another car buying question

November 3, 2015 5:49 PM

I am looking to purchase a midsize truck, the variant with the extended cab, but not four full doors. My budget, in total, is $20,000, and when I am done it needs to have a cab, a lumber rack, and I will build a camping platform for the bed of the truck, drawers and a raised bed. There is $20,000, for ALL of this to be completed. Craigslist is hurting my brain at this point.

Needs-
fuel economy
reasonably low mileage (10000 or less per year)
no rust
no chipped paint
4WD

Wants-
direct from owner
tow package
off road package
minimal prior owners

posted by maleru to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

......what's the question? Also where are you located?
posted by Karaage at 6:25 PM on November 3, 2015

Response by poster: Where do I look? What kind of truck should I be looking for? Why does every single seller think their particular item is somehow worth slightly more than KBB?
I am in Seattle, but I will travel anywhere, and the truck will be living in Alaska.
posted by maleru at 6:38 PM on November 3, 2015

Toyota Tacoma fits a lot of your criteria, if you can find one used at the right price. A lot of them in the Seattle area.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 6:44 PM on November 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

You say you need reasonably low mileage, at less than 10,000 per year without really giving a hard number. Some clarification on that might be helpful. I'm of the opinion that service records matter more than mileage, in general.

Furthermore, I am not a truck guy, at all, but would suggest a few options:

1. Browse through and post a question in https://reddit.com/r/trucks, https://www.reddit.com/r/whatcarshouldibuy and https://www.reddit.com/r/TruckCampers,

2. Consider going through a local Auto broker.

3. Or asking local mechanics about their recommendations.

I normally would suggest Toyota, but remember reading of their insanely high resale price and issues with frame rust. I'm unsure of when the rust issue was solved.
posted by Giggilituffin at 6:50 PM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Why does every single seller think their particular item is somehow worth slightly more than KBB?

Probably because every buyer that contacts them is lowballing them and trying to get under KBB. If you see an ad like this and it fits your other requirements, consider contacting them and offer KBB, assuming their assessment is correct.
posted by Karaage at 6:53 PM on November 3, 2015

Response by poster: Thankfully I have a mechanic on call, casting a wider net than just Seattle can make things a little more difficult, and costly.
As for mileage, I just mean around 10,000 miles per year. I understand trucks are often owned by rural commuters, which make for highway miles, but everyone claims highway miles and at home oil changes every 3000 miles.
I will probably put 7-8000 miles on the vehicle every year, part of that being 2000 driving up to Alaska, and 2000 driving down to Seattle.

I keep looking at trucks priced at KBB excellent condition price, and as I question the sellers, it's, "well yes, there is a little rust on the undercarriage." and, "yes, minor paint chipping on the edge of the door." I understand that no one wants to hear that they are asking $500 more than an appraisal for a car worth $2000 more than what they are selling, but I'm an old fashioned good at my word and a handshake is binding kind of person. This is why I prefer to purchase directly from an owner.
posted by maleru at 7:45 PM on November 3, 2015

I was extremely happy with my GMC Sonoma back in the day. Extended cab, 4WD, 6-foot bed. V6 gave reasonable power and relatively acceptable gas mileage. Heaviest clutch I ever had in a vehicle, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:50 PM on November 3, 2015

maleru: " Why does every single seller think their particular item is somehow worth slightly more than KBB?"

Because you are looking for a mint condition, low mileage, one owner pickup. Also KBB is bit of an average and you may be looking for a desirable model in your area.
posted by Mitheral at 9:53 PM on November 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I was pickup shopping a couple months ago -- in your price range, you're looking at a truck with 100,000+ miles on it; I was considering pickups with 200,000 miles for $15,000. The low-mileage trucks are the ones driven around by somebody who didn't really need a truck and has all the luxury bells-and-whistles and cost $60,000 when they bought it; the barebones ones are driven by people who need a truck, and they put 30,000 miles on it a year.

Also working against you is that trucks are in demand: the people that need trucks are buying trucks, it's not like a sedan where people decide whether to upgrade based on quality-of-product vs cost; the price is high for trucks because truck buyers are often businesses, or people with businesses, that need trucks and are willing to invest in them, so good trucks that are worth the money demand full price. A five-year-old off-fleet, barebones truck with no amenities, with 50,000 miles on it, is going to cost practically the same as a brand new truck, because it is, effectively, a brand new truck -- that's practically unused.

The good news: trucks, real trucks, are built to go 200,000 miles. The truck I eventually bought for $10,000 is nine years old, has 180,000 miles on it, and is in excellent shape; there were others on the lot of the same model with 250,000 miles on them, so I'm pretty sure I can get another 100,000 miles out of it with regular maintenance. Mine is an F250 that was off-fleet, previously owned by a company I know well and that they treat their assets properly, so I can't speak for every truck out there.

So, you're not going to find a low-mileage truck for half or a third of its original price. But, open up your limits a bit -- people who own trucks put miles on them, and the trucks are built to handle it, so don't gauge mileage the same as you would a car.

Also: I'd be wary on the 'direct from seller' requirement -- if they felt they needed to buy a truck, and used it until the point that they can no longer use that particular truck, there's probably something wrong with it. But that's why I'm averse to buying Craigslist vehicles to begin with; it feels like a "I gotta dump this vehicle fast" way to sell a truck, and that makes me think it's broken.
posted by AzraelBrown at 4:54 AM on November 4, 2015 [3 favorites]

In my area, "mid-size" pickups seem to be more expensive than full-size. It's entirely possible that by the time you build your camper onto the bed, a smaller truck may get worse mileage than a larger one. I recommend you relax your cosmetic requirements and look for a truck that will meet your needs functionally, focusing on whatever model is most popular in your area.

I paid $3000 for a 2001 F-150 Supercab with 140k miles earlier this year, and spent another $150 fixing some minor issues (Ford truck parts are cheap and plentiful). A 4wd model in similar condition would've been 4-5000. Mine has a dent in the tailgate, a few rock chips around the headlights, and one of the nerf bars is missing its rubber pad. But it's a truck -- it hauls my stuff and tows my trailer.
posted by bradf at 8:49 AM on November 4, 2015