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Thread: Buying a New Truck

  1. #13

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Trucks? Truck stories? Oh boy.

    First truck I could drive on the road was a 77 F-150 4x4 with a 400ci 2bbl. Cute little short bed. When I went to look at it the first thing I did was pop the hood to check the oil. The salesman immediately started it up so I could hear the “pipes” preventing me from checking the oil. Could have taken off finger or two off in the fan. Pipes indeed, headers and short thrush mufflers was all it had. Warnings 1 and 2. It had a roll bar (useless, bolted to the bed only) and a push bar. Lights missing but switches still in dash. Previously registered in Alaska. Warning 3 and/or 4. But it was beautiful. Dealer “allowed” me $1200 for my 10 year old Maverick. Relatively early in my AF career but should have run away. 7-8 years in and recently divorced. Stationed at Ft Huachuca. Gotta have a 4x4. This thing turned out to be a money pit. As soon as I started taking it off road found it needed a transfer case chain and eventually a new engine. But it was pretty. I had no $ for it. Eventually got out of that by buying a new car. Dealer gave me $1200 bucks for it.

    Spent the next 6 years at remote overseas AF sites where I didn’t need to worry about a vehicle.

    Bought a 91 GMC Sonoma new. Decided to give the Escort I was driving to my daughter as a graduation present. Drove that for many years and many miles. Good truck but somewhere between 100 and 200k miles it started smoking on cold start up. Typical GM valve seal thing. I might get around to fixing it someday but how much money do I want to put in to a 10 year old pickup. It also had GM paint rash but every time I looked in to it I was too late or it didn’t qualify for the program.

    Some time in 2001 my spouse (yeah I got married again silly me) came back from getting her Grand Cherokee serviced and told me we needed to go look at a new truck. She didn’t tell me she had all ready promised to buy it. So of course, I didn’t take all the stuff out of the Sonoma. It was a Dodge Dakota 4x4 crew cab. Plenty of room for the dog too. We can go off road. It will be fun. Great, I can show her some of the places I go for work daily. Well, not so much. On gravel roads she was nervous and any time I thought I needed to put it in 4w she got really anxious and when I got to the part where I needed 4w lo she stated no one would ever drive that road. Hmmm. I had been up there that week on the job. End of family adventures. Went out a few times with the dog but she just wanted to get out and try to socialize with creatures that would eat her. A few adventures with swift running irrigation ditches too. The end of seeing AZ off road. In 2016 after not having used 4w for several years I got tired of the 14mpg on my commute. The dog had died. So I traded it for the cheapest small 4d sedan I could find. About 116k miles.

    A couple of coworkers had Toyota Tacoma’s and seemed to like them. A friend had a Tundra V-8 first generation that he used to tow a trailer up and down mountains. Seemed to be a good vehicle.

    Now you know much much much more than you wanted to about my trucks. Best of luck with your purchases.

    PO

  2.  
  3. #14

    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    A couple of years ago I passed down a 05 Tundra V8 to my kid. He is still driving it with over 200k miles on it and it is running great. I'm a truck guy and have driven one my whole life. That Toyota was the best truck I have ever own. Since it was an 05 it required to have the timing belt changed every 90K miles but the cost was worth it because I never had any other issues with it besides the normal replacement stuff ie. tires, brakes etc. I'm driving a 2014 Ford F150 V6 Ecoboost now because I wanted the extra hauling power. Now that I look back on it I should have stayed gotten another Toyota or GMC.

    I bought the Ford used with under 75K miles on it but have had issues with it ever since and the gas mileage sucks. I have own 2 Fords and this one will be my last. The first one, an Eddie Bauer I had to get rid of after a couple years due to orders. It was new so I didn't have any issues with it which helped sway my decision to try Ford again. My next truck before I retire will be either a Toyota or a GMC since I hadn't tried a GMC yet. I think you will like the new truck

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  5. #15

    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!

    I'm in !!!

    My first truck ? A Ford F-100, 6th generation...as near as I can tell !!! My first truck "buy", when I was a brand new USAF butter bar at Edwards AFB in CA, circa 1978 ! Maybe a 1974 ? Bought from the old CMSGT, who also sold us our first horse !!! He was retiring... Bought a Jackson horse trailer, and another Appaloosa horse...hauled those horses down to Griffith Park, in LA, and up to Tehachapi with that old truck !!!...good times !!!

    Alas...separated in late 1980, at the end of my AF ROTC obligation, and AF career ! "She got the goldmine....I got the shaft !!!" Gave her the horses, trailer, and truck...I traveled back, across country, in a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, with 2 big dogs, and a nasty cat (and her litter box !) !!!

    Because I LOVED that Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, I bought a Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Arrow compact pickup...that was a GREAT compact truck !!!

    Remarried, moved to Maryland in 1984, and eventually bought a 1991 Ford Ranger...loved THAT truck, too !!! Drove it to death !!!

    Bought a brand new 2004 Tundra when the Ford finally died...that was before the Tundra was a big honkin' truck...it was called a "7/8 size", at that time ! I think the new Tacomas are probably the size of that Tundra now !!!

    SR5 access cab (suicide doors !), 4WD, 4.7 V-8 engine...It was my "daily driver", from Bel Air into Baltimore City and back, to work !!!

    So I STILL own that Tundra !!! LOVE my truck ! A.R.E. color matched cap ; Bed Rug bed liner ; but it's showing its age...heater cable broke ; door panel upholstery came loose ; replaced the head unit with a new fancy one from Crutchfield (bluetooth, etc) ; trying to decide if we want to fix it, or go "new"...don't drive it much anymore, but damn !!! A GREAT truck !!!!



    Stoplight...
    "Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson

  6.  
  7. #16

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Quote Originally Posted by Stoplight View Post
    Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!

    I'm in !!!
    Yeah... a lot of us USAF vets/retirees! Some young... some older... and some just old! A good mix of company, I'd say!
    "Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7

  8.  
  9. #17

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    Arrow Re: Buying a New Truck

    Now on my radar: 2019-2020 RAM 1500 Laramie, 4x4, 5.7L Hemi V8, Crew Cab.

    Anybody own a recent model year? Pros/Cons?
    "Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7

  10.  
  11. #18

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Quote Originally Posted by Rod View Post
    Now on my radar: 2019-2020 RAM 1500 Laramie, 4x4, 5.7L Hemi V8, Crew Cab.

    Anybody own a recent model year? Pros/Cons?
    I own a 2013 Ford F-150/Platinum crew cab. Great ride. No problems. Good luck in your research.
    May the force be with us.


  12.  
  13. #19

    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Okay...that 2004 Tundra just hit 136K miles...still running great, but started making some funny "grinding" noises when cold...maybe an axle ? Power steering pump ? Don't know !!! Nothing else fixed, either...I just don't drive it in winter, even in FL !

    So I started out looking at new Tacomas...the new Tundras are just too big for my needs and tastes.

    However, a new Honda Ridgeline caught my eye ! We owned an Accord back in the late 80's, and loved that car !!! Didn't care for the early year's Ridgeline body style, but the new ones look more like a "traditional" truck. I really like the look...and it supposedly rides like a car, because it's a unibody frame, rather than "frame-on-rail" like other trucks. Not hauling dogs or horses anymore, but I just like having a truck, for those rare occasions when you need a bed...even if the "truck purists" make fun of it !!! You sure don't see many of them on the road...at least, around here...

    Sooo...any Ridgeline owners out there, who want to share their experience/comments/opinions on the Ridgeline ? Any comments appreciated, before I sink almost $40K in a new vehicle !!!


    Stoplight...


    Quote Originally Posted by Stoplight View Post
    Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!

    I'm in !!!

    My first truck ? A Ford F-100, 6th generation...as near as I can tell !!! My first truck "buy", when I was a brand new USAF butter bar at Edwards AFB in CA, circa 1978 ! Maybe a 1974 ? Bought from the old CMSGT, who also sold us our first horse !!! He was retiring... Bought a Jackson horse trailer, and another Appaloosa horse...hauled those horses down to Griffith Park, in LA, and up to Tehachapi with that old truck !!!...good times !!!

    Alas...separated in late 1980, at the end of my AF ROTC obligation, and AF career ! "She got the goldmine....I got the shaft !!!" Gave her the horses, trailer, and truck...I traveled back, across country, in a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, with 2 big dogs, and a nasty cat (and her litter box !) !!!

    Because I LOVED that Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, I bought a Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Arrow compact pickup...that was a GREAT compact truck !!!

    Remarried, moved to Maryland in 1984, and eventually bought a 1991 Ford Ranger...loved THAT truck, too !!! Drove it to death !!!

    Bought a brand new 2004 Tundra when the Ford finally died...that was before the Tundra was a big honkin' truck...it was called a "7/8 size", at that time ! I think the new Tacomas are probably the size of that Tundra now !!!

    SR5 access cab (suicide doors !), 4WD, 4.7 V-8 engine...It was my "daily driver", from Bel Air into Baltimore City and back, to work !!!

    So I STILL own that Tundra !!! LOVE my truck ! A.R.E. color matched cap ; Bed Rug bed liner ; but it's showing its age...heater cable broke ; door panel upholstery came loose ; replaced the head unit with a new fancy one from Crutchfield (bluetooth, etc) ; trying to decide if we want to fix it, or go "new"...don't drive it much anymore, but damn !!! A GREAT truck !!!!



    Stoplight...
    "Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson

  14.  
  15. #20

    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    259,000 miles on my 2007 Ridgeline and still going strong. New tires every 80,000 miles, and 2 timing belts installed by my son every 100,000 miles. A couple batteries and regular oil changes/air filters also, but all in all, very few maiintenance dollars.

  16.  
  17. #21

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    This is my first truck. 2017 Ram Rebel special edition package with Mojave Sand paint job. Only 1500 made in this color. Wish I was still living in Southern California, I'd love to take her out into the desert. This was a photo on the dealer's lot. Bought it for much less than new and it only had 8,500 miles on it.

    2018-02-15_18-07-54.jpg

    This is the truck that's on my radar. The 2021 RAM TRX with the hellcat engine.

    download.jpg

  18.  
  19. #22

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    A buddy in my office just got a new Ford Ranger and it looks fantastic and he loves it. Another bud just bought the Jeep truck and he likes it. There are too many great chioces for trucks out there right now, so it's a difficult decision. I'd go with whatever has the best warranty, IMHO. I am driving a Jeep right now (that I bought new) because I'd always wanted one, but the kicker was that in 2009 they offered a free lifetime warranty. I intend to hold them to it, God willing.
    Scott Harrison
    Senatobia, MS

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  21. #23

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    Quote Originally Posted by rangerray View Post
    A buddy in my office just got a new Ford Ranger and it looks fantastic and he loves it. Another bud just bought the Jeep truck and he likes it. There are too many great chioces for trucks out there right now, so it's a difficult decision. I'd go with whatever has the best warranty, IMHO. I am driving a Jeep right now (that I bought new) because I'd always wanted one, but the kicker was that in 2009 they offered a free lifetime warranty. I intend to hold them to it, God willing.
    I did a lot of research before I pulled the trigger to buy my truck and found that the competition in this market segment is fierce and that it comes down to personal preferences and needs (towing and hauling capacity, handling, etc.). Trucks in general are one of the most popular vehicles on the road today. I'm not sure it's even possible to get a bad truck.

  22.  
  23. #24

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    Default Re: Buying a New Truck

    My first truck was a small two wheel drive Toyota. My second truck was a two wheel drive Isuzu space cab. My daughters thought it was pretty cool because the liked sitting on the drop down seat.
    May the force be with us.

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