Why buy a larger pickup instead of a smaller pickup

lugnut wrote:
> On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:58:56 GMT, Ray
> > wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>> On Jan 24, 6:20 pm, wrote:
>>>> Dont forget Vans.Vans are rated as trucks, 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton vans.I
>>>> can (and have) put fourteen feet long boards in my 1978 Dodge van and
>>>> closed the rear doors.With a van, you can lock up whatever you have in a
>>>> van out of sight and you don't have to worry about things (electronics,
>>>> tv sets, furniture, tools, things that shouldn't get wet, ect) getting
>>>> wet from the rain during transport.I like big vans.
>>>> cuhulin
>>> I'd like to get a pickup truck. Do you guys have any feedback on what
>>> features are essential or what features would you like to see inside
>>> of your pickup
>> My ideal truck... is the one I have.
>>
>> No carpet, just rubber flooring.
>> No AC. Manual windows. Nothing to break.
>> A 350 and a 5 speed, and 4wd.
>> It's big, ugly, old, and was cheap.
>> I wish the odometer still worked.
>> My father-in-law used it as a farm truck for 15 years before giving it
>> to us.
>> Goes to Home Depot, the dump, and tows my race car.
>>
>> I wish it had more power when towing. Those new 360hp 6.2L trucks sure
>> look nice...
>>
>> But, what are YOU looking for in a truck?
>
> Ray,
> You don't say what your model your old Chevy is. But in the
> past, I have seen quite a few with accelerated camshaft lobe

It's a 90. The odometer broke like 5 years ago at 193,000 km, so it's
probably 240,000 km. It gives the odd puff of blue at startup, but
it'll lay rubber if you give it enough gas - it's got 265/75-16's, so I
don't think the cam is worn. It probably needs new plugs though.

I like it because it was cheap, and it's simple to work on. Not quite
sure what the long term plan is, because it leaks a bit everywhere -
replaced both axle seals in the back and the xfer case seal. It still
seeps coolant around the , well, everywhere, the gearbox seeps around
the shifter, the front axle seeps around the carrier (that looks like a
lot of work to change) the oil cooler seeps, pretty much everything but
the windshield washer leaks.

I've thought about a rebuild on the motor eventually, but apparently the
heads are weak (pre-Vortec) and it's TBI, so if I want more power I'm
either doing an intake and carb swap, or a later model Vortec swap.

It has plenty of power until you add one race Camaro, one trailer, and
1000 pounds of gear in the back, and then it's a slug.

the back window is plexiglass because we broke it loading stuff.

Maybe I'll just wait 15 more years and buy my father-in-law's 2005 he
bought to replace this one.

Ray

Steve wrote:
>
>
>>
>> To me, a Dakota is too small inside to be used as a car, and too small
>> outside to be used as a truck.
>
> Having moved a few kilotons of cargo with a Dakota club-cab over the
> past 16 years, I beg to differ. Yes, its too small inside to be used as
> a 5-passenger car on a *routine* basis, but its plenty big to take the
> kids to school a couple of days a week. And it can carry as much in the
> bed as any half-ton, except it can't be as bulky in some dimensions.
> IMO, its just about the perfect truck for anyone not using the truck
> directly as a part of a construction, farming, or ranching business.
> Today's full-size half-tons have grown to ridiculous proportions, so
> much so that they're a pain in the ass (well, back to be more accurate)
> to actually use. Have you stood beside a modern F-150 and thought about
> lifting something over the rail of the bed lately? And the Tundra is a
> stinking obscenity of excess mass.
>
>

My coworker has a Dakota and loves it.

I have two kids. Ever tried a reverse facing seat in a Dakota?
Notgonnahappen.com. Only full size trucks need apply - not even a quad
cab Dakota. (I was looking to possibly replace a car and a truck with
one vehicle.)

Apart from parking it, a long box pickup is the only way to go if you
have to haul drywall on a regular basis.

I have a race car. With trailer, I'm needing to tow 5000+ pounds. You
can tow that with something like a Pathfinder, but it's much nicer to
tow with a bigger vehicle.

Today's 1/2 tons are like 20 year old 3/4 tons - they're simply way more
powerful than they used to be. My truck has 200hp. I don't think you
can even buy a 2008 Silverado with that little power.

At least a new F150 has a flat box - I chuckle every time I see the
slant on a Honda Ridgeline's box. I guess I'm the only one that
actually uses the tie downs on their truck.

And let's not even talk truck pricing. Wow. That's nuts.


Ray

I have owned a few pickup trucks before, second hand/used pickup
trucks.1967 Ford pickup truck, 1968 Chevrolet pickup truck, and a 1948
Chevrolet pickup truck.My 1948 Chevrolet Pickup truck was my favorite
truck, but for size, I liked my 1967 Ford long wheelbase pickup one
seat/bench seat truck.I think if Ford and Dodge and GMC would start
building pickup trucks of that size again, (1967 Ford pickup truck, one
seat, plenty of hauling capacity) they could sell all they could build.
cuhulin

Since you really don't know what you will use your pickup for, beside
a convenient rolling box, I suggest you get something very economical
so that it won't cost you much to operate. If you find you need
something bigger, it will make a good trade or be easy to resell.

Like a regular cab Ranger or Mazda or similar with a small 4 cyl
engine and manual trans

I'd suggest also getting some kind of locking or limited slip
differential so that you will have good traction without having to pay
the price for 4x4.

Pete

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

> You need to define to yourself just what you want to use the truck
> for. Consider if you will be using it for work carrying tools,
> passengers or what? What kind of parking limitations do you have.
> Few of us have the space for a 1 ton truck with crew cab and 8 foot
> with dualies.

I'd be using the truck to carry around my tools, but I'd also like it
to be big enough to take my kids to their baseball games. I don't have
any parking size limitation

> I'm not aware of any automotive option that can make life easier.
> Some feature can make certain aspects easier. Which aspects of your
> life were you looking to improve.
>
I find that it is pretty difficult to do any type of paperwork or
writing inside the vehicle. I know it seems like a small problem, but
billing people on a consistent basis gets annoying writing stuff out
on the side of my truck or on the steering wheel. Besides a clipboard,
are there other solutions out there?

wrote:
> I find that it is pretty difficult to do any type of paperwork or
> writing inside the vehicle. I know it seems like a small problem, but
> billing people on a consistent basis gets annoying writing stuff out
> on the side of my truck or on the steering wheel. Besides a clipboard,
> are there other solutions out there?

Dodge Rams. The center console folds down flat for holding a laptop or
whatever.

http://www.dodge.com/shared/2008/ram..._phtgal_03.jpg

Ray

On Jan 25, 9:25 pm, wrote:
> > You need to define to yourself just what you want to use the truck
> > for. Consider if you will be using it for work carrying tools,
> > passengers or what? What kind of parking limitations do you have.
> > Few of us have the space for a 1 ton truck with crew cab and 8 foot
> > with dualies.
>
> I'd be using the truck to carry around my tools, but I'd also like it
> to be big enough to take my kids to their baseball games. I don't have
> any parking size limitation
>
> > I'm not aware of any automotive option that can make life easier.
> > Some feature can make certain aspects easier. Which aspects of your
> > life were you looking to improve.
>
> I find that it is pretty difficult to do any type of paperwork or
> writing inside the vehicle. I know it seems like a small problem, but
> billing people on a consistent basis gets annoying writing stuff out
> on the side of my truck or on the steering wheel. Besides a clipboard,
> are there other solutions out there?

On any vehicle you will not have much room for a writing table because
the steering wheel, shift lever and all sorts of other controls occupy
needed space. A truck will not provide any more writing room than a
good sized sedan, van, wagon or SUV. The passenger or rear seat will
be a much roomier location to write bills in. Just use a clipboard or
similar device to write on. I'm still unclear as to how or if you
plan to use the hauling capacity of a truck. If you don't need that
capacity then save your self a lot of money by getting a vehicle more
suited to the purpose.

http://www.familytravelgear.com/page...ROD/LNC-LC8828

If you have ever watched the Goldfinger movie before, where the guy is
sitting in the back seat of that Rolls Royce car and he flips down a
little writing desk which is built into the back of the front seat so he
can write that check for James Bond.It would be good if cars/pickup
trucks/vans that are sold in America had a feature like that.
cuhulin

wrote:
> If you have ever watched the Goldfinger movie before, where the guy is
> sitting in the back seat of that Rolls Royce car and he flips down a
> little writing desk which is built into the back of the front seat so he
> can write that check for James Bond.It would be good if cars/pickup
> trucks/vans that are sold in America had a feature like that.

I want mine to have hot and cold running beer.

--
God help us all,
The next President of the United States will be a liberal.

John S. wrote:
> On Jan 25, 9:25 pm, wrote:
>>> You need to define to yourself just what you want to use the truck
>>> for. Consider if you will be using it for work carrying tools,
>>> passengers or what? What kind of parking limitations do you have.
>>> Few of us have the space for a 1 ton truck with crew cab and 8 foot
>>> with dualies.
>> I'd be using the truck to carry around my tools, but I'd also like it
>> to be big enough to take my kids to their baseball games. I don't have
>> any parking size limitation
>>
>>> I'm not aware of any automotive option that can make life easier.
>>> Some feature can make certain aspects easier. Which aspects of your
>>> life were you looking to improve.
>> I find that it is pretty difficult to do any type of paperwork or
>> writing inside the vehicle. I know it seems like a small problem, but
>> billing people on a consistent basis gets annoying writing stuff out
>> on the side of my truck or on the steering wheel. Besides a clipboard,
>> are there other solutions out there?
>
> On any vehicle you will not have much room for a writing table because
> the steering wheel, shift lever and all sorts of other controls occupy
> needed space. A truck will not provide any more writing room than a
> good sized sedan, van, wagon or SUV. The passenger or rear seat will
> be a much roomier location to write bills in. Just use a clipboard or
> similar device to write on. I'm still unclear as to how or if you
> plan to use the hauling capacity of a truck. If you don't need that
> capacity then save your self a lot of money by getting a vehicle more
> suited to the purpose.

What you want for writing in the vehicle is a mobile desk unit. I had
them in all the vans I ran. Most connect to the passenger seat
attachment bolts or strap to the seat frame. Used them for the laptop
when I wasn't writing out service reports.
I made one like the pro desk unit using some aluminum channel and an
adjustable head for one of the old displays we had. The top I made from
a cheap plastic cutting board. I also added an inverter mounted to the
upright to power the laptop and to test other equipment.

http://www.jottodesk.net/jotto_desk_laptop_desk.htm
http://www.pro-desks.com/


There is also this type
http://www.cargodesk.biz/

--
Steve W.