First snow today so another 4 wheel vehicle thread - truck shopping

[oldbike54]

 Any "full" sized PU that wont carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood with the tailgate up is not really a truck . Might as well get a mini truck , or (gasp) and old El Camino or Ranchero . At least a mini truck with a 5 speed can be kinda fun to drive , those full sized PU's with the useless beds are for posers , an old station wagon or minivan is way more utilitarian , friends don't let friends drive a wanna-be-truck 

 Dusty

[guzzimatic]

This is a very timely topic as I have a 2000 Silverado extended cab 2wd with 86000 miles. I ride bikes all the time so low miles per year. Love the truck,rides like a limo with 1 or 2 bikes in the back,20mpg at 75 mph and the air on. The bad is I live in Illinois and the salt demons are taking a toll.2 grand to almost fix the antilock brakes,note to manufacturers,the default should be BRAKES! Not sort of no brakes in the last 5 mph to stop. I am almost certain that a new policy of spraying some evil ice-melt on bridges has accelerated the rusting out of vehicles by an order of magnitude! I have been looking for the perfect truck for a few years and most of the issues discussed here are spot-on. I had high hopes for the new F150 aluminum body but they will probably just corrode in new ways...I know a bit about this as I did fab. and weld on fixtures for fish display tanks,salt water plus saturated oxygen destroyed aluminum stands in the tanks! I had to fab. them out of stainless steel to last...did DeLorean make a pickup?

[adventurelounger]

A trucky defense of my choice, which is a Toyota, a dual cab, and has a 5.5 foot bed that won't let you close the tailgate with a  bike (like my Guzzi here) on board:



1) Dual cabs make your pickup almost as good as a large family SUV for people comfort and hauling. We're a family of 5. The Tundra back seat is E N O R M O U S. We can fit five adults in total comfort. Does this result in the compromise of a shorter bed? Sure. Do I feel like I'm missing something? Not at all.

2) But you can't close the tailgate! I don't care. Carrying a bike (for me) is always a temporary condition. I might take a bike for service, or pick it up. I might drive on slab to get to better riding somewhere. Either way, it's for a one way trip. Several hours at the most. All my other stuff can fit in the cab, which has an absurd amount of room.

3) Toyota frame rust! I believe that Toyota had a problem with either Tacomas or Tundras a while back, but I recall reading that they replaced frames and covered it.
Regardless, we've had a Sequoia (and several friends do as well) from the early 2000's. Our truck and those of our friends have been reliable to the point that they're a local in-joke: the SUVs that refuse to die.
Toyota's quality, IMHO, is largely unmatched in the industry.

4) The V8 in my Tundra is an evolved variant of the aluminum block engine in our old Sequoia. Great motor. Runs like a watch.

5) Finally, dogs. A dog is as good a reason to get a pickup as a bike. And my dog loves the pickup. The back seat of the Tundra is his Road Palace. But he's always happy to hop up onto the bed to hang out.

[charlie b]

It looks like you have a retractable tonneau cover.  Which one is it?  Do you like it?  Would you rather have bought a different model/brand?

I've had three different tonneau covers on my trucks, a one piece (won't do that again) and two different folding ones.  I kinda like the idea of the retractable ones and interested in your opinion on it.

[rocker59]

I would consider something older if it has had a mostly garaged life so rubber door seals, etc. are still in good shape.
GliderJohn

My 2002 Suburban with 292,000 miles has lived outside its entire life and the "door seals, etc." are fine...   

A friend recently bought a 2004 Chevrolet regular cab long bed 1500 2WD with about 100,000 miles for about $5,000 here in NWA.  It looks/feels/drives like a new truck.  "LS" trim, rubber mats, roll-up windows, cloth split bench seat, V6 engine.  He uses it strictly as a work truck on his small ranchette so it sits in the shed most of the time.

If I was looking for what you're looking for, I'd be looking at 2004-2006 Chevrolet or GMC trucks with something less than 150,000 miles. 

The "normal" pickups are kind of a rarity these days.  Regular cab, roll up windows, rubber floor mats, etc.  People just always order something more than the "WT" work truck.  And very few trucks, other than the Ford "XL" trim package come with vinyl seats.  Cloth of some kind is pretty standard.

[Muley]

I like trucks. This is a great discussion.

Toyota frame rust - wow, I had not heard about that. With that knowledge, I would search for a dry-state car, not one that's spent it's life on salty winter roads.

Closing the tailgate - because when the gate is closed, your other stuff is secure in the bed and you don't have to bother with all manner of straps.

Cab size - this is really a personal decision. I like crew-cab trucks because I like taking my family of five on road-trips - and there is usually a trailer and/or motorcycle involved.

4WD - great to have when you need it, which is not that often. Fun to have when you want it, which is all about where you plan to go.

I was looking at newer trucks and decided to go with this old Ford instead. I could have afforded a new truck payment, so buying this was not purely to save money, but I am "frugal" (Guzzi content).



I know the original question is about a newer truck, but I had posed that question myself and ended up with this. Here's why:

Cab:  front bench seat and enormous back seat. Seats six comfortably and the dog has plenty of room on the floor in the back.  It's fabric, (my Tundra has heated leather) but some heavy rubber mats and a few Mexican blankets add to trucki-ness of it and keep the dog-dirt off the upholstery. I ripped out the AM/FM cassette and put in a bluetooth stereo and great speakers for less than $300 total.

Engine: the 7.3L turbo-diesel is a 500,000-mile motor. I found one with only 135,000 on it. If I put another 135,000 it will still have resale value. You can rebuild one of these motors for less than the cost of major top-end service on a new diesel. In California, 1997 is the last year of smog-exempt diesels. I never have to get a smog check.

Drivetrain: 4WD manual-locking hubs. No vacuum pumps, hoses or electric motors to worry about - but you do have to get out of the truck and turn the knobs when you want 4WD. It's got 4.11 gears, so it's a stump-puller, but the PO installed a Gear-Vendors units, which is a double-overdrive (fuel saving). It lopes along at 2,000 RPM at 80 MPH and gets better MPG than my Tundra.

Coolness: I've given up on old cars, because they're just not as much fun as my motorcycles. This is the last year of the "old body style" trucks and it scratches the old-car itch adequately for me. My kids and all their friends love this truck, but they don't give my neighbor's $60,000 diesel a second look.

Bed: this is the short-bed, which in 1997 meant 6.5 feet (not 4-feet like today's short-beds). The long-bed is about 8 feet (in case you want to close the tailgate when you have a load of drywall or sheets of plywood). I can close the gate if I angle a bike in - or leave it down to have the bike straight in.

Going the Distance: It's got two 19 gallon fuel tanks.

These old 7.3 Fords command a premium on the market - I don't think they are collectible, but they represent a good value for money. I would not want this to be my daily commuter though. It's kind of loud, a bit stinky, takes a while to warm up, and when people say "it rides like a truck" - well, this is the truck they had in mind.

Oh yeh!!! What a beauty!  Exactly like the one I've been eyeing for some time, but the owner won't part with it.  7.3 powerstroke was the best one so far, by Ford anyway, but, as you say, stinky and loud.  If you want to sell it, please e-mail me.

As for the brand, I think they all have pluses and minuses.  My work truck is the "regular" cab that Ford discontinued after a few years.  It has four doors, but the ones behind the seats are very small and access a fair cargo area with no seat designed in. The design is very handy, and I guess they cost too much to make.  It has the 6.5 ft. bed but is fairly compact in the woods and turns on a dime compared to the older trucks.  I think the newer trucks with regular cabs have only the two doors.

Screamday's switchable, factory limited slip is a very good idea.  Aftermarkets lockers have always been available, but the OEM units were not driver controlled and could, just like antilock brakes,  get you in trouble.  A controllable locker and antilock brakes with a switch would be a great asset in a truck used off road.

I still insist on 4wd.  Why not?   It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it

[rocker59]

Ideally I am looking for a full size 2WD, basic extended cab, auto trans PU. 

I don't think I'll ever own another 2WD pickup.  I just use my 4WD too much. 

I just looked back at your OP and noted your "extended cab" requirement that I missed first time around.

Would you consider a crew cab?  The reason I ask is that GM put out a bunch of 1500-series crew cabs over the past dozen years.  Sure, you can find plenty of the "extended cab" trucks, but if you're open to crew cab, your options will be broadened.

If you want roll up windows and rubber floor mats, the "LS" trim level is for you.  Cloth seats, though.

If you want leather seats, you'll be looking at "LT2" trim level and the truck will have lots of power options.

I see Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cabs in 2WD pretty regularly on my internet searches.  The trucks are comfortable, durable, and long-lasting.

In the crew cabs through 1996, the rear seats tumble and fold, giving you a great place for pets and luggage to ride out of the weather.

[Rough Edge racing]

Any "full" sized PU that wont carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood with the tailgate up is not really a truck . Might as well get a mini truck , or (gasp) and old El Camino or Ranchero . At least a mini truck with a 5 speed can be kinda fun to drive , those full sized PU's with the useless beds are for posers , an old station wagon or minivan is way more utilitarian , friends don't let friends drive a wanna-be-truck 

 Dusty

I just got back from a drive into town...With this topic in mind I noticed maybe 75% of PU's were four doors with the super short beds..A small pu truck is not 4 feet between the fender wells..At least a full size with a 6 foot bed and the tail gate down or up can handle 4x8 building materials...
 My brother in law has a 08 Toyota Tacoma base model with a 4 cylinder 5 speed. It is no fun to drive, buzzy 4 cylinder, awkward pedal placement, and handles as clumsy as a full size. It had the frame rust and Toyota did replace the frame...At least they did something about it...
  From the 30's until the late 50's, most PU trucks were 6 foot beds...With low gearing and no power assisted anything they were trucks 
  This photo was taken about about 15 years ago at out other place...We had a few trucks..Not shown is a newer Chevy truck and a few Jeeps..These are trucks, the red 37 is a hot rod...I sold then one at the time when we moved 10 years ago. I totally disassembled and rebuilt everyone of these trucks plus a 50 Chevy not shown...

     

   I sold our Willys to my grandson two years ago

     

 I sold my 68 Chevy last year.

   

   
 

[Gliderjohn]

I want a 6.5 bed length. Can't really do that with a crew cab comfortably. Two main reasons for the 6.5 is ease of hauling different stuff and I have to do some degree of tree trimming every year and haul the branches from the trees to my discard pile. Don't have to cut them down near so much with a regular bed and the gate down. I also haul multiple loads of mulch each year for our landscaping and it is a 70 mile round trip  to where I can buy it bulk so I want to get as much as possible per trip.
Does anyone know the length of the Tundra beds? In pictures they appear shorter than six feet.
I would certainly consider a a bit older truck if in great shape. There appear to be some possibilities locally for some nice mid 2000s around the 10K range that I may have to check in to. The nice thing is I can take all the time I want.
GliderJohn

[rocker59]

I want a 6.5 bed length. Can't really do that with a crew cab comfortably. 

What does this mean?  An Extended cab with 6.5 bed and a crew cab with 6.5 bed aren't that different.

Current Silverado 1500:

10-inches difference on wheelbase:
crew cab = 153.0 in   
extended cab = 143.5 in

[Sheepdog]

I have a 2008 Toyota Tacoma SR5 with the I4 and an AT ($20k out the door when new). It still runs as new after 110,000 miles, delivers 24 mpg no matter how I drive, has an extended cab and the long bed, and is comfy for my 5'11" 230 lb body. The rusting frame issue was no secret; Toyota issued a recall for it several years back. It our area (New Orleans metro) only one frame needed replacement: a parish vehicle that was operated by the brackish Lake Ponchartrain. With my rack I can haul my canoe or up to 900 lbs of materials. According to the Tacoma World forum, these gen2 Tacos easily last over 300K miles with nothing more than regular maintenance. If you don't have to haul a heavy trailer, these trucks are a great choice...and they aren't as small as you might have thought...



Mine came with cloth seats, but I installed some semi-custom sheepskin covers for comfort.

[LowRyter]

Yes.. My truck is a 03 Chevy Silverado standard cab with the 6.5 foot short bed.. My bikes can fit into back and the tail gate will close.The truck is 205 inches long, about the same as many midsized cars... However, I generally haul bikes on a single axle ramp trailer for the convenience of easy loading. And it can be pulled by any of my vehicles...I also use the truck the haul what ever will fit usually some sort of junk,...It's a 5 speed manual V8  2 wheel drive, cheap man's truck bought used...Being a minimalist, it makes no sense to me to buy something that isn't utilized fully...20 foot long trucks with four doors  are usually seen with one person aboard..Or a 750 pound bike just for a ride to the local bar...
  This is my opinion of course and in no way should it offend anyone here   

they also have the best seats 

[adventurelounger]

It looks like you have a retractable tonneau cover.  Which one is it?  Do you like it?  Would you rather have bought a different model/brand?

I've had three different tonneau covers on my trucks, a one piece (won't do that again) and two different folding ones.  I kinda like the idea of the retractable ones and interested in your opinion on it.

It's a BAKFlip folding tonneau cover. Easy, one hand operation. Solid, well made and looks great. FWIW it's not PERFECTLY water tight. But mostly pretty good.

[rboe]

Bought my first pickup two years ago; F150, extended cab, 6.5' bed, 2WD, 3.5L eco boost, trailer package, Lariat trim package. 2014, last of the steel built ones.

The ride is pretty good (could be better, but it's a truck :) ). Quieter than '07 Edge. So far, a good tripping car.

I've added a roll up bed cover (http://bakindustries.com/p-8241-roll-x-hard-rolling-tonneau-covers-overview.html). Transformed the use of the truck. I can lock things in back. Also added a BedRug - so so nice on old knees. And for a liner, it keeps things from sliding around in the bed. Added a 48" wide HD bike ramp so I can ride a bike right into the back. :D

I can close the back if I load the bike sideways a bit. I like that because the backup camera works and I'm still getting used to this damn big truck so I NEED that camera. I could use on in front too.

With three dogs, I should gone with a dual cab. Extended cab can be a wee bit too small some days. 8' bed would be nice too but dual cab long bed - way too big.

Leather seats are standard on the Lariat which we like because dog hairs tend to work their way into fabric - and not so much out.

I'm tall with long legs. While a smaller pickup is attractive, I need/want a foot well in front of me - only full sized trucks seem to have those.

I traded in a Ford Edge (looked at Dodge, kinda looked at Chevy/GMC) and went with Ford because I'm kinda of a Ford guy and the Edge was trouble free. Some Dodges I've had had electrical issues and I decided if I got a Dodge and had more electrical issues I'd kick myself. With my great history with the Edge I went with the 150. A buddy that is a chimney sweep has had it with Fords after driving the wheels off a few. Tried a Toyota and wore the engine out at 180,000 miles. So now he's trying a Dodge diesel. We'll see how that goes.

There are times I considered 4WD, but we really don't need it. For the times we do - we have the Outback.

Last month Jim and I took the truck to Dayton Nevada for the Nevada Guzzi rally. My CB1100 in back, Jim's Norge on his trailer - boy did we get spoiled doing that. If I can get the 650L running (will fit in the truck better) this could get to be a regular thing. You arrive so much fresher. Boy, I'm spoiled.

[zedXmick]

I was just looking at a new pickup for myself,test rode a new dodge quad cab 4x4 1500  (it was ok) test rode and almost bought a $ 47K new  Silverado 2016 quad cab 4x4 1500,  but then found a 2006 Honda ridgeline with only 114K miles on it. I absolutely love the Ridgeline, it rides better than the silverado...no joke.The ridgeline will haul a motorcycle in the bed with the tailgate down no problem. The four door pickup hauls my family with ease and I love the "trunk" in the floor of pickup bed and the two way opening rear tailgate.

 

[Kev m]

I've read nothing but good things about the Ridgeline and the new one is supposed to be even better. But it's definitely designed to be the truck for guys who don't really need a truck if you get what I mean. As such it would probably work for me, except it wouldn't be as good off-road.

[screamday]

Any "full" sized PU that wont carry a 4'x8' sheet of plywood with the tailgate up is not really a truck . Might as well get a mini truck , or (gasp) and old El Camino or Ranchero . At least a mini truck with a 5 speed can be kinda fun to drive , those full sized PU's with the useless beds are for posers , an old station wagon or minivan is way more utilitarian , friends don't let friends drive a wanna-be-truck 

 Dusty

I was kinda concerned with that before I bought my 2013 as my two previous trucks both had 8' beds. But, I adapted to 6.5' bed and I'm no longer concerned about it. I've hauled 12' material in the bed with no problems. I also bought a 10' trailer to haul the bikes as I have never been comfortable loading a bike into a truck bed by myself. Plus I like to have a camper shell on my truck beds for hauling camping gear and other things I like to keep dry so the bike doesn't fit anyway.

[Rough Edge racing]

they also have the best seats 

 The only other trucks I have ridden long distance is my race bike rider's newer Ford 3/4 pu. The leather seats are, in my opinion,  very uncomfortable. I'm 6 foot 165 pounds if that makes any difference...Maybe the cloth seats are better...

  It's pretty obvious to me that people take trucks very personal...Despite the reported better quality of full size Toyota trucks, they fail to sell more than 100,000 a year compared to Chevy and Ford selling in excess of half million each and Dodge close behind. Part of this is Toyota doesn't have a true heavy duty PU truck...But I think the real reason is brand loyalty by many owners. I have owned used Chevys for 40 years and never look at other trucks...
   You all know how it is with Guzzi's, there's many bike's with superior performance and reliability, but are best 

[charlie b]

Brand loyalty is strong in US market, especially in trucks.  But, I would have bought a Toyota diesel 3/4T if they made one for the US.  From what I saw in ads the Nissan now has a small Cummins diesel so will see how they do.

Two friends have Honda Ridgelines and they love them.  Neither has a ton of miles on them yet.

rboe, thanks about the roll top info.  I got my previous tonneaus from BAK as well.  I will always put a spray in liner in my trucks and have a hard tonneau of some type.  Makes them so much more useful around town.

[fotoguzzi]

5) Finally, dogs. A dog is as good a reason to get a pickup as a bike. And my dog loves the pickup. The back seat of the Tundra is his Road Palace. But he's always happy to hop up onto the bed to hang out.

Handsome dog, is he a Griffon? Spinone?

gotta love a carpeted bed..

[Rough Edge racing]

Brand loyalty is strong in US market, especially in trucks.  But, I would have bought a Toyota diesel 3/4T if they made one for the US.  From what I saw in ads the Nissan now has a small Cummins diesel so will see how they do.

Two friends have Honda Ridgelines and they love them.  Neither has a ton of miles on them yet.

rboe, thanks about the roll top info.  I got my previous tonneaus from BAK as well.  I will always put a spray in liner in my trucks and have a hard tonneau of some type.  Makes them so much more useful around town.

 It's also a manly thing, big truck, big engine, big tires, an image of ruggedness covered in testosterone....To a truck guy a Ridgeline looks like a station wagon with no rear roof.  To my Diesel truck owning friends, my half ton Chevy two wheel drive is not a truck.. My old Jeep Cherokees look like crude tin boxes compared new space ship styling SUV's loaded with features....
  it's nice to live in a country with so many choices 
 

[Gliderjohn]

Marley is getting excited about possible test drives of his "ride".

GliderJohn

[Scud]

Oh yeh!!! What a beauty!  Exactly like the one I've been eyeing for some time, but the owner won't part with it.  7.3 powerstroke was the best one so far, by Ford anyway, but, as you say, stinky and loud.  If you want to sell it, please e-mail me.

Thanks. It took me a while to find it. I took it to a local shop recently and the owner said: "Oh look, you've got a unicorn." I plan to keep it for a while. I found it up in Idaho and did a fly-and-drive because I had some work in Salt Lake City at the time. Speaking of Salt Lake City, there's a place called Diesel Deals there that specializes in fixing up and reselling the 7.3 Fords.

Still enjoying this truck-talk... although all this Ridgeline talk seems off-topic. 

Seems we've focused on beds a bit.

Bed Liners:  I have Line-X in my Tundra and have been thinking about a DIY spray-in for my F250.  I don't like the drop-in plastic pans because they are too slippery. I had a thick rubber liner in a Toyota T100 and I liked that a lot too - it was like a giant floor mat for the bed. I could never have carpet in a truck bed because I am too messy. I think my Husky dropped 5 pounds of mud in the bed during it's recent rain-soaked ride home from Flagstaff.

Tonneau Covers:  I don't care for the retractable covers, because they can impair the use of the bed up front (you don't want to push a motorcycle tire into the retracted cover.  I have an Undercover on my Tundra and I love it. It's just black plastic so It's easy to store without worrying about scratching it - and light enough that I can remove it by myself. The painted fiberglass covers are a lot more money and a lot harder to manage if you want to use your open bed frequently.  Here's a link to the cover I like:  https://tonneaucoversworld.com/shop-by-brand/undercover/undercover-classic-tonneau-cover.html

Tie-downs: I have 8 hooks in the bed - a low one in each corner, and one on top of the bed rails in each corner. The more hooks the merrier...

[adventurelounger]

Handsome dog, is he a Griffon? Spinone?

gotta love a carpeted bed..

He's a Portuguese Water Dog (they're not usually chocolate brown) and he is the MOST awesome dog I've ever had. He's also more like a person than a dog, and it's literally like having a kid following you around. Except he's never surly; always ebullient when he sees you; ever obedient; deeply grateful for his food; and he's happy to cuddle up and sleep on your belly when it's cold.

And yes, that "Bedrug" carpet turns the bed into a a giant trunk or hang-out space (http://www.bedrug.com/). It's just velcroed in, and you pop it out for dirtier hauling. If you've ever had to crawl around a pickup truck bed on your knees (with all those bumps and ridges, it ain't pleasant), you'd be amazed at how good and useful the Bedrug is. Not just a carpet—it has a thick foam back that fits into the ridges in the bed, and makes the surface actually flat. Great product.

[Scud]

He's a Portuguese Water Dog (they're not usually chocolate brown) and he is the MOST awesome dog I've ever had. He's also more like a person than a dog, and it's literally like having a kid following you around. Except he's never surly; always ebullient when he sees you; ever obedient; deeply grateful for his food; and he's happy to cuddle up and sleep on your belly when it's cold.

And yes, that "Bedrug" carpet turns the bed into a a giant trunk or hang-out space (http://www.bedrug.com/). It's just velcroed in, and you pop it out for dirtier hauling. If you've ever had to crawl around a pickup truck bed on your knees (with all those bumps and ridges, it ain't pleasant), you'd be amazed at how good and useful the Bedrug is. Not just a carpet�it has a thick foam back that fits into the ridges in the bed, and makes the surface actually flat. Great product.

That's making me think differently about the carpet. I didn't know they were easily removable. I sometimes use a truck-bed-tent to camp in. That carpet would provide an insulated and comfortable base layer. 

[PeteS]

Had to go to North Carolina to get this 2007 Tundra because I wanted a two wheel drive 8 foot bed with a V8. Only 4x4 extended cabs were selling here when they first came out. Rode down on the EV and brought them home. Yet to see the inside of a dealers service area.



adult photo sharing


Pete

[rboe]

Those roll top folks have an "outlet" store. I called them a couple times, on the last call they had a "sale" going on and I saved a couple hundred over list. I like this particular roll top as it rolls up on top of the rail so the front wheel of a bike still has room. However, the front fender did get scratched by it when I did not notice the interference.

A buddy had a Ridgeline, liked it so well he had the engine rebuilt when it needed it. Then he died about year later. 

[rocker59]

Those roll top folks have an "outlet" store. I called them a couple times, on the last call they had a "sale" going on and I saved a couple hundred over list. I like this particular roll top as it rolls up on top of the rail so the front wheel of a bike still has room. However, the front fender did get scratched by it when I did not notice the interference.

A buddy had a Ridgeline, liked it so well he had the engine rebuilt when it needed it. Then he died about year later. 

Enthusiastic video on the cover.  Pretty interesting take on the retractable tonneau:

http://bakindustries.com/p-8241-roll-x-hard-rolling-tonneau-covers-overview.html

[Nic in Western NYS]

The "normal" pickups are kind of a rarity these days.  Regular cab, roll up windows, rubber floor mats, etc.  People just always order something more than the "WT" work truck.  And very few trucks, other than the Ford "XL" trim package come with vinyl seats.  Cloth of some kind is pretty standard.

Scrapped a 2000 F150 XL 4x4, 5speed, long bed, vinyl everything.  Rotted out too bad from salt.  Great while it lasted!

[LowRyter]

The only other trucks I have ridden long distance is my race bike rider's newer Ford 3/4 pu. The leather seats are, in my opinion,  very uncomfortable. I'm 6 foot 165 pounds if that makes any difference...Maybe the cloth seats are better...

  It's pretty obvious to me that people take trucks very personal...Despite the reported better quality of full size Toyota trucks, they fail to sell more than 100,000 a year compared to Chevy and Ford selling in excess of half million each and Dodge close behind. Part of this is Toyota doesn't have a true heavy duty PU truck...But I think the real reason is brand loyalty by many owners. I have owned used Chevys for 40 years and never look at other trucks...
   You all know how it is with Guzzi's, there's many bike's with superior performance and reliability, but are best 

I've had two Silverados, a 2500 Xcab and 2500HD Duramax Xcab.  I pull a 5th wheel toy hauler and have done several 16 hr days in them.

Folks with Dodges and Fords have told me that the seats are uncomfortable.