Been looking on craigslist and autotrader without much luck. Here is the deal. I've got a 2004 extracab with 150k miles on it that is mod'd as I thought perfect for my needs. ARB/icon shocks and upper controls, alcan leafs, 235/75 BFG AT's, ARE cap, dual batteries, sliders. Nothing too crazy and aside from the mild lift, you wouldn't know its not bone stock driving around town. Last 10 years its been great to me, but time in life has come that we need 4 doors even on the truck to fit car seats. Did the new vs used search since some of the new upcoming things are interesting: small diesels engines, ecoboost, etc. The only problem is that to get into something brand new, double cab, its both physically huge and coughing at $40k or more. to go from 17mpg to 27mpg at best, its not worth the payback for me for the whopping 12k miles I drive each year. The rub is that a new (or newer used) double cab taco is $30-35k and might net me 20mpg which REALLY doesn't make sense.
So I think i've decided to simply try and kick the can down the road another 5 years and find a 2004 double cab that has something < 200k miles and the body/mechanicals are in great shape. NADA says without mods a double cab is only worth 1-2k more than my extra cab, so seems like a great solution until small diesels are available used and the kinks are worked out. If i find something stock I can move most/all my own mods over to it, if there is one mildly built thats cool too I just can't pay a huge amount for the mods, or have to part mine out. If anyone has a very modestly built DC they want to get rid of, let me know. Primarily this will now be used for pulling a light camping trailer (jumping jack) and BLM fire roads at most. So even a bone stock DC could possibly work with just a bigger set of tires.
If anyone has any other suggestions for me on good ideas, let me know!
So I think i've decided to simply try and kick the can down the road another 5 years and find a 2004 double cab that has something < 200k miles and the body/mechanicals are in great shape. NADA says without mods a double cab is only worth 1-2k more than my extra cab, so seems like a great solution until small diesels are available used and the kinks are worked out. If i find something stock I can move most/all my own mods over to it, if there is one mildly built thats cool too I just can't pay a huge amount for the mods, or have to part mine out. If anyone has a very modestly built DC they want to get rid of, let me know. Primarily this will now be used for pulling a light camping trailer (jumping jack) and BLM fire roads at most. So even a bone stock DC could possibly work with just a bigger set of tires.
If anyone has any other suggestions for me on good ideas, let me know!