Truck newbie

[Dean P]

Only in Wisconsin.....

LOL, Not necessarily, lot's of crazy sh!t happens in Florida.

 

[2kwik4u]

Considering a truck as my next vehicle. Currently we trailer our AR210 with an Acura MDX and while it does a decent job, it is my wife's daily and I want to have a daily driver that can be used for towing which is not the case with my current, acura TL. I will not use the truck for much hauling outside of the boat

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
If you're getting a pickup. A bed cover is an essential accessory IMO. I have a Truxedo Sentry CT. Looks like black canvas, but has an aluminum skin underneath. It locks down, and the tailgate locks as well. Keeps things dry and somewhat secure. I'm sure a crow bar would get around any security I have, but it keeps the non-professional thieves at bay.

- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
My truck fits in the garage. But just barely. I have a 22ft deep bay on one side, and it won't fit on the shorter side. It's a PIA to get in there, hard to open the doors once in, and it's where the boat lives in the summertime. SO.....I park outside pretty much year round. No harm no foul aside from scrapping windows in the winter, which is somewhat mitigated with remote start.

- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
I daily drive mine. A shade over 70mi a day. it's great. Super comfy, plenty of power, has a good infotainment system. Great visibility. The AWD system works great in all driving conditions.

- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
I don't know much about F150's. Have several relatives with them though. All tow or haul on a regular basis. The 5.0 seems to be the engine of choice for them. Great power and less complexity than the TTV6 engines. I have heard that the TTV6 engines get decent mileage unloaded, but really suck the fuel when towing/loaded.

- Any other truck shopping tips?
Drive as many as you can. Pick the one you like. Ford, GM (Chevy/GMC), RAM, Nissan, and Toyota all make very capable and livable machines. You'll find one that you really like and one that you don't. You will be seriously hard pressed to find a "bad" manufacturer in this day and age. They all have quirks and "known issues". Once you settle on the body style, make and model then do some googling on the ones that fit your budget in terms of years and common issues to look for.

Likewise, once you have the make/model/year narrowed down, find the towing guide for that manufacturer and be sure whatever you buy has the appropriate tow rating for your use. It's possible to get a fullsize pickup with a tow rating as low as 4,800lbs and as high as 12,500lbs depending on how they are equipped. Very important to make sure you get one with the proper equipment for what you want to use it for. DO NOT just assume that because it's a fullsize it can handle the load.

I saw traction control and AWD system were brought up earlier. My current truck has stability control, traction control, and an AWD setting on the 4WD system. It's not quite as good as the AWD system in my Audi was, but it's damn close. I have tried many times to get hte truck "out of shape" on slippery roads, and even in 2WD the traction control and stability control just won't let me get too crazy. I run it in AWD in everything from the rain to the deep mud and it has yet to disappoint.

A final thought.....I've owned both a fullsize pickup (2015 GMC Sierra - my current ride), and a fullsize SUV (2003 GMC Yukon). They were both incredibly useful vehicles. If you don't need the bed, then a fullsize SUV might be a better fit for you. Personally, I use the bed just enough that I won't go back to the SUV, however I hauled MANY akward and strange items in the SUV, so they can be quite versatile. As a daily driver they tend to ride a bit nicer, and your cargo stays more secure and climate controlled. They are often just as capable in towing as a comparable fullsize pickup. Even some of the mid-sized SUV's have good towing capabilities now (The Durango's offer 7400lb ratings for reference).

 

[Ratket]

Considering a truck as my next vehicle. Currently we trailer our AR210 with an Acura MDX and while it does a decent job, it is my wife's daily and I want to have a daily driver that can be used for towing which is not the case with my current, acura TL. I will not use the truck for much hauling outside of the boat

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
- Any other truck shopping tips?

I’ve driven all of the Big 3.
I’m on my 2nd new Ram, you just can’t beat the price for what you get. I also decided to try the Ram boxes and for me and my family it’s the route I will go from here out.

if I was in your shoes I’d look at a Ram with the penstart V6, and they all come standard with the 8 speed.

the newer generation of pen star v6 are damn near bullet proof. The v6 will provide you with plenty of power and decent fuel economy. You can get rams for 10k back of msrp all day long and this is a major factor in my truck buying as I like ford and Chevy as well.

here are some links, 1st link is a Hemi

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[BlkGS]

I went from a similar suv to a f150 and traded it within a year. My take is a bit different though.

I also had a Corvette I traded on the f150, it wasn't a daily driver, but I did drive it a lot, and I loved that car. I traded a mid-size suv on it that was also pretty fun to drive. I bought a Mac daddy f150 v8 platinum 4x4... Like a 65k truck, and it was a nice truck.... But I hated it. It was HUGE, parking it was an ordeal, thank God I had the 460 camera or I'd have never gotten it into a space that wasn't oversized. It also did not fit lengthwise in a normal spot, and it had a short bed. Theuxuries were amazing, heated and cooled everything and massaging seats and stuff, and the v8 had lots of power, but it was no fun at all to drive. The steering was insane light an had no feedback at all. The suspension was super soft and wallowed all over the place. I'm 6 foot 2 and I couldn't reach stuff in the center of the bed without jumping on the tire.

In the end I got rid of it after about a year. Since I did need/want a truck for house stuff, I ended up getting a uch cheaper 2010 Colorado v8, and that truc has been a MUCH better truck for me, even hauling house stuff is better and easier with it. It's also a lot smaller so it's more fun to drive, not actually fun, but not a total bore. It was cheaper, so I got back into a vette as well.

My advice is to really think about why you want or need a truck. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have gotten an srt jeep or something like that and a small trailer, and maybe a cargo box for wet or smelly stuff.

 

[Ratket]

To each their own...what would the world do with out cameras to assist in parking... That’s gonna be the day my ass is in a lawn chair in The bed of my truck all Walmart enjoying the entertainment.

 

[octavio3311]

I ended up buying a 2018 Chevy Colorado Z71 Crew Cab back in summer 2018.
It has everything I want. Tows 7k lbs - has the V6 with 8 speed. Drives great - Much easier to drive around than my Dodge Ram 2500.
Not my daily driver though - I also have a Subie Legacy and the wife drives a Subie Outback. And I also have the “must have” tonneau cover with lockable tailgate.