Hunting trucks can you dig it!!

[labman21]

Hey guys it's been a while since I've last posted about my wonder dogs. My latest obsession has been trucks, hunting trucks because I'm on the lookout for one right now. I'd like to see what you guys are rolling with, give a little review with your vehicle please



my dream truck i will possibly buy

not just a hunting truck, my everyday truck as well I'm 16

[birddogger]

Hope you get it. Good luck!!!

Charlie

[Ruffshooter]

Hey there Labman21:
Think hard about the truck before you buy it.
I have had dodges all my life. Always loved them especially the older 70's and 80's, ones. I love the look and the motor sounds of all of them, alway considered them the real trucks, Had a long bed and an 01short bed 1/2 ton just like you picture.
Excluding the hemi.
One huge problem I have with all the dodges is the gearing and rearend. Most have a 3:53 unless it is the 318 0r 4.7 (can't remeber if I am getting the number exactly right). The 3:93 or 94 is far better for power to the ground and towing, and mileage. And when in 4X4 only one rear wheel turns at a time when spinning. I got stuck so much more with the dodges than I ever did with my 03 chevy. The horse power in the chevy is better. The standard gearing in the 5.3 is 3:73 which is better for towing and mileage. The rear end when spinning will engager both tires, huge help. great ride, good gas mileage. Biggest Problem, they are a piece of tin, they are way to low to the ground but you can change that. But my chevy has 273,00 miles I think, does not burn a drop of oil. The dodge once it hit 40,000mile used a quart each 5000 miles for the rest of its life. All of them, except my 87. I miss my 87 used to keep a case of oil in the truck, it was a 318 and had a bad rear main seal.
That dodge 360 used to be a good strong motor. But the more stuff ( pollution controls) they put on it and trying to get better gas mileage they used the 3:53 gear, the thing was a dog and at best 13 miles to the gallon. You can also have a rear end modified to have a locking differential.
Make sure you have some kind of winch or come along and hole digging tools and a stout steel pole to jamb in the hole and tie off to, to help you get out of a mud hole.
If I could have my 5.3 chevy motor and ride in the 97 dodge body with 3:93 gears and a locking differential. That woudl be my dream vehicle. Of course one could get one of the new dodge cummins 6.7 deisel for $50,000, That just aint right.
Enjoy, the truck ,make sure you check universals and the front axels on all 4X4 especially the dodges.

[adogslife]

Chevy.
But, then again, Mike Rowe is the spokeperson for Ford.
Must mean something?

16 and looking for a truck. Can life get any better? Have fun.

adogslife

[Ditch__Parrot]

IMO.... You are looking in the right direction. I had a '97 Dodge 1500 4X4 that I kick myself on a regular basis for trading off. I liked that truck a lot but didn't fully appreciate it until I didn't have it anymore. It was tough as nails, reliable and cheap to service. I'm tempted to go spend my tax returns on another one. If I did I'd look for one exactly like the one I had. Extended cab, 360, 3:55 axle ratio. The 3:55 gear ratio was plenty to haul or pull anything that I'd be using a 1/2 ton to pull or haul. I always had plenty of power to clean the tires out when needed. And I had that thing in some very nasty spots in its day. Not once did I have to get my boots muddy until I was where I was going or I needed a pepsi out of the cooler. The power was all low end torque. Right where you need it when you're in a nasty spot. No need to rev the engine up to reach that hot rod high rpm horse power that has become so popular in trucks. The limited slip rear end worked well enough that I was sometimes suprised by some of the stuff that I could get through without having to put it in 4. It never lost or burned a drop of oil. It was the perfect ride height, no need for aftermarket lift kits or overpriced oversized tires. The 265/75-16 will take you about anywhere you want to go and they are a pretty cheap, wideley available size and still leave you plenty of travel room at stock ride height.

Downsides of it. Gas mileage was the big one. I was getting 13.5 on stock tires. Changed out to E rated off-road tires of the same size and I dropped to 12.5. And that was 12.5 no matter what. Highway, around town, hauling wood, pulling a trailer or slinging mud I was getting 12.5. Too be expected it road a little rough, thats ok though because IFS sucks (IMO). Tranny shift points for highway driving. If I was going 60 or 80 it was fine but try to set the cruise on 70mph and it was wanting to shift back in forth on hills that it shouldn't have needed to. I kept hearing people talk trash on the tranny's going out around 100,000 miles. I didn't have a bit of trouble with mine though, I bought it with 60,000 miles and put another 90,000 hard miles on it with out any trouble. No door access to the exteded cab was a big reason I traded it off (kick,kick,kick). It was a real pain for people riding back there to get in and out but it was a great storage area and a good place for some spoiled dogs to ride.

[Packer lakerfan4]

FORD all the way. I know A LOT of ppl that have dodges or have had and they were nothing but trouble. chevy is okay i guess? never owned one and probably wouldnt be caught in a chevy truck...chevy cars are a complete different story I LOVE MY CAMARO. i have a 06 F-150 and love it!

[lightonthebay]

Get a Ford because it will never get old -- the dealership will constantly infuse it with new parts!

[asc]

1977 CJ-5

[ericD]

just recently bought my dream truck, 91 Dodge, cummins turbo, 5-speed, 4wd, 16mpg w/ camper, I've had the same year model w/ a v-6 and 4spd for fifteen yrs, always wanted more power, and it gets better milage to boot