. I will let you drive it whenever you want.:thumbsup:

Chris

True. I empathize with you wanting you keep your truck, I would too. However, I think your plans for it will cause it to deteriorate quickly, even with all the preventative things you have done, and its too nice of a truck for that. I would have a very hard time selling it, unless I knew it was to someone who I KNEW would take care of it.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. my dodge aged the most during the time it was parked and not used. took a while to rehab it..

soundguy