My next truck if only it were to be

[RoMad]

My wife and I just returned from a fantastic 4 week trip to Australia, We travelled around a lot of the country and had a great time. We have never been anywhere where we were treated so well by everyone we met. I'm sure there are some grumpy Aussies, but we never ran into any of them.

I currenty am a two truck guy. My every day driver is a 2009 Tacoma that gets me 25 to 26 mpg on almost every tank. When I need to tow something I drive my 2000 F-250 4x4 diesel. It is a towing machine and I like to drive it too. I get respectable mpg with it considering that it almost always has a boat, tractor, or other load behind it. Before you start saying two trucks cost more than one tow vehicle, it doesn't for me. I drive a lot of miles in the little truck and this insurance and tags for the big truck is $678 a year as long as I stay under $7500 miles with it. I have less than 20K in both of them.

In Australia it looks like about 90% of the trucks are the size of my Tacoma, only with diesels. They were everywhere and some of them were pulling some pretty good size travel trailers and other loads. Most of the trucks had aluminum flat beds with folding sides. The trucks with regular beds on them were mostly in the big cities.
Toyota Hilux (their Tacoma) were everywhere but I did see a few new Ford Rangers, some VW trucks, and Nissan Navarro's.
If only I could get one of the Ford Rangers I could be a happy one truck guy. I would't turn down a diesel Toyota either.
Here is a couple of pictures of one of the Rangers I saw while there.

 

[JasG]

I would love for either the global ranger or the VW Amarok to come here. Too many safety regs and unless the produce them here taxes from what I have read.

Thanks for the pic's.

 

[alchemysa]

RoMad. I'm pleased you had a good time in Australia. We don't have your spectacular scenery but hopefully the people made up for that.

It sounds like you were a little surprised to see all the 'drop side flat beds' in Australia. Are they uncommon in the US? They are definitely the drive of choice over here for people on the land and tradesman. They hold a lot more than a standard bed, theyre easy to load from both sides and can take a pounding. Most are just unpainted aluminium so they don't rust, and a few scratches and dents just add character. The standard beds seem to be more popular with decorators and landscapers in the city.

 

[WilliamBos]

Id love for the Nissan Patrol to come up here!! Would be sweet!!

 

[Topkicker]

My wife and I just returned from a fantastic 4 week trip to Australia, We travelled around a lot of the country and had a great time. We have never been anywhere where we were treated so well by everyone we met. I'm sure there are some grumpy Aussies, but we never ran into any of them.

I currenty am a two truck guy. My every day driver is a 2009 Tacoma that gets me 25 to 26 mpg on almost every tank. When I need to tow something I drive my 2000 F-250 4x4 diesel. It is a towing machine and I like to drive it too. I get respectable mpg with it considering that it almost always has a boat, tractor, or other load behind it. Before you start saying two trucks cost more than one tow vehicle, it doesn't for me. I drive a lot of miles in the little truck and this insurance and tags for the big truck is $678 a year as long as I stay under $7500 miles with it. I have less than 20K in both of them.

In Australia it looks like about 90% of the trucks are the size of my Tacoma, only with diesels. They were everywhere and some of them were pulling some pretty good size travel trailers and other loads. Most of the trucks had aluminum flat beds with folding sides. The trucks with regular beds on them were mostly in the big cities.
Toyota Hilux (their Tacoma) were everywhere but I did see a few new Ford Rangers, some VW trucks, and Nissan Navarro's.
If only I could get one of the Ford Rangers I could be a happy one truck guy. I would't turn down a diesel Toyota either.
Here is a couple of pictures of one of the Rangers I saw while there.

We are ramping up to build a Chevy to go head to head w the Tacoma here in Wentzville, MO. We will be building a diesel but is unclear if it will be for export only at this time. A lot of Aussie's are on my Wrangler forum w diesel Wranglers that are built in Ohio but are for export only. All we can get here in the states is an under powered V6 gasser. Hopefully GM will offer the diesel here, but don't want to get anyone's hope up. What do y'all think?

 

[WilliamBos]

We are ramping up to build a Chevy to go head to head w the Tacoma here in Wentzville, MO. We will be building a diesel but is unclear if it will be for export only at this time. A lot of Aussie's are on my Wrangler forum w diesel Wranglers that are built in Ohio but are for export only. All we can get here in the states is an under powered V6 gasser. Hopefully GM will offer the diesel here, but don't want to get anyone's hope up. What do y'all think?

A new s series??

 

[Topkicker]

A new s series??

It will be the next gen truck to replace the Colorado and Canyon. New from the ground up. This is a tricked out all terrain version in a crew cab. Reg, extended, and crew models will be offered along w many trim packages.

 

[WilliamBos]

It will be the next gen truck to replace the Colorado and Canyon. New from the ground up. This is a tricked out all terrain version in a crew cab. Reg, extended, and crew models will be offered along w many trim packages.

Thank you !!

 

[RobertN]

They are not as common in the US. There are a lot, but they are mostly around the farm or construction sites.

I've used them(Ford F450 with 12' flatbed, hydraulic dump). Definitely nice when hauling materials. I would convert my truck, but I have not seen any with a good "finished" look; with most the frame etc is exposed to view.

It sounds like you were a little surprised to see all the 'drop side flat beds' in Australia. Are they uncommon in the US? They are definitely the drive of choice over here for people on the land and tradesman. They hold a lot more than a standard bed, theyre easy to load from both sides and can take a pounding. Most are just unpainted aluminium so they don't rust, and a few scratches and dents just add character. The standard beds seem to be more popular with decorators and landscapers in the city.

 

[Topkicker]

Thank you !!

Your welcome. Funny thing to me is how much it looks like the pic of the Aussie Ford. Here's a link about our new truck that was in USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...t-colorado-wentzville-express-savana/2462295/