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Oh, on the camping thing.... my truck was setup with a lifted sleeping platform and storage under. If you plan on sleeping on the bed, then you can leave the tailgate Down and gain another ~foot, which would make it comfortable. Toss up something like this (truck tent):
And you could be reasonably comfortable. You could also consider one of these type setups (Wilderness camper shell, there's one or two others like this):
The last option, if you'd rather do a smaller 4x4 vehicle, would be to tow a trailer. There are a few off-road versions of this thing (this is the Jumping Jack trailer):
But like I said earlier, I still toss my (only) tent in the truck/car/motorcycle and head out. I spend ~30 nights a year in the tent (a 16 year old Sierra Designs), it's comfortable for 2, quick to setup, and I'm used to it.
If you decide on a truck, finding one that's in good repair is WAY more important than what brand. Like I said, I love my T100 (3.4L engine, the same they ran from 1993~2004 in the Land Cruiser, Tacoma, T100, Tundra and 4Runner). I love it more for not making me work on it like the Chevy and Dodge before it despite it now having 3 times the miles of the Oldest domestic I owned.
I can't understand why any of you are bashing the Dakota.
I bought mine new in 2002, and compared to the Toyota, andMazda pickups I had before, my Dakota is an absolute gem.
I have 54,000 miles on it, and the only things I have replaced were the battery, starter, and brake pads.
It is the most dependable pickup I have ever owned, plus it still performs, and looks like new.
This picture was taken about three months ago.
My 1993 Nissan Hardbody has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I bought it new nearly 20 years ago, and it has needed only new shocks, a new starter, a brake job, and a windshield WASHER motor. in 200,000 plus miles. The much used A/C has never even needed a can of freon! Toyota trucks are good, too. My son in law has a Toyota T100, and it has given him excellent service. It is a bit thirsty on gas, though. The T100 is bigger than a mid size truck.
hey gents i'm looking at older trucks, im wanting something i can drive to go camping in sometimes, with a bed long enough that i could sleep in it if i wanted (im 6'), rather than pitching a tent.
im looking at dodge dakota, nissan hardbody, toyota t100, or the general toyota pickup, older models of these seem to be readily available for 2, 3, 4 grand
looking for some thoughts/recommendations
thanks
I would recommend the Tacoma, T100 or early Tundra. The later Tundra is just too big to drive offroad unless you're out west on those nice open trails. The TDR models are incredably capable offroad with nothing more than a good set of tires.
My old Tacoma has been flawless in 160K miles and I've beaten on it a number of times. The Bed is just a hair over 6ft so it's tight as i too am 6'1" but it can be done. I would recommend a nice bed cap if you honestly plan on sleeping in it out in the open. I woke up with a snake in the bed before the top went on.
I have 54,000 miles on it, and the only things I have replaced were the battery, starter, and brake pads.
.
LOL.. I see, we're on a different page of "reliable" here. I haven't needed brakes in the 123k miles I've driven (of the 187k my truck has seen), hasn't needed a starter, I did finally have to replace the battery last year (not OEM, but was in the truck in 2001 when I bought it).
54k and needing a starter and brakes!!?? That's ridiculous. Battery, yeah, that's a time-bomb... has nothing to do with the vehicle or its quality short of being killed early thanks to a broken charging system.
Heck, even my 2001 car with 238,000 miles is still on the original starter and brakes, and that's a VW!
As for the Dakota, I only have experience in a 97-ish model (belonged to a friend). It was such a turd, broke down so often, that he traded it in before 20k on a Toyota Tundra. That mimics my experience with Dodge too (though mine was a B250 van of the early 90's).
Very anecdotal as I'm sure that you could find someone with the same experience about ANY vehicle. Hence my earlier recommendation to forget about brand and just focus on finding the best vehicle for the money. Any modern vehicle Should be able to sail on past 200k miles with minimal fuss so long as preventative maintenance is addressed. There ARE still people who believe in that too, so the vehicles are out there.
I can't understand why any of you are bashing the Dakota.
I bought mine new in 2002, and compared to the Toyota, andMazda pickups I had before, my Dakota is an absolute gem.
I have 54,000 miles on it, and the only things I have replaced were the battery, starter, and brake pads.
It is the most dependable pickup I have ever owned, plus it still performs, and looks like new.
This picture was taken about three months ago.
Bob.
The battery I can understand but a starter and brakes in 54k.
I'm at 160k and have done fluids and a timing belt. I just the third set of pads on the front and replaced the rear shoes while I was at it. The first set of pads lasted 75k. The replacements lasted 80k.
LOL.. I see, we're on a different page of "reliable" here. I haven't needed brakes in the 123k miles I've driven (of the 187k my truck has seen), hasn't needed a starter, I did finally have to replace the battery last year (not OEM, but was in the truck in 2001 when I bought it).
54k and needing a starter and brakes!!?? That's ridiculous. Battery, yeah, that's a time-bomb... has nothing to do with the vehicle or its quality short of being killed early thanks to a broken charging system.
Heck, even my 2001 car with 238,000 miles is still on the original starter and brakes, and that's a VW!
As for the Dakota, I only have experience in a 97-ish model (belonged to a friend). It was such a turd, broke down so often, that he traded it in before 20k on a Toyota Tundra. That mimics my experience with Dodge too (though mine was a B250 van of the early 90's).
Very anecdotal as I'm sure that you could find someone with the same experience about ANY vehicle. Hence my earlier recommendation to forget about brand and just focus on finding the best vehicle for the money. Any modern vehicle Should be able to sail on past 200k miles with minimal fuss so long as preventative maintenance is addressed. There ARE still people who believe in that too, so the vehicles are out there.
I find it interesting that you're ragging a Dakota and bragging on your 2001 VW. As I stated on the earlier page, my Dakota is 20 years older than your VW and it's still running just fine. Maybe your friend needs to learn how to change oil and do routine maintenance.
I have a 'Wildernest'. They are great (but very hard to find these days). I added a row of batt insulation underneath the sleeping area because it can be quite cold with the air flowing underneath. Even if sleeping in the bed itself, be sure to add some insulation.
Can't beat a Dakota--the only 'small truck' available with a V8
I had a 1992 Dakota and absolutely loved it. I bought it on impulse as it was only 4 years old with ~50K miles and priced at under $3K due to some body damage (cosmetic only) that the previous owner took the insurance money for and didn't fix. Unfortunately I had to sell it after a few months because I really needed a full-size truck and couldn't afford two vehicles at the time.
I've always hoped to find another one, but unfortunately because of the lower resale value of Chrysler products of that era most people have chosen to keep them until they fall apart rather than sell them.
By the way, mine was a Sport model with the 3.9 V6 and five speed, it had plenty of get-up-and-go (more than many V-8 trucks I've owned) and got pretty good mileage. If you're planning to camp under the stars or with one of those pickup be tents someone posted earlier the shortbed with the tailgate down will probably be fine, but if you're looking at sleeping under a topper I'd look for an 8' bed. They are harder to find, though.
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