The single best Truck?

[Sportin' Wood]

What do you need this truck to do? Primary use?
Budget?
Asking opinions about who thinks what is best just brings out the brand nut huggers.

I have had over 20 vehicles (I’m 43)
Every brand has been a piece of shit.
Every brand has been great.

The luck of the draw and how you care for it makes more difference than the name on the grill.

Pretty much every thread on RDP goes sideways in 35 posts or less. I'm not asking for advice on what to buy; curious about what everyone thinks is "The Best Truck" I would say some pretty good candidates so far; I'm not a brand loyalist. There are diamonds in each company stable, like the Jeep Comanche.
https://autoheritagefoundation.org/...nche-a-compact-pickup-as-rare-as-the-ferrari/

Jeep Comanche was one of the best trucks I've ever owned, but Not THE best truck.

I was thinking about trucks and wondering what others thought. I need a truck to be a truck, not a car with a bed. Our Colorado ZR2 Bison is a Car with a bed.

It seems that is not currently an offering from any manufacturers, so we have a look at used vehicles and refurbish them. Even if I overpaid for a used truck and did a lot of restoration, I could still be miles ahead of the $75K-$125K current price tag, and with so much smog crap, the reliability is suspect. The new expanded multiple-gear transmissions are attractive when you look at trucks with three speeds.

Someone mentioned a straight six and granny four speed; I agree with that statement. Those types of trucks are some of the best built. An F100 short box is on my wish list. That 72 Cheyenne posted here with overdrive and fuel injection is a damn nice truck (with a steep price). I really like that truck, BTW.

It's likely that whatever I buy, be it Ford, Ram, Dodge, Chevy, or GM. It will be 4WD and get a service or flatbed. It will need to pull down a house, start when it's cold, be dependable, have some sort of cool factor, have a comfy warm interior, and have good AC in the vents. It can't have death wobble, bump steer, shitty brakes, or loose steering. I love gen 1 dodge trucks; we owned one, and the interior was the worst vehicle ever. But that truck was awesome pulling a load. If I could find the right one, I would figure out the interior, but then you gotta deal with rust. LOL

What this discussion has provided was for me to take a look at some earlier GM products. Those are something I had not considered. Sorry Toyota guys, I can't get excited about them, but I recognize they are reliable.

Please keep them coming, I love reading about people's favorite trucks and why.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

At best. You'll need a good tuner to get that MPG.

The other problem is...

I can't drive 55!

I drive slowly ever since a judge reminded me that points have consequences and I was too old to lose my license due to speeding.

 

[CLdrinker]

Pretty much every thread on RDP goes sideways in 35 posts or less. I'm not asking for advice on what to buy; curious about what everyone thinks is "The Best Truck" I would say some pretty good candidates so far; I'm not a brand loyalist. There are diamonds in each company stable, like the Jeep Comanche.
https://autoheritagefoundation.org/...nche-a-compact-pickup-as-rare-as-the-ferrari/

Jeep Comanche was one of the best trucks I've ever owned, but Not THE best truck.

I was thinking about trucks and wondering what others thought. I need a truck to be a truck, not a car with a bed. Our Colorado ZR2 Bison is a Car with a bed.

It seems that is not currently an offering from any manufacturers, so we have a look at used vehicles and refurbish them. Even if I overpaid for a used truck and did a lot of restoration, I could still be miles ahead of the $75K-$125K current price tag, and with so much smog crap, the reliability is suspect. The new expanded multiple-gear transmissions are attractive when you look at trucks with three speeds.

Someone mentioned a straight six and granny four speed; I agree with that statement. Those types of trucks are some of the best built. An F100 short box is on my wish list. That 72 Cheyenne posted here with overdrive and fuel injection is a damn nice truck (with a steep price). I really like that truck, BTW.

It's likely that whatever I buy, be it Ford, Ram, Dodge, Chevy, or GM. It will be 4WD and get a service or flatbed. It will need to pull down a house, start when it's cold, be dependable, have some sort of cool factor, have a comfy warm interior, and have good AC in the vents. It can't have death wobble, bump steer, shitty brakes, or loose steering. I love gen 1 dodge trucks; we owned one, and the interior was the worst vehicle ever. But that truck was awesome pulling a load. If I could find the right one, I would figure out the interior, but then you gotta deal with rust. LOL

What this discussion has provided was for me to take a look at some earlier GM products. Those are something I had not considered. Sorry Toyota guys, I can't get excited about them, but I recognize they are reliable.

Please keep them coming, I love reading about people's favorite trucks and why.

Noted. And while this is RDP and everyone has to have the best of the best. You can get a brand new 3/4ton for allot less than 75k.
You can get a near new ram in the 40k range.

 

[CLdrinker]

Here you said you looked at a Power Wagon

 

[rivermobster]

I drive slowly ever since a judge reminded me that points have consequences and I was too old to lose my license due to speeding.

Been there done that...

Hate when that happens!

 

[Sportin' Wood]

@angiebaby and I have been thinking about buying a second vehicle. When we sold most everything in spring 2021, we figured we would start repurchasing stuff in 2023. The last 18 months are the first time we have not owned multiple vehicles in our marriage. It's been nice to deal with one car, save for #ThisDamnRv.

The car payment thread made me think about what new trucks have that I can't live without. While nice, I could not think of a new truck except the Power Wagon, which is $75K at the local dealer in Havasu and gets about 12MPG, I am told.

So this leads me to the question of used trucks and which truck do you think is the single best make, model, and year? Why?

I understand each person has different needs, so I suspect we won't all agree, but I'm curious about what others might think. I'm not sure I can settle on one, but I can settle on a pretty short list. However, for this thread, you have to pick one.

Here is mine: (subject to change)
2002 Ford F350 4X4 7.3 PSD Lariet Shortbed Supercab two-tone green and tan with tan interior.
A unicorn, but I have seen these in the F350 variant. More common in F250. The F250 might be a wise selection as it may save a few bucks on registration. I would swap axles for 2005 later super-duty axles, and switch out the front leaf springs to coil springs to improve the turning radius. I like the short-bed super cab because I've owned a few different versions of the F-series over the years, but never this configuration. All of them seemed hard to park, so my perception is I get the weight payload in a shorter truck. This model truck has a stellar interior package when you get a Lariat. Mine held up very well. The XLT, not so much. I found one of these trucks for sale with just under 160K miles; if it is still for sale after the holiday, I may go buy it. It requires us to travel multiple days to make the purchase. I'm guessing about 15MPG at best.

Here you said you looked at a Power Wagon

View attachment 1181517

We did spend some time researching these trucks as a replacement for our Colorado ZR2 Diesel because they have similar features with the front and rear lockers and the winch. The 2019 and newer 8-speed seems to provide relief from the thirsty engine, and with the requirement to run premium, it seemed a necessity. These used trucks in 2019-2021 seem to trade at a pretty high price. Finding a model with a leather interior is pretty tough. The imprinted tread design on the seats does not appeal to me, and I believe it would not age well.

In the end, we could not rationalize trading a paid-for Colorado (car-like truck) that gets a respectable 23MPG for a 3/4 ton truck that got low teens MPG at best. We figured it would cost us about $25K-$30K to jump up to the PowerWagon, and we would go slightly negative on operational costs.

That led us to consider a $15K-$25K used truck. We get to keep the Chevy S-10 and get a real man truck.

 

[CLdrinker]

Little on the pricey side.

This is a good deal

 

[Mandelon]

Ford Fucking Ranger! Video is safe for work, just has constant F bombs. Very funny though.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

No Nissan Titan

I’m sure you’re joking but hands down the best most reliable truck I Ever owned. Did everything I needed and never broke down. Towed a 23ft toyhauler loaded up no problem. Funny the kid that bought it called me 6yrs after he bought it from me to tell me how much he and is now wife and kids loved it! Sold it to him with almost 200k miles he said it’s at 300k and still now issues.

Kids still ask why we got ride of that thing.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Little on the pricey side.

View attachment 1181518

This is a good deal
View attachment 1181519

Like I said in the first post, the new truck market save for the PowerWagon does not excite me. However, I will take another look. The DEF fluid is single-handedly the biggest complaint I have with our Colorado. I don't have the space to carry it, and it seems to require a refill at the worst possible time. Not to mention it's expensive.


The part I left out about older trucks being attractive is that we go through a fair amount of tin foil in our household fending off the black helicopters. I want at least one good vehicle to get us home to Montana when the SHTF.

 

[Spudsbud]

My buddy just got his 2023, ordered, Chev, 4x4, 4dr. shortbox 1/2ton, loaded, leather, sunroof , no runningboards yet.
Paid $67k msrp. not a dime more. Got in about 12 weeks too.
More toys than the space shuttle.
Black. really nice.

 

[CLdrinker]

Like I said in the first post, the new truck market save for the PowerWagon does not excite me. However, I will take another look. The DEF fluid is single-handedly the biggest complaint I have with our Colorado. I don't have the space to carry it, and it seems to require a refill at the worst possible time. Not to mention it's expensive.


The part I left out about older trucks being attractive is that we go through a fair amount of tin foil in our household fending off the black helicopters. I want at least one good vehicle to get us home to Montana when the SHTF.

Neither have def.
But after reading some of your responses your looking for a something much cheaper.

Good luck with those black helicopters.

 

[CLdrinker]

My buddy just got his 2023, ordered, Chev, 4x4, 4dr. shortbox 1/2ton, loaded, leather, sunroof , no runningboards yet.
Paid $67k msrp. not a dime more. Got in about 12 weeks too.
More toys than the space shuttle.
Black. really nice.


View attachment 1181522

Ouch. Hope he recovers soon.

 

[Desert Whaler]

I’m sure you’re joking but hands down the best most reliable truck I Ever owned. Did everything I needed and never broke down. Towed a 23ft toyhauler loaded up no problem. Funny the kid that bought it called me 6yrs after he bought it from me to tell me how much he and is now wife and kids loved it! Sold it to him with almost 200k miles he said it’s at 300k and still now issues.

Kids still ask why we got ride of that thing.

 

[Dr Rob]

Pretty much every thread on RDP goes sideways in 35 posts or less. I'm not asking for advice on what to buy; curious about what everyone thinks is "The Best Truck" I would say some pretty good candidates so far; I'm not a brand loyalist. There are diamonds in each company stable, like the Jeep Comanche.
https://autoheritagefoundation.org/...nche-a-compact-pickup-as-rare-as-the-ferrari/

Jeep Comanche was one of the best trucks I've ever owned, but Not THE best truck.

I was thinking about trucks and wondering what others thought. I need a truck to be a truck, not a car with a bed. Our Colorado ZR2 Bison is a Car with a bed.

It seems that is not currently an offering from any manufacturers, so we have a look at used vehicles and refurbish them. Even if I overpaid for a used truck and did a lot of restoration, I could still be miles ahead of the $75K-$125K current price tag, and with so much smog crap, the reliability is suspect. The new expanded multiple-gear transmissions are attractive when you look at trucks with three speeds.

Someone mentioned a straight six and granny four speed; I agree with that statement. Those types of trucks are some of the best built. An F100 short box is on my wish list. That 72 Cheyenne posted here with overdrive and fuel injection is a damn nice truck (with a steep price). I really like that truck, BTW.

It's likely that whatever I buy, be it Ford, Ram, Dodge, Chevy, or GM. It will be 4WD and get a service or flatbed. It will need to pull down a house, start when it's cold, be dependable, have some sort of cool factor, have a comfy warm interior, and have good AC in the vents. It can't have death wobble, bump steer, shitty brakes, or loose steering. I love gen 1 dodge trucks; we owned one, and the interior was the worst vehicle ever. But that truck was awesome pulling a load. If I could find the right one, I would figure out the interior, but then you gotta deal with rust. LOL

What this discussion has provided was for me to take a look at some earlier GM products. Those are something I had not considered. Sorry Toyota guys, I can't get excited about them, but I recognize they are reliable.

Please keep them coming, I love reading about people's favorite trucks and why.

 

[Dr Rob]

View attachment 1181526

This little guy just might be for sale.

 

[angiebaby]

2002 Ford F350 FX4 7.3 PSD Lariet Shortbed Supercab two-tone green and tan with tan interior.
A unicorn, but I have seen these in the F350 variant. More common in F250. The F250 might be a wise selection as it may save a few bucks on registration.

LOL Yes, it might cost you an extra $20 for that lifetime registration.

edit: Nope. I just checked. It's a one-time flat rate of $97.50.

 

[Apex svt]

A 7.3 would be hard to beat as far as reliability and a good tow truck. Yes, they lack power by todays standards. But they are somewhat easy to work on, run forever and look good (I think).

Unless you’re pulling real heavy they have plenty of power to pull. And get decent fuel mileage with a small tune.

Pops has a 03 F350 7.3 holy grail truck. Absolutely loves it, will probably never buy another truck. Sonic Blue, black leather CCSB. Even got the RDP shirt on.

 

[Cray Paper]

I've owned a lot of GM trucks over my 52 years and the best one was a oddball 1998 GMC heavy half ton 4X4 Z71 I bought new from Biddle Chevrolet, labor strike deal, truck was brought down from Canadia. It had a Vortec 350, 3rd door, camper & tow package etc. Cloth interior, lacked frame strength but ran ( & continues to run) for ever. I sold it to my youngest brother with 150K+ on it, it now has over 400K on its original drivetrain. The fuel pump, alternator, water pump, intake gaskets have been replaced but it's still going strong on the original tranny, transfer case and front and rear diffs.

I bought an 03 CC 4x4 Duramax, 2nd best truck I have ever owned. Yes, it had injector issues but it was built like a brick shithouse. I sold it to my sister with 150K on it too, it's well past 300K now with another fresh set of injectors with zero other issues.

I would put the GM trucks I have owned up against any Toyota of the same year and would bet everything that they were better built, lasted longer, cost less to operate and lasted longer. Just my .02$

Not a Dodge fanboy, but will say the Challenger and Durango we my latest new vehicle purchases, and they both have that 1950's home appliance feel to them, and I have really enjoyed my experience with both of them.

 

[Drew]

Apparently this is the best single pick up

 

[Brokeboatin221]

you’re welcome

 

[Sportin' Wood]

you’re welcome

At least we are headed back to find the best truck.

We owned a mid-90s chevy dually 4-door with a 454. We loved that truck; Angie drove it daily. We increased the mileage from 7-10 by busting the guts out of the cat. The interior was plush, but I don't think it would have aged well. We were forced to sell it due to financial challenges. Every time I see that teal one posted here on RDP, I think about that truck, ours was emerald green. Cool truck, but not practical for us now. A bitch to park. Only my F450 was worse.

I had good luck with Fuel Injected 454's outside fuel mileage.

 

[Nordie]

I really miss my LB7, I wouldn't hesitate to get another one. Mine was an 02 and was EGR exempt from the factory, it didn't even come with a CAT.

If I was a rich man, I would love to have something like this!!!

Seth Chatelain on Instagram: "1965 Dodge Sweptline Power Wagon - #mecum #mecumauctions #mopar #sweptline #dodge #custombuilt #roadtrip #road #travel #travelling #modern #old #comfort #offroad #bigtrucks #superduty #cumminsnation"

423K likes, 6,697 comments - sethchatelain on November 24, 2022: "1965 Dodge Sweptline Power Wagon - #mecum #mecumauctions #mopar #sweptline #dodge #custombuilt #r..."

www.instagram.com

 

[Not So Fast]

For my needs, my 2006 Tundra 2WD w/ 4.7 has been money.
Just about to turn 70K miles . . . so just getting broken in.
It drives/ rides nice, no creeks, whistles, or rattles . . . super tight.
I get that it's just a bigger Tacoma w/ 2 more cylinders & doesn't even come close to the 'Big 3'. . . but it works for Me & it's paid for.

View attachment 1181433

Me and you both, bought mine in 2000 when they first came out, paid like $22k for it and still have it today, 115,000 on it, probably

give it to my GS in a few years. 115,000 on it and runs like it did brand new. Not as fancy as a new one but suits me jsut fine.
NSF

 

[bonesfab]

One of my tow pigs is my Square body crew cab chevy. Mildly built p-pump 12 valve, compound turbos, Allison 5-speed, Dana 60, 14 bolt. no emissions crap, on 37"s it gets 17-18mpg at 75-80 mph. Turn key reliable, Couldn't be happier with it. When I first put it together it had a blown efi 502 and a 4l80e in it, The 502 gave me some grief and I was considering a new truck, Then I got the better idea of swapping it with the cummins. Much better.

 

[sintax]

This little guy just might be for sale.

Specs and details??

 

[Sportin' Wood]

One of my tow pigs is my Square body crew cab chevy. Mildly built p-pump 12 valve, compound turbos, Allison 5-speed, Dana 60, 14 bolt. no emissions crap, on 37"s it gets 17-18mpg at 75-80 mph. Turn key reliable, Couldn't be happier with it. When I first put it together it had a blown efi 502 and a 4l80e in it, The 502 gave me some grief and I was considering a new truck, Then I got the better idea of swapping it with the cummins. Much better.

That sounds like a contender for the best truck the factory never built. Pictures? A perfect Montana truck that would be the bell of the ball at the fair or rodeo with a flatbed and a good dog.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Me and you both, bought mine in 2000 when they first came out, paid like $22k for it and still have it today, 115,000 on it, probably View attachment 1181725 give it to my GS in a few years. 115,000 on it and runs like it did brand new. Not as fancy as a new one but suits me jsut fine.
NSF

Wow . . that's super clean !
Your grandson will be stoked !
The 2UZFE V8 motor is arguably one of the most reliable V8's ever made.
Great article about the 'Million Mile Tundra' . . . interesting what they found on the tear down.

The Million-Mile 2007 Toyota Tundra Pickup: The Teardown

The high-mileage Tundra was torn down to check its health—here's what Toyota found.

www.motortrend.com

 

[Dr Rob]

Specs and details??

Specs and details??

If you would like to give me a call when you have time I can give you the details. 702 491 4568

 

[25Elmn8r]

I've always said the best truck would be a combination of parts from the Big 3. 05-07 Ford CCLB Cummins swapped with an Alison trans. If I start having problems with my 6.0 that's the direction I will be going. Hard to justify the monthly payment of a new truck that gets driven 5k miles a year at most.

 

[mesquito_creek]

There are really 3 legendary drive trains produced with long production runs to back the cult like following of each.

Ford - 7.3L diesel
Dodge - 5.9 Cummins
GM - anything with the LQ4 6L gas

Can’t put the duramax 06-07 just because they couldn’t keep that configuration for a good 10 year run to make legendary…

 

[Not So Fast]

Wow . . that's super clean !
Your grandson will be stoked !
The 2UZFE V8 motor is arguably one of the most reliable V8's ever made.
Great article about the 'Million Mile Tundra' . . . interesting what they found on the tear down.

The Million-Mile 2007 Toyota Tundra Pickup: The Teardown

The high-mileage Tundra was torn down to check its health—here's what Toyota found.

www.motortrend.com

My only, I guess concren would be this, my son bought one also and like me had an after market intake built by Rod Millem in Costa Mesa area. Both our trucks ran better with the item but on the way home from the river while towing his boat the motor gave up and had to be towed to Anderson Toyota. They warrantied it thank God but the mechanic told me that the intake was suppling too much air into the mix ?? and that was the reason for the failure ???? They did stand behind the fix thou thank God.
So I started paying attention to the low octane pinging I would get in hot weather so I took the intake off and no problems since, that was 19 years ago. In talking with the mechanic he said the 4.7 was so finley tuned that any excess air would cause pinging and possible engine damage. Take it fo wjat its worth, of course if you ran premium it would be OK ????
NSF

 

[bonesfab]

Requested pics Took it to bass lake a few years ago and everybody around the ramp was digging it Especially when they heard the diesel

 

[Desert Whaler]

My only, I guess concren would be this, my son bought one also and like me had an after market intake built by Rod Millem in Costa Mesa area. Both our trucks ran better with the item but on the way home from the river while towing his boat the motor gave up and had to be towed to Anderson Toyota. They warrantied it thank God but the mechanic told me that the intake was suppling too much air into the mix ?? and that was the reason for the failure ???? They did stand behind the fix thou thank God.
So I started paying attention to the low octane pinging I would get in hot weather so I took the intake off and no problems since, that was 19 years ago. In talking with the mechanic he said the 4.7 was so finley tuned that any excess air would cause pinging and possible engine damage. Take it fo wjat its worth, of course if you ran premium it would be OK ????
NSF

Yes I've heard about those intakes. . . if you haven't been on tundras.com yet, there's a page exclusive to 'Gen-1 Tundras'. TONS of info in there.
The topic of 'Cold Air Intakes' comes up often, and the consensus seems to be that the factory set up provides the best overall combination of air/ filtration.
Some folks say that with an intake, shorty headers, and 12 hole injectors they notice a little better low-end grunt . . . but from my understanding it's pretty minimal.
The 4.7 is pretty enemic compared to todays 'Super-Trucks', so I just keep up on the maintenance, use factory parts, & call it good.
My rig loaded for a few days of camping /fishing at the river for 2 & pulling my little boat manages 16 MPG. . . not the greatest, but could be worse.
Here's that page link . . .

1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)

General discussion for 1st generation Tundras (2000-2006)

www.tundras.com

 

[Not So Fast]

Yes I've heard about those intakes. . . if you haven't been on tundras.com yet, there's a page exclusive to 'Gen-1 Tundras'. TONS of info in there.
The topic of 'Cold Air Intakes' comes up often, and the consensus seems to be that the factory set up provides the best overall combination of air/ filtration.
Some folks say that with an intake, shorty headers, and 12 hole injectors they notice a little better low-end grunt . . . but from my understanding it's pretty minimal.
The 4.7 is pretty enemic compared to todays 'Super-Trucks', so I just keep up on the maintenance, use factory parts, & call it good.
My rig loaded for a few days of camping /fishing at the river for 2 & pulling my little boat manages 16 MPG. . . not the greatest, but could be worse.
Here's that page link . . .

1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)

General discussion for 1st generation Tundras (2000-2006)

www.tundras.com

Yep, Ive got the cold air intake Ryse made for us sitting in my garage if you want it. Truck seems to run better with it but probably my imagination from the sound lol. I pulled my Magic with it, short distance around here, and it really taxed it, of course it wasnt designed for that much weight !!!
It is what it is, a small V8 so dont expect it to do what a monster motor will do, little stuff ok but not big stuff, like a 28' Magic LOL !!!!!

 

[NicPaus]

Yep, Ive got the cold air intake Ryse made for us sitting in my garage if you want it. Truck seems to run better with it but probably my imagination from the sound lol. I pulled my Magic with it, short distance around here, and it really taxed it, of course it wasnt designed for that much weight !!!
It is what it is, a small V8 so dont expect it to do what a monster motor will do, little stuff ok but not big stuff, like a 28' Magic LOL !!!!!

You would be surprised. I drove a test vehicle before it was released to the public. Toyota was right down the street and a friend has worked there forever. Now in Texas. We put a Honda Odyssey Atv and a 2 door jeep in my 20' Carson enclosed. And a quad and dirt bike in the bed and went to Gorman for the weekend. The only thing that destroyed the truck was the desert pinstripes and the campfire smoke. We left the doors open to listen to the radio and after that weekend nobody wanted to drive it cause the smell. So they crushed it. It towed good. Going up the hill to Gorman I had it floored and it never overheated or skipped a best. But it wouldn't pull the hill at 55. Think it dropped to 35 mph. It's been a long time.

 

[Brokeboatin221]

First Gen tundras we’re solid except for trans issues which were later worked out. Second gens had frames that bent and got 8mpg but reliably

 

[rush1]

The engine will stand the test of time but the rest of the truck won't, in non snowbelt environments. Thats the downfall of those trucks.

That's Gospel right there !

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Well, that truck search might have to accelerate and switch gears. Blew up the third rear end in our ZR2. Thankfully it is still under warranty, but this Dana rear end seems to eat carrier bearings.

The rear end is the same model used in the Jeep JL with the electric lockers. I'm pretty sure the housing is the problem, but the dealership won't swap it out, so we are at a crossroads. Keep the truck, and I will try and hunt down a rear axle housing or sell this thing off and step up to a fool-size truck. I think I'm at the point I may need to take another look at the Power Wagon.

I need to confirm the rear axle width of the JL and Colorado are the same because we can step up to a Dana 60 with E-lockers and breaks for under $10K which is cheaper than a new truck. LOL