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Malamute
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 14:41
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Quoting: Pookie129 I should mention that between cabin and work related driving - I drive approximately 5 - 8K a month - yes, 5 - 8K a month. most months it is between 5 - 7K but some months it is a little higher. I am in a lot of dark and distant places in the middle of the night, in bad North Eastern Ontario winter weather and the truck needs to be reliable, capable and safe. Like Malamute, I may not always need all the space and towing, but it is nice and comfortable since I spend so much time in the truck. There are also times, frequently, I need to bring/haul people (work related) and supplies (work related) which is why it needs to be a crew cab type deal. There are also frequent times where it is just me, the dog, cabin gear and or supplies but the truck acts as a personal/mobile centre of the universe for me for both work and regular life.
Does it have to be a truck?
I ask, since I used to always buy trucks without question, and always had a cap or shell on the back to keep my gear and tools safe and dry and give me a place to sleep for easy overnighters. It finally dawned on me that an SUV would do all I ever needed with a truck and a shell, and be more comfortable for people and my dogs. I can sleep in it, haul 4x8 sheets of ply/OSB, up to 12' boards inside, or longer on top. I have a rear hitch cargo rack I use for stuff that's just easier to haul that way, and if I don't want it inside (like dead deer etc, or gas cans). After getting an SUV, I found there wasn't anything about a truck I missed or am missing out on. I normally leave all the rear seats folded down so my dog(s) have room, and raise them if I need to haul people. I tossed the 3rd seat in both the Suburbans I've had and built a shelf in the back that allows storage of camp stuff and gives the dog a place to lay, and I can slide my legs under it to sleep.
I've heard the intermediate size Chevy's, the Yukon size I guess, gets better mileage than Suburbans. I don't know how they handle in the snow, if theres any practical difference.
As for the bad roads in winter, the full size and relatively long-ish vehicles do outstandingly on snowy and icy roads. I only have good all season radials and have little hesitation to drive in winter. I've owned one 2wd vehicle, and it hard to imagine owning one, so all my comments hinge on being 4wd.
If I were to get another Toyota, it would probably be a 4 Runner type.
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ICC
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 17:41 - Edited by: ICC
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Quoting: creeky manual shifted. the hubs on low lock with a vacuum. sweet. no getting out of the truck
If ya' don't have to get outside in the mud or snow or sand or whatever the problem is and turn the selector on the end of the axle half-shaft, the hubs ain't manual. There's all kinds of non manual setups, some work better than others. I do like the newer varieties of electric ones better than the first efforts that were made at automating the hubs, including the vacuum ones. I've had some of them be very balky in freezing temperatures.
Hubs complicates the truck choice. Do we need 4wd. I do for certain. If we want to cloud the truck choice some more how about a manual tranny or a autobox choice?
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Pookie129
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 19:32 - Edited by: Pookie129
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Malamute, after reading your posts about your SUV, I have opened my thinking to consider that option as well.
I had no idea that I would be considering a toyota or an SUV after posting my original question but I do appreciate that I have been made to think outside my usual comfort zones, so thanks again for the feedback.
I am not a big fan of the Yukon, more of a suburban type I guess and I think the thing that has always geared me towards pick ups, is that I don't need the trailer with the bed of a truck, but maybe getting a trailer won't be so bad in the long run.....ah decisions...lol.
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Pookie129
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 19:34
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good thing about crew cabs, is that I fit nicely on the floor in the back with the seats flipped up if I ever need to sleep in the truck  been there, done that and it was pretty comfy but same if not better logistics in an SUV...lol
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bobrok
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 19:43
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I traded up from a jeep to a pickup for one major reason. I sometimes hauled gas cans, solvents, etc. up to the camp, especially in the early days of ownership. The odor was permeating the cabin interior and the wife wasn't too pleased that her clothes smelled like gasoline. The truck allows me to separate these from each other.
In reality, there would probably be more room in an SUV or some sort of Suburban type vehicle in overall cubic capacity. Our best early - on vehicle for hauling was the old minivan, but it wasn't very woods/mountain -friendly.
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Pookie129
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2014 20:28
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well that opens up a point bobrok - would a suburban type (large SUV) be woods highlands or mountain friendly, as our driveway into camp is steep, I have to use 4wd in pickup sometimes....and have been stuck in the santa fe (now we park that at the side of road at the top if black betty comes up north just to be safe).
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Malamute
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2014 00:08 - Edited by: Malamute
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The Suburbans are built on the same chassis as the pickups of same capacity(1500 or 2500, 1/2 or 3/4 ton) with the same body parts up front, mostly same frame (if same wheelbase)and related parts. They will pretty much go anywhere a similar length and type pickup will.
I don't offroad as much as I did in years past, but the Suburbans I've had seem like they will do anything the pickups could. The only downside is with extensive offroading that involves a lot of twisting, the body of longer SUV's is stressed more, but as I said, I dont do the crazy stuff any more, and it hasn't been an issue to me. Just getting back in good places is enough.
Cant see it that well in this pic, but I don't usually need to lock in the 4wd here unless its snowy. It gets really interesting when its snowy though. I keep chains on board during snow time.
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Pookie129
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# Posted: 3 Nov 2014 05:21
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Wow -across the board.
I really can't thank you enough for all this feedback and information. It is really helpful.
I will try to make this question brief and as straightforward as possible.
Is there a good year for a suburban? Should I look at brand new, or would something new from a past year be more preferable or does it matter at this point with all the changing or unchanged technology.
for instance, if I do end up going with a Ford, I will most likely opt out of the aluminum paneling change and get either a new last year or current year that isn't aluminum to avoid being the first generation guinea pig.
Sorry if that doesn't translate well or seems confusing.
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bobrok
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2014 23:37
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Thought I'd bump up this thread just FYI.
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LoonWhisperer
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 11:58 - Edited by: LoonWhisperer
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^ Nice! I am a year or two away from trading in my Venza and it's great to see the mid-size trucks coming back on the market or being updated.
These GMs and the new Tacoma are definitely on my radar.
2016 Tacoma
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Ontario lakeside
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 19:32
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Toyota and this is why.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk
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CanadianNorth
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 19:34
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I would recommend staying away from automatics. It seems that all three, but especially Chrysler and GM, have tranny trouble with their automatics. Just about everyone I know who owns a GM truck for any length of time has had to redo the tranny. There is a big tranny shop in our city and they say that they stay in business with GM tranny work. Manual tranny avoids this major and really expensive problem.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 20:18 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Quoting: CanadianNorth It seems that all three, but especially Chrysler and GM, have tranny trouble with their automatics.
I have found Chrysler to be the worst, Ford in second and GM one of the better of those 3.
But either way, so far Chrysler is winning. (means losing in this case)
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 20:57 - Edited by: Truecabin
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i just got a new lasdt years 2014 ford f150 4wd for 28,000 and i am impressed
when it's time for the 3 hour drive to the cabin or home im happy to drive the truck
dealer had lots more '14s on the lot
not sure about aluminum but i was impressed with the prices of old 2014s
everybody on the internet gets 18mpg even 20 but i get 14.5 i guess i measure it the old way miles divided by gallons not just report the time it was downhill in a tailwind
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2015 21:42
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True Cabin, you have a short drive to your cabin. I'm 5.5 hours. I enjoy driving my massive 22 foot long truck. Its comfortable, loads of room and goes over the passes with ease.
True Cabin, your mileage will pick up as the piston rings fully seat (break in) and around the 10,000 mile mark, expect peak mileage then. I get 18.5 unloaded, but pulling the big enclosed trailer to my cabin over 3 mt passes, about 13.2. But diesel is now under $3 a gallon. 
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 8 Feb 2015 00:38
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My opinion. I build cabins for a living, so I have a work truck. A single cab two wheel drive with a 12' flatbed. It hauls about enough lumber for a day's work. I've had a couple, both early Ford diesels. Both engines were made by International. 550,000 on the non-turbo 6.9 and now 230,000 on my '99 F-350 , with a turbo 7.3. I am so sold on these I go back to 2001 to find them. I have a 7.3 diesel in my Excursion. Which I also use for both work and play. I just came back to MN. from a trip to FL. with an 18 mpg trip average. The thing is that same rig can pull my 22' construction trailer with an entire cabin on the back. The new Ford, Chevy, or Dodge are lucky to get within four MPG of that, and have no long term reliability record. I haul full 4x8 sheets of plywood and some 12' 2x4's in that Excursion. It's a bit bigger than a Suburban, but you can have a diesel. With Gas your luck to get 13 mpg and I have got over 22 and with a 44 gal. tank it goes almost 900 miles on a fill. Leaving MN. for Revelstoke , BC in two weeks, taking five guys and five snowmobiles, seats for eight. I love that rig!
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CanadianNorth
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2015 20:47
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toyota_mdt_tech
Off topic, but I want to know your opinion of the Ford Rangers, with a standard transmission of course. Reliable?
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2015 21:19
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Quoting: CanadianNorth Off topic, but I want to know your opinion of the Ford Rangers, with a standard transmission of course. Reliable?
Rock solid reliable. The auto tranny was Fords weak link. You do not have that option. Great truck. Even after 150K miles, the most you may find is small items IE switches, sensors and actuators, but nothing to leave you as a pedestrian anyway.
I bought a brand new Dodge truck. But got it with the 6 spd manual (Getrag/W56 Mercedes Benz). Otherwise, there isnt a single Mopig product I would own and I wouldn't even own this one had it not been the Cummins engine.
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Just
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2015 22:03
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Quoting: CanadianNorth Ford Rangers
HINT grease the clutch cable were it enters the bell housing , or it may rust and break , i'm on my 4th ranger standard .
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LastOutlaw
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:59 - Edited by: LastOutlaw
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Guess you already know how I feel...lol
Quoting: turkeyhunter Quoting: LastOutlaw 2014 19:54 Reply getQuotation('LastOutlaw');Quote I own a 06 Toyota Tacoma. I have almost 190,000 miles on it. The only things I have had to do to it is change oil, air cleaners, tires and brakes. One new set of U-joints.I was a GM man for years.I wonder why I suffered all those years when I could have had a Taco! I have been a Toyota owner since 1979....always had a Toyota 4 x4 since then......those Taco's are tough as nails.
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LastOutlaw
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 13:21
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Arent the newer Mazda pickups actually a Ranger as well?
Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Quoting: CanadianNorth Off topic, but I want to know your opinion of the Ford Rangers, with a standard transmission of course. Reliable? Rock solid reliable. The auto tranny was Fords weak link. You do not have that option. Great truck. Even after 150K miles, the most you may find is small items IE switches, sensors and actuators, but nothing to leave you as a pedestrian anyway. I bought a brand new Dodge truck. But got it with the 6 spd manual (Getrag/W56 Mercedes Benz). Otherwise, there isnt a single Mopig product I would own and I wouldn't even own this one had it not been the Cummins engine.
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LoonWhisperer
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 14:22
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Quoting: LastOutlaw Arent the newer Mazda pickups actually a Ranger as well?
Correct. I owned both and virtually identical except for some styling and trim features.
Both are out of production but maybe that will change now with the new and updated models coming on line in this segment.
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Just
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 14:46
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Quoting: LoonWhisperer Mazda pickups actually a Ranger a
my latest one is a mazda ,says made by ford moter co. on the door
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creeky
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 15:57
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my mazda b3000. a ford in sheeps clothing. is still running twenty years later (with a new owner). he still comes by and thanks me. tho he did have to do the entire front end a few years back. but for 4k he's got a new truck. can't beat that.
i have a f-150 4x4 with 300,000 miles on it. brakes. muffler and pipe. some front end work. guzzles gas tho.
manual shift. vacuum hubs for low lock. never let me down. and i use 4x4 low weekly if not daily in the winter. today i pulled a tractor out of a ditch. 4x4 low, icy roads, nice and easy. no drama.
like greasing your brake cable on the ranger (i second that) make sure you run your 4x4 for a few minutes every week in the summer. keep the bits rolling for when you need 'em.
these are the great trucks of their time for sure.
there's a new ranger in Australia. sure wish it would come to NA too.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2015 22:37
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Quoting: LastOutlaw Guess you already know how I feel...lol
I feel the same way.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:02 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
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There are a lot of different needs for a truck. Mine is a little more heavy duty.
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felineman
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2015 09:21
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Dodge body Chevy or GMC engine 4.3 and ford stereo and don't forget the zinc puck if i had to design my own would go stainless or Kevlar. Build it to last and don't use cheap plastic.
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