Truck suggestions?
 

I'm finally going to get a truck, if all goes well! I need a truck for hunting, towing and working around the house. You know. . .mulch runs, maybe a trash run or 2 a year.

In need:
Room for 5. 2 adults and 3 kids.
Max fuel economy. I drive 60 miles a day minimum. Probably more like 75 on average, except the weekends. Now, I spend about $40 a week for gas. I might be able to go for $55.
I can spend like ~$10,000 - 15,000.
I need long term durability, due to the miles. I need it to last for 5 years and 90,000miles, from the day I buy it.
Tow ~4000 for a 20 ft sailboat and trailor.

At this point, it looks like my choices are 2004 Chevy Colorado with like 40k miles or a 1999 Toyota Tachoma with 120k miles. Am I missing other good options.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

Now I am not you and you are not me.

But you have to forget about gas mileage when you start talking trucks and kids and family and driving long distances and all.

Smaller trucks do not get better gas mileage then bigger trucks.

It took my Uncle TWO Dodge Dakota's to figure that one out.

The very first thing that you have to look at is mileage.
I'm going to talk to you like as if it was a conversation between me and my dad and not some person that I don't even know - so bare with me here.

A truck that has OVER 90,000 miles on it - is not going to be a reliable truck from any persons standpoint. OK

Where I live, Pennsylvania - a truck with 90,000 miles on it is wore out.

Just think about it like this:

If the owner drove it 25 miles a day, 6 days a week to and from work. The doors opened up 4 times a day or more + stopping at the gas station, grocery store, visiting friends etc.

The engine was started up 2 - 5 times a day.

The transmission was shifted a couple of times a day.

The radio played music and the airconditioning blew cold air and the heater blew hot air and the windshield wipers went across the windshield about 1,000,000 times.

The brake rotors spun the same amount of revolutions as the tires, yet the tires were probably replaced every 35,000 miles. People drive the brakes until they make noise - because they can't see them and they can't tell what is wore out with them until they start to make noise.

All the wheel bearings have the same amount of mileage as the truck has and chances are - they are wore and at some point they are going to need to be replaced.

I don't know how much you know about trucks, but the bearings on my Avalanche were about $175 each, plus labor to replace them and a day or two of not having a vehicle while they were being changed.

Then if you have a 4 Wheel Drive, you have driveline components like CV joints and U joints and ring and pinions and transfer cases and front axles - all which will wear out sooner or later.

Small things that costs big money like the window regulators.

Just stop at a glass shop and ask them how many window regulators they put in them Colorado's in a years time and how much they cost to replace and you might have second thoughts.

Nothing lasts forever and nothing is guarenteed.

A truck is not a Honda Civic - which you can dump gas into and drive until the wheels fall off.

Sooner or later you are going to have to fix stuff and nothing is cheap.

Then there is the family, you got 3 kids. You can't cramp them into the back of a Colorado and expect them to ride there for any length of time. There is not much leg room in a compact pickup truck and not much elbow room either.

Looking into the future, you got to figure that they are going to get big and you will need a bigger pick up truck to haul them around.

Towing a boat is hard on transmissions and if you live in an area like I do where you have hills and mountains - not to mention slippery launches at the lake. You are going to want to buy yourself a FULL Sized pick up.

I would suggest a 99 - 01 Silverado Extended cab or a Toyota Tundra King Cab.

Dodges rides rough and Fords are nothing but problems.

Expect to get around 15 - 17 miles to the gallon , depending on where you live and how you drive.

Buy yourself a little car to get to work and drive the pick up nights and weekends and the little car will do what you want it to do and the money you save on gasoline will pay for the extra plates and insurance.

Forget about them little trucks and you will save yourself a lot of grief.

Now that is just my opinion, but I am sticking to it.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

Great Post Rifleman. you are 100% right.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

I have a 2006 F150 Supercrew 4x4. I love it. Lots of room, power, and great features. I get around 350-375 miles per tank. I fill er up twice a month, at about $150 a month. Wouldn't trade it for nothin!

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

I agree with almost everything said, except I'd go for the crewcab. I have an extended cab, and it's just a bit tight with kids. With hunting buddies, it's a nightmare if you need to go long distances.

I must say, I was a bit dissapointed with the news I heard about the gas mileage on the new duramax engines this year. Seems they aren't doing any better as my 6.0 L gas V-8.

Gas wise, I think you're looking at $ 150/week.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

Always buy more truck than you think your going to need. Because if you don't you will not be happy with the performance especially if your towing.. There is not a huge difference in gas milage between a 6 or 8 cylinder. Chevy made a good low cost truck with a 4.8l V8 and crew cab 4X4.. It was called the LS2.. I got one out the door brand new for 26,000. And I have seen the same truck in 2wd advertised for 19k...

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

my 2500 HD Sierra 4x4 with a 6.0 Liter gets 10 miles a gallon. my father in laws new 2500 HD Silverado 4x4 with the Duramax diesel gets approximately 20-22 miles a gallon.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

Chip and mod the airflow you'll get the same (possibily a little better) then the dmax. Have 2 friends who have done it and they seem like different trucks -both MPG's and performance is way up. Cheaper then a diesel.

I have an 05 ram 1500 crew 5.7L I get 16 - 18MPG doesn't sem to matter if it's loaded or empty. Lots of power and good ride. I am chipping it this year,I am told to expect5-8MPG betterand it to run cooler under load...main reason for doingit. Ihave changed the springs and installed air bagsas i haulan enclosed trailer and some heavy loads in her bed. Right now i ain't buying a diesel at the price to fuel it, more then gas[:o]!Everything on a diesel is more, oil changes, tires wear quicker, etc. Another fact they don't like our cold weather means on a job site i need to have it running a lot throughout the day, my gas I rarily have to worry about cranking it over for fear of starting after a day of sitting in -30 weather.

Best truck i had for gas mileage was my 99 chev with 5.3L. Empty she'd run mid 20's, under moderate load it would dropslightlybutunder heavy load that little 327 worked and she'd drink a bitmore dropping into the teens. Still a great truck, had it been a crew cab i would never have sold it. Ext'd cab just didn't offer the room I need for the family, work, etc.

I agree get a crew if your back seat will be used regularily for people.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

i'm running a K&N Airflow system on it right now. i noticed little if any difference over the stock air flow system. i haven't tried a programmer yet because of all the mixed hype. some claim they work and others don't.

RE: Truck suggestions?
 

Last Feb I traded off my 01 suburban and 03 outback and bought a 07 Toyota TacomaDoublecab 4x4 thinking that was the ticket,I used to drive around 150 miles a day to work and back(72miles to work one way plus odd stops),then got a job closer to home and started towing more....anyways the toy was getting around 17 mpg average and when towing dropped to 12-15 depending on what I was towing....

I just tradded it off and bought a 08 Ford Supercrew Cab 4x4 v8 5.4and Iam getting around 15-16 mpg with it and can tow more with it then the toyota plus there is way more room for the family....

I should of bought the full size trk right away..........