Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Best truck you ever owned

Mine would be my much missed 2004 F250. It was plain as plain can be, gas V8, 6sp manual, 4x4 and nothing else, didn't even have door pockets. Gave a pittance for it with 75k on it and drove it for 3 years with the only repair being an alternator that went bad. I'd still be driving it if it had been equipped with A/C but I chose to leave it in the good hands of a close friend when I moved south.

Had an 04 Ranger 4x4 that was a good truck too, but it wasn't quite as trouble free as the above mentioned 3/4 ton.

Still have my 1979 Bronco Ranger XLT that I've had since high school. Put some fresh gas and oil, a carb kit and a new battery in it when I moved back and it fired right up after sitting for a decade. Slapped a new set of tires on it and drove it daily for the first 6 months I was here. It's got LS differentials front and rear and in all these years has never got me stuck. Been a hell of a rig and I'm trying to give it some NorthernDaveesque love as time and money allows, hopefully maybe if he's good enough my boy can drive it someday.

What was the best rig you ever had the pleasure of owning?

The one I miss is my 1975 f100 4x4...
390 v8 with a burnt valve so it had a miss
very high factory suspension
had the stupid slave cyclinder power steering on front that everyone bent and you had to do a major conversion to fix
single speed transfer case

But it had just the right gearing and it was a beast to maneuver and too much project to keep around.

Now I wish I had it as a beater in its raw state.

1996 Tacoma extra cab 4x4


It went anywhere I needed to go on or off road.



The best I've had off road is my little Samurai. It's not much of an interstate vehicle but it's unreal off road.

1970 Dodge 3/4 T with a 383 engine, 4:1 gears and a 4 speed
Worst was 85 Ford, 3/4 T long box extra cab, 460 Engine 4 speed 4:10 gears.

Rea Brakes, every 15K because the seals would not hold up, rear main seals, transmission leaks, warped exhaust manifold, vapor locks,and whole bunch more. 8mpg empty, 3mpg pulling

Every Land Cruiser I have had - drove them all to at least 24k miles with nothing but oil changes and brakes and batteries. BEASTS that run forever.

1971 GMC 3/4 ton. 350, 4 speed Muncie, 205 case, Dana axles, Detroit Locker. Bare bones, highly capable off road. Had a 1988 3/4 ton GMC I put 297,000 miles on. Miss it a little, but not as much as the 71. Can't see ever missing anything newer I've had. mtmuley

probably the two I have right now....

'02 Chevy 2500 HD crew 6.0L gas..short bed...bought it new in May '02..

has led a sheltered heated garage life...always serviced...has 108K on it now.....good truck..

my daily beater I bought 11 yrs ago with 113K miles...'98 Tacoma V6 ext cab 5 speed...pd $10K or so...

still driving with no issues.......has 229K or so now......will go about anywhere you point it.......

My current one. A 2000 GMC 3/4 ton with the 6.0, 4X4

82 F150, bone stock with the inline 6 (300 ci, as I recall) and manual transmission. It was the essence of what a truck is. I wish they still made the inline 6/manual combo.

It has to be my current ride; 2011 Tacoma LB 4WD 4Door. All I've done to it in 93,400 miles OTHER than tires, oil change and air filter are a set of brakes. (to be honest, I'd have to check my paper work and see if it was front or rear as I just don't recall!)

2001 Toyota Tundra Access Cab 4x4 V8.
Drove it almost 10 yrs. / over 90,000 miles. Over the highway and thru the woods.
Had to replace the battery at 9 yrs. That's it.
Foolishly let my wife talk me into trading it on a new Tundra. Hated it.

Would probably be my 99 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad cab. 5.9 gas, 5 speed manual, 4x4 on 35" Nitto mud grapplers. Ranch hand bumpers front and rear. Replaced the water pump and the fuel pump. Not fast, but so reliable.

My old 1970 Chevrolet 1/2 ton long bed 4X4.

Blueprinted 350c.i. Turbo 350 tranny, N.P. transfer case. Dana 44 front end, 12 bolt rear.

Special made 3/4 ton leaf springs.

Dead simple to work on, parts dirt cheap.

Drove it for 20yrs. It never let me down, ran like a raped ape.

The bad, rode like a tank, got 10 miles per gallon, and no air conditioning.

I've grown to love my daily driver '03 F350. Extended cab long box that is loaded with all kinds of tools and clothes and random chit.

Probably 5-6 lbs of dog hair alone....

6.0 diesel that runs a little funny but pretty much trustworthy.

Remsen, my dad's buddy who lived across the street from us when I was a kid bought an 87 or 88 Ford F150 with the 300 six and a five speed brand new. He put 480k on it and only replaced tires, oil, filters, battery, and an alternator in all those miles. He gave it to a coworker and the last time I saw it he had it up to 532k and was having a new clutch put in it.

My uncle works construction as an equipment operator and basically lives in his truck at times due to scheduling and travel. Last time I saw him his truck looked like Sammo described with it being full of clothes and stuff, but the 5.9 Cummins and 6sp manual were still ticking right along at 330k. I think his was an 04 model. Before that he had a 97 F150 4x4 with a 5.4 that he ran to almost 400k. He gets all the good out of his pickups.

145k miles and just broke in......grin

1996 Toyota Tacoma AND a 2002 Dodge Dakota. Both equally the best I've owned.

That era of Tundra was a damn good truck and a little more simple that the new POS, except for the frame rust issues. I have my eye on a 2000 here locally and it's awfully tempting. Probably twice as reliable as my 2004 GMC sierra 4x4.....

1982 Toyota 4x4, standard shift 4 cylinder back before they started naming them and making them more like cars. It pulled out stuck full size Fords, Chevys and even a dump truck. Body rotted away, but that engine was still purring at 200,000 miles.

Sam-o! You using Gorilla tape there?? That is some good $hit for trim, and dashboards, tail lights, other misc auto repair! Just like other stuff never leave home without it !!