Used Truck Suggestions

(It was a toss-up between this forum and the Kitchen Sink. I dread the Kitchen Sink. )

Any truck owners that can give me some guidance?

I'm looking to buy a used truck strictly for the purposes of hauling my bike to the track and hauling me and my friends through the snow for snowboarding. Not to be used for commuting or major hauling/towing. With that said, my requirements are pretty much a 4x4 long bed with at least an extended cab if not a crew cab. Although technically, I would much prefer a midsize pickup than a fullsize one.

My ideal model year range would be in between 1998-2002, but I would like to keep my budget within just four figures. I CAN go over $10k, but I really don't want to. Hell, I don't even want to go over $8k.

I've checked out dealerships for their used lineups, but seems like they don't carry anything older than 2003-2004, so I've pretty much ruled them out so far. A salesman even told me that with the range of year I'm looking at, my luck would be better on small-lot dealers.

I've checked out private party trucks, but I'm really wary because...well, just because. For one, private party vehicles don't even get the same treatment as auto-broker vehicles for example, with the truck having been cleaned inside and outside, even the engine.

What's a good and reliable make and model?
What's the average annual mileage for trucks? (Carfax says 15k/year)
Anybody ever dealt with auto brokers?
Anybody ever bought extended warranties for used vehicles?

So far, out of the handful I've checked out and test-driven over the weekend, the best deal that I came up with was for a 1998 Chevy Silverado 4x4 Extended Cab with a long bed and hard cover. It has 130k miles and is being sold for $6900. I read up on more than a fair share of user reviews on the truck, and its rep seems to be very positive. The only reason I didn't come home with it last night was because it was from an auto broker, and I'm not quite confident dealing with them yet (I guess with anybody for that matter).

If I don't end up getting a truck, I have considered a midsize SUV with a tow package and just getting a trailer. I just currently do not have storage for the trailer when not in use.

Penny for your thoughts?

You've got to be wary of buying a used truck. Look for signs of heavy use like do they have a boat, RV, etc. You don't want one that's been used to tow heavy shit, it wears on the shocks, struts, suspension, chassis, cross frame and such. But for around $14-15K and 0% APR you can get a brand new F150 with a V8 and toss it around all you want knowing you've got a new truck.

With those requirements, why not a car and a small trailer? You don't need a truck for towing just one bike.

Roadstergal said:

With those requirements, why not a car and a small trailer? You don't need a truck for towing just one bike.

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Very true, however I do have two bikes, and while I won't always need to tow them together, chances are I'll have another rider and their bike with me on all if not the majority of the trackdays I'd do.

Roadstergal said:

With those requirements, why not a car and a small trailer? You don't need a truck for towing just one bike.

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The problem is Sinncere has alot of "friends" who need their bikes taken to the track as well...** cough** ** cough**

Tim(Waterboy) has your truck Right HERE.
It's a little more than your budget allows but I can verify that this truck is very clean.

Extended cab trucks do not offer enough space for 4 full size people over the 4 or more hours it takes to get to the snow. If you have your heart set on a truck, look at the F150 supercrew with the smaller V8 for better gas mileage. Unfortunately, they only come with a 5.5 foot bed which could still fit a bike, but you may have to leave the tailgate down. You're not going to be able to fit your bike into the bed of a crew cab midsize (Tacoma, Ranger, etc)

A better option might be an older AWD car (late '90's Subaro Forester, Outback, etc) and a trailer. Many folks here have had success towing one bike with the cheap 4x8 or 5x10 trailers that can be found at Harbor Freight. Or you could buy a more expensive enclosed for a few thousand.

I have a 1997 Chevy s-10 i use for hauling bikes and trips to home depot it gets good milage and does everything i need. I can fit two bikes in there at once I got it for $2200 with 60k miles on it.

Why 4wd? It only adds expense and difficulty. Bettah off with a van that holds two bikes and LOCKS up all your shit rather than leaving it out.

I towed to the track with a Ford Ranger for years. $4k used.

You can get a nice used 98-99 Silverado for ~7 grand on Craigslist

rangers are pretty reliable and really cheap. you can find what you're looking for in a v6 ext cab for 5-6k. i trust private party cars more than used car dealers. you can usually figure out what you're getting by meeting the owners and seeing the car.

I don't have any strong opinions on trucks that I feel like sharing, but for the needs you have stated, I would avoid a 4x4. You don't need it, they don't tow nearly as nice as two wheel drive trucks, and they require additional maintenance & repairs. Transfer cases are not the simple chain/gear affairs they were a generation ago, which makes them wear faster, and much more expensive to repair. 4x4s tend to be much harder on tires, and the suspensions are softer in initial travel than 2wd pickups, so they tend to wallow a lot when towing. If you tow one bike, not a big deal, but if you get a larger trailer and tow several bikes with gas & gear, you'll notice it. 4x4s just aren't anywhere near as good for towing.

And for snowboarding, you really don't need 4x4 because cal trans shuts down highways anytime there's more than 1/4" of snow on the ground. If the snow gets to the point where you actually need 4 wheel drive, the roads will be shut down. That point aside, I'd take a light front wheel drive car with Spikes Spiders in the snow over a 4 wheel drive truck 8 days a week. Better ride, better gas mileage, better handling all around.

If it were me, I'd probably look for a 1996+ dodge diesel 2wd. They're an inline 6 engine, which is loads easier to work on than the Ford or GM V8s. I think they're a better design, and more reliable as well. I'm not familiar enough with the larger Toyota and Nissan trucks to offer an opinion.

edit: I misunderstood the original post. I thought you meant a truck to "trailer" the bike. Not to haul in the back. I think most of what I said still applies, but hauling versus towing widens the truck selection quite a bit. I'd still get a truck and trailer though.

afm199 said:

Why 4wd? It only adds expense and difficulty. Bettah off with a van that holds two bikes and LOCKS up all your shit rather than leaving it out.

I towed to the track with a Ford Ranger for years. $4k used.

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I gather the 4WD is strictly for the snow. However, if you truly do ride a lot, you should be looking at a mid-size SUV-with-trailer combination - it has the room you're looking for for a few friends with snow or moto gear, has the towing capability for two bikes on a trailer, and won't suck as much in the snow as a big-ass long bed with no weight in it.

Yeah, why not get a used beater minivan or full-sized van?

Seriously, for snow trips up to Tahoe, a FWD sedan is just fine unless you are really going into snowy crap.

hungryhippo said:

rangers are pretty reliable and really cheap. you can find what you're looking for in a v6 ext cab for 5-6k.

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Very true, but having owned two of them in the last several years, I can say that they are about the most godawful uncomfortable pieces of shit to drive. I wouldn't buy another one for a dollar. But they are cheap, and ultra reliable; especially if you get the 5 speed (and always remember to keep oil in the tranny).

I own a Toyota Tacoma extended cab, and I fit my cbr 600rr in it without a problem. The only this is, is that the tailgate doesn't close because the rear wheel of the motorcycle sits out so you can't. But the whole bike fits in the bed (the rear wheel actually sits in the bed and not on the tailgate, its just the size of the tire makes it so the tailgate won't close).

For your budget, i would look for a 98-2000 year. You could find those years for between 8-11K depending on quality and mileage. I have a 2000 and I love it and it drives great in the snow and works great for hauling whatever I need it to. Toyota's are one of the most reliable vehicles and you can get many miles out of them. A Toyota with 150,000 miles on it isn't bad at all if all the maintenance is done.

The extended cab seats are small, but loading up for people to go to tahoe has been done before in my truck and its manageable if they aren't 300 pounds.

A 100's with a slant motor rule!

radvas said:

I don't have any strong opinions on trucks that I feel like sharing, but for the needs you have stated, I would avoid a 4x4. You don't need it, they don't tow nearly as nice as two wheel drive trucks, and they require additional maintenance & repairs. Transfer cases are not the simple chain/gear affairs they were a generation ago, which makes them wear faster, and much more expensive to repair. 4x4s tend to be much harder on tires, and the suspensions are softer in initial travel than 2wd pickups, so they tend to wallow a lot when towing. If you tow one bike, not a big deal, but if you get a larger trailer and tow several bikes with gas & gear, you'll notice it. 4x4s just aren't anywhere near as good for towing.

And for snowboarding, you really don't need 4x4 because cal trans shuts down highways anytime there's more than 1/4" of snow on the ground. If the snow gets to the point where you actually need 4 wheel drive, the roads will be shut down. That point aside, I'd take a light front wheel drive car with Spikes Spiders in the snow over a 4 wheel drive truck 8 days a week. Better ride, better gas mileage, better handling all around.

If it were me, I'd probably look for a 1996+ dodge diesel 2wd. They're an inline 6 engine, which is loads easier to work on than the Ford or GM V8s. I think they're a better design, and more reliable as well. I'm not familiar enough with the larger Toyota and Nissan trucks to offer an opinion.

edit: I misunderstood the original post. I thought you meant a truck to "trailer" the bike. Not to haul in the back. I think most of what I said still applies, but hauling versus towing widens the truck selection quite a bit. I'd still get a truck and trailer though.

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Really good advice. You don't really NEED a 4x4 in California unless you go 4x4ing, offroading etc. So I agree with getting a car with snowtires as far as going to the snow. As far as hauling your bike, you can buy mine for $500.00, I have hauled up to 3 bikes in it (and you could probably get 4). It's cheap, it's safe, it's easy, it's only $500.00. If not mine, there are plenty of good used trailers on CL for cheap, that's your most economical and functional route.

Lots of good advices, and other options over a truck are in my list, I just would prefer a truck for the sake of not having to store anything when not in use, such as a trailer. My household already has a good number of vehicles without counting my bikes.

I'm not ruling out other vehicles, but I'd exhaust my options for a truck first.

My first choice was actually a Frontier with a crew cab, only because those also come with a tube frame to use when you can't close the gate. Very nifty. It's just hard to find them at my budget.

daventura said:

Tim(Waterboy) has your truck Right HERE.
It's a little more than your budget allows but I can verify that this truck is very clean.

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Wow. That IS nice.