Thinking about a new truck. What to buy?

JJ1 said:

^^ I'll pass on the $867 tail light replacements, though.

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I agree completely and would pass on it too, but there are those who want all the gadgets and are willing to pay for the Blind Spot Information System option in the first place instead for staying attentive while driving. If it was damaged in an accident then insurance is going to pay for it but if you take a sledgehammer to your truck, well its hard to feel sorry for yourself about how much it will cost to fix it.

You can bet that the box decal and regular tail light aren't going to be priced much different from the ones on the 2014 models.

I test drove the new F150 today. I liked the way it handled and thought it was pretty comfortable. With Crew Max and best towing payload package rated payload is over 2600 lbs. That is good enough for me. Based on the stuff I am looking at I should be around 2000 so I would have plenty of leeway......
Now just need plenty money to go with all that leeway

HappyJax what did they quote you for the F150 Crew Max? 4x4?

It was a XLT and the price was around $46k. I forget all of the options but it was a 4x4 with 18inch E rated tires. I was not ready to buy so I just got some basic price ideas and decided to do a build online to see what the options I wanted would cost. I am still going to test drive a Ram and a Tundra because I have not settled on which shell/camper I want so I am open to a smaller vehicle though leaning towards the Ford. I would not consider a Tacoma sized truck because I know it would not have enough payload no matter how stingy I was.....

I like my 2011 Ram 2500 CTD. I don't do much in the way of off roading, other than some (at times) gnarly 2 tracks on hunting trips.
99%+ of my miles are on pavement. That said, there is a large comfort factor in knowing that I can take pretty much what I want, and not worry about being overweight. I also like the CTD, for its proven longevity.

YMMV

Bill,
When I was looking for a '05-'06 Tundra 4WD Access cab before buying the 2013 Tacoma (couldn't find one in 12 months of looking all over the west). Actually I found one with 120,000 miles on it- asking price $19,500.

I found a ton of '06 Tundra 4 doors 4WD. They were a larger platform than the Access cabs and would fit your Hawk though you would probably need to put a spacer between the floor and camper. Maybe you could find a low milege one. Just a thought.

Save up and get that Tacoma, they're just that superior to the domestic trucks, unfortunately. I've got a '14 Fleet on a 2005 dclb Tacoma. The only thing you'll need is the Firestone air bags, and you'll have your dream rig (try not to listen to the guys always poo pooing about gvw. You're going to be overweight, and the truck handles it perfectly). I've never had so much fun in my life, it's got more power than you'll need, great performance and handling, and okay (at best) gas mileage. Best of luck! Please.

just what makes a tacoma superior to a domestic truck? just asking..

Obviously, that could go back and forth, and has, for millions of words. I've had Rangers, Colorados, and currently have four Tacomas, two for work, two for play.I followed all the recommended maintenence for the domestics, and just kept POURING money into them, all under 100k. I've done the Tacoma route now for eight years and come to this maintenance schedule...change the oil every 10-12k (yep, you read that correctly), don't beat em up but use them, and my cumulative maintenence on four trucks is less than it was one ONE domestic with the same use. Highest mileage Tacoma right now is a 99 that's approaching 430k, lowest is the 05 with 135k. They are simply unreal.

I agree. My daily driver is an 88 xtra cab. My Tundra has my Hawk on it and I love it.

Currently driving a 2008 Ford Ranger. Seems relatively inexpensive to run and maintain, handles my ATC/FWC hybrid very happily. Unlikely I'll need to replace it soon (fingers crossed.) But here's my question re imports: if they do have a problem, is access to parts, etc. as easy as Ford stuff? I'm likely to be travelling a lot in the Interior of British Columbia (I hope...) and the smaller communities don't always have Toyota dealerships and may be a fairish distance from same.

None of my toyotas (6) has ever broke down on me. Everything has been done at the dealer but knock on wood no break downs in around 1 million miles.

idahoron said:

None of my toyotas (6) has ever broke down on me. Everything has been done at the dealer but knock on wood no break downs in around 1 million miles.

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I've read lots of overlanding folks reporting about their break down issues with the Toyotas talking South America and remote places. Most of them all reported that their issues were caused by damaged parts or bolts caused by prior service visits LOL. One guy found his AT pan had a stripped drain bolt clearly done by the dealer he had service his truck before the trip south. This created a bit of an issue for him in his remote location. His comment was damn if all the issues I have are all due to prior service techs damaging the truck in some manner and not telling anyone. His recommendation was do all your own servicing if you break something or screw something up you know it needs to be fixed before you head into remote areas. LOL

The current TruckTrend magazine has the first full test of the new Ford F-150 and is quickly looking dogeared. The earlier reports of the new F-150 having a steel bed are revised: The new issue says the new Ford F-150 has an aluminum bed as well as an aluminum cab. Sorry for the change but I checked Fords site and could not get confirmation either way.

They have aluminum beds also. The frame is steel and was beefed up a bit. They drive nice but I wanted to drive all the major trucks before making such a decision. With the crappy weather my test driving was delayed

New F150 body and bed are >90% aluminum.

Quote from Car & Driver

"2. When Ford Says It’s Aluminum, It Means It
More than 90 percent of the F-150’s cab is aluminum, and the bed is entirely aluminum. That’s a lot of aluminum. The only notable steel components in the truck are the door latches and hinges, body rivets, mounting studs for fitting bolt-on parts, the cross-door side-impact beams, the majority of the firewall, and, of course, the frame. The steel firewall, by the way, is used because steel has optimal noise, vibration, and harshness–quelling characteristics; Ford’s piece uses two bits of steel with a damping material sandwiched between them."
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Pat