[PatSully]

So I have decided that I need to get rid of the car and buy a pick up. Owning a motorcycle and a house means have to carry larger items and buying a pick seems to make sense. I don't drive my car much anymore in the year that I have had the bike so its really not being used, but a truck would let me get the things I want to get without bothering the neighbors or friends. It would also let me do a track day and not worry about how to get the bike there and back.

I'm thinking of a smaller truck maybe a 2000+ Tacoma or something that size. I guess if the price was right I would get a Chevy 1500 or F150, but I don't really want or need something that big. I'm only looking to spend about 10K or less, is that enough for something in decent shape? The prices seem to be all over the place.

Really would want a v6 over 4 banger for towing in case I needed to do any.

So I guess I am looking for some advice, I never owned a pick up so I'm not sure what I need or don't need. What do you use for moving your bike and other large items? What do you like/dislike about your vehicle?

Thanks

Pat

 

[cirsory]

subscribed, i'm in the same position as you.

 

[donkeyman]

I really like the Nissan Frontier with the V6 manual transmission. I like Nissan over Toyota because it tends to have a lower resale value so it is easier to get your hands on one used.

To go really cheap, a Dodge Dakota gets the job done too or any of the North American varieties.

 

[michaelg]

Here is my two cents...

Get a long bed if you want to haul bikes.

Get and extended cab so that you have a place to safely store stuff.

I got a pair of tri-fold 6' ramps @ Harbor Frieght (which I keep in the back of the extended cab) for $80. Look here: Harbor Frieght

Today's fours have pretty good torque and will be a blessing when gas goes up this summer.

I also went for a 4x4.

Brand? I buy American when it comes to cars and trucks. The quality factor isn't an issue any more and I like to buy from the US when possible. No flame intended.

That's my two cents...

Good luck.

 

[kcdt58]

you might as well just buy a new dodge hemi, long bed, mega cab, 4x4...you can practically get them for half off right now...

 

[locoblanco]

i drive a ford ranger at work, 2.4L 4cyl. i don't know about prices, but i beat the heck out of that thing,(it's not mine, after all), and it keeps on going like the energizer bunny. '04, over 100,000 miles. i've had over 8000 lbs. of cases of anti-freeze in the bed and it pulls fine.


(by the way, if you buy a truck, you will have to truck your bike to the rally, bringing cases of beer, food, tools, etc.)

 

[Aucar3]

I would also recommend a long bed (8 feet) for hauling stuff. It really does make things easier loading things with a long bed truck. However, if you have to also have an extended cab or crew cab, your options will be limited.

If you don't need a large cab and want a small truck, you can get 1999 or older Dodge Dakota regular cab with an 8' bed. Or also a 1993-1998 Toyota T100 will also have an 8' bed available (also only with a standard cab).

you can also get American 1/2 ton trucks with 8' beds of course, and you also might be able to find one with an extended cab to boot. Though in this configuration you may not be able to get one with a V6 and would have to get a V8, but I'm not sure.

 

[Aucar3]

Also, if you buy a truck, you are automatically obligated to help friends move.

 

[broke not]

i've had over 8000 lbs. of cases of anti-freeze in the bed and it pulls fine.

Straight antifreeze is about 9.3 lbs. per gallon.

How did you fit 860 gallons of antifreeze in a Ranger bed? At 6 gallons per case, that's 143+ cases.....

Snap a pic next time you do it....it'd be waaaay better than this one that's been circulating forever:

 

[kcdt58]

Straight antifreeze is about 9.3 lbs. per gallon.

How did you fit 860 gallons of antifreeze in a Ranger bed? At 6 gallons per case, that's 143+ cases.....

Snap a pic next time you do it....it'd be waaaay better than this one that's been circulating forever:

hahahahahahaha

 

[MagpieTear]

I'm on my third Dakota since 93. I was broadsided in the first one, the second one I traded in too soon at 128k miles, not knowing what the problem was (an easy fix) . They've all been 2WD/V-6 w/stick. Oddly enough the 3.7/6spd combo of the new generation sucks more gas than the 3.9/5spd combo in the past did. Avoid the V8/auto/4WD Daks if you're even remotely interested in reasonable gas mileage.

Also, if you get any sort of steering issues with any generation Dak or Durango, before you dump money into a pump, rack, hoses, any of that, squirt the lower universal of the lower input shaft down with WD40 or 3in1 oil. If that frees it up, you're golden. It's a known issue with the model, but dealers and garages will rock your wallet through the more expensive bits first. If I had known about it, I'd probably still have my 97. They're not pretty, they tend to rust a bit quick, but they'll haul whatever you ask them to.

 

[coLOWrado]

I was in the same boat. I had a Mazda 3, then got a bike and the house. I went with a 4 banger Colorado. Very solid truck, fits in the garage with the other toys. Mines lowered though, it makes loading the bike a snap!

TOM

 

[TiViD]

my friend has a older dodge dakota v6, maybe like 94. It has a 6 ft bed and fits the SV in with an inch or so to spare. He keeps the harbor frieght ramps in there, with a couple ratchet straps and is good to go.

 

[Anger]

On my 3rd Ranger. My newest is a 2000 4.0 4x4 supercab. Really is hard to beat.
They'll be lots of opinions here.

(R) anger

 

[Josh2021]

You can easily get a Ranger, S10, Colorado, Silverado, or an F150 for 10k. I love my 2002 F150 supercab 4x4 sport with the triton 5.4l V8 of course

 

[mg66]

You can easily get a Ranger, S10, Colorado, Silverado, or an F150 for 10k. I love my 2002 F150 supercab 4x4 sport with the triton 5.4l V8 of course

I got an 05 F150 FX4 Super Crew Cab 5.4 V8 and love it. My last truck which the SO drives is an 03 Ranger Super Cab 3.0 V6 and that was a pretty good work horse.

 

[636Tony]

when i was looking at trucks in 2007, i narrowed it down to the tacoma, the frontier and a gmc 1500.

i started by going to my local nissan dealer. they didn't have the model i wanted to look at (the off-road one).

i didn't get the gmc because my local dealer didn't seem interested in selling them, even though i had a feeling that with a sticker price about $7k higher than the nissan and the toyota, it'd be in the ball park, price-wise.

interest enough, i walked from the gmc section of the dealership to the toyota section and was immediately helped. they had a one month old 2007 toyota trd off-road, four door, 4.0 with a 6 speed, exactly what i wanted, except $4,000 off new, with 7/100 warranty. i was sold.

however, if i had known that my gas mileage was going to be similar to a full-size truck (actually not as good has my friend's 1500 chevy), i would have spent more time looking at gmc's and ford f-series trucks.

from what i hear, the 3.4L (which at a 10k, is most likely what you'd be looking at) is just as bad on gas, and then add in the head gasket issues, frame rot issues and that it's a generally smaller truck.

having a four door, with the little bed, isn't as bad as you'd think. the only thing that hasn't fit so far was an order of foam board for my rental. personally, i don't like loading bikes into pickup's, that's what the trailer is for. plus, i'm a little unsure about loading a bike into a plastic bed.

oh yeah, toyota can't paint for ****!!!!

that said, i'm really happy with the truck, just realistic.

 

[SierraVista650]

I think for what you want the truck to do and the criteria you're trying to meet, Tacoma is the way to go. Only problem, Tacoma's are like gold and finding one for sale or for the right price is more difficult than with other trucks. (But that's because they're that good) If you have the time to look for a truck and aren't going to rush into it right away, you should be able to find one though.

 

[636Tony]

I think for what you want the truck to do and the criteria you're trying to meet, Tacoma is the way to go. Only problem, Tacoma's are like gold and finding one for sale or for the right price is more difficult than with other trucks. (But that's because they're that good) If you have the time to look for a truck and aren't going to rush into it right away, you should be able to find one though.

also because of a massive recall that involved thousands of them going to the crusher.

 

[Iakayak81]

i have a 05 F150, base package truck (only options are the small v8 and posi) i think we paid 11k for it new. its been a good truck, i get 16 mpg pretty consistantly.

I like toyota alot, but they cost alot more as well.