Ducati Monster Forum

Let's pretend you needed a pick-up truck - something large enough to accommodate a full size sport bike in the bed (most can anyhow) and you were willing to drop up to $5K.

What would you get - taking into account that it'll stay parked on the street most of its life, but need to make it an hour or two out of the city periodically. Think usable, practical. Oh, and easy on gas, so leaning away from V8's.

Ranger?
Frontier?
Tacoma?

5 k may limit "good" options


older toyos are better that the old fords and nissans

yup... "newest" thing i'd get is a toyota.

that or a diesel.. but you probably won't find that for 5k

I paid $5k for my F150 four years ago.  60k miles later, nary a problem except for regularly scheduled maintenance.  I get 12 mpg empty and 8-10 mpg towing a loaded, enclosed 6x12.  I plan on selling it for 1-2K when the Ram 1500 diesel comes out next fall.

I'd probably get a 4-banger Toyota for what you're trying to do.

-R.

OR...

An Astro van.

If you're going to get a van I'd get Chris Kelley's E250 if he still has it.  It's a little bigger than what you're looking for but I think it may be worth it.

http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/ (http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/)

-R.

I llike the Toyota for what you are thinking, but if its a van...

(http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/5/24/dodge%20sprinter%202007.jpg)

I picked up a '96 C3500 Chevy 1-ton van 2 years ago for $1500 with a 350 V8 and an automatic overdrive trans.  It consistently got 15-18mpg loaded or not, depending on the freeway/city driving and I could fit 3 bikes in it.  1 bike was SOOOOOO easy, 2 was still good (with enough shit to do a track-day and extra room too), and 3 bikes was challenging but do-able.  It had 140K miles on it when I got it, had to put 1500 into it over the course of the next 18 months and I sold it w/167K miles on it needing cylinder heads for the same $1500 I bought it for.

All in all, I'd buy another one in a minute!.

Oh, another benefit to an enclosed van (cargo van too, so no windows).  You can leave ALL your shit inside and no one sees what you've got in there.  Hell, at one point I had $80,000 worth of bikes in the back of it and never worried about prying eyes...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant/cto/874764936.html (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant/cto/874764936.html)

I can get it on the way back from WSIR.

those are by no means cheap.

no ramp needed.

That thing is H34T!

pimp my van

(http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t180/bobspapa/IMG_3113.jpg?t=1223995287)

1337

now you're talking ;) Cheap depends on who's money you're spending. Who needs an audi when you can have a Ducati themed dodge branded mercedes  ;D

I seriously looked at getting a truck but I really like my car and I hate trucks. Sooooo, the solution was renting a cargo van. I can rent one for 25-35 a day and it fits the SV and the F4i easily.

I don't do enough track days to make it worth buying a truck. I can rent the van for under 100 for each track day. Thats 50 track days to equal 5 grand. Plus I don't have to worry about maintenabce, insurance or parking tickets.

Just another idea for you.

yes, that's where my head is/has been at. I actually put a tow hitch on my girl's Honda CR-V. A moto trailer at Uhaul costs $15/day. Pretty cheap. Works like a charm.

Unlike you, I really like trucks. I'm always up to some project that requires extra space that can be thrashed.

+1 on an older toyota Tacoma.

I'm relatively happy w/ my '07 Frontier 4 door long bed but it's incredibly long (long bed, duh...) and quite fat (clears my garage by 2" on each side  :o) Turning radius is horrible and runs on premium.  :( But it's got more scoot than my friend's Tacoma.  ;D But if you're not planning on driving it much you wouldn't need that and the Tacoma is easier to drive.

It seems the consensus is the Tacoma. Personally I think it has been the best available pick up for years and have considered getting one several times myself. I really don't think you can go wrong if you get one.

yeah but it's got no trunk  ;)

if i did it over again i might be inclined to go Astro or cargo.. agreed however on the tacos in general.

What kind of mileage do the V6 Tacomas get?
My V6 Dakota can crack 20mpg on the highway, but I expected a bit better.

Whatever you do, get at least an extended cab.

FTR, got my '97 Dakota with 92k on it, at 156k now.
So far, it's needed a fuel pump assembly (in the tank, what a PITA).
Brake pads and shocks, not unusual.
Needs ball joints replaced, and a new cam chain wouldn't hurt either.
Clear coat is blistering badly, but it lived in Arizona for 8 years...
Other than that, pretty good for a high-miler.

i get 17-21mpg in my '06.

for 5k, he's looking at an older, lighter taco. i'd expect better mileage.

http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/856844968.html (http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/856844968.html)

some of whats out there

get a 2wd...better gas milage

Yeah, especially if he's looking at a pre-2000 truck Tacos are gonna totally beat out Frontiers. The trailer idea ain't so bad either though. You can buy/build your own trailer for cheap too. Can't leave it on the street though but if you get the right kind you should be able fold it up and prop it against a wall. I think those kinds usually take up something like a 4x2 or 4x2 footprint for storage. Limits your freeway speeds to 55 though.

Which leads me back to my argument for a cargo van....  Can leave bikes/gear/shit in it forevah...  Gets nearly the same mileage...  Provides shelter should it rain/get windy/need to change at the track...

Oh well, whatevah...  Buy what you will.  [roll]
















seriously can't go wrong w/a Tacoma BTW...  an old G/F had a '96 and we beat the shit out of it for years w/o issue...

whoa. not cool.

he seemed like such a nice... quiet guy

I've got a truck...but if I were to do it all over again, I'd get a cargo van.  Like others have said, nobody sees what you're hauling and it's easier to load.

just my .02

I've always used trucks for trackday stuff, with all the requisite concerns over th ethings you have to leave in there over night if yuou stay anywhere.  This year for fem-moto, julia and i brought our Duckys out to vegas in a Lopes 55 Sprinter.  It was AWESOME!!!  The bike cave was also a shower, and sleeping at the track was nice too. 

While i'm sure $75K is a little outside our means right now, I could totally dig getting a small van (ie... astrovanO or even a larger used commutervan that's being sold off cheap.  Lower loading bed, fully secure, very nice!  And you can always chop the top and put a popup on it for sleepin' at the track!

Incidentally, that last van I had was an Aerostar Long, and with its manual tranny, it was good for 24mpg freeway.  Not too shabby

me want.

since we're in fantasy land...

F150 lightning or Ram SRT-10?

May I politely suggest.........

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=11182.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=11182.0)

I'm just sayin'

and you want a fast pickup because.....


oh, wait.   [cheeky]

Lightning pretends to be fast, unless you drop some serious coin and you'll still be limited by the outdated slushbox

Ram is stupid fast, and if you go with the auto (crew cab) it responds very well to software tuning. Ram gives you room (crew & towing) or engagement (shortbed/manual).

I liked my Lightning when I couldn't drive stick, I like my SRT now that it's my preference.  But, to be honest, the ridiculous deal I got is the only reason I'm still driving it.