Anyone with a pickup truck knows what a great investment they can be. A pickup can do a lot more than an ordinary car or covered truck, and it can be a practical purchase for many different walks of life. However, it’s not something you should just jump into without thinking about it.
This post should walk you through some of the things you need to think about when buying a pickup.
Pros and Cons
Every single large purchase comes bundled with pros and cons, or reasons why to and why not to get a pickup.
First, let’s look at the bad news. Pickups are expensive. They’re pricey to buy, especially if you’re getting a new pickup, and they’re also expensive to run and even insure. This is because they’re larger vehicles and need more powerful engines. Pickups go through a lot of fuel, so they’re far less efficient than other vehicles. You might also find that they sometimes get a bad reputation for being bad for the environment.
However, there are also a lot of good reasons to consider a pickup.
First, pickups let you carry a lot of stuff. This can actually be a double-edged sword, as you might find yourself becoming everyone’s favorite moving buddy and hauler. However, this will come in really handy, and you can always start charging for your hauling services. This is probably the primary reason that most people bite the bullet.
Pickups are also hardy beasts. They can tackle all kinds of terrain and they’re sturdy and reliable, especially if you make a good decision when buying them. They’re incredibly practical vehicles.
Last but not least, pickups can look really cool. Yeah, there’s no escaping that one.
Picking the Right Pickup
Choosing the right pickup truck for you comes down to two things. Your needs and your budget.
You might have your heart set on a specific vehicle, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most affordable or the most practical option. Instead, do your research and make sure you make the right choice the first time.
Second-hand pickups are often more affordable, which means they can be a good entry-level option. Pickups are often reliable and easy to fix as well, so you can get it back in good condition. However, any second-hand purchase is risky, because you don’t know how well or badly your vehicle has been treated.
Buying new means that you know exactly what you’re getting, which is why you have to pay a bit more. Your truck will also last longer, which might work out as cheaper in the long run.
Some trucks have better resale value than others so that older pickup could be a gold-mine as you can resell it later down the road and not lose much money at all.
But what about your needs?
Lifted Pickups and Off-Roading
Most pickups can handle fairly rough terrain, but your best bet is to invest in a lifted pickup truck. A lifted truck like this black widow truck doesn’t just look cool, but it is much better at handling off-road driving, as your pickup can even drive straight over obstacles.
By lifting the truck, you allow your suspension to work so much more effectively. The chassis can move as it needs to as it has a lot more clearance over the wheels. You can also drive over things without worrying about anything getting stuck under your truck.
When driving off-road, it’s also important to make sure that you have the right tires for the job. Off-roading might involve a lot of mud or even streams, which can be tricky to work with when you have ordinary tires. Nobody wants to get their pickup stuck.
But with the right pickup and the right setup, you can have the freedom to drive or work wherever you need to.
Repairing and Maintaining Your Pickup
One of the best things about pickups is that they are workhorses. A pickup should be able to keep going and stay reliable, so you can keep on working as much as you need to. Unfortunately, every car needs some TLC now and then.
If you have some mechanic skills, you can fix and tune your truck yourself. You can even buy new parts for it, either to repair a problem or improve your truck’s performance so it can do even more.
Of course, you should make sure you have the right tools and the right skills when you work on your vehicle. Nobody wants to take their engine apart only to discover that they can’t put it back together again.
Your Carrying Capacity
One of the main reasons to buy a pickup is so that you can carry loads of stuff. This might include work equipment, farming equipment, furniture, or whatever else you can think of. But this doesn’t mean that your pickup can carry literally everything.
Every vehicle has its own carrying capacity and weight limit. If you overload your pickup by a little bit, it might be fine. But it also might not. And, if you overload your pickup by a lot, you could damage the suspension or even the chassis. The engine also might not be able to cope with the extra load.
If you want to make sure your pickup keeps on trucking, you need to look after it. Research the carrying capacity of your car before you buy it and remember that number every time you load the trunk.
This also counts people, so if you’re carrying a heavy load, don’t fill the truck with extra bodies.
When loading the pickup, try to load it evenly and keep the weight low to the bed of the trunk. This means that your stuff is less likely to fall out of the back and you’ll have a much easier time when driving around and transporting items. You can use straps to further secure items in the back and stop them from sliding around.
