Reverenddel wrote:No one liking the Ford F150/250? Just curious because i see so many on the roads, and very few for sale except when someone is trading it on a newer one, or they died (seriously, old folk be droppin', leavin' quality trucks fer tha' young'uns).
I have a 2006 F250 and it's pretty damn easy to work on considering the complexity of new vehicles these days. Had it for 6 years now since new and not one issue. Maybe not my first choice for a bug-out vehicle due to overall size (super crew, 8 ft. bed), but it's paid for so it will do nicely. As for off-roading and/or camping, size can work against you with a truck this big. With oversized tires it is formidable truck and I can tackle a lot of different terrains, but off-road trails aren't always very big, which can work against you with a large truck.
I have an F150 and think it's a a great truck but given the larger size it's gonna be harder to work on.
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Reverenddel wrote:No one liking the Ford F150/250? Just curious because i see so many on the roads, and very few for sale except when someone is trading it on a newer one, or they died (seriously, old folk be droppin', leavin' quality trucks fer tha' young'uns).
I have a 2006 F250 and it's pretty damn easy to work on considering the complexity of new vehicles these days. Had it for 6 years now since new and not one issue. Maybe not my first choice for a bug-out vehicle due to overall size (super crew, 8 ft. bed), but it's paid for so it will do nicely. As for off-roading and/or camping, size can work against you with a truck this big. With oversized tires it is formidable truck and I can tackle a lot of different terrains, but off-road trails aren't always very big, which can work against you with a large truck.
I have an F150 and think it's a a great truck but given the larger size it's gonna be harder to work on.
I like the F250 because, compared to other newer trucks, it's pretty easy to work on -- to me anyways. A little tight under the hood, but pretty much everything built in the past 20 years is. I also have a 2001 Dakota Quad-Cab 4x4 (4.7L, 5-spd), but no way I'd ever recommend it to anyone. In the past 11 years I've damn near completely rebuilt or replaced the entire truck with a laundry list of parts that failed from the factory. Main reason I've kept it so long is that it was paid off in 2004 and the repairs have never come close to the cost in monthly payments for a new truck.
Going back to the point of this thread, when it comes to simplicity and for having plenty of room under the hood to work on the engine, I'd go with something carbureted, and probably made in the early 70's or earlier -- before the EPA and insurance companies stole all the power from engines (mid-70's to late 80's, before EFI). My buddy's bug-out truck is an early 70's Ford Bronco (when Broncos were smaller). For me that would be a viable option.
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Not to take away from some great domestic trucks out there, but to specifically meet the requirements of the original post I'd also go for one of the older Toyota pickups. The dependability and the durability of those things are insane, the gas mileage is great with those 4 cylinders, and the parts are definitely plentiful. They are also well proven to have survived well in some of the harshest environments the world has to offer and a lot of people in foreign countries keep them running with spit and glue. I own a Dodge truck myself at the moment but I'd rock an old Yota.
As I am still in search of the Ford (not detracting any of the suggestions, but after looking at how many were sold over the past 30 years? Parts are plentiful), it's a truck that people hold onto fo-EVAH!
Some were ridiculously over priced, and some were just not what I wanted...
At this count? i have looked at 23 vehicles, test driven 3, and rejected all over the past 5 months.
Yes, I'm that particular. But this is my "OHSH'T!" vehicle, and camping vehicle. I have to keep it up to par.
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