Bought a new truck for the Oregon wilderness: sorry DainBramaged

[DemoTex]

After selling my 2X4, 4-cyl Tacoma last week - great truck but way too inadequate for the Oregon territory - I considered the big American trucks, nay - LOVED the big American trucks! But the costs! Whoo-whee! I could not touch my "want" for less than $48,000.

So I settled on a big Tacoma 4X4, 4-door, 6-cyl, long bed. It meets my "need." The Rolling Stones addressed all of that.

It is a beautiful Timberland Green (what else for a forest fire ranger?). I'll trick it out with a great A.R.E. truck bed top with roof rack, a new ARB bumper (for the deer and antelope I often encounter on the open ranges), and four American Racing ATX Mojave flat-black 17X8 wheels with e-rated tires only because I'm an old damn fart and like the hell out of their looks against a forest-green truck.

BTW: I paid for the truck today, sight unseen. By check. I'll see it tomorrow. There were only two Timberland Green yadda dadda das in the three state inventory. I had to point my dealer friend in the right direction. That was worth another $1000 off - I kid you not!

[virgogal]

1. You gotta do what you gotta do. Good luck with it.

[SheilaT]

2. Too bad you didn't want to

buy a Honda Civic or Accord. I've practically made a career out of helping people buy those. 8 in three years at last count.

I'm just saying, if you start considering an Accord or Civic any time soon . . . .

[wikileaksfan]

4. Check out Toyota Tundra bed bounce

Toyota, worst truck frames in the industry and the most rust prone. BTW, have they really fixed the unintended acceleration deal?

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3x0>

[DemoTex]

26. Welcome to DU

.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Not for where he is taking that truck

We got a truck for back country driving and short trips for me.

The civic is great for city driving and all that... but where he is going to take that thing. No.

He is not getting it for nice city driving.

Hell if he said he got one of them ugly Humvees, especially the original one... is adequate, more than just adequate.

[here_is_to_hope]

16. Lol, always the expert...

I have driven my old Volvo wagon up to the fire lookout he was at last Summer. Most of Eastern Oregon is littered with FS roads that are not only passable but usually well maintained for the log trucks. It being the dry side of the state, not much worrie except in snow season.
But what do I know, I only live in and hunt these woods.

Congrats on the new truck Demo, see you next Summer.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear DemoTex!

Have fun with your new truck!

It sounds wonderful, and I hope it'll give you many, many happy years!

Oh, and BTW...let's have some pics once you take possession, OK?

[Canuckistanian]

6. That's OK

DainBramaged actually influenced me to buy an American vehicle. Got a Pontiac Vibe in the summer.

My parent's friends worked for the Ford plant near where I used to live and they had a great life. Union bennies, picnics and 20 years of steady work.

Besides, the American cars these days have everything I want.

So, no big loss. My buy cancels out yours.

[madville]

7. You do realize that the Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota right?

It's built on the Corolla/Matrix platform and has a Toyota engine/drive train. I like 'em though, my wife has a Corolla, probably the same engine as your Vibe if it is the first generation. Currently on my second Tacoma, been a great truck. 124,000 miles so far and not a speck of rust here in Florida anyway.

[Codeine]

9. But the Vibe was made by UAW labor in California.

Way more important than brand.

[madville]

14. So were the Tacomas and Corollas

both built at NUMMI with UAW labor :)

[Canuckistanian]

10. Made in California

At the NUMMI plant. American engineers. American plant technology.

It was the MATRIX that was riding on the coattails of the Vibe.

[Codeine]

8. Your Tacoma was made by UAW workers in California.

Among the last, as production at NUMMI has since been shut down. It's an American-made - and more importantly union-made - truck; no apologies should be needed.

[Union Scribe]

11. Yep, here's a link people can use to see what's UAW/CAW

www.uaw.org/cars

(They also make a surprising amount of other stuff. Miller beer, for example.)

[upi402]

13. Thanks for the link

I care about US companies just as much as they care about us.

Zero. US union jobs is what I care about. But I stopped buying new cars years ago, I don't count now, really.

[Union Scribe]

15. Sure thing!

I can't afford a new car myself, but hey, there's still the Miller beer ;)

[blondeatlast]

17. Thank you for that; nice resource. nt

[csziggy]

28. Cool - my toilet were UAW made! Kohler

So were my Frigidaire washer & dryer.

[DemoTex]

27. Nope, it was made by UAW workers in Texas

Just read it in the window sticker (San Antonio).

[HuckleB]

12. Should be a good truck.

We still have our '86 Toyota SR5 4x4. The thing just keeps going. Now that we have a kid, it's only used as a second vehicle, which means it doesn't get much use, since I walk to work. Still, it doesn't want to quit. Cheapest vehicle I've owned per year, by far.

Congratulations!

[Gold Metal Flake]

18. Pickups cost too much.

Where is the stripper truck? You know, something you would call "truck" and not "raised Crown Vic"? Just a truck. Engine, trans, frame, body, simple interior, heater, radio, PS/PB, steel wheels, hitch. Done.

I've got a good 351 Cleveland and a wide-ratio toploader in the shed. One day (after the current projects) I will find a nice 61-66 F100 to stuff them into and that will be my truck. For years and years.

[Statistical]

19. Chevy makes some stripper trucks. Or at least they did 7 years ago when I worked for Chevy.

Chevy calls them "work truck model". Didn't even have CD. Just air, heat, AM/FM as accessories. No carpeting & vinyl seats. Had manual everything from transmission to windows and locks. :)

They (at at least did) cost just under $20K retail and you can get about $2K off that. Saves about $8+ compared to even the next cheapest model. Generally not advertised but unless Chevy stopped making them (which I doubt because many business buy them) most large lots have a couple. Usually your choice of color is limited. Most business want a white truck. At some dealerships you may need to talk to "fleet sales" (don't worry they will sell you a fleet of 1).

[madokie]

21. Thats the xl model in the ford truck lineup

When I bought my '98 f150 I opted for the 5.4 engine and with that I got all kinds of extra goodies like the tow package which included a larger cooling system, a water over oil cooler, big transmission and big rear differential, a 130 amp alternator and others that I can't remember but all that for a added cost of 340 buckaroos. 12 years later and 132,000 miles and everything is still just like it was when I bought it new, interior is like new still. I could use a paint job as the clear coat cracked but other than that I'd take off to a trip around the world if there was a road to do that on and not worry with the truck at all.

My neighbor has a corrola and after looking at it as he is working on it, (tinny, cheap) you couldn't run fast enough to give me one of them :-)
He bought a ranger a while back and is looking for the price to come back up on the corrola so he can buy a focus, right now he'd take too big of a hit if he sold his toyota today.

[Gold Metal Flake]

23. Are the GMC-badged models cheaper?

[Statistical]

24. I don't know but I doubt it. GMC re-badges are almost always more expensive.

Personally when GM restructured I don't know why they didn't consolidate GMC & Chevy brands. Hell if they sent a $2,000 off your next truck coupon to current owners of affected brand they would likely retain most of them when they purchase a new vehicle.

However that is water under the bridge now. There won't be any more brand shuffling at GM anymore.

[guitar man]

25. I've got one

It's an '03 Dodge 1500, v6 5spd. rubber floor mat instead of carpet, hand crank windows, no tilt, cruise, none of that fancy stuff, just a plain pickup truck. It does have a nice aftermarket stereo the previous owner put in it, that's about all I want in the way of "niceties" :)

[NuclearDem]

29. I've got an '01 1500

5.2 V8, 4 speed. It's a Laramie SLT trim, but I've since taken out a lot of the creature comforts to make room for tool boxes, the CB radio and my solar panels.

And that truck's been through so much she's lost a lot of her "fancy schmancy truck" vibe anyway. :)

[madokie]

20. I'm a ford man here

not that that makes any difference to you :-)

[meow mix]

22. yah i just resurrected a 1985 chevy s10 4x4 out of a junk yard.

pretty rugged terrain here too.. lot of my clients live up in the woods.
i had no money to buy a nice new one.