I'm interested in buying a truck some time in the next year primarily for light general hauling (firewood, trash, bags of soil, lumber) and potentially pulling a small travel trailer (16' - 18' or so, which I don't own either but I'm thinking about). I'd like to be able to put 4' X 8' sheets in the box.
It might get as far as 150 miles from home pulling a trailer, with hills on the way. The only time it would be off road would be on grass at a camp site or on gravel at a service yard. There would be no need to ever drive it in snow or on ice. I'm not afraid of a manual transmission as long as it's reliable. I would intend to maintain it myself. Fancy is not important. I might put a few thousand miles on it per year.
I don't really care if it's a Ford, Chev, Dodge, etc. I'd be looking for something 10 years old or so, though it could be older too.
I'd appreciate comments on what years and what power trains are likely to be quite reliable and wouldn't get horrible fuel economy. No spark plugs flying out of cylinder heads or special routines needed to remove them either please! I realize condition is almost everything here but there are still products to look for and products to avoid.
Opinions please.
It might get as far as 150 miles from home pulling a trailer, with hills on the way. The only time it would be off road would be on grass at a camp site or on gravel at a service yard. There would be no need to ever drive it in snow or on ice. I'm not afraid of a manual transmission as long as it's reliable. I would intend to maintain it myself. Fancy is not important. I might put a few thousand miles on it per year.
I don't really care if it's a Ford, Chev, Dodge, etc. I'd be looking for something 10 years old or so, though it could be older too.
I'd appreciate comments on what years and what power trains are likely to be quite reliable and wouldn't get horrible fuel economy. No spark plugs flying out of cylinder heads or special routines needed to remove them either please! I realize condition is almost everything here but there are still products to look for and products to avoid.
Opinions please.