Which 1500 truck to buy and why?

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joesmoke

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 2007
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someone told me that gmc's have thicker frames than chevys, but he owned one so go figure...
 

RPD

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
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I'll chime in, while not a "1500" truck, I have a 2007 Avalanche and I love it, bought it new and the only problem I had with it was about 7months in had a recall/warranty issue, dealer fixed it no cost and gave me a rental while they worked on it.

I like the Avalanche because like yourself I own a home and when I goto a hardware store or nursery I like being able to put stuff in the bed. The Avalanche bed cover is great for this as I can put some trees in the back and only remove 1 cover.

I test drove the Silverado before the Avalanche and was immediately sold on it. The ride is smoother and it has a smaller turning radius (which means you can make pretty much any U-turn in it w/out making it a 3 pointer).

That said as far as other posters tales of reliability, you have to take everyone's anecdotal story with a grain of salt. For everyone saying X has Y problem, you'll find someone else with the same situation on brand Z. If you are concerned about reliability, you have to look at each brand overall as you are playing the odds.

Finally, it is 4 wheel drive as I ski a lot, but I only put 8-9k miles a year on it. I average about 20mpg on the highway, but life time total overall mileage is 15.3mpg.
 

Pulsar

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2003
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Nice try. I see contractors all over town driving regular or double cab Tundras (only the new body style though). Mostly roofing guys, but also electricians, plumbers, landscapers etc.

Rare as unicorns? Lol, maybe in hillbilly country where they're stuck in the 50's or something.

So give it up Dain, where do you live? The only locations where Tundras are 'common' are the extreme West coast of the extreme East coast, unless you count around a Toyota centric manufacturing facility. The F-150 and the GMC have ruled the rest of the country and continue to for very good reasons.

It's a very very rare review that places a Tundra ahead of an F-150 or GMC. The few I've seen have done so because of things like "unloaded ride and handling" or "fuel economy". If you're buying a full size pickup for ride, handling, or fuel economy, you're looking at the wrong fucking vehicle, and those reviewers have their heads screwed on wrong.
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
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Pulsar, a guy on expeditionportal.com did a writeup on the Tundra. It's extremely overbuilt. The differential is the size of most 3/4 ton trucks for example.

It's probably ignorance that makes people think Toyotas are inferior trucks to Fords and GMs.
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
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So give it up Dain, where do you live? The only locations where Tundras are 'common' are the extreme West coast of the extreme East coast, unless you count around a Toyota centric manufacturing facility. The F-150 and the GMC have ruled the rest of the country and continue to for very good reasons.

It's a very very rare review that places a Tundra ahead of an F-150 or GMC. The few I've seen have done so because of things like "unloaded ride and handling" or "fuel economy". If you're buying a full size pickup for ride, handling, or fuel economy, you're looking at the wrong fucking vehicle, and those reviewers have their heads screwed on wrong.

The F150 beats the Tundra in official EPA MPG ratings, by the way. Just throwing that out there ;)
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
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Pulsar, a guy on expeditionportal.com did a writeup on the Tundra. It's extremely overbuilt. The differential is the size of most 3/4 ton trucks for example.

It's probably ignorance that makes people think Toyotas are inferior trucks to Fords and GMs.


Yea its not like they cheaped out and used a open Channel frame and not fully boxed like the other full size makers.

Or that they have had recalls because the frame was rusting out from under neath it in less than 10years like their older trucks that they said was fixed a long time ago.


Oh wait.

00-03-toyota-tundra-frame-rust-replacement.jpg
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
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Open channel isn't cheaping out. The C section frame is more pliable. It can absorb stress and shocks by bending, rather than becoming fatigued.
 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,447
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Pulsar, a guy on expeditionportal.com did a writeup on the Tundra. It's extremely overbuilt. The differential is the size of most 3/4 ton trucks for example.

It's probably ignorance that makes people think Toyotas are inferior trucks to Fords and GMs.

Expo is a great forum. seems i read over there that people have issues with tundras and weight of truck bed campers and such. many say they need air bags and some are concerned about the amount of flex too.

blind faith in a brand is stupid on either side.
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
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Open channel isn't cheaping out. The C section frame is more pliable. It can absorb stress and shocks by bending, rather than becoming fatigued.

Oh the "flexy frame is better" stuff again? lol sure. Until all that flexing busts things free. Tell me, how well does metal hold up to bending over and over vs staying rigid? Last I checked, bending metal causes fatigue, which weakens it until it finally breaks.

Take a piece of metal and bend it back and forth several times, then get back with me on how well it holds up.
 

angry hampster

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2007
4,232
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www.lexaphoto.com
They kinda do. Its is a 2 peice design and sometimes it blows out and takes the head threads with it, sometimes it just blows out the center part and you can use the special tool to fix, etc...


Its a mess and many places will not do plugs on a 5.4L due to so many needing the heads pulled after one or more break or strip badly.
After you get them out champion is the only one I know that makes a 1 peice plug for that motor. Ford/Autolite make the POS 2 peice plugs.


Wow what a mess. Those motors do sound great though.
 
Sep 29, 2004
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Its going to take awhile for the "I own a truck for a status symbol" mentality to finally pass on. Not that oilfield does not need a truck, but I see a lot of people who own trucks and the bed does not have a single scratch in it.

My truck, it pulls my boat trailer, my bar-b-q pit, hauls firewood, and sometimes it hauls a 4-wheeler. During deer season, I pull the deer into the back of the truck and haul the deer to the butcher. Its easier to wash the blood out the bed of a truck, then to wash out an SUV or car.

Ya, but it is something that you could have as a second vehicle as you probably need it less than 5 days a month. People are not impressed by trucks.

Also, the last time gas hit $4/gallon is when people started changing their vehicle choices. Before that happened I would frequently drive to work on the highway and count trucks and SUVs. Easily half of the vehicles were SUVs and trucks. These days, it is more like 10% and I am probably one of the few commuter trucks I see during my commute. I do see a handful of SUVs though. And most trucks have construction related ads on them (they are work trucks). Point is, trucks have lost any status symbol status they had years ago.

Well, we're at $4 again. It won't take long for people to change their driving habits. And SUVs and large trucks are about to loose alot of their value.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,534
911
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Ya, but it is something that you could have as a second vehicle as you probably need it less than 5 days a month. People are not impressed by trucks.

Also, the last time gas hit $4/gallon is when people started changing their vehicle choices. Before that happened I would frequently drive to work on the highway and count trucks and SUVs. Easily half of the vehicles were SUVs and trucks. These days, it is more like 10% and I am probably one of the few commuter trucks I see during my commute. I do see a handful of SUVs though. And most trucks have construction related ads on them (they are work trucks). Point is, trucks have lost any status symbol status they had years ago.

Well, we're at $4 again. It won't take long for people to change their driving habits. And SUVs and large trucks are about to loose alot of their value.

I see a shit ton of fullsize trucks and suvs (that's a lot for the mentally challenged among us) on the roads here. I'd estimate more than half the vehicles on the road in fact. Most of them are bright and shiny with nothing in the bed being driven by men and women dressed for white collar work.
 

Drako

Lifer
Jun 9, 2007
10,697
161
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I see a shit ton of fullsize trucks and suvs (that's a lot for the mentally challenged among us) on the roads here. I'd estimate more than half the vehicles on the road in fact. Most of them are bright and shiny with nothing in the bed being driven by men and women dressed for white collar work.

LOL, and?

I use my truck for hauling stuff on the weekends, I don't haul anything to my day job. I guess that's too mentally challenging for you?
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
7
81
LOL, and?

I use my truck for hauling stuff on the weekends, I don't haul anything to my day job. I guess that's too mentally challenging for you?

Jules just has a personal and totally irrational hatred for SUVs (and trucks to an extent, but mainly SUVs) and feels that they should be banned or something I guess. He's always acted like owning one is some sort of crime, I don't really know why exactly.
 

Drako

Lifer
Jun 9, 2007
10,697
161
106
Jules just has a personal and totally irrational hatred for SUVs (and trucks to an extent, but mainly SUVs) and feels that they should be banned or something I guess. He's always acted like owning one is some sort of crime, I don't really know why exactly.

I think he's just an azz, and he likes to make Californians look like pompous azzes :)
 

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
138
106
Ya, but it is something that you could have as a second vehicle as you probably need it less than 5 days a month. People are not impressed by trucks.

Also, the last time gas hit $4/gallon is when people started changing their vehicle choices. Before that happened I would frequently drive to work on the highway and count trucks and SUVs. Easily half of the vehicles were SUVs and trucks. These days, it is more like 10% and I am probably one of the few commuter trucks I see during my commute. I do see a handful of SUVs though. And most trucks have construction related ads on them (they are work trucks). Point is, trucks have lost any status symbol status they had years ago.

Well, we're at $4 again. It won't take long for people to change their driving habits. And SUVs and large trucks are about to loose alot of their value.

I'll tell you what, I didn't have my last truck as a "status symbol", I had it because I like trucks, and enjoy driving them.

I'm starting to get real sick and tired of this tiny, underpowered POS hoopty Altima that I've been driving for a year.

$4/gallon for fuel making trucks lose value means I'll be able to pick up a hell of a deal when I'm ready to buy.
 
May 13, 2009
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I also work in the country. I drive some rough roads to get to my job. It really pounds the crap out of my Colorado. I could drive a car out there but it would mean lots of alignments and whatever else came loose or broken in the process. I suppose I could just drive 20mph with a car if I wanted but it's pretty fun hauling ass in a pickup on rough roads.
 
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LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
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I see a shit ton of fullsize trucks and suvs (that's a lot for the mentally challenged among us) on the roads here. I'd estimate more than half the vehicles on the road in fact. Most of them are bright and shiny with nothing in the bed being driven by men and women dressed for white collar work.

I see a lot of 4 and 5 passenger cars that never have more than 1 or 2 people in them...the trunk or hatch is probably empty too.

I often see 2 door cars with just a driver.

Shameful.

Every vehicle should always be loaded to capacity or near-capacity before it can be used.

In fact, buyers should have to certify this before they are allowed to buy.

For example, you should have to sign a document saying your 4 door car will be occupied by 4 people at least 75% of the time, with the trunk at least half full 75% of the time.

We must stop wasting resources, people!

Hey you!

Yes you!

Stand still laddie!

Are you driving a 4 door by yourself most of the time?

Get a 2 door now, you pig!
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,534
911
126
LOL, and?

I use my truck for hauling stuff on the weekends, I don't haul anything to my day job. I guess that's too mentally challenging for you?

My point was, and I guess it went right over your head, that they do seem to be some sort of weird bizzaro world status symbol.
 

Blieb

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2000
3,475
0
76
I had a 1998 Chevy S-10 4 cylinder. It ended up in the shop a bunch the first couple years for warranty work. Today a family member has it, 150k miles, original clutch. Sure, AC has been replaced, radiator, etc. Front end work on those old S10's always comes up (upper and lower ball joints, etc).

I started looking at trucks in 2009. Drove Ford, GMC, Chevy and Toyota. (didn't drive Dodge).

Toyota was nice - had some sweet features - luxury like. Pricing was difficult to figure out and our local dealership wasn't that great. They were also pulling production back so the pickings were slim at the time.

GMC & Chevy - Nice, but not great. They just didn't feel as solid as the others I drove. They felt cheap inside (to me). Sad, because at the time I was head over heels for a garnet GMC 1500 with chrome package.

Ford - Hands down - the winner. Good interior, the way the Fords drive feels solid, substantially different than the others. Bought a 2010 F150. It's been a great truck, going on 1 year of ownership. I'm not sold on the 2011 Ecoboost, but the 5.0 seems pretty sweet.

I have the 5.4 and have no issues. I get 18-20 highway and 14-15 in town. It's expensive, but I knew what I was getting into.

I like the Dodge commercials and I think they're doing some great things - heated steering wheel, bed boxes, in-floor storage. And they look GREAT. However, a family member has a Grand Cherokee and based on their stories and others I've heard - I'll never buy one. I would never by a Chrysler/Dodge or Volkswagen.