NFR Trucks?

[O' Clarkii Stomias]

I've had numerous gmc trucks over the years, 1500s, 2500s, and a 3500. Nine of them were work trucks, and 3 of them were personal trucks. My current rides are a 2016 2500 Duramax, and a 2022 3500 Duramax. I have never had, knock on wood, a major issue that left me on the side of the road, or one recall. Since I left the company that most of the GMCs I drove were leased to, they switched to Fords. The results have been less than stellar, with lots of time at the dealership. I'm not Ford bashing here, I have a lot of friends that drive Fords. More than GMs. I just smile when they claim how superior they are in on sentence, then complain about having to take them back to the dealership.

 

[iveofione]

telling ya, Toyota completely missing the boat with Sienna...if only
View attachment 96890

In 2024 the so called "Mini-Van'' will have been around for 40 years. And still no "Man-Van'! Without a doubt the van body style is the most useful configuration devised for a vehicle yet the perpetrators of said vehicles have yet to develop it to it's full potential. The auto industry needs some visionaries like aviation had with Billy Mitchell, Jimmy Doolittle or Curt LeMay. Guys that can see through a ghetto of like minds and come up with something obvious but yet unseen. I'm tired of a big assed pickup to haul my massive 168# self around. I'm ready for a man van and I don't mean some $80,000 German creation that looks like 2 phone booths on wheels.

 

[jasmillo]

In 2024 the so called "Mini-Van'' will have been around for 40 years. And still no "Man-Van'! Without a doubt the van body style is the most useful configuration devised for a vehicle yet the perpetrators of said vehicles have yet to develop it to it's full potential. The auto industry needs some visionaries like aviation had with Billy Mitchell, Jimmy Doolittle or Curt LeMay. Guys that can see through a ghetto of like minds and come up with something obvious but yet unseen. I'm tired of a big assed pickup to haul my massive 168# self around. I'm ready for a man van and I don't mean some $80,000 German creation that looks like 2 phone booths on wheels.

Honda almost got there with the Element IMO. A little more clearance and tow capacity and I think more outdoor enthusiasts would have bought them and maybe even those who need rugged van type vehicles for work. I owned one and to this day, it’s still my favorite vehicle. I’m a desk jockey so so not need anything crazy. I drive a truck now for towing and convenience purposes. The Element with its easily removable or upfoldable backseats, minimalist rear interior (i.e easily cleanable with a hose if you so choosed) and surprising cockpit and cargo space for its size, was perfect for me. AWD and suicide doors gave you great access to the full vehicle as well. People hated the boxy look though and it became uncool with the younger crowd once older folks found it and embraced it for its accessibility and spacey interior.

If Toyota designed and sold that vehicle, including a TRD version, I bet it’d be a top seller to this day.

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Still working on mine……

 

[Scottybs]

I have 87k on a 16 F150 3.5 EB leveled w/ 33” all terrains. Drivetrain has been great, full synthetic every 5k and had everything flushed at 60k with valve cleaning and spark plugs. Great truck, tuned the motor and I get about 17-19 on the interstate running premium fuel. It DOES make a difference in MPG. Chromers brought up that the Eco is to laugh at, I agree, but the spec numbers are based on 55mph. If you’re towing routinely I would recommend the 5.0 if you want more MPGs. The key is staying out of boost. IF you go Ford, and it has a sun roof, actuate a few times, listen for jamming noises and climb up and inspect the track for any plastic pieces. Had mine “fixed” and if was a pain. Other than that really no complaints. Good luck.

 

[iveofione]

Honda almost got there with the Element IMO. A little more clearance and tow capacity and I think more outdoor enthusiasts would have bought them and maybe even those who need rugged van type vehicles for work. I owned one and to this day, it’s still my favorite vehicle. I’m a desk jockey so so not need anything crazy. I drive a truck now for towing and convenience purposes. The Element with its easily removable or upfoldable backseats, minimalist rear interior (i.e easily cleanable with a hose if you so choosed) and surprising cockpit and cargo space for its size, was perfect for me. AWD and suicide doors gave you great access to the full vehicle as well. People hated the boxy look though and it became uncool with the younger crowd once older folks found it and embraced it for its accessibility and spacey interior.

If Toyota designed and sold that vehicle, including a TRD version, I bet it’d be a top seller to this day.

The Element is an amazing but too small vehicle. The design with removable seats and the dual tail gate arrangement is so much better than the standard hachback and a helluva lot more useful. Freestone has one and just loves it, often living in it for weeks at a time. She has done an outstanding job of making it livable and functional. But we often lament that they didn't build one about 15% bigger all around with a modern engine, better transmission and improved AWD. Such a vehicle would need in the area of 200+ horsepower and at least 200 # of torque. It would probably get better mileage than the old one which isn't very economical. An opportunity lost. They gave up on a brilliant idea in much the same way Nissan gave up on the Xterra without ever improving on it. Ford was equally as shortsighted when they discontinued the Ranger in 2011. A total brain fart, they had all the pieces in the parts bin to make it really good but assumed all Ranger owners really wanted an F-150 instead. It took 8 years and the loss of small truck market share before they came to their senses.

The incredible success of the new Maverick is a testament to just how wrong they were, making the case that a guy that builds 747's doesn't necessarily know shit about the truck market.

Give us an Element MK II model dammit, enough of those crappy little economy car station wagons posing as SUV's. There is room for something better

 

[Kado]

I know zilch about automotive engineering....please forgive....
Could a Siena be lifted to maybe the same as an Outback? Do you think it could withstand twenty miles of washboard road? Tow a 11 ft raft on a flat trailer? I was just floating this idea past my wife if possible : )

 

[Robert Engleheart]

I know zilch about automotive engineering....please forgive....
Could a Siena be lifted to maybe the same as an Outback? Do you think it could withstand twenty miles of washboard road? Tow a 11 ft raft on a flat trailer? I was just floating this idea past my wife if possible : )

Why not, bigger springs and shocks, tires. Newer ones rated to tow 3500#’s, pretty sure even the older ones would pull a raft. Saw one on CL or BaT a while back that looked like what you described.

 

[Rob Allen]

This might be helpful..

 

[rattlesnake]

I had a 2013 f150 EB 3.5L and had a few minor issues but nothing too crazy. Worst of my problems were rusted underside and rocker panel etc (typical of pa trucks). Got rid of it in 2021 at 110k and got a really good trade in and bought the 2.7 EB f150. It’s the stx package so 18” wheels and I get 21mpg on the highway. I drive a little fast but nothing crazy. Can push to 22/22.5mpg if I keep it at 70mph but don’t have that restraint. I only tow light drift boats and small AL boats and it get 15/16 so pretty good.

All of this to say I’ve generally been happy with my 2 fords. One word of caution is that with the AL body fords, if you dent a panel, often can’t beat out the dent and typically the panel needs to be replaced. My wife backed into the side of my truck when it was 10days old so that was fun.

Another word of caution is that I’ve heard to watch the oil level on the gmc/chevy. A friend drives a lot of highway and apparently those engines with shutdown valves eat a little oil. The oil life indicator said he was fine at say 10k miles but it doesn’t alert you that the oil was a bout a quart low. Not a big deal if you are aware and remember to check the oil every 5k regardless of the oil life indicator saying the oil has plenty of life remaining.

 

[Rob Allen]

You've either never owned one or fear the wrench unreasonably. And they were injected for the better part of that decade anyway and I've never heard of one packing up at 100k. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest mechanical is not your strong suit.

My f-150 is closing in on 300,000 miles on original drivetrain and lower than average maintenance. I could put a new engine and rebuild the Trans for 7 grand. I still wish it was a 95 instead of an 01 so it would be easier to work on but my point is that the idea that a vehicles reliability seriously diminishes at 100,000 miles is 100% false and is just consumerism justifying itself.
I had a 91 Toyota 4wd pick up and it was the worst truck I ever owned, but only because I had to rebuild the transmission.

the quality of a truck is conversely determined by how much Plastic is used in it's construction.

 

[Clean Willy]

the quality of a truck is conversely determined by how much Plastic is used in it's construction.

Well not so sure about that. My 2017 Tacoma is loaded with plastic, including the bed, and if by quality we mean built to last it would be hard to argue against Toyotas. Sure it would be nice if you didn't have to be a contortionist with 17 different socket extensions to change the plugs but there isn't much I am not able to do as far as maintenance on it. My previous '07 Tacoma had 175k miles when I sold it and never needed anything but oil changes, brakes, shocks and struts.

That said, anyone seriously considering a newer Tacoma, ask me first. They aren't perfect.

 

[SurfnFish]

My son had an Element I used to borrow when I flew into the Bay Area for a visit. With the drivers seat jacked up by the little side lever I was comfortable enough. And I could easily fit my surfboards, including a 9' longboard inside of it. Great little rig.
Hundreds of model and the Manvan (great expression) remains the missing vehicle. Chevy had an excellent one in the full size AWD express, a fave of contractors in the Bend area until the AWD Ecoboost Transit with the utility body came out. The express is being discontinued in 2025, and the new 2026 model will be all electric with AWD options.
My ideal Manvan would be a Sienna with a 12" factory extended roof option, 3" lift with appropriate tires, and a utilitarian 'washout' interior'. The current 3.5 engine is rated to 5000# towing, which is plenty for outdoor fun that doesn't include larger trailers.
If only...

 

[Stonedfish]

I know zilch about automotive engineering....please forgive....
Could a Siena be lifted to maybe the same as an Outback? Do you think it could withstand twenty miles of washboard road? Tow a 11 ft raft on a flat trailer? I was just floating this idea past my wife if possible : )

Not sure how much the lift kit or the installation costs and what you are gaining clearance wise.
SF

 

[SurfnFish]

ore lNot sure how much the lift kit or the installation costs and what you are gaining clearance wise.
SF

For reference a stock Sienna AWD has 6.9 inches of bottom clearence, whereas a Forester has 8.7 inches, so even a two inch lift would be aequate for most non-trail conditions.
There are a few lifted AWD Sienna's in Bend tooling around. Talked to the owner of one of them, owner is on ski patrol at Mt. Bachelor, when we both pulled into the same gas station for fill-ups. Owner had a professionally installed 3" lift from Journey Offroads and was very happy with it.

Toyota Sienna AWD

Check out our All Wheel Drive Toyota Sienna Lift Kits

www.journeysoffroad.com

 

[SurfnFish]

whadda ya know..Journey lifted Sienna

2008 toyota sienna for sale by owner - Wenatchee, WA - craigslist

What we have here is a 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD, 7 passenger van with heated seats, flat screen cd player, sun/moon roof, WeatherTech floor mats, a very large Yakima roof top cargo carrier and a...

wenatchee.craigslist.org

 

[Stonedfish]

I know this will never happen, but I wish they made a Sienna with just two seats like some of the work vans and let you add 3rd or 4th individual seats if you wanted.
A two seat only version would be perfect for my needs.
SF

 

[BigSky_ 2]

Current rides:
My second Tacoma. A 2008 6 cyl with 94/K. Have to agree with other posters these smaller size trucks are bullet proof.
2012 Ford F-350 6.7, 72/K. Used for towing with no problems to date. Lots of power. Towing 15/K 12mpg, truck only around 19mpg.
2017 Subaru Outback 4cyl, 51/K. Great in snow, ice, and slush with around 30 mpg. Fun little car.

 

[JimTravers¤£a!!Travers]

Here's the deal. The main thing you need to consider on a TRUE TRUCK is it being Big. Need a Big truck. ENSURE that you can roll up to other people on various dirt roads TOWERING over them so you can lean out and sneer at them when you inform them: "you don't HAVE THE CLEARANCE to be back here!!!!!!!"

Bigger the better. Fact I wouldn't hesitate to go borderline MONSTER truck size.

 

[HauntedByWaters]

I have a Chevy Silverado 2010 LT with the 6.3L engine and the most basic transmission. A legitimate mechanic/truck nerd told me this was a very reliable setup. It hauls my boats and is the most comfortable vehicle to drive that I have ever owned.