Tell Me I'm Wrong

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 02/12/2019 at 22:15 • Filed to: Necessary car shopping with functionoverfashion

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My father doesn’t need a heavy-duty truck. This thing is dying a slow and painful death (it runs fine but that’s where my compliments end):

Yes, that’s a front driveshaft next to the truck. Yes, I replaced that recently while lying on that ice @ 15 degrees F

In my lifetime of 37 years he’s had three plow trucks. Approximately 25% of each of these trucks has returned to the earth on my parents’ property or elsewhere before being finally retired. See?

And this truck is MILES better than the last one, a 1985 F-150 whose frame literally broke in half while I was driving it - by the way I kept plowing with it like that for the rest of the year - the one before that was a 1967 Scout whose body was nearly detached from its frame, it had no heat, well, no rear end at all, but of course it ran great. The last two had zero brakes by the time we got rid of them. The F-150 caught fire once while I was plowing (nest in the heater core).

He likes using the F-250 for moving gravel and rocks and stuff, and it’s sure better than a half-ton for that. But he drove a 2002 F350 the other day - a friend loaned it to us - and he thought it was “too big.” I have news, the modern F-350 and F-250 aren’t that different, if at all, from a driver’s perspective - if at all. They’re both big.

My point is, he doesn’t need a big truck. He’s got a 1979 F100 for Truck Things in the summer. We have friends with heavy trucks (dump trucks, even) and there are businesses who will bring you two yards of rocks if you want. Sure they’ll charge you but not as much as the ownership costs of a seldom-used F-250 that’s a constant headache. The last few loads of ledge-pack gravel I got cost me a case of beer each.

He needs a Tacoma. It’s a truck, it can do Truck Things, but he can also drive it everywhere. Half the trouble with these other plow trucks is that they sat around, mostly, from April to November. I don’t blame him for not driving a 20 year old 3/4 ton truck 6 miles to get coffee in July. Not to mention, my mother NEVER drives it. But that’s just not good for a vehicle unless it’s in a completely dry, stable place. Not a field. Or the woods. ALSO. He likes manual transmissions, a lot. (where do you think I got it?)

He probably won’t spend the $20k to get a decent Taco with a plow for the 10-15 times a year when we really need a plow, but he’d sure as hell drive it more the other 350 days a year if it didn’t get 8mpg and rattle your damn spine on bumps. And my mother would drive it. She grew up on a farm and likes trucks. But she’s never liked The Plow Truck, in any of its forms.

Tell me I’m wrong. And then please call my father and tell him to buy a manual Tacoma, put a new Fisher plow on it, and like it.

E92M3 > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 22:36

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That was too nice of a truck to be a plow truck. Unl ess it was already eat up by salt underneath when he got it.

For Sweden > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 22:40

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First you think you don’t need a big truck to plow snow

Then you see that a side-by-side with a plow can easily cost $20,000

Then you buy a used big truck

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 22:41

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I think an early 2000’s half ton Chevy Avalanche in in his future. Good for snow!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 22:42

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Also the MT plate is in my car I just haven’t been by the post office when it’s open.

adamftw > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 22:53

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You’re crazy if you think a Tacoma won’t rust away just as fast, or faster, than those old Fords. Tacomas are great, but beating one up with a plow on the front will destroy it. An older, torsion bar IFS Toyota would be a better choice.

adamftw > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/12/2019 at 22:54

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Half ton Chevys do NOT like being plow trucks. And I really like half ton Chevys.

tromoly > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 23:05

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Tell me I’m wrong

You are wrong. It’s his truck, let him do what he wants and enjoy it.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 23:20

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If it’s goin g to be basically a dedicated plow, why not get a tractor? Those things are *designed* to spent years sitting outside doing nothing most of the time. 

Nibby > functionoverfashion 02/12/2019 at 23:38

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My father bought a side by side 3 years ago for around $14,000 with a plow and right now it just sits in the driveway doing nothing.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 00:19

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Well you are and you aren’t wrong. Plowing kicks the shit out of trucks. Almost any truck you plow with will stop being nice in pretty short order, because of the abuse behind the plow. It’s stressful on the drivetrain, which is intended to move things that roll, not shoving things along the ground; it’s a lot of work at low speeds and poor airflow through the radiator, which also frequently gets jammed with snow; and it’s almost always in the cold in poor weather where if you do need to drive somewhere else generally means salt baths. Heavy trucks make better plows because a) weight= traction (and you can safely add more weight to a bigger truck if you really need to ) , and b) heavier trucks have sturdier components . C) is less of a consideration, especially when looking at older trucks , but 3/4- and one-ton trucks are easier to find in regular cab format, with shorter wheelbases that make them much better for getting into tight spots with a plow, and they’re more commonly available with longer beds, making them better at truck stuff.

But realistically, unless you make your business plowing, a rusty old POS 4x4 is the best plow truck, because it doesn’t matter what happens to it. Keep the fluids topped up, change the oil once a season, don’t put too much more fuel into it than you need so you’re always running relatively new gas through it. I f it blows up or breaks in half, scrap it,  find another rusty POS for a couple hundred that runs and drives, move the plow frame over, drive that one till it dies. Lather, rinse, repeat. 

Tristan > adamftw 02/13/2019 at 04:08

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Half ton Chevies don’t like doing much of anything. I’ve owned a couple. Exploding 10-bolts and the myriad failure modes of the 4L60 are the reason I own a 3/4 ton Chevy!

shop-teacher > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 07:25

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I dunno man. I see a lot of Tacoma's around here, and I've only seen a plow on one of them. I feel like that's for a reason.

adamftw > Tristan 02/13/2019 at 08:02

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145k on the original of both! They definitely don’t like being work trucks everyday but the trans and rear end are  better than what the internet likes to say about them. My G80 works great.

E92M3 > For Sweden 02/13/2019 at 09:09

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I almost suggested one, but then I remembered ho w much they cost.

I also figured he probably prefers plowing in something with a big cushy seat and a goo d heater

Pickup_man > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 09:26

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Plow trucks should be beaters and what he currently has is perfect. HD trucks are far better at plowing duties than lighter trucks because they’re built heavier and that kind of work is at least considered when they’re being designed. That comes with the trade off of having a worse ride though. The F- 250 he has right now is perfect, I say run that thing to the ground and when it’s dead buy another one for basically free, and scavenge any good part off the old one that you can, or just park it out back and keep it for parts. If you’re worried about it sitting too long, make a point to start it and take it for a short drive once a month or so.   

Khalbali > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 09:51

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Complains about rusty frames, then suggests Tacoma.

Hmmm........ Lol

Tristan > adamftw 02/13/2019 at 12:17

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My experiences were personal. My last G80 10 bolt ‘sploded pulling slowly out of my neighborhood.

functionoverfashion > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/13/2019 at 21:00

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This is a good assessment. The only problem is he wants to also have a reliable truck the rest of the year. And we only plow 2-3 driveways  with this thing. 

functionoverfashion > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 02/13/2019 at 21:01

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funny you should mention that, they HAVE a tractor, but it’s 2wd. I agree, though, they should get a 4wd tractor. Except then I’d have to find a different way to plow my own driveway, because we’re 3 miles away. 

functionoverfashion > adamftw 02/13/2019 at 21:02

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Well, it may, but I think it would at least be a lot better to drive all the rest of the time when it’s not plowing. We’re only talking about 3 driveways, anyway, so the beatings are less than if we were doing 50 driveways. 

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/13/2019 at 21:03

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Are you aware that the Avalanche is one of my least favorite vehicles of all time? No seriously, I have an irrational hatred of those things. 

functionoverfashion > E92M3 02/13/2019 at 21:04

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Nah, it was already a work truck. Lived on a farm and pulled a horse trailer. And it had the plow.

The thing is, he’d be fine with a newer 3/4 ton truck, except he doesn’t like them. Too big. So he says. 

functionoverfashion > tromoly 02/13/2019 at 21:37

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haha well true. Except I help him keep it running and he wants to not be constantly worried about what’s going to break next. But yeah, if he wants another HD truck then he should get one. 

functionoverfashion > Nibby 02/13/2019 at 21:38

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haha, for sure he’ll buy something entirely road-legal that he can also carry grandkids in. This truck isn’t either, currently. 

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/13/2019 at 21:42

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Hey thanks! I’m about as concerned as this dog right now:

But seriously, it’s a really nice thing for you to do, so thank you. 

functionoverfashion > shop-teacher 02/13/2019 at 21:48

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One big reason is, most people don’t buy a plow just to do their own driveway and one or two others. If you’re doing a bunch, you don’t really want a little truck. But if you only plow a couple driveways, it’s fine. I see quite a few Tacos around here with plows.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 22:07

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The primary thing that factors into reliability is proper maintenance. Plowing kicks the shit out of a truck, so it leads to heavier maintenance requirements. Whether you start with an older truck or a newer one doesn’t matter much, it’ll still require the same maintenance... Only you probably can’t crawl under with a grease gun and hit all the joints at the end of the shift with a newer truck , because everything is “ permanently” greased now, so you don’t have to look at it and make sure it’s still in good shape until it explodes.

It’s really not all that difficult to make an old truck reliable. I spent quite a few years with a 25-year-old truck with over 300 ,000 miles on it as my daily driver. I’ve hauled loads in the bed, hauled cars around, gone on 6500-mile road trips, moved myself 1000 miles away with it... Yeah, some stuff will wear out, but when it breaks, you fix it. When it starts doing something different, you find out why. Ignored problems, or problems from improper field repairs that were never corrected  compound themselves, and eventually you end up with a hunk of junk. Plowing will find the weak components of any system on any truck, no matter how new it is. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 22:12

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Currently in my driveway, not mine tho. It’s an LTZ, really nice.

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/13/2019 at 22:19

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Ooh, now I should clarify. I don’t hate the later ones with body-colored panels instead of the early plastic-clad ones. I’d still have a Suburban or a pickup, but at least they’re not bad to look at. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 02/13/2019 at 22:23

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He traded a 2013 Tacoma trd 4-dr straight up for this, a 2013 avalanche LTZ  with like 29k miles. I saw the Tacoma listed for $31k at the dealership.

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/14/2019 at 09:26

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$31k for a near-6-year-old Tacoma. WTF

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 02/14/2019 at 09:37

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He did the deal in late 2014, sorry details, details...

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/14/2019 at 10:45

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hahaha, I traded my ‘01 Suburban for my ‘01 325xi wagon (my old one), almost exactly straight up but by selling / buying separately on Craigslist. And immediately I got comments like “ooh a bmw” even though the value was exactly the same as the gigantic SUV I had before.