What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2022]
- Thread starter g0thiac
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I think we have a different perspective.
I go places like this.
and this
on "roads" like this that only exist in the frozen winter months.
I deal with things like this (and yes that rig fell off the road whith all the tire chains on)
and this, although it is getting less common to do this.
sometimes I am in active coal mines...
and sometimes these are how you move things
IF we are only talking half tons, they are all equally useless. Ford is the worst for a lot of reasons (I only miled out 2 of them and was working on the third), but almost no one runs dodge half tons here and chev half tons are pretty rare.
1. They ride very nice, but that means you hammer our suspensions pretty quickly as they aren't made to be on rough gravel roads.
2. See #1. Lots of moving parts means more things to fail. They also all have lower ride heights. It is what it is if you want the wife to enjoy driving it.
3. 5 foot beds are standard on 1/2 tons. long boxes are almost special order here and the 6.5' is not nearly as common.
4. ok, 14" total on a F150. Maybe it just feels like less.
5. Wasn't necessarily a ford thing, they are all pretty weak when you really use them, CV joints dont like mud or offroad use, a lot break. Ford had a terrible run of rears around 2014-2016 that were complete garbage, transmissions that have external linkages that easily and commonly clog with mud and render the vehicle useless unless its gets towed back to a dealer to have a code cleared and a shift encoder replaced. And the engine selection on ford 1/2 tons is garbage, the 5.0 is a pile of s@#t in a truck and is terrible on fuel, the 3.5 isn't terrible until the mud gets caked around the turbo housings and turbos burn out (not to mention how bad they are on fuel if you do anyhing with them other than run for groceries and to pick kids up from soccer). It is what it is, great for a commuter but not good for work.
6. True, maybe dealers here don't bring in base models? But electrical gremlins really suck when you are on rough roads every day vibrating the truck on gravel and washboard. Bling means extra trips to the dealer for warranty.
The half tons just aren't built to do the same duty anymore. They are built to be commuters and status symbols. You have to upgrade to a 3/4 or 1 ton. My bone stock 2018 Ram 3500 gets 2mpg better than EITHER of my ford work trucks did, and it has a lot more truckiness to it.
Oh absolutely I really don't plan to look North of Missouri or Nebraska
I won't consider anything that's not at least a 6l80 or 10l80 or the Ford version so that means 2010 cutoff for 6 speed or 2018 for the 10 speed. Don't see a need to upgrade from my Rainier 60e unless I go 6 or 10 speed. I've thought about just finding a low mile 07-08 5.3 97x or envoy Denali and 6l80 swapping. But, I want something that can tow a car and trailer across country and although I like the 360 chassis they are short and get wobbly/sway in wind when towing.
Pre 2015 fords I'm not a fan of, interior, even in the Lariat with heated seats I looked at seems like a downgrade from my Rainier. Mid 00's top tier GM interior is better than Ford. Just seems really cheap and rattly. Pre coyote, 5.4 stuff =barf
10-13 GM are rotbox and seem like a mild increase from the gmt360 platform, they don't have Bluetooth phone/media connection which I don't need but the wife's fusion has it and I really like it.
14+ GM are a close second but the early DI DOD LT stuff eat lifters like early gen 4 LS and 16-19 where they got the 8 speed has some lawsuit pending on them
18-19 F150 is probably the best from what I've put together. The 5.0 are stable, 10r80 is ZF derived and solid, I just like Ford user interface, everything seems where it should be, the mid level trim options have what I want, but not the extra crap like lane keep assist.
I agree, a gmt400 or 800 3/4 ton suburban or pickup would be an ideal long distance tow rig, but then I need something I can daily to work and a 454 or 6.0 is going to be expensive to fuel. And I don't have room for a project car, a daily, and towing pickup & trailer.
Which is why people end up with pickups when they really don't need them daily.
They come standard with 6.5' beds. I don't know what they are selling up there in canuckistan but regular cab long bed base models are in no short supply here. They come with lower ride height because of fuel economy, thank the gubmint for that. To say the 5.0L is a pile of sh*t is purely subjective. Most fleet service trucks except for police trucks are running the 3.3L anyways.
Your perspective is different. These are pickup trucks, not ATVs. I put in my time as a dealer tech at Ford and saw tons of these trucks. Lots and lots of base model service trucks for utility companies, municipalities, tradesmen and police depts. Trucks that were beaten on, driven off road, in the cold and snow, and racked up high mileage and lots of idle time. People used them for work. Just because driving them in 3' of mud and snow isn't working out for you, doesn't mean they aren't good work trucks.
Exactly, if you used them hard they don't stand up, If you stay on the pavement they are pretty good. Kinda like a soccer mom SUV. Thats what I said. I never said it was just Ford either, they all equally suck, but A Chev or Dodge can produce enough heat to keep the windows clear in -30c (-22f) with 5 guys in the truck, ford can't. It is what it is 🤷♂️
Solid axle 3/4 tons are far better trucks, but the girlfriend doesn't like the battleship-esque handling.
You said they aren't good for work.
I'm saying your definition of "work" is pretty extreme compared to the way the overwhelming majority of half tons work trucks are used. They are serving tradesmen, landscapers, utility companies, municipalities, police, etc just fine as work vehicles and I don't think a Volkswagen Tiguan or a Toyota Rav4 or any other car-based soccer mom SUV you could think of would hold up to those jobs.
...Maverick
Colorado ain't too bad except for the lack of a V8.
But, there is a fix for that problem:
Direct-Fit LSx/LTx Wiring for 2015-up Colorado & Canyon
These harnesses are not kept in stock and are made to order. Custom built for GM 58x LSx & 2014-up Gen V LTx in to 2015-newer Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon In 2015 GM Released the second generation Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon in the US. As quickly as possible, we snatched one up and went […]
www.currentperformance.com
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Colorado ain't too bad except for the lack of a V8.
But, there is a fix for that problem:
Direct-Fit LSx/LTx Wiring for 2015-up Colorado & Canyon
These harnesses are not kept in stock and are made to order. Custom built for GM 58x LSx & 2014-up Gen V LTx in to 2015-newer Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon In 2015 GM Released the second generation Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon in the US. As quickly as possible, we snatched one up and went […]
Oh giggity
Currently the entire neighborhood's sewage is back flowing into my house. Woke up to the drains in the garage overflowing. Figured maybe the sewer lateral was clogged. So I called a plumber who came and snaked the drain 150' out, well into the sewer main. Our lateral was perfectly clean. Clog is in the main and everyone with a house on higher ground is sending their sewage into my garage.
I opened a cleanout in the yard which so all the sewage is now spilling out my cleanout, but it's not backing into the garage anymore. I've got all kinds of car parts and stuff in the garage that is now soaked with sewer water.
The municipal line on the street isn't very old so likely from people flushing wipes and tampons and other sh*t that isn't supposed to go down the toilet.
I opened a cleanout in the yard which so all the sewage is now spilling out my cleanout, but it's not backing into the garage anymore. I've got all kinds of car parts and stuff in the garage that is now soaked with sewer water.
The municipal line on the street isn't very old so likely from people flushing wipes and tampons and other sh*t that isn't supposed to go down the toilet.
I said I would never buy one. I said you would never wheel a stock F150 that 95% of people buy. I claimed to know this from experience.
I said they were comparable to an SUV, get under a TBSS, Explorer, Durango, Tahoe, Land Cruiser etc... I'm not completely wrong. Tiguan and Rav 4 are compact SUV, technically, but sure if you want to throw them in. good times. Care based crossovers like Compacts are a little different, so I am wrong about that, you got me there.
Anyway, your definition of work is different than mine. I would say we used these vehicles to capacity and find the edges of capability, They are an essential tool than cannot be replaced by an SUV. The work being completed is irrelevant to the tool's usage, and we use them (sometimes abuse). With that knowledge I would not spend my money on a modern F150, the limits just aren't as far as a Chevy or 3/4 or 1 ton, they just aren't as tough and going to the dealer every 4 to 6 months for repair isn't reliable for a work vehicle. Sorry....
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