Any advice for a first time car owner looking to buy a used pickup truck?

[bug_n_flock]

Will spare you unnecessary details, but my guy and I are about to buy our first vehicle: a used pickup truck, with which we plan to buy and build a farm from untouched forest(need rugged vehicle). Any and all advice would be very much appreciated. Neither of us have experience and we could really use some guidance.

Thanks

 

[SilverSage]

Make an appointment for an inspection by a certified mechanic during your test drive.


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[Kiwibird]

What SilverSage said. In fact, I think it is illegal for a seller (be it private or a dealership) to deny you the opportunity to take the truck to a mechanic of your choice for a pre-purchase inspection before purchase. If they refuse, walk away because you can bet there's a reason. You will have to pay for the inspection, but it is worth every penny! When I was looking for a car, I test drove several older Mustangs. One I really liked a lot, it was a GT, low mileage for the age and looked pristine. I noticed the gears were a bit 'sticky' on the test drive (which the salesman blamed on ME being a woman) and that it just kind of drove 'rough'. My mechanic took one look and said the entire transmission was shot and told me flat out "do not buy this car"! Despite only having 60K some odd miles, whomever owned it before drove it into the ground. I was out whatever the inspection cost, but at least I wasn't out thousands of dollars for the car PLUS the repairs and kept looking! The one I ended up buying had 90K+ miles but the mechanic said it appeared well maintained and after a little over 10 years owning it, I have had no significant issues with it beyond a few relatively minor expected 'old car' issues. Do not assume a vehicle in good cosmetic condition that isn't billowing smoke and making clunking noises is "ok". PAY THE MECHANIC AND SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF MONEY AND GREIF!

Be sure you have insurance before signing the papers or you won't legally be able to drive it away (if a private purchase. A dealership won't even let you sign the paperwork without proof of insurance). I would also strongly recommend not just getting state minimum. We got screwed when my husbands car got stolen and trashed out by meth heads because it was on state minimum and not insured against theft. NEVER AGAIN!

If you are out of practice driving or have simply never driven a huge vehicle before or are getting a stick and are out of practice with that, plot a route home that sticks to back roads. Seriously, it's not safe to hit the highway under those conditions. Give it a couple days to get a feel for the truck/driving it. I've driven everything for XL SUV's and trucks (and a few Uhauls!) to 2 seater sports cars. It's a massive difference in handling a large truck (especially if you're getting an extended bed, or a dually) to a car or even a smaller SUV.

We pay cash for cars, so I have no advice for financing but if paying cash (which I always recommend since I am anti-debt), budget appropriately to allow at least $500-$800 above and beyond purchase price for some initial repairs virtually all used vehicles will need. Little things like an xyz-mile tune up that wasn't done, oil change/fluids top off, brakes, tires, windshield wipers etc... aren't necessarily a reason not to buy a vehicle but do add up quickly and you want to get them all knocked out ASAP after purchase. You should also begin to budget monthly for maintenance on the vehicle. We set aside $50/month per car and just let it build up. That way you have maintenance like oil changes and tune ups covered but also don't take such a major hit if a big repair comes up.

Good luck on purchasing your first car! Exciting times

 

[Scott]

Begin your search online, there is so much data available! I like Consumer Reports for unbiased reporting and standardized testing. While new vehicles are their forte, ratings are available for used.

Don't be shy test driving, and obtain the services of a trusted mechanic. You'll want to determine potential accident status and whether the vehicle was flooded. Know the relative value of the truck when negotiating, and don't be afraid to walk away! As with any purchase, if it seems too good to be true....

 

[SailBoat]

So you want to get a Truck to set-up a Farm with!

You want to buy a Truck that an Old Guy like me purchased on a Lease and have traded it in on another new one. Commonly with upgrades that you will likely not need, but once again, something Old Guy buys. WHY: Cause we don't trash them and we maintain them. Most are coming in at the end of a 2 or 3 year Lease with 20,000 to 35,000 miles on them.

Fully manual Trucks are rare now a days and have common been ridden hard and put away unserviced. Buy a truck with an Automatic Transmission! And, once again an Old Guy's Truck.

4 Wheel Drive, vs All Wheel Drive, vs 2 Wheel Drive. You will be shocked at just how much a 2 Wheel Drive Truck will be able to handle. But for a City Slicker, you are better off with 4 Wheel Drive. Do not buy an AWD Truck. Gas mileage sucks in Truck applications.

You want to look at either GM or Ford. It comes down to places near by that can service them. The choice between GM or Ford is based on what is the most popular in the area that you will be living!!! 500 USD saved or spent in buying one or the other means nothing when the nearest service station /dealer is 100 miles away.

Trucks can get very long, very quickly. A full size Truck with a Crew Cab and a standard long bed can get over 18 to 22' long really quick. You are likely to find far more Extended cab, short bed trucks, cause that is what Old Guys Buy.

NOTE: Lots of people will try to push you to a 3/4 or 1 ton Truck (Load Carry Ability). You will be just as well serviced with a 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton at the very most. 90 percent of the time, you will be running around empty and once again, Old Guys just do not by 1 ton trucks unless they are pulling heavy loads all the time, and that is a Truck you just do not want to buy.

Must have a Trailer Package!!! This includes a receiver, upgraded transmission cooler and wiring. Smart people by trailers when they need to do a bunch of hauling.

Take care, there are some high-powered, large engine trucks that use premium gas. Do Not Buy Those Trucks. Target those that use regular gas.

NOTE: 4 Wheel Drive Trucks will eat their own Front Drive Train, commonly between 75,000 and 125,000 miles. This is commonly a 2000+ USD repair bill. So, do not beat your Truck to death and do maintain 'all' the Lubes and you can hold those costs off longer.

Insider Trick: Rent One!!! This will give you a day to drive one around and learn on someone else's Truck.

Do not set yourself up to arrive at your new place at the end of Summer or in the Fall. Winter in the Back Country can be dangerous and having only a few weeks to prepare for Winter could result in you Not Making It!!!

 

[SilverSage]

About avoiding my car payments; it really CAN be done. We have always paid cash for our cars in the past but in 2014 we decided to buy a 2011 with payments. We told ourselves we would drive it for 10-20 years and it would be worth it. Weeeeellll we drove it for 2 years before it was totaled in a weird multi-car accident. The insurance covered the rest of the note but we threw away a LOT of money.

All I’m saying is, don’t assume you NEED an expensive truck. We are currently both driving very reliable, well maintained vehicles over 15 years old and we paid cash for both. Soon our student loans will be gone and our only debt will be the mortgage and THAT FEELS GOOD!


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[gracebowen]

I also only buy cash cars. Look over every vehicle very carefully. A mechanic is a very good suggestion.

My brother picks my cars for me and has never let me down even though he's not a certified mechanic.

I just bought a new to me car and I paid cash

Oh and I m told if the dealer took time to clean the engine that's good.

I usually prefer private party sales but bought from a dealer this time.

Take your time to find the right truck.

 

[SailBoat]

Do I recall correctly that you plan on buying unprepared land and starting from that point? That approach fails far more than 50% of the time.

Things you want:
- Cleared or semi-cleared land - land that has been Farmed in the last dozen years or so.
- Even recently farmed land can be very difficult to open for the first time in years. That will require a Tractor and the proper equipment.
- If you plan on a small Victory Garden approach, you are still going to want at least a sizeable Rototiller.
- How deep into the Woods? Since you are Newbies, you want land on a School Bus Route!!! That would be an improved road that Snow Plows clear regularly!!! Do not buy on a two tracker or Seasonal Road! Those roads are rarely maintained, let alone see a Snow Plow.
- Proven Available electricity!!! At the very least along the road in front of your new property. Living off the Grid is a great idea and a wonderful goal. BUT, being able to sell what you make back to the Utility is 'Income' you may just need.
- Proven 'Existing' water on the land!!! If you have to carry water, you are starting out in a very difficult place.

- The Deep Back Country is a wonderful concept! But, there are reasons why some places have been left empty for hundreds of years. Commonly, logging it is to difficult or the wood is of poor quality to provide heat. The land (the dirt) is fallow and will not support a garden. Water is not available year around, or in volumes to low to support even a small garden!

- Once-upon-a-time; Common Sense was pass along to the next generation! That information provide the 'How To's' in life without today's extensive support systems. Unless your parents grew up on a farm in the 1940 or earlier, you likely do not have the information you will need if you elect to go deep back country.

Enjoy!

 

[bill_e]

What size truck you need depends on what you're going to do with it. overloading a half ton truck on a regular basis is a recipe for a maintenance disaster.

If you want a new-ish truck (less than 36k miles) it will be difficult to do that without a loan unless you've got $25k or more just sitting around. Depending on what part of the country you live in even a midsized truck with 100k miles is going to cost around $10-15K.

Newer trucks are loaded with electronics and a lot of the electronics are required to make the vehicle run. Electronic failures happen often and are expensive to fix.

In my uneducated opinion if you want a farm truck, that is one that will be used to work the farm and not to take the family to Disneyland, then an older 4x4 truck with no added options and the ability to fix it yourself or have a friend who can do it for a reasonable price is likely the best bet. By the way, truck frames and fenders rust and sometimes you don't see frame rust until a catastrophic failure occurs so make sure you get it inspected.

Hmm, it's warm out, I think I'll go wash my truck.

 

[Kiwibird]

Do I recall correctly that you plan on buying unprepared land and starting from that point? That approach fails far more than 50% of the time.

Things you want:
- Cleared or semi-cleared land - land that has been Farmed in the last dozen years or so.
- Even recently farmed land can be very difficult to open for the first time in years. That will require a Tractor and the proper equipment.
- If you plan on a small Victory Garden approach, you are still going to want at least a sizeable Rototiller.
- How deep into the Woods? Since you are Newbies, you want land on a School Bus Route!!! That would be an improved road that Snow Plows clear regularly!!! Do not buy on a two tracker or Seasonal Road! Those roads are rarely maintained, let alone see a Snow Plow.
- Proven Available electricity!!! At the very least along the road in front of your new property. Living off the Grid is a great idea and a wonderful goal. BUT, being able to sell what you make back to the Utility is 'Income' you may just need.
- Proven 'Existing' water on the land!!! If you have to carry water, you are starting out in a very difficult place.

- The Deep Back Country is a wonderful concept! But, there are reasons why some places have been left empty for hundreds of years. Commonly, logging it is to difficult or the wood is of poor quality to provide heat. The land (the dirt) is fallow and will not support a garden. Water is not available year around, or in volumes to low to support even a small garden!

- Once-upon-a-time; Common Sense was pass along to the next generation! That information provide the 'How To's' in life without today's extensive support systems. Unless your parents grew up on a farm in the 1940 or earlier, you likely do not have the information you will need if you elect to go deep back country.

Enjoy!

Good advice and points you bring up about this kind of venture! My grandparents bought an old farm in foreclosure in the 1960s with all kinds of good intentions for the land. There was already a house and some existing outbuildings there and it was all pastureland. I'm always amazed at pictures of it back then because I've only ever known it to be dense forest in my lifetime. While the property is still owned by and much loved by my entire family, about 30 acres of it is thick forest with little more than trails through it. Only about 2 acres maybe have ever been maintained and utilized by my family and the forest grew back rapidly. The bulk of the land is just a big neighbor buffer/wildlife refuge (since they don't allow hunting on the property) and even that is difficult to maintain the paths through and keep the usable land from growing over. I could not see even if they wanted to how just a couple people could ever clear that forest out to farm it again. It would take a large scale operation to do so.

I really do hope you have someone who knows what they're doing with this sort of venture to help guide you or you may end up owning some forest land that is unusable for the intended purpose. I'm with Sailboat that you probably should look for land that is at least cleared. Will you also be building your own house on the land?

 

[YUMgrinder]

For a farm vehicle, you should look for a 02 and up chevy Silverado 2500HD. The HD stands for heavy duty, they use more expensive, more robust parts for something like what you want. I'd stay away from the gas engines, they don't hold their value as well as the duramax (diesel) 6.6 liter. That engine is a workhorse and will not fail you for hundreds of thousands of miles (minus a few things that come up with age like failing injectors and glow plugs. we get below 0(f) temps from time to time and mine always starts first crank. Stay away from certain powerstrokes on fords as they are problematic with cold starting. you can find a used duramax with like 150K miles for 12-15K depending on where you are, and if it's in really good shape, low miles, expect to pay a little more. The Alison transmission is hands down the best transmission I've ever driven. They offer great features too like heated seats and leather if you opt for the higher end models. Don't get long bed, you'll have problems fitting it anywhere. pretty much any year dodge ram with the cummins diesel is highly sought after and fetches a large amount of money for their age in great condition and low miles. Cummins are rock solid motors. If you want a budget truck, small and maneuverable, I would look into maybe the ford ranger although they lack power from their small v6s. I would think you'd want a v8 at the least (unless you go diesel). dodge Dakotas ran till 11 I think and you can get them with the 4.7 liter v8, small v8 but capable. They also had a 5.9 liter option, lots of power, terrible gas mileage. Toyota makes great small trucks, the Tacoma is smaller and attractive. I think they have a v8 option, but I may be mistaken. I don't like the F series fords but that's just my opinion. So that's my two cents.

 

[SailBoat]

I, by pure luck, came across a truck that will meet you very demanding requires: GMC 4500 series. The are available on the used Truck market. Will likely have to have the existing rear section change to a open box with side rails for your use. But, they will meet you demanding needs. Note: This Truck is out of production but has a strong following on the Used Truck market!

And, really great news, Chervolet has released a 2019 Silverado 4500HD series!

 

[bug_n_flock]

You guys are awesome.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Sailboat knows his trucks!

I like GMC. As said, that Alison transmission is reliable. The Chevy Silverado is basically the same truck with a less fancy fanciness to it. Along with less expensive. There are those that love Fords and i don’t argue ... it’s a religious argument with no winners (cough cough GM).

Diesels get better gas mileage, but diesel is more expensive than gasoline now. They need less maintenance, but when they do it’s way more expensive. Bigger truck = worse mpg, which does matter when you live far from town. You absolutely want four wheel drive.

Bed length ... an 8 foot bed is great for carrying things, but IMO only with a regular or extended cab. The truck gets way too long. The extended cab is nice because you can carry passengers in a pinch - kids fairly comfortably even on lomger trips, adukts for very short ones. Otherwise you can get a 6 foot bed and a bed extender that flips out to corrall lomg things with the tailgate down.

Fog lights, check. Locking tailgate, absolutely, tailgates get stolen. Towing package, required. You will want running boards to climb in. A small folding stool for getting in the bed. These suckers are tall.

I would think a GMC or Silverado 1500 will be plenty truck. A 2500 is bigger by quite a bit and if you will be pulling a trailer or have a camper on it you will need a bigger truck.

Trucks hold their value really well. It’s often better to buy a new one and keep it forever. In the northeast you can sometimes get good deals from people who moved there or impulsively bought a truck then realized they can’t drive or park it.

Save money on the truck so yiu can buy a used 4WD tractor with blade and forks. You will need that for clearing land and making roads. Bobcat rental works for that too.