So another one of those 'help me choose a xxx' threads, but we haven't had a truck thread in quite awhile and I need some advice (or flame).

Since I got the RR working now, I will be starting road racing with it in the spring so I sorta need something to haul the bike in. Would like something with pickup power to perhaps haul a trailer with bikes and parts in, but afford ability is a factor. Creature comforts aren't really necessary since it won't be used as a DD, but it needs to get good hwy mileage. Don't want to get a shitbox either. I Need it to be reliable and running. Pretty much set at 4k or so since I still need to race prep the RR and invest some bling for some racing gear.

What models should I look at, what should I look for, and any advice would be helpful. Educate me like I'm a complete idiot about trucks.

1/10/2007 1:34:14 AM

do your own research

1/10/2007 1:50:33 AM

you're going to get about 50 different opinions. a truck is a truck, drive a few and pick one you like. not much difference in reliability, etc. in the real world. personally, i prefer dodge and toyota but that's just me.

they all have roughly equal pros/cons in different areas. it comes down to what works best for you.

i would however reccomend a half ton if you're going to be towing a trailer.

good mileage and the word truck don't mix. unless you get a 4 banger import. which will be junk for towing, and too small for hauling much.

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 1:58 AM. Reason : .]

1/10/2007 1:56:21 AM

dodge half ton

i agree

prolly wanna go with diesel

1/10/2007 2:18:57 AM

Quote :

"good mileage and the word truck don't mix"

well what bout v6's, they good enough to haul a trailer and still get respectable hwy mileage? I mean for hwy mileage, how bad could it be hauling a trailer with two bikes in for a total weight of about 1200 lbs lets just say for either a v6 or v8? I mean I've been looking at f150, v6 rangers, chevy z71, dodge ram's pretty much.

If the features of what I want is something I can't get for a range of 4k, I might spend a little more for better mileage and towing capacity. Not sure if I can drive a manual right now since my legs aren't really back to full strength. So automatic might be the only choice for me currently and it seems some dodge ram auto's die a bit early on of what've read.

1/10/2007 3:02:31 AM

a v6 typically only gets slightly better mileage. imo, the power trade off simply isn't worth it in something that's going to be hauling/towing. even with an open trailer, a v6 isn't going to be real stellar towing, and gas mileage will be on par with a v8. sometimes worse due to the extra effort they have to exert. you'd be surprised how even light trailers/loads can affect mileage. i'd say go for the smallest/cheapest thing you could find just to drag a couple bikes around town, but not for the highway and extended trips.

i would also assume that even if you don't start with one, that you would eventually want to use an enclosed trailer. even though most are fairly light for what they are, they can be like a damn sail for aerodynamics. especially behind a smaller truck that doesn't cut the wind as well. consider your tools, gear, luggage, people etc. also. it all adds up.

you could get a diesel to have the best of both worlds, but you'll be hard pressed to find much of one for 4k or less these days. you might be able to score an older IDI ford for that range in decent shape if you look hard enough. i sold one for $2500 this past spring that was mechnically solid, but pretty rough otherwise and had high miles. zxappeal got his cummins cheap also.

i imagine like the rest of us you'll find once you have a truck there are also other things you have a need to do with it that you're not seeing now. so a more well rounded package may be in order.

bottom line, go ahead and spend a little extra money on something decent up front. you'll regret it if you nickel and dime on something, only to find you would have been alot happier with a bigger drivetrain/truck.

maybe check out dakotas. v8 power in a smaller package and better mileage than a true fullsize.

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 3:43 AM. Reason : oh, and check your sub thread. i expect my offer to be taken for this advice.]

1/10/2007 3:40:21 AM

early to mid 90s chevy 1/2 ton with a 4.3 v6 and a 4 spd. if u are able to drive a manual trany. theyre pretty cheap, good on gas for a truck, plenty of torque with the 4 spd. and its still a reliable motor

1/10/2007 10:50:25 AM

for my two cents worth, my father's 95 dakota w/ v6 got 12-16 mpg pulling a 6x12 single axle trailer (all metal) loaded with an 1100lb mower and a couple hundred more pounds of lawn care equipment, and w/o trailer it gets close to 25mpg (if the odo. is close to being correct).

That being said, I dont think it has enough ass to handle much more loading - how much would an enclosed trailer with bike, tools, etc. weigh?

1/10/2007 11:07:40 AM

^^since when did a mid 90's gm come with a 4 speed manual?

also, the 4.3 is pretty gutless in a fullsize. one of our company trucks is that combo, and it's even the vortec.

1/10/2007 11:22:27 AM

You're gonna want something bigger than a v6 in any fullsize, or midsize w/ a trailer, if you plan on keeping this for a few years.

1/10/2007 11:52:40 AM

^^my bad. i guess the 4spd was discontinued after like 91. oops

1/10/2007 12:05:45 PM

I'm pretty sure by the time I'd need to upgrade to an enclosed trailer with bike, tools, etc, I'd be racing quite a bit more and have a newer truck by then. For now, I'd probably need a truck that I can fit the bike in the back and then upgrade to an open trailer to pull altogether up to 3 bikes with extra parts. Would like to get in the range of 20mpg when hauling the bike + parts currently (about 500lbs) without trailer.

Although I've been looking at 90's model chevy z71 5.7L v8, dodge ram 1500 5.9L v8. I also saw a 96 2500 6.5L turbo diesel in my price range. I'm thinking I might just spend the extra money for the v8 now the more that I think about it. But how bad does the gas mileage get hwy when pulling an open trailer with 1000lbs on these vehicles typically? What about enclosed trailer? Any problems I should know about with these models? Most of the trucks I see have about 120+k mileage. I also might think about getting manual since in 2 months I should be back to full health.

The thing is the more I can save right now is more that I can spend in upgrading and prepping the bike. I might be happy with a v6 ranger for like 3k for this season, but might not be viable to just resell it 6-8 months later to upgrade to a v8. I didn't think the v6 would be that gutless to haul shit around, but I don't know shit...

1/10/2007 12:09:31 PM

Quote :

"Would like to get in the range of 20mpg when hauling the bike + parts currently (about 500lbs) without trailer."

this isn't going to happen with anything but a diesel. expect 14-16 out of a half ton v8 depending on equipment, etc. it should stay steady around that until you exceed say 3k lbs. a v6 wouldn't get much if any better, and it's going to be working alot harder.

stay away from the 6.5TD. only the navistar IDI and the cummins for diesels imo. as far as brand vs. brand in gas models, like i said before they're all pretty much the same. they all have their pros and cons in different areas. just go drive some a see what you like. a manual is always going to be more reliable in late model trucks. mileage will be a bit better also. i could being down some pretty decent numbers in my 5 speed v8 ram when it was close to stock.

i throw a v8 dakota out there again. from your posts, it sounds like it might be the perfect mix of what you need and are looking for.

1/10/2007 12:32:45 PM

get a base model 2wd white work truck or a big painter's van.

1/10/2007 12:48:13 PM

my next choice for work truck/hauler. 5.9 cummins/ 5spd/ 4x4/ shortbox/ ext. cab. 96-98 with a solid axle front/ 2500 series. get 20mpg, haul, tow, daily drive. might be more than $4k, and harder to find, but worth it IMO

1/10/2007 1:02:38 PM

Look into a mid 90's F-series with the 4.9 six and a five speed. It's no screamer, but it is a strong six and is good for pulling. My dad's truck gets over 20 mpg empty on the highway, but that is with a super tall rear end gear not good for pulling. You should still be able to get damn near 20 out of one even with a shorter rear gear and pulling something. Way more powerful than the 4.3 GM V6 that my dad test drove before buying the Ford...

1/10/2007 1:31:16 PM

get a v8.

if dodge get a manual

stop wasting ur money.

1/10/2007 3:13:25 PM

Would a bike trailer with gear be less than 1000-1500 lbs? If so just get a trailer and tow it behind just about anything. I used to haul two jet skis or a 4 wheeler behind my Saab all the time. Got lots of looks, but it was under the weight rating, had plenty of acceleration and braking power, and I was getting 27MPG while doing it.

Trailers are nice if you don't actually need a truck. Unhook it when you don't need it, don't worry about scratching it up, and still have the ability to enjoy your whole car for storage/comfort. Plus, they are easy to load. I'm avoiding truck ownership as long as possible.

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 5:09 PM. Reason : l]

1/10/2007 4:52:05 PM

yeah jeff i bet ur acura could haul it. the bike only weighs about 400 lbs and the trailer would weigh no more than 1k.

1/10/2007 5:12:16 PM

Quote :

"get a v8."

don't underestimate the 300 six. It will pull more than a 302 V8 in a truck and get better fuel mileage doing it.

1/10/2007 5:33:53 PM

I'm a big six cylinder fan if I'm thinking gas engines (which I won't for a truck; SOLD on diesel).

BUT...diesel is a bit on the expensive side. I just got lucky...

Anyway, if I HAD to get a gasser, I would opt for a late '80s to mid '90s Ford 300 straight six. Torquey, and gets decent mileage...FOR A GASSER.

Seriously, you're not going to get over 16 period if you're towing a trailer. I personally think the 300 straight (when geared right) is as good if not better than any small block (Ford or Chevy).

Best choices for the tranny are the C6 or a Warner T19A, which you won't find in a later model. Most Fords with the six unfortunately shipped with the Aisin tranny (think Mazda), which isn't bad, but it ain't great either.

Of course, either a Dodge or a Chevy V8 with a NV4500 would be about as good. Shame Ford never used the NV4500.

In all reality, a Chevy S10 or a Ford Ranger with the biggest V6 will handle a 1000 lb trailer effortlessly. So will an Exploder. Hell, I've towed twice that weight with my old 2.3 Trooper, though I strongly advise against THAT level of abuse.

1/10/2007 5:58:52 PM

ASTRO CARGO VAN

1/10/2007 6:23:24 PM

^best bet right there

1/10/2007 6:30:56 PM

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/16bebab4-7571-44f4-be1b-98540141fd37.htm

1/10/2007 7:16:25 PM

^Damn.

1/10/2007 7:23:45 PM

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/3c5e0a72-7e12-4322-b38b-57d0f20f787b.htm

1/10/2007 8:16:02 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/car/260262817.html

1/10/2007 8:33:05 PM

^^w00t, cummins powR.

i concur... a ford 300 six is the ONLY 6 i would consider for towing.

i mean, a v6 ranger or something will tow what you're talking about like dan said, but why have less power and the same gas mileage as a v8? you also have very little room to grow if you ever expand your setup. or maybe you want to tow a car or boat or something sometime.

it's a no brainer to me, the only reason to get a v6 would be if you HAVE to have a smaller than fullsize truck and don't like the dakota.

Quote :

"Hell, I've towed twice that weight with my old 2.3 Trooper"

lol, one time Tuite and i towed an 87 trooper on a dolly with my 89 2.6 trooper all the way from charlotte to raleigh. something i will NOT do ever again.

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 10:57 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2007 10:54:59 PM

just get a box van for like 1500 bux

1/10/2007 10:59:02 PM

Quote :

"but why have less power and the same gas mileage as a v8?"

That's pretty much the same census of what I'm hearing from most people. As long as the truck I'm getting gets 20 or near 20mpg with just hauling the bike in the bed would be great for this season. I'll end up getting a trailer down the line. I also don't need 4x4 and hear that your fuel economy goes down with that, although most trucks have the selectable 2x4 or 4x4 modes - If I don't need it, I don't want to spend extra for it.

So right now its down to 90's Chevy z71 and a 90's dodge 1500 manual. Both v8's. I'll consider manual since I should be good in two months to shift correctly again.

And I'm not going to tow the bike using the Acura TL.

1/11/2007 11:05:25 AM

our old '92 toyota 4x2 4cyl hauled our 16' boat.. you just gotta be liberal with the gas pedal

toyota truck +1

1/11/2007 11:10:47 AM

screw Toyota trucks. They are about the same price as the Chevy or Dodge v8's I find and they are actually newer then the yota's. This isn't going to be a DD, but I will end up driving all over the east coast to different tracks.

1/11/2007 11:16:53 AM

powerstroke van.... haul shit in it and tow a trailer

1/11/2007 11:18:03 AM

z71's i believe were all 4x4.

1/11/2007 12:16:01 PM

z71 is just an option package (suspension and armor)

ive seen 2wd's with z71 stickers on them

1/11/2007 12:51:51 PM

how good is the automatic transmission on the z71's? One of my buddies said that if you haul shit a lot on auto trucks, they go bad because they overheat so might be good to get a transmission cooler...

1/11/2007 1:36:15 PM

^ but a bike/trailer doesn't weigh a whole lot.

We had a 4runner that we used to pull a horse trailer/horses, it worked well.

1/11/2007 3:13:27 PM

all real z71's are 4wd. people may put stickers on 2wd's, but they're not z71's. some 2wd's do have a towing package, which was the z82 or something i think.

if you don't need 4wd, don't get it. the extra weight and rotating mass costs you a little bit of mpg. by sitting taller, aerodynamics is also a little worse.

you people talking about pulling boats and horse trailers with toyotas aren't too smart. it's not about getting the load rolling, it's about stopping it and the ability to make emergency maneuvers.

1/11/2007 4:01:22 PM

get a box van, cheap

1/11/2007 4:06:58 PM

Quote :

"^ but a bike/trailer doesn't weigh a whole lot."

You need to account for tools, parts and other shit and they can add up really quickly. Pretty much need a rolling enclosed garage/trailer by the time I start racing for real instead of just track days.

how much is lost with the z71's even though you'd be running it in 4x2 mode?

1/11/2007 5:37:50 PM

Quote :

"powerstroke van.... haul shit in it and tow a trailer"

yep.

1/11/2007 5:45:19 PM

^^about 2mpg on average. you've still got the front cv shafts and part of the diff. turning. then the extra height and weight.

1/11/2007 10:01:40 PM