Pick-up Trucks

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I was not being critical. Fords are sold around the world.
I'm sure they sell the number truck, the F150 every 40 seconds....

That 909,330 figure was from a quick google search.

Do you think any other manufacture in the world can claim that figure ? I don't know, I'm just asking.
To me that is an amazing figure. I can honestly say there is only one manufacture I hate. Chevrolet !
I have good reason to hate them even though it's been fifty years ago but I'll never forgive them for
selling me a real lemon of a car. Three transmission in one year. High gear went out while I was 250
miles from home. Drove in second gear for over 100 miles slowly, then it went out and I had to drive
it in first gear for over 40 miles very very slowly. 20 hours on the road for a 290 mile trip. My wife and
three small children were beat, no a/c, summer time heat , limited budget, in the middle of SW Texas.
That car was the last of three Chevrolets I had bought in succession, all died with under 70,000 miles.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I really like small. I prefered a Datsun 1200 to a Trans Am in the 1970s. I loved the F250 Crewcab with a family but even found a 4Runner too big once we were empty nesters. And I hate indoor plumbing in an RV so yes, a TJR with a TerdDrop is my dream way to Overland. There is very little to break or maintain leaving time away time to explore.

If I needed a pickup, it would be a stock regular cab Power Wagon with a clutch.
That little TJR sees a few 1500 mile trips every year.

I think we all have pretty sound reasons for what we drive, That's why I have four cars. Each has its own special purpose. Even the garbage hauling truck does only one thing.

 

[Billiebob]

Not sure. I know years ago when you added Chev/GMC C/K sales, they beat Fords F Series sales. Every manufacturer has a bad year/model. But North American builders are the slowest to fix problems.

Read this, it is excellent entertainment.

 

[Billiebob]

Wrangler....

as a pickup


as a work truck


as an overlander


on the dump run....


and going where few others fit

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Wrangler....

as a pickup
View attachment 101989

as a work truck
View attachment 101990

as an overlander
View attachment 101991

on the dump run....
View attachment 101993

and going where few others fit
View attachment 101994

That little dude is a work horse, The camping rig is really neat, it remind me of the chuck wagon on the ranch I worked on as a button. You did a good job building it to slide in when you want it. Does it have a floor or is the trailer the floor ?The trailer is a tough little dude too. It's doing the work of a Tandem. Did you build the trailer too ? Looks like about 2 cords of wood there easily, hope you have a splitter. Where is Kootenays, your a lucky man to live there wherever it is. Makes my place look like a dump !

 

[Billiebob]

Trailers are both Mirage 5x10. You cannot build a better trailer for the money the good manufactured ones cost. The cargo trailer was $2900.00, best tool box ever. The open deck, $1100.00. Both with 3500# axles.

The photo with the load of bricks is on the Mirage website.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Trailers are both Mirage 5x10. You cannot build a better trailer for the money the good manufactured ones cost. The cargo trailer was $2900.00, best tool box ever. The open deck, $1100.00. Both with 3500# axles.

The photo with the load of bricks is on the Mirage website.

LOL I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOUR FIREWOOD AFTER YOU SPLIT IT. THAT TRAILER IS TOUGH HAULING A LOAD LIKE THAT.

 

[smlobx]

Let’s look at the most recent JD Powers survey regarding trucks and SUV’s... looks like the US manufacturers are doing very well..

 

[roots66]

The Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon has become a favorite for this reason. When I was looking for an overland vehicle I was looking for a midsize pick up. The Tacoma was Little small in the cab for a 6 foot tall person. The 4 banger was too weak and the v6 was ok but got horrible Milage. They were also marked up about 8-10 k from the dealer . I ended up with the GMC Canyon . I have over 150k miles now on it and have never had issues . The crew cab has given me plenty of room and taken me many places. Although I love the new second gen I wish they would have continued with development of the i 5 engine. This thing is a workhorse. Plenty of low end torque for a small midsize pickup . Decent milage and reliable.

When I was looking for another rig (which is also my daily driver), I considered both the Tacoma and Frontier. However, both of them were out of my price range for anything equipped enough to do any real off-road trips. My 1st Gen Colorado fit the bill and I love the inline 5. I haul and tow with it nearly all the time and it's never let me down.

 

[Billiebob]

Well that first choice VW Tiguan.... WOW.
Not a lot of them around here but I've seen them parked waiting for parts more than any other SUV.

I sure don't trust that study.

 

[Motoboss]

Once again I call B'S.
You've "not seen many around but you've seen them waiting parts" more than any other SUV ? Really? How would know they're waiting on parts?

I own a brand new Tiguan and would put it up against any Japanese or American SUV in any category, including the 3 Hondas, 2 Explore's and Kia we've owned. Mine was made on the BMW line in Germany and has the many of the high end components and high end quality plus a 6 year complete bumper to bumper warranty.
Facts are hard to accept at times.

It seems your bias slip us showing.

 

[Billiebob]

How would know they're waiting on parts?

I'm a regular customer,,,, is everything personal to you?
But VW warranty is the reason we'll never buy another VW.

 

[Motoboss]

I'm a regular customer,,,, is everything personal to you?
But VW warranty is the reason we'll never buy another VW.

Not personal at all. You just doubt all information presented while seeming to know all the answers. That's all.

 

[MMc]

Wow, pretty strong opinions here. The people I know that drive dirt roads for a living or live long distances from paved roads pretty much agree that american trucks hold up better than the Japans best. They talk about suspensions not lasting. They go through trucks a lot, My buddy in alaska owns a company does support work on the pipeline. He plans on replacing his trucks every 4 to 5 years. These are work trucks driven by his employees, they beat them up. He tried 3 Trundas, done in 2 years. A buddy in Baja lives 30 miles out of town. The dirt road is mostly washboard into town, He's has owned 2 Toyotas and neither lasted for long he stays with american trucks. I have a friend put 300k on his Tundra and never had a issue, his were freeway miles
I have owned a bunch of truck both small and large, all had good and bad points. When they become unreliable I replace them, they are just tools to get me there and back.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Let’s look at the most recent JD Powers survey regarding trucks and SUV’s... looks like the US manufacturers are doing very well..

View attachment 102612

Non of my vehicles here. Where are the jeeps and where are all the Toyota's hiding. There are a lot more Chevy products than I would have expected on the survey. Do you think maybe we use our rigs a little different than the study is taking in ?

Wow, pretty strong opinions here. The people I know that drive dirt roads for a living or live long distances from paved roads pretty much agree that american trucks hold up better than the Japans best. They talk about suspensions not lasting. They go through trucks a lot, My buddy in alaska owns a company does support work on the pipeline. He plans on replacing his trucks every 4 to 5 years. These are work trucks driven by his employees, they beat them up. He tried 3 Trundas, done in 2 years. A buddy in Baja lives 30 miles out of town. The dirt road is mostly washboard into town, He's has owned 2 Toyotas and neither lasted for long he stays with american trucks. I have a friend put 300k on his Tundra and never had a issue, his were freeway miles
I have owned a bunch of truck both small and large, all had good and bad points. When they become unreliable I replace them, they are just tools to get me there and back.

From my standpoint, I don't get them when they are new. I get one when you guys wear them out and get rid of them. By the time I get a vehicle it almost always needs everything replaced. Most of the people I know who build rigs are just like me. You buy a rig for 2-3 thousand bucks and spend 10,000 bucks to make it a worthy rig. A work truck is different than what most of us drive off road. You drive 100,000 a year, I drive maybe 10,000 a year. Mine will last 10 years, probably more because it is a never ending journey if you love your rig. I can see taking a new vehicle out on maintained roads, then turn around and drive it to work the next day. I would never use my daily driver as an Off road vehicle. The kind of off roads that have rivers to ford, rocks to climb over or even mile after mile of wash board roads. My rig is built for that and that's the one that will bring me back. So from what I just said, I want a rig that parts (new or used) are easy and plentiful to find. I want parts that are reasonable in cost and reliable. It doesn't make any difference the make of vehicle in reality. It's just the vehicle that I choose to build and feel comfortable with. I don't like any of the newer computerized cars because I cant work on them and cant afford to pay to have them worked on. I replaced my alternator on my dodge (116,000 miles) last year. It cost $56 exchange and I installed it myself. My Ford Escape needed a new one also at 120,000 miles. The unit cost me $275 and another $250 to have a mechanic replace it. The damn thing was somewhere under my car and he had to spend an hour just removing parts to get to it before he could replace it. Hell, I couldn't even find the damn thing. I really don't know what I'll do when all the old vehicles are gone. Obama didn't help us any when he had the buy back program which required the dealerships to demolish the vehicles that were traded in. Now we have a car shortage.

 

[MMc]

Funny, I didn't mention anything about about what I drive. I was mentioning what my friends that drive dirt roads have seen with their trucks. I buy used trucks wholesale, and park them in my driveway most days. I do purpose finish them for the type of driving and things I do. I don't do much river stuff, being in So Cal. I do down a bunch of long washboard roads and plenty of two tracks. I spend a bunch of time in Baja in very remote places flying solo. Life is to short to be working on a truck 85 miles from a paved road and parts that are days away. My truck gets about 15k put on per year. You would not want my truck when I am done with it. I hope you have a very good day.

Non of my vehicles here. Where are the jeeps and where are all the Toyota's hiding. There are a lot more Chevy products than I would have expected on the survey. Do you think maybe we use our rigs a little different than the study is taking in ?

From my standpoint, I don't get them when they are new. I get one when you guys wear them out and get rid of them. By the time I get a vehicle it almost always needs everything replaced. Most of the people I know who build rigs are just like me. You buy a rig for 2-3 thousand bucks and spend 10,000 bucks to make it a worthy rig. A work truck is different than what most of us drive off road. You drive 100,000 a year, I drive maybe 10,000 a year. Mine will last 10 years, probably more because it is a never ending journey if you love your rig. I can see taking a new vehicle out on maintained roads, then turn around and drive it to work the next day. I would never use my daily driver as an Off road vehicle. The kind of off roads that have rivers to ford, rocks to climb over or even mile after mile of wash board roads. My rig is built for that and that's the one that will bring me back. So from what I just said, I want a rig that parts (new or used) are easy and plentiful to find. I want parts that are reasonable in cost and reliable. It doesn't make any difference the make of vehicle in reality. It's just the vehicle that I choose to build and feel comfortable with. I don't like any of the newer computerized cars because I cant work on them and cant afford to pay to have them worked on. I replaced my alternator on my dodge (116,000 miles) last year. It cost $56 exchange and I installed it myself. My Ford Escape needed a new one also at 120,000 miles. The unit cost me $275 and another $250 to have a mechanic replace it. The damn thing was somewhere under my car and he had to spend an hour just removing parts to get to it before he could replace it. Hell, I couldn't even find the damn thing. I really don't know what I'll do when all the old vehicles are gone. Obama didn't help us any when he had the buy back program which required the dealerships to demolish the vehicles that were traded in. Now we have a car shortage.
[/QUOTE

 

[Dilldog]

I have broken Fords, Dodges, Chevys, Toyotas, Nissans and Isuzus. They all have their limits and short comings. Anymore I prefer Ford and GM because I have seen their products come a long way in the last few year.
For me the biggest benefit of driving a US branded rig is parts. Case in point Just this morning I broke an odd ball fastener on my Ford, its not in stock locally but for $5 I will have it tomorrow. Im sure the US made Nissans and Toyotas are similar, but they still have a lot of components made in Japan and assembled here, so some parts may be a week out. With the US marks you perty much always have the option to pay extra freight and have any part the next day. As a side note Ford is the best about this. In the early 2000s they partnered with Caterpillar to refine and perfect their warehousing and logistics and even had Caterpillar handle some of their parts. Caterpillar is the gold standard for logistics, everyone takes notes from them anymore.
To that end, if I lived in Japan or Asia I would drive a Japanese brand rig, If I lived in Europe I would drive a European brand. To me logistics plays into my decision on cars.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I have broken Fords, Dodges, Chevys, Toyotas, Nissans and Isuzus. They all have their limits and short comings. Anymore I prefer Ford and GM because I have seen their products come a long way in the last few year.
For me the biggest benefit of driving a US branded rig is parts. Case in point Just this morning I broke an odd ball fastener on my Ford, its not in stock locally but for $5 I will have it tomorrow. Im sure the US made Nissans and Toyotas are similar, but they still have a lot of components made in Japan and assembled here, so some parts may be a week out. With the US marks you perty much always have the option to pay extra freight and have any part the next day. As a side note Ford is the best about this. In the early 2000s they partnered with Caterpillar to refine and perfect their warehousing and logistics and even had Caterpillar handle some of their parts. Caterpillar is the gold standard for logistics, everyone takes notes from them anymore.
To that end, if I lived in Japan or Asia I would drive a Japanese brand rig, If I lived in Europe I would drive a European brand. To me logistics plays into my decision on cars.

I'm surprised Michael has not commented on this thread. He has had more than his share of troubles with his Toyota and the parts availability. I think he is die hard Toyota though and will say nothing bad about them. I'm with you, when in Rome, huh ?

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Funny, I didn't mention anything about about what I drive. I was mentioning what my friends that drive dirt roads have seen with their trucks. I buy used trucks wholesale, and park them in my driveway most days. I do purpose finish them for the type of driving and things I do. I don't do much river stuff, being in So Cal. I do down a bunch of long washboard roads and plenty of two tracks. I spend a bunch of time in Baja in very remote places flying solo. Life is to short to be working on a truck 85 miles from a paved road and parts that are days away. My truck gets about 15k put on per year. You would not want my truck when I am done with it. I hope you have a very good day.

I wasn't talking about your personal vehicle. I was talking to the OB crowd in general terms. Sorry if you thought I was speaking about you personally. Your one of the we's out there like me. I thought I was pretty much agreeing with what you said, I guess you got your point over better than I got mine. Sorry about that.

 

[Boostpowered]

What kindof shade should be thrown on me i drive a truck that is sold by gm assembled in america, parts are from asia the engine is a direct copy of the jeep 2.8 turbo diesel designed in italy and assembled in asia. So shouldnt my domestic truck last longer since most of it is asian or italian and it technically was just touched by some folks in missouri?

Its worth 48k and i daily drive it sometimes i let my wife drive it and on weekends we do some pretty heavy wheeling with it. All those river crossings and rocks some are afraid of.