How Bad Are American Vehicles

[rtexpeditions]

I'm looking to buy an overland vehicle capable of doing the Pan-American (with detours). Buying an LHD vehicle in the US gives me more options than bringing my own (RHD, Insurance is difficult).
Looking at what's for sale anything with a Toyota badge will be way out of my budget (like it is in my home country, Australia).

I see plenty of full-size Dodge, GM, and Ford, pickups for 20% of what we get them for in Australia.

Looking at something built in the last 10 years, less than 80,000 miles.
I will probably add a canopy with a sleeping area on a 5-seater pickup.
$20k-30k + fitout

Will they go the distance?

It may end up with Montana Plates but there is going to be at least some pieces of Tasmania in the vehicle.

 

[MMc]

Yes, you can purchase a full size 4 door full sized truck for that price pretty easily. I don't know what LHD means? Getting one with lockers will be a issue. Califorina and Arizona truck will have less rust generally speaking. I would look at history on Carfax or something like it. There are plenty of all U S trucks that will make that trip. As for aftermarket stuff Ford, Dodge, GM in that order. I have owned Ford and Dodge and all have done me well. I am planing to do Pam American in a Ford f350 gas flatbed with a pop-top camper.

 

[MazeVX]

Get a 2500 or 3500 fullsize and you will be fine, they get the job done. Stay away from oilfield trucks or mining, it's the same as in Australia. Driving an American vehicle in America is a good idea, parts and knowledge are common. My experience comes from American vehicles in Germany.
Major issue is corrosion.

 

[Correus]

Yes, you can purchase a full size 4 door full sized truck for that price pretty easily. I don't know what LHD means? Getting one with lockers will be a issue. Califorina and Arizona truck will have less rust generally speaking. I would look at history on Carfax or something like it. There are plenty of all U S trucks that will make that trip. As for aftermarket stuff Ford, Dodge, GM in that order. I have owned Ford and Dodge and all have done me well. I am planing to do Pam American in a Ford f350 gas flatbed with a pop-top camper.

"LHD" means Left Hand Drive.

 

[John and Mandi]

We drove a 2001 Diesel Ford E350, after market 4x4, all over the Americas. We came across many Ford, Chevy, and Dodge/Rams. There are also many Ford based class Cs kicking around down south. VW, Nissan, and Toyota have a bigger presence depending on which country you are in but there are many differences in models between countries. A US Tacoma is not a Hilux. That being said, Cummins has a decent presence so a Ram with the 5.9 is a solid choice...might be hard in that price point though.

 

[tjZ06]

Seems like a poor way to open this topic. I wouldn't make a post asking about travel to Australia (where I've actually spent significant time) with "how bad is Australian...". I would counter with a jab about the Australian auto industry, but hey all AUS brands are just subsidiaries of US companies, or simply rebranded US models.

Anyway, I have ~155k miles on this:

2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD (Duramax diesel, Allison trans).

It hasn't lived a pampered life, going from my daily driver and race car hauler, to towing ~17k lbs+ 5th wheels, to its current form as an Overlander. However, it has had religious maintenance and some tasteful, functional modifications.

Overall full size American trucks are pretty reliable, with a few notable exceptions (do not, no matter what anyone tells you or how "great of a deal" they seem to be buy a Ford 6.0 or 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel, EVER). I've started to see a lot of clean, moderate mileage LBZ Duramax trucks ('06-07 Chevy/GMC, not the late '07 with the new body which is an LMM) in your price range but you'll be outside of your somewhat arbitrary mileage limit. Personally, I'd take a 150k mi clean, well maintained LBZ/Duramax for $20-30k over a 80k mi gasser.

-TJ

 

[grubworm]

Overall full size American trucks are pretty reliable, with a few notable exceptions (do not, no matter what anyone tells you or how "great of a deal" they seem to be buy a Ford 6.0 or 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel, EVER).

-TJ

yeah, i bought a 2008 f350 and the 6.4 was awesome at first, but once i got over 50k miles on it, had radiator leaks, egr problems, etc. i paid close to $60k for it and it ended up so bad i traded it in and was only given $5k trade-in. and i actually felt lucky to get that. duramax and cummins have always been great. i had the old rams with cummins/allison combo and those were extremely reliable platforms.

 

[orange01z28]

Seems like a poor way to open this topic. I wouldn't make a post asking about travel to Australia (where I've actually spent significant time) with "how bad is Australian...". I would counter with a jab about the Australian auto industry, but hey all AUS brands are just subsidiaries of US companies, or simply rebranded US models.

Anyway, I have ~155k miles on this:
View attachment 283441
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD (Duramax diesel, Allison trans).

It hasn't lived a pampered life, going from my daily driver and race car hauler, to towing ~17k lbs+ 5th wheels, to its current form as an Overlander. However, it has had religious maintenance and some tasteful, functional modifications.

Overall full size American trucks are pretty reliable, with a few notable exceptions (do not, no matter what anyone tells you or how "great of a deal" they seem to be buy a Ford 6.0 or 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel, EVER). I've started to see a lot of clean, moderate mileage LBZ Duramax trucks ('06-07 Chevy/GMC, not the late '07 with the new body which is an LMM) in your price range but you'll be outside of your somewhat arbitrary mileage limit. Personally, I'd take a 150k mi clean, well maintained LBZ/Duramax for $20-30k over a 80k mi gasser.

-TJ

I've driven this truck, i've ridden in this truck, and i've seen it go places that mall crawler jeeps wouldn't go. It's a beast, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it around the world

TJ, would you say the same 150k mile diesel over a 80k mile gasser if it was a Toyota? That's the reason for the Toyota badge upcharge the OP mentioned.

OP- If you're doing the Pan American, even though IFS is more comfortable on and off road, I would look for one of the solid axle Fords or Rams. This means you're in at least 3/4 ton territory, ie Ram 2500 or F250. I know there's some gnarly parts of the trail and i'd want a solid axle. I say this as someone who's main wheeling vehicle is a 4Runner

 

[cug]

From personal experience I can only say that American vehicles are large and low quality. Even the Toyotas are worse than what you get in the rest of the world.

For the trip, I can only recommend getting a van that is open front to rear. Truck camping with the front/rear hard split is annoying as hell in rain and mud - of which you’ll see a lot. It’s basically the worst setup for a trip like this other than maybe a normal passenger car.

We have a Jeep Gladiator with an AluCab canopy camper and it’s the worst camping setup for rain and cold conditions I have ever owned or used. If you won’t do much in terms of real off-road trails as you plan the PanAm, so anything that can fit a decent set of all terrain tires will work. If it’s a diesel, think about where you can’t get ultra low sulphur diesel if it’s one that uses AdBlue.

I’d get an old Ford Econoline 4x4 van or so, put KO2 tires on, open the divider if there is one, and be done with it. Better in terms of livability than any truck you can buy.

 

[cug]

And make sure you can get a carnet de passage if the vehicle is registered to an LLC. And be aware that a Carnet in the US is about $2k, 8 to 10x the usual price in the world.

 

[Alanymarce]

By "American vehicles" it seems that you mean vehicles you can buy in America. Although the USA and Canada are probably cheaper than most other countries in America, you could consider vehicles from elsewhere. If you plan to travel all of the PAH then you could look for a vehicle in Chile, for example, where you can find vehicles not readily available in the USA or Canada - Hiluxes and Rangers (if you want a pick-up), Monteros and X Trails (if you want an SUV), and a variety of others.

Another good option is to look for a USA- or Canada-registered vehicle in Argentina or Chile, then drive north and sell it in the home country.

 

[MidOH]

Meh. My experience in other countries.....those trucks were rubbish too.

If you put in the effort, the truck will be great. Act the yuppie, and it'll be garbage.

Avoid used diesels at all cost. Any repairs will shut you down for a few months.

Chucklehead fan boys have ruined diesels, because they're too busy protecting their misguided love, and less about holding manufacturers accountable.

Get a gasoline Ford F350 and flog it hard. Worst case scenario, you can swap out the entire long block on any one them for $8000, in less than a week anywhere. Generally good transmissions. You might even find one with an e locker.

Ram is about the same. Cheaper Ford copy. But their gas engines are worse. Transmissions are far worse, but hilarious.

Avoid GM at all costs. They have no care for their customers. The truck is less suited for overlanding. If you come across one that sits about 4" off the ground, with the anemic 6.0, it'll be perfectly reliable. Because it sucks. We all pray that our GM's would just do us a favor and blow up. But GM hates us that much. "You will buy our truck, hate it, and then be stuck with it forever and ever." If you find a nice one, with an off road package that's good, it'll blow up in 3 days. Murphys law.

Avoid consumer grade half tons. Stick to professional grade trucks.

 

[jouanmara]

Hey Randall, for your budget, a full-size American pickup from the Big 3 (Dodge, GM, Ford) in that age range sounds perfect. They’re reliable, plentiful, and parts are readily available all over the Americas. Just factor in the maintenance costs for the extra size compared to a mid-size. And if you're planning a move, finding dependable movers and packers in Ajman can make the transition smoother."

 

[rtexpeditions]

Seems like a poor way to open this topic. I wouldn't make a post asking about travel to Australia (where I've actually spent significant time) with "how bad is Australian...". I would counter with a jab about the Australian auto industry, but hey all AUS brands are just subsidiaries of US companies, or simply rebranded US models.

Anyway, I have ~155k miles on this:
View attachment 283441
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD (Duramax diesel, Allison trans).

It hasn't lived a pampered life, going from my daily driver and race car hauler, to towing ~17k lbs+ 5th wheels, to its current form as an Overlander. However, it has had religious maintenance and some tasteful, functional modifications.

Overall full size American trucks are pretty reliable, with a few notable exceptions (do not, no matter what anyone tells you or how "great of a deal" they seem to be buy a Ford 6.0 or 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel, EVER). I've started to see a lot of clean, moderate mileage LBZ Duramax trucks ('06-07 Chevy/GMC, not the late '07 with the new body which is an LMM) in your price range but you'll be outside of your somewhat arbitrary mileage limit. Personally, I'd take a 150k mi clean, well maintained LBZ/Duramax for $20-30k over a 80k mi gasser.

-TJ

I see a lot of people, even on OB saying Toyotas are the onlyway to go. The American brands seem to cop a bit of flack.
You are right that The Australian auto industry is non-existent now but had been controlled by US brands since the 1940s. Now we are dominated by 4WDs from Thailand and I can assure you a "Thailux" lacks all the reliability that the Japanese ones had.
American pickups cost upwards of $150k here in Australia (over 2 years salary for me), in the US they seem insanely cheap.

 

[rtexpeditions]

I've driven this truck, i've ridden in this truck, and i've seen it go places that mall crawler jeeps wouldn't go. It's a beast, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it around the world

TJ, would you say the same 150k mile diesel over a 80k mile gasser if it was a Toyota? That's the reason for the Toyota badge upcharge the OP mentioned.

OP- If you're doing the Pan American, even though IFS is more comfortable on and off road, I would look for one of the solid axle Fords or Rams. This means you're in at least 3/4 ton territory, ie Ram 2500 or F250. I know there's some gnarly parts of the trail and i'd want a solid axle. I say this as someone who's main wheeling vehicle is a 4Runner

As you are mentioned 2500 or HD vehicles. Can I drive that in North America on a standard license? In Australia you need a truck licence and in some states heavy vehicle registration.

 

[MidOH]

Standard license. Can't tow a trailer heavier than 10,000#.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

As you are mentioned 2500 or HD vehicles. Can I drive that in North America on a standard license? In Australia you need a truck licence and in some states heavy vehicle registration.

No special license needed for a 250/ 2500 series 3/4 ton in the US.

I've never driven the Pan-American trail, so I would defer to @tjZ06 or @orange01z28...@Alanymarce I would wager has a ton of experience as well (see what I did there?)

As Alanymarce talked about some mid-size vehicles, our Chevy Colorado is similar to your Holden, so if that would work for you, then fine.

I took my GMC k1500 Sierra 5.3 liter full size across country, near side to side, top to bottom. Florida to PEI, Boston to Big Sky Montana. Its held up very well. Plenty of nice, smooth power. added a Leer cap and built a sleeping platform in the bed with under-drawers for gear and clothes, and it worked out nicely. But as others have said, it is IFS. If that is important to you then you need something else.

There are a lot of people who say Toyota is the only way to go, for sure. They are expensive outlay, though, and other vehicles will do you just fine.

Toyoya fans seem to forget, some years ago, accelerators that would stick open, causing some deaths, including one lady who wound up in a pond in Massachusetts. Or all of those Tacoma complete frames Toyota had to replace or buy the truck back. I dont pick on Toyota, I just mention, thier fans seem willing to turn a blind eye to the fact they suffer issues just as any vehicle does.

Meanwhile you have million mile Tundras and Tacomas, but also million mile Chevy Silverados, notably a 3500 belonging to Bill (?) And Tammy Pennington.

I think the US vehicles have largely closed that quality gap that was glaring in the 1980's and 90's. If you get a Toyota, great. If you get a Ford F250? Great.

 

[socal66]

These days most new vehicles sold in America don’t have major reliability gaps vs other makes sold here. If you are buying used the way that the prior owner(s) used/abused/maintained the vehicle will have much more impact on overall reliability vs. the initial build quality anyway.

That said many vehicles sold in the US are specific to this marketplace and as such if you do have a problem in another country without a good service network for that vehicle you may run into costly and untimely situations getting things fixed if it is related to some odd USA only part. You may want to choose a vehicle based on this to ensure if you run into issues in Peru, Chile, etc that there are dealers/repair shops that support that vehicle.

Also if you are just buying the vehicle for this trip are you doing a loop and driving back to the US to resell the vehicle? If not you probably won’t be able to resell the vehicle legally in South America as your entry visa for the vehicle is for tourist travel only without legal permission to leave or sell that vehicle.

 

[rtexpeditions]

These days most new vehicles sold in America don’t have major reliability gaps vs other makes sold here. If you are buying used the way that the prior owner(s) used/abused/maintained the vehicle will have much more impact on overall reliability vs. the initial build quality anyway.

That said many vehicles sold in the US are specific to this marketplace and as such if you do have a problem in another country without a good service network for that vehicle you may run into costly and untimely situations getting things fixed if it is related to some odd USA only part. You may want to choose a vehicle based on this to ensure if you run into issues in Peru, Chile, etc that there are dealers/repair shops that support that vehicle.

Also if you are just buying the vehicle for this trip are you doing a loop and driving back to the US to resell the vehicle? If not you probably won’t be able to resell the vehicle legally in South America as your entry visa for the vehicle is for tourist travel only without legal permission to leave or sell that vehicle.

I would ship back to the US or ship elsewhere. In South America, I would probably do more than just the PAH and loop back to Cartagena or Montevideo. The plan is to take my time and it possibly won't even leave North or Central America for a couple of years, there is so much to see.

 

[rgallant]

I know this might be a odd point but consider size, some of the NA trucks are long and wide. Even here in British Columbia there are sections of trails they can struggle on.