They have been around for decades, but they are uber cool at the moment and for good reason. Their versatility for carting goods around while not compromising on height and cab space gives these sporty looking beasts a great leg up when thinking of your next used car. Big chunky wheels and confident design features only add to the appeal. So read on to find out how these pickup trucks can fit into your lifestyle.
Traditionally pickup trucks have been used by farmers for carting round hay bales, firewood and other farm-related gear. Tradesmen and tradeswomen from plumbers to construction workers have been using them for years as well – especially in Australia where they are called ‘utes’ (pronounced ‘you-ts’). But all that has changed with young professionals buying pickups for a wide range of uses including:-
- Art Supplies such as Large Canvases and Easels
- Shifting Online sales of Boxed Items
- Landscape Gardening Plants, Tools and Materials
- Towing Pop-Up Stores of Coffee Carts, their Stock and Equipment
- Interior Decorating Supplies including Wallpapers, Paint Cans, and Window Furnishings
- D.J. Sound Systems, Speakers, and old school Record Crates
- Equipment for Children’s Parties like Inflatable Castles and heaps of Balls
- Mobile Physical Therapist or Personal Training including Weights, Machines and other associated Equipment
- Fashion Designers transporting Mannequins, Clothes Racks, Props, and Stock
- Sculptors transporting Works of Art as well as Materials like Metal, Wood, and Clay
They also come in handy for carrying a range of equipment for leisure activities such as:-
- Camping Tents, Poles, Port-a-toilets, Ice Box Coolers and other Outdoor Accessories
- Mountain Biking, Trail Biking and Dirt Bike Riding
- Off-Road Survival Gear and Food Supplies
- Surf Boards, Body Boards and Kayaks
- Towing Tiny Homes
- Off Road Adventures
- Ski Gear, Snowboards, Snow Sleds
- Rock Climbing/Mountaineering Gear
- Boxes of Various Materials for Scrap-Booking and other Crafts
They are also handy for loading electrical appliances onto such as fridge/freezers, stoves, washing machines and large smart televisions, while carrying furniture is a breeze – especially when it comes to height as a wagon is confined by its roof.
The advantage of a pickup truck is that there is an option for everyone from crew-cab with small truck bed length to long full-length beasts and everything in between. There are also plenty on the used car market.
As far as reliability goes, I found the models that last the longest include the Dodge Ram 3500 and 2500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, GMC Sierra 1500, Ford’s ‘F’ Series and the Toyota Tundra. Of course other makes and models have their merits as well so you should be right as long as you do your due diligence first and make sure the chassis is tight, the undercarriage is in good condition, and that it hasn’t been in any accidents or have previous damage, or have a ‘Branded’ title.
I found thousands of used examples with no previous damage under $15,000 dollars. In fact there are thousands under $10,000 if that’s your budget, and if your budget doesn’t stretch that far either, then $7,000 or less will still give you hundreds of options to choose from depending where you live. I’ve seen some of these models with over 700,000 miles on the dial, so getting one under 200,000 miles should easily be achievable and see you well into the future.