cheap used pickup trucks

[redcolours]

i know cheap used cars = teh suck, but the way trucks are made, they have to be made/built tougher. Are they more reliable in that sense?

i have a LOT of plans for this house i bought, and i need something that can haul timber, sod, rocks, cabinets, appliances, furniture, cement bags, anything big and unwieldy and heavy from the hardware store. Most of the work will be done on weekends only, and i dont plan on using this for commuting back and forth to work (imagine the gas ill be spending!). buying a NEW truck for just this purpose is plain silly.

even sillier IMHO is financing a late-model used truck. is there any merit at all to that option?

anyways, my "ideal" pickup truck is one with a bed longer than 6 feet, doesnt have to be 4x4, but that would be nice, and maybe a little cab (doesnt have to be a fully extended crew cab).

in that sense, are used Chevy trucks (say a 1500) better than used Ford (F-150)? Domestic over import? this is just for comparison only, but i know most truckers have a preference, or know which ones last longer, or which ones are tougher.

any sound advice is appreciated - thanks!

[DarkFury]

Honestly... if you really want a "cheap" used truck.

Go find a guy that has an auction license, pay him
$500 to buy you a truck off of the auto auction (have it inspected of course for soundness...)

Pretty much that is the cheapest way to get a used truck.... I know that back when I bought my used 1999 Dodge Dakota for about $14.5K I met another guy a few months later that bought the same identical truck off of the auto auction for around $8K.

Yeah... I was kinda miffed after that. :heh:

[mechmike0034]

Lowes and Home Depot both rent trucks by the hour. Given the cost of a truck, tags, insurance, etc. this might be the way to go.

In the south, there's no such thing as a "cheap used pickup truck" - if it is cheap to purchase it is so well used that no sane person would want it.

[johnnymk]

Lowes and Home Depot both rent trucks by the hour. Given the cost of a truck, tags, insurance, etc. this might be the way to go.

.


Great idea>

I believe U-Haul rents them too.

BTW, the cot of tags are fairly high in NJ for trucks, if I recall.

[hoey222]

you should be able to find a mid-80's to mid 90's ford f-150 for about 3k or less. they will prolly have a ton of miles on them.
get the 8 foot bed (not the extended cab). very useful for hauling drywall. you can haul drywall in a 6foot bed - just have to drop the tailgate. the big cab is nice for tools and such....

they are work horses - relatively easy to maintain and cheap to insure.

If you're lucky you can find one in OK shape for about $1200-2000. it'll be a beater - but it should serve you fine

topane got one just for that purpose bout a year or so ago - paid like 1200 for it.

[Daedalus]

I bought my Dakota crewcab for about $2200 including all taxes and fees at an auction. PP bluebook was around $6k at the time. Auctions definitely offer opportunities, but they take a lot of time. Since you need a truck and aren't too particular, do your research in advance and go in with a list of max bid prices on as many trucks in inventory that meet your needs, then keep bidding until you win one. That's what I did.

[redcolours]

Lowes and Home Depot both rent trucks by the hour. Given the cost of a truck, tags, insurance, etc. this might be the way to go.

In the south, there's no such thing as a "cheap used pickup truck" - if it is cheap to purchase it is so well used that no sane person would want it.


thats what im trying to avoid. Their charges are still steep. with the back and forth trips im gonna be doing with the house improvements, id have bought myself a cheap used truck with the rental charges ive accrued, tags, title, insurance included.


Great idea>

I believe U-Haul rents them too.

BTW, the cot of tags are fairly high in NJ for trucks, if I recall.

ugh, dont talk to me about U-Haul - their trucks have a nasty habit of breaking down all the time. It did it to me when i was moving. never again.



auctions seem a good suggestion (thanks!).i just have to find the time. and i was referred to a mechanic who goes to auctions as well. He suggested a not-so-beat-up F250 for $1500, i hope he still has it so i can check it out. Then again my brother in law whos also a mechanic (and goes to auctions) can probably find me one.

[thresher]

You can find a very clean mid-90s F150 6 banger (inline 6, not the v) for mid 3s on craigslist in Austin. Only caveat, of course, is getting it home. My advice is finding closest non-rust belt area to your home and buying from there. When it comes to clean work trucks you can usually sell for what you have in it when you're done. example:
cheaper older
http://austin.craigslist.org/car/295796516.html
cheaper newer
http://austin.craigslist.org/car/305911447.html