Alaska bound (cross-posted)

[jmoore1911]

Greetings all! My name is john, and I'm trapped in central Illinois - nothing but corn & soybeans as far as the eye can see I'm looking at retiring in a few years, and am starting to prepare for it now

First off - this is one unbelievable forum - FANTASTIC! VERY useful info.

To get to the point......

I'm basically a motorcycle traveler who must switch to 4 wheels d/t some medical issues. My last long trip was 6 weeks of exploring the lesser known aspects of Northern Newfoundland on my Beemer. Well - those days are behind me, and I'm looking to 4 wheel it. After a few weeks of lurking and searching this site - I've decided that I would like to get a pickup and a pop-up camper. Though I could certainly get by with a flip pac (which would be absolute heaven after years of motorcycle camping, I'll probably go with a hard-sided pop-up so that the wife can fly in for a week or two at a time to join me

I have the benefit of building my system from the ground up, hence the massive flow of questions I'll be sending to the various groups on this list. My initial question is in reference to getting a pickup to haul the popup. Though I drove a Wrangler for 13 years, I've never had a pickup - domestic or import. I KNOW that I risk starting an age old (to you - not to me war by asking the following - but here goes! (And Yes, I'm also working my way through the search function with my questions - but this is simply faster.)

I'm pretty much going to look at full size (I'm 6'5" and 290#) pickups with extended (not crew) cabs. Maybe short bed - maybe long. Depends on the popup I end up getting.

So - my local choices are 2-4 year old Ford, Dodge, Nissan and Toyota. Maybe gas - maybe diesel, definitely 4x4. The questions....

1) Are there any pros or cons that a newbie like me might need to be aware of based on a given brand, i.e., Brand X had terrible diesel engines from 2003 - 2005, but they're decent now.

2) This rig will be used mostly for Spring-Summer-Fall trips throughout Canada (BC & NWT) and Alaska. Re repairs and parts - I have no idea of what brands are common up in those areas, i.e., would I be less likely to find a Nissan or Toyota dealer in Deadhorse as opposed to Ford or Dodge?.

3) I plan on keeping the truck a long time - so the added cost of going diesel isn't a concern. Any problems with diesel availability in the outback regions described above?

4) Any other thoughts or suggestions? Again - I'd like to do this right from the get-go, and it looks like this is the place to post my questions. (I have cross-posted to cover both domestic and import trucks, BTW.)

Thanks up front!

john (aka - BoneDaddy)

 

[Cackalak Han]

I don't have any input as of yet, but I'm sure there is a question on everyone's mind. What is your budget?

 

[jmoore1911]

$$$ range

I don't have any input as of yet, but I'm sure there is a question on everyone's mind. What is your budget?

Somewhere between EarthRoamer and an 86 Ranger with a pup tent on it?

Seriously - I'm looking at the camper being anywhere plus or minus around $20k, and the truck - depending on whether it's diesel or gas - at between $20 - 30k.

john

 

[laxtoy]

well, since you're going full size, my vote is for a dodge cummins. plenty of weight carrying capacity, plus if you go with one a few years older you get the 5.9 liter, which still has plenty of power but gets a few miles per gallon better, which when you look at those numbers, around twenty on the highway, thats about what i get in my 99 tacoma. plus the cummins engine is regarded world wide as one of the simplest, most powerful and reliable diesel engines there are, you could probably have no problem getting 800k out of on. full size gas engines are gas guzzlers, and i just don't see the point anymore in that. plus with the dodges, you get good solid drive train minus the transmissions, which those and the torque converters are surely the weak point. if you got one with the six speed manual, added to the dana 60 up front and a spicer 70 and a limited slip in back, good solid truck. hell, you could even run biodiesel and have a truck that is very earth friendly, if you care about that stuff.

 

[jeremiahak]

Well, if you are planning on heading to Deadhorse you will not find any car dealerships there. The closest dealerships to the far north of Alaska are located in Fairbanks (my hometown). Here you can find Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Nissan, Dodge, and Jeep dealerships. You shouldn't have a hard time locating parts for any of these brands in this part of the state.

Yes, this is my first post. I've been lurking for a while and figured I should chime in to address your Alaska question. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about the area. I've lived here my entire life, and I've driven through ANWR, Denali Park, etc. countless times.

Good luck with your search for the perfect expedition vehicle. I just started on mine as well. I've got an 08 FJ cruiser, and a 1993 toyota standard cab.


JP