Ram, Ford, Or Chevy Pickup Truck

Buy a used one!  B) 

Definitely want a 6'+ bed...I'm open to Toyota and Nissan as well...And an extended cab if not crew cab...

@"Kentis" said: Buy a used one!  B) 

The 19s are coming out, so maybe I can get a deal on an 18'...but a used one did cross my mind...

@"BarrNone55" said:

@"Kentis" said: Buy a used one!  B) 

The 19s are coming out, so maybe I can get a deal on an 18'...but a used one did cross my mind...

Don't know what your current vehicle is but have you thought of a small trailer.  If your main objective is to haul stuff from the dump and appliance, etc. from Home Depot a trailer works and is much cheaper.

No reason to buy new and throw 15-20K out the window as you drive off the lot.  Get used.  And it sounds like your not going to really use it as a truck so it will not matter which one of the three you pick.  Chevy, Ford or Dodge should all be able to do what your asking for years without many issues.  

@"BarrNone55" said:

@"Kentis" said: Buy a used one!  B) 

The 19s are coming out, so maybe I can get a deal on an 18'...but a used one did cross my mind...

Ford.  They're the best.

I've lost all brand loyalty now. For many years I was a Chevy only guy. Now I buy what I like the look of and fits my need. I buy used low mile as well. As far as trucks go. One of my brothers was a die hard Ford truck man. His last one was a Chevy a Silverado. Don't know what happened with him and Ford. My friend bought one too. They have a look to them. I guess I got a little Chevy in me still. Doubt that helps you any. Good luck.

You want a bad ass looking truck, get a blacked out Ford Raptor...  Even white with blacked out rims are pretty sweet.

If only I had more money...  and was financially able to blow it on vehicles.  Lol

@"Wetlander" said: You want a bad ass looking truck, get a blacked out Ford Raptor...  Even white with blacked out rims are pretty sweet.

If only I had more money...  and was financially able to blow it on vehicles.  Lol

I seen one of these that was like flat black. I mean seriously flat blacked out with black rims. It had a cool modern meets Mad Max style.  I like the industrial look.

Like this one. 

@"suncoastvike" said:

@"Wetlander" said: You want a bad ass looking truck, get a blacked out Ford Raptor...  Even white with blacked out rims are pretty sweet.

If only I had more money...  and was financially able to blow it on vehicles.  Lol

I seen one of these that was like flat black. I mean seriously flat blacked out with black rims. It had a cool modern meets Mad Max style.  I like the industrial look.

Like this one. 

I love my Hummer H2. (I've had two of them)
we take the kids surfing / boards on top.
towed a wakeboard boat for years to the Colo. River / Mead / Laughlin. 

Home Depot trips, no problem unless it's like loose gravel or fill or something.

my kids are alive today because of that H2. I don't care WHAT gas costs.

we were barely moving in one lane when we were hit from behind by a mid size truck going 70 in an express lane.

it pushed the trucks engine block into the passenger compartment (no passenger thank God) and trapped the lady, she couldn't get out. They had to "jaws of life" her door open and got her to the hospital.

I got my infant son out of his carrier and shook the glass off of him, my 7 year old daughter got out and shook the glass off.  Damage to the H2 was minimal. Went to the shop for new rear quarter panel and hatch & bumper. No frame damage. 

Paramedic asked if if we were all ok, said yes.
He said if we were driving anything else, the kids would have probably been killed.

You may pay a lot for a big truck, but believe me it's worth it

The 6' bed will limit you a bit in brands. I owned an original Nissan Titan and loved that truck. Blew up a lot of parts on purpose to change them out with third party ones. Re-built that thing pretty much into that Raptor. IMHO all these trucks are pretty much the same nowadays. A lemon is gonna be a lemon no matter what brand you decide to purchase. 

The big three will give you the best bet on getting a quad cab with an extended bed. It does add up quickly! I was shopping for a new truck and what I wanted was close to $75 (which is just insane). The half ton market is pretty much the "new" thing, and prices reflect it.

Was reading that the big three have some pretty nice deals to get rid of their inventory. Just shop around and call a bunch of dealerships. My friend used to own a Ford/Chevy/Nissan dealership and he would always give me crazy deals at the end of the month and the year. The dealerships will get more $$ from the companies for getting rid of their stock than jacking up the prices to consumers. Just have to wait it out.

If you don't really need the 6' bed, you can even look into the Honda. I personally don't like it, but it does the trick and rides just like a car. You can always strap on a bed extender or easily add a rack system that goes on and comes off in a pinch to any of the smaller bed half tons.

Buy the most that you can afford. If it was me. I would look into a Power Wagon if they would drop a cummins into it. Raptor second (used to drive a demo model each year since they came out from my buddy). Great truck if you are gonna use it in the dunes. If not way overkill. BUT looks the coolest!

Heck. Even used trucks are crazy in price. Sold my truck when we moved to the mainland (biggest mistake). I still haven't pulled the trigger for four years. Just too damn expensive for what you're getting. Gonna wait till the midsize and half ton get the diesels figured out.

Good luck! Dogs love trucks!

Actually looked on like at a Ridgeline online last night...came away impressed...nothing close to it for under 40k...the bed is shorter than I want, but I can get a hitch and roof rack setup to haul a kayak...plus, it's the only Honda I've never owned...

They all got their issues,  how ever you likely won't be using it to tow / haul much so HP isn't a concern of yours,  living in FL I doubt you will need 4 wheel  (you didn't mention going off road either)  you can usually find pretty decent deals on 2WD delivery trucks that get turned back in from leases if all you want is a occasionally used truck.  Keep a loaded up car amd go cheap on the truck,  that way when you beat the hell out of it with yard projects you don't feel so bad.

Otherwise. ....watch for a dealership that got smacked by a hail storm...really good discounts if you can overlook the dings.

I drive a 2006 Ford F150 FX4 that I bought in 2009 for $18,000.  That damn truck has been going strong still today.  No issues ever...yet.  I plan on driving it till the wheels fall off and then go buy me another used one.  Best Ford I ever owed and I have owed a lot of them.

@"BarrNone55" said: Actually looked on like at a Ridgeline online last night...came away impressed...nothing close to it for under 40k...the bed is shorter than I want, but I can get a hitch and roof rack setup to haul a kayak...plus, it's the only Honda I've never owned...

I've been driving Chevy Avalanches for years.  I just picked up another one like this (see below) last January for $16.5K.  Mine is a 2012 Z71 with 80K .  The Avalanche is designed so smart, I sometimes find it hard to believe it's a GM build. B)   It's a Suburban that has a bed instead of third row seating.  The mid-gate folds down and you can fit full 8' sheets of plywood/sheetrock in the back without anything exposed to the outside.  The tailgate locks too, so it's like a huge trunk (great for throwing a bike in the back).  Too bad they quit making these in 2013.  I really like them.  They also ride so "limo" smooth with a full back seat just like a Suburban.

Like Jimmy said, the Ridgeline is nice, but it's basically a Honda Pilot with a bed.  Not much towing power.

i was thinking he might like the avalanche,  i would have one for a second vehicle but my wife didnt want one,  she went from her Tahoe down to a Saturn Outlook,  but I think she maybe misses the space, visibility, and ground clearance of the tahoe.  the outlook/traverse/ ?  is ok,  but the mileage isnt much better than the tahoe and you sacrifice a lot in that small move down.

This is what I chose.  I've always been a GMC/Chevy guy.  Just a fan of their body style more so.  I chose to upgrade some features immediately, but definitely not required.  I lifted/leveled the front of the truck.  After market rims and wheels.  A couple other minor, almost standard, upgrades such as tonneau cover etc.  I looked into the Ford market but I'm not a fan of the aluminum body on their trucks.  When I looked into them, I was very limited in places that would do body work IF needed and they were FAR more expensive to repair if needed.  Maybe that's changed some, but it's something to look into.