Pickup Trucks

[Just Plain Jeff]

Usually this is the kind of a post that gets someone's jaw broken at the "Y'all Come In," at about 2 am on a given night.

I'm thinking about getting a pickup truck.

For those of you who may know him, The Hitman has a 1-year old Chevrolet 250 4x4 with extended cab. A few weeks ago, 7 out of the 9 control modules on the 4 x 4 went out, which made a Marathon alarm clock problem seem mild.

What has happened is that Chevrolet has replaced the boards on warranty, yet they don't seem to be able to reprogram them. He has been at the dealership many times and the regional and national people can't seem to get the problem solved. Frank and I think it must be a loose ground somewhere (just ask resinmobileman, that 99% of the problem with POS electrical issues) but Chevrolet says NO.

So.

Anyone have any recommendations on decent trucks that seem to be reliable? I'd had The Hitman's old Dodge 250 Cummins/Allison and I let a guy at Parliament talk me out of it last winter. What a sucker I was to do that. It was 26 MPG and ran like a champ. I felt sorry for the guy, and well, y'know.

Just call me Callous, I guess.

[Darl-Wilson]

While this truck can't be towed "4 down" it is one of the best made. I owned one when they 1st came out and now I have a Sequoia that has the same engine and drive train. Consumer reports rates the Tundra as one of the best for good reason. They are dependable and seldom have problems. I have over a 100,000 miles between the two and have never had a warranty problem. I am sure Remco sells a kit to enable this vehicle to be towed 4 down. Another great PU is the Honda Ridgeline. I think is was rated number one and may be able to be towed on all fours like many of the other Hondas. Check 'em out and good luck!:)

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'd like to hear the rest of the story.

GM dealers have a dedicated diagnostic tool called Tech II that when they plug it into a GM car they can not only read out all the electrical fault codes, they can reprogram whatever requires that level of service. The codes will lead the technician to the problem and the shop manuals are explicit in defining the steps to address every code issue.

Ground problems are a problem on everything that relies on electronics, but there is no escaping the complexity in today's vehicles. But unless there is a bad wire bundle all microprocessors and relays can be replaced.

Has the vehicle been in an accident. I am not a fan of GM or any car manufacturer for that matter, but if Hitman wants a less complex vehicle get a basic truck with the diesel and a manual transmission (only Dodge meets this criteria, and possibly Ford on the heavy duty trucks).

[wrongagain]

For what it worth,
I have been using pickups for new construction work for almost 30 years, gas, diesel, 2wd, 4wd, chevy, gmc, ford, and the only type that have not been a nightmare are the fords.
Right now I am using a 2004 f350 cab and a half 4wd diesel, and so far, so good.
I am sure now that I have said this, that if I look outside its probably got 4 flats and is on fire.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

JPJ, even though I prefer and have a Chevy K3500 diesel w/190,000 mi. & no problems, if I were in your area and the Chevy dealer that I relied on for maintenance could not fix my truck, I would look for a different brand.
The various brands have different characteristics that are beneficial to different uses. The Ford F350 for example has high ground clearance, good for construction sites, bad for in town and tight parking lots.
If your buying new, try out several different ones. If your buying used you can only pick from what is on the lot at any given time.
Don't buy something that does not have a good service shop to support it, unless you will service your own!
I have heard good comments about the Japanese trucks, but I don't think they are good for heavy towing.
Let service availability and your specific use be you guide.

[truk4u]

Woodwacker, you let the dodge cummins/allison get away, what a Putz!:rolleyes: You won't be raplacing that anytime soon....

[Jerry Winchester]

Same kinda putz let a pristine Marathon get away from him too..........

[lewpopp]

You guys are replying on a subject that was solved before you responded.

Jeff knows just what he wants and he is just pullin your chain.

All he needs is a small "Grocery Getter" and he can throw a 2 x 4 or some driftwood in the back in case he wants to do something constructive.

Money is no problem, he has all of that Prevost $$$$$$.

[Darl-Wilson]

Jim C. You are are absolutely wrong about the towing capacity of the Japanese trucks. Check out the capacity of the Nissan Titan. It can tow 9,500 lbs. I bought a 26' 2' SeaRay in Portland about 3 years ago. Boat and trailer is about 8,000lb. My '03 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra pulled it to Reno, NV with no problem. I topped Siskiyou Summit on I-5 at the Oregon speed limit, 55 mph. You make some very good suggestions to the members but you lose some credibility when don't check your facts. Another thing, most of these import trucks are the highest rated for reliability and resale value. Most of us Provost drivers are concerned about value. To my knowledge the only small truck that was ever made into a production motorhome was the Toyota. Anyway, enough ragging on you. You make some fine contributions to the group but I just couldn't let that statement go unchallenged.:)

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Hi Darl. Thanks for the corrective facts. I said I didn't think the Japanese trucks were good for heavy towing. I did not know they were soo good. Thanks for the user report and some good info:o

If your so inclined keep us up to date on your test from time to time. You know like hows the tranny holding up etc., etc..