Who Is Your Favorite Truck Maker?

[BernieB]

My g/f drives a 97 Dakota that I believe is the most polite and uncomplaining vehicle I've ever driven. Here's why I say this:

• When the water pump decided to "go" at around 125k it didn't do it during our 200 mile trip to Wolf Trap and back for a concert... in 100+ degree temps. Nope, it let go as we pulled into my driveway at the end of the trip. I put in a new pump the next morning.
• When the a/c compressor decided to self-destruct it didn't do it out on the highway a few hundred miles from home. Nope, it did it as I pulled into our garage at the end of the trip.
• The only time this truck has ever had a flat tire was on my way back from Ohio late one night. I was in a rush and the roads were empty, so I was doing 90-95 the whole way. Pulled into a rest stop, got out and used the facilities then came out to find the right front flat. Under a nice bright streetlight. Next to a tow truck. Not on the highway, in the dark, while I was doing 95.
• With just a 3.9L V6 it pulled a 1,500lb trailer, and a bed filled with another 2,000lbs of gear over a 13,000 ft pass in the Rockies. Okay, it did it at 25mph in the right lane, but it did it without complaint.
• It's taken me through ice storms (winter of '07-'08 across the northern states from Idaho to Maryland - with that same load above), 12" of wet snow on an unplowed highway (at 60mph), a blizzard in Montana, and across the desert in Utah.
• It's taken my g/f seven times across country and back, carrying everything she owned, as she moved from one coast to the other over the years.

As far as I'm concerned that little Dodge doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit", and it still looks and rides almost like new.

[batty1214]

I drive anything that has 4 wheels, starts and gets from point a to point b and back again......... I figure a **** poor ride beats a **** good walk anyday

[lukasmcdukas]

Originally Posted by batty1214

I drive anything that has 4 wheels, starts and gets from point a to point b and back again......... I figure a **** poor ride beats a **** good walk anyday

thats a big 10-4 good buddy. people give me schtick about my old trucks all the time. i ask 'when was the last time your car broke down or left you stranded?' when the ask me the same, my answer of 'never' tends to shut em up.

[98k1500]

hey boys as much as i love my chevys and i wouldnt admit this to anyone at work, my 03 ranger with 36k miles on it and my 95 ram 2500 with the 360 and 243k my 98 k1500 w/ 136k are the only trucks that havent stranded me, my dually w/ 111k stranded me monday night on a gravel road at 930 with no flashers, water pump self destructed shredded serp. belt wrapped it around the fan clutch and sent my coolant everywhere, i hate to say this because my dodge and ford were actually the least prone to be problematic, my 1500 was well my first 4x4 so i just had to take **** apart ya know, had to find every little issue and blow it up so i could spend money on new tools and parts to fix it... any way i beat that dodge so bad!!! and it kept chuggin till the valve seals went out and that was excuse enough to trade it in on my dually, am lookin for a nother dually too... hope like a 1998-2000 crew cab long bed 6.5turbo 4x4 use this to haul the horses around i would love a duramax but you just cant find one with low miles around here and theyre expensive too.

[cjlong.426]

now i know that im about to get told off for this but pound for pound Toyota is the best vehicle manufacturer on the planet, they are so far ahead of there competition in quality and efficiency that if you go to one of there manufacturing facility you can take a tour and see everything regarding there manufacturing method's, they don't care what there competition knows because by the time they've implemented it Toyota is usually on to better methods, plus have you ever looked under the hood of one of those babies, there super, SUPER, easy to work on.

[offroaddiesel]

that was simple ,its dodge of course

[hotrodpc]

FAVORITE Truck Maker??? There is only one isn't there??? Chevy !!! Oh my bad, that's right there is 2. Chevy and GMC. Although I do like some of the cosmetics of the GMC better, and they do come with more base model equipment, and you pay for that, Chevy is more popular, and goes along with Apple Pie, and FOOTBALL for America, so I'll choose Chevrolet.

[lukasmcdukas]

Originally Posted by cjlong.426

now i know that im about to get told off for this but pound for pound Toyota is the best vehicle manufacturer on the planet, they are so far ahead of there competition in quality and efficiency that if you go to one of there manufacturing facility you can take a tour and see everything regarding there manufacturing method's, they don't care what there competition knows because by the time they've implemented it Toyota is usually on to better methods, plus have you ever looked under the hood of one of those babies, there super, SUPER, easy to work on.

my family's gone through several toyotas, and they were fantastically reliable cars. all went over 250K with minor if any mechanical problems. i think their cars are going downhill though- the general masses don't buy cars for transportation purposes- thats become a secondary function. the masses buy cars as status symbols, and as such dont care if they'll last 200,000 miles cuz they'll trade em in after a few years when its no longer the big new thing. i hate what cars have become, thats why i buy the ugliest vehicles i can find. look at my nissan, its hideous. but i bought it for a specific purpose and i use it for that purpose- to haul stuff. my truck isnt a status symbol. first and foremost, its a tool. people have lost touch with that. cars are tools. buy the tool you NEED, not the tool with the most bells and whistles. toyota's lost sight of that with all but a couple of their models. without including Lexus and Scion, they currently offer what, 6 different SUVs? 6 different coupe/sedans? 2 contvertibles? anyways my original point was that cars, even toyotas arent what they used to be. cars are designed to break after a predetermined number of cycles.
instead of designed for long service life, they're designed for the shortest service life possible that can still justify the outrageous cost OF THE R&D THAT WENT INTO THEM TO MAKE THEM FAIL around 200,000 miles. i guess i woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning, i'm legitimately angry right now...

[mwood]

i have a gmc sierra love it, also have been in a few chevy durmax i would have to say im a chevy lover, i love the duramax sooo much power

[BernieB]

My dad used to mostly drive Fords & Chevys, and my third wife's father only drove Dodges. Myself, I've had all three and each has its good points and bad points. Best two off-road vehicles were a lifted '84 Chevy Suburban and my g/f's Dakota. Best on-road is a toss up between my ex FIL's '83 Dodge B350 (literally cut in half down the centerline after a horrific accident, then put back together with half a donor van - ran like new), my '84 Ford E-350 TV news van (couldn't kill it), my g/f's '97 Dakota 4x4 and my '99 GMC 3500. None have ever let me down, and all do what I want 'em to do without any complaints.