Small Trucks?

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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by LowKey »

HarryAlonzo wrote:If I had to leave town in a hurry, everybody else would have the same idea. And nobody would leave town in a hurry.
Good reminder, Harry.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Arroyoshark »

I've been mostly a Ford P/U guy for past few decades. I did have reason to be down in Phoenix and looked at a bunch of RAM trucks, even test drove and considered a RAM2500 4x4. They seem to have much better pricing than I can find in NM.

Since you are in southern Calif., Archer, perhaps this might interest you a day drive away.


Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep


I don't care for mini-trucks much and I managed to drive my F250 around Portland and get in and out of incredibly tight parking places - it is doable, just like your old Buick. My vote goes to an Amurican pickup and just get used to maneuvering it.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

GSB4243 wrote:Plus for a really nice Tacoma, you'll still be $10K cheaper than the Ram. I have a 2017 Tundra. Despite the big 3 hype, I wouldn't trade mine for any of the the others - and for what it is worth, mine with the 5.7L/4wd/Crewmax/bedliner, etc. $42K.
You are almost exactly right with regards to the amount I'd have saved...

I could have done the Tacoma, but when I sat in it this weekend it was telling me it was a two seater.
I do have some friends who might fit in the back seat on a bike trip but in all honesty most of my friends who are likely to go biking with me are more my size and a 6' 225#+ Clydesdale does not fit in the back seat of the Tacoma. The Tundra is the right size and for off road either would be good but the Tundra mileage was supposed to be quite a bit worse, the cabin was noisier and the ride was rougher. Since 80-90% of my trips in this thing are going to be commuting the noise factor was important. Working at FedEx for a year I could tell my hearing seemed to take a minor hit from some of the noise at work and at the apartment. When I started there I could hear various annoying noises. When I left I could still hear most of them but I had to work at it a bit. Driving a couple hours a day in a noisy vehicle is not acceptable if I can avoid it.

I'm going to have to learn how to drive all over again.
The mirrors on this one stick out a bit more than the F-150 or so it seems. They are power folding but it don't quite fit in the apartment space easily without folding them. Even then the door is darned near the sunshade support post.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by GSB4243 »

Enjoy it!
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

So far it is fun.
It's a gas hawg but I'm getting about the same milage, maybe a little better than I did renting the Ford F-150 for 3 weeks. If I can slow down a little I think it will improve quite a bit.

Cargo rail kit should be in by next weekend or so.
Nerf bars are required as some of my neighbors have already been crowding my parking place.
(Let's here it for folding mirrors!)

May do the tonneau cover in a month or two and if I do that the bed lighting kit that mounts near the tailgate would make sense.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

So the cargo rails came in and are now installed in the truck.
I've never seen the instructions but it looks like there are 4 U section clips that attach to the bed with rivnuts through existing holes in the bed reusing the bolts used to pull the rivnuts into place.
The rails are C sections that are then bolted to the clips. The clips are apparently threaded as there are no nuts or nutplates on the inside of the U section.

The 'cleats' are the same spring loaded T nut with a polymer hoop you've probably seen riding around on Toyota trucks for a while. It's possible that the T nut is a larger size and the polymer is rigged for definite stops at notches along the rails where it can be fully tightened up. Since the cleats can be removed at a wider section in the channels I've got them stored inside the tuck cab.

I will NOT be putting the bed lighting kit on the truck. Mopar wants about $175 for the kit counting tax. I can find it online for around $135 or so. The kicker is they want $330 to install it because they claim it's a three hour job. Looking at the instructions and Youtube videos that seems a bit high but maybe given that the instructions call for removal and reinstallation of the wheel well liners on the LHS, the Ram bin in the rear of the cab and both the driver side tires and the spare. So say I buy the kit and do the installation my own darned self? That'll be an extra $125 to flash the truck at the dealership to turn the power on to the lights. There is apparently a different pinning shown on youtube that will turn the lights on without the computer flash but who knows what else that might screw up at some point? So I figure Magpul makes a pretty good LED flashlight that's only $26 compared to $300 or $505 for the in bed lighting it starts to sound like a pretty darned good deal.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

Side steps are on it.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

I now have some 17K miles on this truck.
I've run it across the country almost coast to coast.
I've had it into the dealer for a recall and a window seal issue. Otherwise it has been darned near perfect.

The bed is about six inches too short compared to what I'd like to have in some cases but I can live with that and it is that much easier to get into and out of parking lots.

My father picked up a draw bar with a ball somewhere that he didn't need and donated it to me.
Riding in his S10 while visiting I'm rather glad I didn't go down that road.

This truck ran me maybe $3-4K more than Toyota wanted for the Tacoma before taxes in both cases.
The Ford dealership were smoking something as their prices weren't competitive on anything and they seemed unwilling to even try to get what I wanted.
A friend of mine recently had the same exact experiences looking at buying a Mustang or a Challenger. He wound up with the Challenger for about six grand less than the comparable Mustang.

All in all, it's been a good deal so far.
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by GasGuzzler »

GM killed the S-10 15 years ago. Bad move. You weren't considering one that old were you?
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Re: Small Trucks?

Post by Archer »

GasGuzzler wrote:GM killed the S-10 15 years ago. Bad move. You weren't considering one that old were you?
NO.
The blue 2019 RAM above is my current ride.

My folks have a 1996 S-10.
It doesn't have nearly the mileage my 2001 Buick had on it when the young lady decided to pull out in front of me and kill it. Dad is still driving it, and still likes it. It has been a decent little truck but it's now 22+ years old.

Methinks it could use replacing. Parts are hard to come by if something breaks. It is without a working AC and the anti-lock breaks are now standard brakes plus the original seat covers are worn out and the paint is burnt off by the sun in large patches. Although my dad will deny it, it seems to lack get up and go when something is coming at you.

IF he was to replace it, based on what's out there now and the fact that the 150/1500 class trucks are bigger than he wants, I'd say his best bet for what he wants would probably be the Tacoma or a Honda Ridgeline.
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