Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

[Larry Caldwell]

I carry both items in my Colorado when I need to. What do you do when you need a 12 foot 2x6, rent a truck or go buy a bigger one?

Lumber rack, which will haul anything 20', or more if you are crafty. I once hauled a load of 32' TJIs by hanging them off the back and hitching up a short trailer to keep the overhang legal. A rack is also good support for a big load of hay. You can stack hay a couple bales high over the cab, and 6 bales high in the bed, without worrying about it falling off on the road.

One of the insane things I see is people installing modified passenger car luggage racks in their 4 door pickup because they can't fit anything in the bed.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Yeah, that too.

Suburban with 18' car hauler and steel deck. 2X12 side boards on the front. Gravel. Sand. Mulch. Black dirt. Firewood. Lumber. Mattresses. Couches. 20' rebar. Anything that won't fit in the Suburban goes on the trailer. Anything I don't want inside the Suburban goes on the trailer, like hay bales. Man those are messy on the carpet.

The old Suburbasaurus was a good work truck in the '70s. Are the new ones as good?

 

[MossRoad]

The old Suburbasaurus was a good work truck in the '70s. Are the new ones as good?

I just got rid of my 93. We now have a 2003. Both K1500s. Hands down, the 2003 is a better vehicle. More powerful, smoother, more comfortable, quieter, easier to drive.

Tow capacity of the 93 was 6500#.
Tow capacity of the 03 is 8600#.
Tow mode on the transmission.
On the fly pushbutton transfer case.
Auto 4WD mode.
Between 185-210 HP on the 93 with 5.7 TBI.
285HP on the 03 with 5.3 Vortec.

It's just a better truck.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

If any manufactures would just offer a manual trans, no power windows/mirrors/anything, I'd be happy. Just need 4WD, a radio, and turn signals get all the other crap off my truck because I don't want to pay for it.

Nobody wants that. Toyota is offering a limited run of retro trucks this year.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Nobody wants that. Toyota is offering a limited run of retro trucks this year.

I drive an '03 Mazda B3000. The Maverick looked like a decent replacement, until I found out it does not come in a 2 door version with a longer bed. Still looking. I'm not fond of the other offerings with turbo that only run on premium gas either. I realize that 90% of the US population now lives in cities, and rural people are too small a market to be relevant to manufacturers.

 

[Gee Ray]

Nobody wants that. Toyota is offering a limited run of retro trucks this year.

If you build it, they will come.

If the plain Jane truck's price was reduced by the same amount at the up charge then you could sale the jane truck. The last time I bought a new truck the plain Jane truck was the same price as the loaded one. Plus I would have had to wait for the plain Jane to be built. So you buy the loaded one.

Most of the trucks on the lots around me are painted white. When I asked why, he stated, "Because that is what we sell the most of."

If you only stock white trucks then of course that is what you sell the most of.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

If you build it, they will come.

If the plain Jane truck's price was reduced by the same amount at the up charge then you could sale the jane truck. The last time I bought a new truck the plain Jane truck was the same price as the loaded one. Plus I would have had to wait for the plain Jane to be built. So you buy the loaded one.

Most of the trucks on the lots around me are painted white. When I asked why, he stated, "Because that is what we sell the most of."

If you only stock white trucks then of course that is what you sell the most of.

My sister and her BF both like manual shift, shitty little econoboxes because they both drive across the city for their work (now they can both work from home, anywhere, but I digress), and they have a hard time finding such things because

1) Nobody wants them.
2) Automatics nowadays can get better mpg.
3) Remember the Mr. Clutch chain of auto clinics? Gone because of a lack of business.
4) When I went into the Army in '87, the Army was moving away from manuals because it was taking too long to teach soldiers how to drive them and motor pools don't like swapping out clutches.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I drive an '03 Mazda B3000. The Maverick looked like a decent replacement, until I found out it does not come in a 2 door version with a longer bed. Still looking. I'm not fond of the other offerings with turbo that only run on premium gas either. I realize that 90% of the US population now lives in cities, and rural people are too small a market to be relevant to manufacturers.

My understanding from my last Ford salesman (God rest his soul, he just died) is that the shorter trucks are made primarily to fit into all these short, little spec house garages. Back when I last bought a new truck, I went to five different dealers to ORDER a truck before punting and hitting a Rural dealer, where the salesman smiled, and said to me, "So to get a sale all I need to do is start saying, 'Yes!'' One of the more fun buys I've made in hindsight.

 

[bcp]

Most of the trucks on the lots around me are painted white. When I asked why, he stated, "Because that is what we sell the most of."

If you only stock white trucks then of course that is what you sell the most of.

Every once in a while I hear "We don't stock that because no one buys it."

Bruce

 

[Gee Ray]

In 1969 the mine where my dad worked was headed away from clutched trucks and equipment.

I am talking about "work trucks" with electric seats, electric mirrors, leather seats, carpeting, blue tooth anything, lights under the hood, cameras everywhere, $2000 tailgates. Nor is 4 x 4 a need for most people. I do not need any of that and there is more I am sure could be added to the list.

The ads that push these false "needs" have worked well. Somehow what was a luxury item years ago are now requirements. I have no need for 15 cameras or a 6 way tailgate.

A/C, auto transmission and cruise control are the things that I "need" in a work truck. And I drive over 80,000 miles a year for 12 plus years.