What’s a good pickup for hauling bikes in US (about 10k $ budget)?

I need to buy a pickup. It’s too far for me to ride my Nortons thousands of miles to some of these great events here in the US, so I am going to drive them there in a pickup. Then ride when there.

I don’t have much money, and don’t want one in good aesthetic condition, or don’t care as will leave it outside in the hail and weather here. I have been thinking 10k$ max. So, browsing around don’t get much for 10k.

I was thinking about an old 1995 or so f250 diesel with maybe about 150,000 miles on it. I don’t like trailers much.

So, for folks here in the US, what kind of truck would you recommend for hauling around a few bikes on long distances? Am I on the right track? I know a lot about old bikes, but not a lot about trucks. Any feed back or things to look out for highly appreciated,

Anyone got anything in Colorado for sale?

Jerry

I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton, V6 that has 240K miles and can haul anything I own including a humungous 24' box trailer with double axle. I won't go over 50 hauling that monster, but I'll do 7-80 pulling my 6x12 box trailer with 4 bikes in it, and all my camping gear in the pickup bed!

Actually, I've passed that truck down to my daughter, and now have a 2017 Silverado 3/4 ton with V8 that is even nicer, but you won't find one for $10K...

grandpaul said:

I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton, V6 that has 240K miles and can haul anything I own including a humungous 24' box trailer with double axle. I won't go over 50 hauling that monster, but I'll do 7-80 pulling my 6x12 box trailer with 4 bikes in it, and all my camping gear in the pickup bed!

Actually, I've passed that truck down to my daughter, and now have a 2017 Silverado 3/4 ton with V8 that is even nicer, but you won't find one for $10K...

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That certainly sounds like an option for me. I have been looking at Nissan Titans, but don’t know much about them really. I know I can get a diesel with a 6 1/2 foot bed. I just saw a 2017 diesel with 200k miles on it for 13,000$.

Luckily in no rush

Pick a color you like.
They all suck.



"I was thinking about an old 1995 or so f250 diesel with maybe about 150,000 miles on it. I don’t like trailers much."


While the fuel economy seems attractive (I LOVE diesels, done 1.2 million miles in my own diesel vehicles), buying an aged diesel will take your breath away with repair costs.

Get a gas V8 1/2 ton with low miles, and well cared for.

JMWO

Jerry Doe said:

I need to buy a pickup. It’s too far for me to ride my Nortons thousands of miles to some of these great events here in the US, so I am going to drive them there in a pickup. Then ride when there.

I don’t have much money, and don’t want one in good aesthetic condition, or don’t care as will leave it outside in the hail and weather here. I have been thinking 10k$ max. So, browsing around don’t get much for 10k.

I was thinking about an old 1995 or so f250 diesel with maybe about 150,000 miles on it. I don’t like trailers much.

So, for folks here in the US, what kind of truck would you recommend for hauling around a few bikes on long distances? Am I on the right track? I know a lot about old bikes, but not a lot about trucks. Any feed back or things to look out for highly appreciated,

Anyone got anything in Colorado for sale?

Jerry

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Don't know what to buy, but have an opinion on what not to buy. My stepson as a 2006 Cummins Diesel powered Ford F350 double cab and full bed. Great truck and can easily haul three bikes, six people, and a trailer. He has about 400k miles and does almost all his own work.

So, why not buy one? It is so tall that I can barely hoist myself in and the bed is so high that loading bikes is a two-person nightmare. Then there's the problem trying to park a very long truck. And, if taken to the Ford dealer for service you will be devastated, and most non-dealer shops are simply not qualified/able to fix them. He broke down on a road trip with his family, me, and a bike. Found a local "expert" to fix it and we rented a truck to continue. Two months later, the one bad O-ring was found and replaced!

I've been using my 1987 Ford F150 short bed 2wd, 300 straight six, 4 speed w/overdrive, since I bought it new. First year for fuel injection. It does about 75 mph on the interstate, 6 1/2 foot bed, the tailgate closes with the Norton in there. I leave it open when hauling the Harley. With 2 ramps, I can easily get either bike up there by myself. I usually drive them up, with the second ramp for security, in case I happen to have a problem. At least I have something to put a foot on. Anyway sounds like you're not looking for a 37yo truck. I think it was 7K new.

concours said:

Pick a color you like.
They all suck.



"I was thinking about an old 1995 or so f250 diesel with maybe about 150,000 miles on it. I don’t like trailers much."


While the fuel economy seems attractive (I LOVE diesels, done 1.2 million miles in my own diesel vehicles), buying an aged diesel will take your breath away with repair costs.

Get a gas V8 1/2 ton with low miles, and well cared for.

JMWO

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A lot of wisdom there., and quite the dilemma Jerry.
As you probably know i've owned many trucks. 1/2's, 3/4's 1t's... Fords, Chev's No Dodges.
To anyone looking at older trucks, unless you have an affinity for diesels and know what your doing,
I would Never, Ever, NEVER recommend an old diesel. I'll just leave it there.
Ford, Chev Dodge are all good and all bad. It will really comes down to the individual truck and how well it's been maintained.
Though I lean Ford, I have to say one of the best trucks that has been in our arsenal was an 05 GMC 2500 Service Body with a 6.0 LS that belonged to our superintendant. Had 312k. miles right up to when it was stolen. We bought it new, he took very good care of it, he retired, turned it into a shop truck, then stolen. I'd be looking for a 1500 or light duty 2500 (Non HD) with 6.0.
Fords are all over the board. I currently have 280k on a 2014 V6 turbo. Still strong. Then again, original owner.
Way old on the Fords is the 460, had a few.. Don't think you can hurt this motor. Gas mileage will blow.
One of my all time favorites was a 92 F250, Supercab Long bed. / 460 - Big Truck would buy one again, Loved that Truck...
My retired Super just sold his personal 'Hemi' Dodge with a 'bad' motor. 230k miles Original owner and well taken care of.
Know lots of guys in the trades that have Toyota Tacoma's and just drive the snot out of them, they seem to keep on going.
One thing I observed over the years regarding used vehicles, Original owners who BUY their vehicles take the best care of them, as a rule. Leased vehicles are a crap shoot. i know some reasonably smart people who lease and do NO service on them.
'What for' turning it back in soon.
With all that said, buy the best mechanical sound vehicle from someone who appears to care about maintaining it.
Oh yeh, and choose your color. It's all a crap shoot.... Good Luck!!!!

Just reread your post about the 95 Ford Diesel. I still stand behind what I said about diesels, but will also comment there are some unicorns. Chev LBZ, Older Dodge Cummins and the Ford 7.3 Powerstroke.
There are old guys who go on and on about the 7.3 and how good it is. One knock on it was the Auto Trans.
The Torque of the 7.3 would chew through them. The stick shift is Golden.
As I said earlier, I really like the Mid 90's F 250's.... The 460 was 10-11 mpg btw....

I agree with the others that a high mileage diesel could get real expensive. An older 1/2 ton is what may work best for you. I have always had full size Fords but they are all likely the same including the big Japanese trucks .
Perhaps you should reconsider a trailer . A lot less money. I have a small one bike covered trailer with a ramp door. MUCH easier to load/ unload than a pickup . Weather / road wear protection for the bike as well as keeping it safer in hotel parking overnight. I could tow it anywhere with my Honda Element even with my big heavy ST 1300 on board . I don’t know what kind of four wheel vehicle you own but most will tow a small trailer.

I was a dyed in the wool GM man till I bought mt 17 F150. 2.7 liter V6 twin turbo extra cab. Enough room for a bike in the back with tailgate closed and capable of pulling a 24 foot twin axle trailer with 3 bikes, a golf cart, and loads of other junk at 75 MPH without breaking a sweat. Avoid the 10 speed automatic trans, keep clean oil in it and follow service recommendations.

How about a panel van ??? eg Like a stripped out camper van

JMTC I like Dodge Ram. You have to watch what import you purchase, their gas mileage really sucks. I have an Ram Eco diesel and get great fuel mileage 26 mpg going to Texas from Pennsylvania. I think a $20,000 is a realistic/better price range since Covid!

No matter the brand its always about how the PO maintained it...and that is hard to determine when crawling around a used truck but you can spot telltale indicators, same as a motorcycle, if you know what to look for.
A diesel breakdown/repair will cost you your first born and the price of diesel fuel is ludicrous.
There are also some really good deals floating around...looks bad performs good. Due diligence is key. Be patient, you will find one.

I have a 99 GMC Sierra 1500 with a 5.3 V8. Between the years 1999 and 2005 are very similar and the GMC generally has a nicer interior package than the Chevy version. Look for one with the lowest mileage you can find. My friend who is strictly a "Ford guy" says that the 5.3 liter GM engine is the one of the best V8's ever made for reliability. I think the slightly newer versions get better highway miles than mine does. I get about 16mpg. I'm told more modern V8's can get over 20mpg on the highway. I know a lot of people swear by the full size toyota trucks, but the used ones still seem more expensive than other makes...

For $10,000 you can repeatedly rent a U-Haul (etc) trailer @ $25 per day to hold 2 bikes and has a loading ramp (important feature I think) as
often as you want for the rest of your life. No maintenance. No old truck worries. No storage. A car can pull it. I've gone this
route a dozen times. Have hauled bikes in the back of a pickup truck 5 times and have always felt uncomfortable with the
loading/unloading process, but then I'm old.

Every so often I look around for a newer pickup. Mine is really getting to be a museum piece and is noisy and extra work to drive (manual transmission, no power steering, poor sound proofing from the factory). However all the time I've owned it, it's hauled anything I've needed without complaint, been cheap to repair with no computer system, electronic sensors, etc. It is a basic truck as the Big Three built them up through the seventies somewhere.

What I would need is a 3/4 ton or 1 ton long bed to haul a camper and pull various trailers. What I want does not exist on the new market or apparently within the past 10 years or so. Now you can get a stripped "work truck" in a standard cab from GM or that plus an extended-cab one from Ford. Don't know about Dodge. If you want a heftier drive train you have to buy a higher trim level crew-cab for many thousands of dollars more. They've really hamstrung users of actual working trucks.

Then there is the issue of repairability. PBS did a segment last week about car insurance costs and a mature Paul Solaman (he's probably seventy and nobody's fool) quizzed various repair shops about what it would cost to repair some minor front-end damage to his rig. I looked like a pickup or Suburban. The answers were frightening when the shop owner started quoting parts prices, which is apparently what's driving crash repair costs. But beyond that, the fact that everything is now tied into the computer system means that mechanical repairs are frightening too.

Apparently, vehicles built after the early aughts can be a nightmare to fix. I have always done my own work and have had good sources of parts left from my days running a shop. My present go-to is Rock Auto. I don't relish having to make a career out of what should be simple repairs, such as having to remove the dashboard to change a heater core or damper motor. Aside from that I'm old and stiff and can't get under dashboards anymore.

After all this rant, what I can say is that I'll probably keep my 51 1-ton and wear ear plugs. As for someone looking for a utility pickup, I'd suggest nothing after '05 or so. In the GM world that would be the GMT800 chassis that started in 1999. I have a GMT 400 Suburban and that would be a good bet for a pickup if you can find one in good shape. They can still be had for under $10K but cosmetically nice ones will be higher.

Personally, I stick with GM mostly because of parts availability but also because Ford takes some odd design shortcuts to save money that make them more difficult to repair, such as the twin-I-beam front ends, which require a lot more disassembly to replace rubber bushings than should be. I have cut the rivets off the frame bracket rather than dismantle the whole axle assembly then bolted them on again. I could go on forever with such stories and it's not just Ford but they seem to be the worst.

o0norton0o said:

I have a 99 GMC Sierra 1500 with a 5.3 V8. Between the years 1999 and 2005 are very similar and the GMC generally has a nicer interior package than the Chevy version. Look for one with the lowest mileage you can find. My friend who is strictly a "Ford guy" says that the 5.3 liter GM engine is the one of the best V8's ever made for reliability. I think the slightly newer versions get better highway miles than mine does. I get about 16mpg. I'm told more modern V8's can get over 20mpg on the highway. I know a lot of people swear by the full size toyota trucks, but the used ones still seem more expensive than other makes...

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Search "Warren Johnson Pro Stock"
"The Doctor"
"LS engine"

He showed GM how to build cylinder heads that make crazy power. Computer controls allow it to work on the street. Best of both worlds.

5.0 Coyote engine in the F150 runs great.

The EcoBoost 2.7 & 3.5 have ASTOUNDED me with the trailer towing torque.

My roots begin towing with IH 345, a torque monster from medium trucks tossed in light trucks

If I ran across an International PU in good shape I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Guy I worked for in the early seventies had a new 3/4 ton with a 392 that he used to tow his 34' Airstream. That was at an IH truck dealer. My buddy had a 4x4 3/4 ton Travel All. Wonderful rig. Wife, kids, dog, cordwood, camping gear all fit in and it pulled a trailer. Great rig till he hit an elk one night.

There was nobody better for parts service in those days. They'd overnight parts from Ft. Wayne, Indiana for us and hand deliver to the shop. "Need king pins for a '48 KB6 farm truck? Sure we'll have em to you in the morning."

“How about a panel van ??? eg Like a stripped out camper van”

Vans are cheaper, easier to load, keep your bike contained in a locked space and out of the weather, are often nicer to drive, and tend to use less fuel. The largest downside is they aren’t in anyway “cool” and if your bike is leaky you are inside with the gas fumes.

Also, they make terrific tents that don’t leak or blow over in the rain.

My work truck is a large cargo Promaster with a sealed bulkhead, so it’s reasonably fume free up front and the heater and air conditioner have less work to do. I haul bikes in it all the time and keep a ramp in it just in case I need to rescue a friend or pick up a new foundling.

One can find a pretty nice full sized van for $4-8k. Promaster/Transit options are more expensive but have been coming down in price of late- for bike hauling a low top/short will work, and these have been cheapest as the camper builders don’t want them.

Richard Tool said:

I agree with the others that a high mileage diesel could get real expensive. An older 1/2 ton is what may work best for you. I have always had full size Fords but they are all likely the same including the big Japanese trucks .
Perhaps you should reconsider a trailer . A lot less money. I have a small one bike covered trailer with a ramp door. MUCH easier to load/ unload than a pickup . Weather / road wear protection for the bike as well as keeping it safer in hotel parking overnight. I could tow it anywhere with my Honda Element even with my big heavy ST 1300 on board . I don’t know what kind of four wheel vehicle you own but most will tow a small trailer.

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If only carrying one bike, a hitch mounted carrier works. I had a bike delivered for service the other day and that's what the owner uses. He can easily put the bike on and take it off by himself with the included ramp - I knew they existed for bicycles, but this was an 850 Commando. Even less expensive than a trailer, and it can be stood in the corner of the garage when not in use.