Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best 20 Year Old Beater Pick Up

Lots of talk about the best new trucks and who doesn't like a new truck, but what about the old uns that have earned their salt already but aren't quite ready to be put out to pasture? Maybe a young fellow starting out would be in the market for an old truck, or a not so young fellow has use for a beater to use once in a while for heavy lifting so's not to bang up the daily driver? Or maybe a guy just plain likes old trucks!

So what's your pick of what to look for in say a mid 90s to mid 2000s pick up that has a track record of going the extra mile(s). What model, engine, what tranny? Extra points if you have your own story of a 20 YO truck that just won't quit. Lets say 4x4 is a must too as old Betsy will have to launch a boat over what resembles a suitcase sized rock pile more than an actual boat launch. Lets say looks don't matter and a price tag of 3-5k would be beauty as long the thing ran when it was sposed to. Askin for a friend..

I don't know. But good luck. People seem to want money for any pick-up that's worth having.

I bought a 2005 long bed F-150 a couple of years ago with only 65K,...V6 stick.

I had to pay a little bit for it,...probably too much. But it was what I wanted and they don't come along every day set up like you want with low miles,...so I bit the bullet and bought it.

Well, I just missed because my truck is only 19 years old and 2wd. I went from Southern California to Denver, CO with a travel trailer in August. Then I went from home again to Tulsa, OK in mid October, again with a trailer. I turned 200,000 miles, just west of Amarillo on the outbound trip.
2000 F250, 6.8l V10. I can pass anything but a gas station. It's a crew cab short bed. I still have the original starter, alternator, water pump, PS pump and trans. I probably haven't spent over $3000 on repairs and it would be less if I had done the radiator replacement my self but that was just after knee replacement.
I think my truck is an anomaly though and would look for a Chevy/GMC because parts go on forever and there are Chevy mechanics on every corner.

1999 to 2007 GMC or Chevy with 6.0 and 4L80 has been as bulletproof as any truck I've had. I'm a contractor and have had pretty much everything at work. Also been impressed with a 2001 F350 V10 as far as drivetrain goes, but I've spent a lot of money on front bearings. It had a 4" lift and 35s and spent a lot of time in the mud, so that probably didn't help.

Had a nice 04 4wd ranger until a 16 yr old girl totaled it out for me last year......
Still jealous seeing ones on the road.
But I couldnt replace my well maintained unicorn for the insurance settlement check on it.
Prior to that I had a 89 and 97 ranger.

Now I have a 04 colorado 4wd 3.5L I5, 5 spd man,short bed, reg cab.
1st chevy I ever have had .
I like it.
Got good power for its size and can get in some pretty tight places a full size cant.
It can haul deer and turkey.
Bed been blooded about 3 weeks ago with 2 slickheads.

My daily driver if it is raining or snowing to much to take the 2018 Harley Davidson is a 2003 F150 with 4.6 V8 and 5 speed manual 4WD. It has the work truck package. That means no power windows or sissy stuff like air conditioning.
My theory is that the less stuff you have the less stuff that will go wrong and need repairs.
So far it doesn't burn oil and has needed no major repairs. It is starting to get rusty but oh well.
It has 152,000 miles on it.

Toyota T100 I had in 1996 was a helluva truck for what I used it for. Kind of watching for a lower mileage one.

98 f150, 4.6 5 speed 2 speed transfer 3 door short bed. Mine has 175000
Be aware of fords idiotic head/ sparkplugs, my clutch slave leaks very slowly but i am capable of doing a manual rebuild if need be
I put the f250 size tires on mine, same dia, narrower
Has gone everywhere i need including some real 1st lo range roads
Brother has the chevy counterpart, door hinges are worn and engine wants to miss, but he also hauls a slide in camper so loads his harder. He did have to do an auto transmission rebuild at around 120000

I bet the steering on it has gotten a bit stiffer over the years. The steering shaft has two small universal joints on them.

Spray them down with WD40 and see how the steering lightens up.

Mine had gotten so stiff that I thought the power steering pump was getting bad. I read on a Ford forum about how the steering shaft responds to a bit of lubrication so I doused the steering shaft U-joints with WD40 and it was right back like it's supposed to be.

All good smarquez 4x4's just a small component of the truck IMO. Unless it breaks. lol
I have a cousin that had a v10 ford that had similar comments. Drinks fuel, duh! but being a bit overbuilt for a task does have benefits. Plus the ones I see seem to be priced low, many looking for a better mpg combo I guess.


What worries me about old Ford's is the 5.4 l v-8s that are so common. The top ends don't seem well loved after a certain point. Going with the little 6 negates all that, how do you find it for power, ever towed anything?



Or avoid the 5.4 this way too is an option. That 4.6 sounds like its served you well whelen'

I had an 04 halfer with the 4.8l other than about rusting in half it was a great truck. Still is actually I still see it around town. GM a strong possibility. I mean I am a GM man for years. Other than my last 2014 F 150. But that's another topic.



Ran into a couple from stateside up here at the Bass Pro parking lot. I was admiring their little pop up camper and asked if I could have a closer look. Nice folks they loved it AND their lil 5 banger Canyon. They've been all over the place in the set up nothing but praise..

1999-2000 Silverado if you can find one not rusted out underneath. My 2000 4 WD with 327 in it died of rust 2 years ago. approx 240,000 miles on it, very little beyond oil changes on it for maintenance. one alternator and a very doggone expensive fuel pump but not much else.

The big Essex V6 is the best motor made for F-150's of that era. I like 'em with the 5 speed manual. They only give up about 20 HP to the small V8 and it's not noticeable. They'll cruise the interstate much faster than the police will allow and have plenty of torque.

I've owned 2 F-150s with the big V6, stick shift set up. I've hauled loads in them that made me afraid the rear tires were gonna pop.

Ford doesn't offer them set up like that any longer. I'm trying to take care of the one I've got. There's not going to be any more.

my 97 12v cummins.

Rust is an issue, I recently replaced all the brake lines on my 1999-1/2 Chevy 4WD.

Interesting. I never paid much attention to them I know back in the day the old 300 six was a great motor for Ford. Going to look in to those a little more..

They set them up like that for a lot of fleet pick-ups,...for customers who were buying 15 or 20 pick-ups at a time.

Just basic economical pick-ups that were going to see a lot of miles.

Drove a 92 Chevy SB stepside for 15 years. Gave it to a felon who had nothing in 2010. Best Chevy truck I ever had.

Bought a 98 Tahoe to replace it. It has 340,000 on it & runs quite well. It’s my shooting range/work commuter. But, its transmission lost low/overdrive last month. It only had 158,000 on its first rebuild. So, it is now retired.

Motor has 75,000. It’s an L31 350. Fresh set of Michelins. Got 120,000 out of the last set.
$850 takes it home.

Have an 04 Sierra 5.3L with 300,000 on it. Change oil every 4K and tranny fluid every 50k. Only major repair was a rebuilt transfer case about 2 years ago. Fenders starting to rust is all that’s wrong with it.

1995 - early 1999 Suburban with the 5.7 liter Vortec.