The Bed
Despite
how it looks in today's market, there are really only two bed sizes:
those that will hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood lying flat, and those that
are too small. The eight-foot length in particular is important
because there are a LOT of things you'll be buying which require an
eight-foot bed. Since you can get a bed with greater than 4x8
inside dimensions in even some of the smallest trucks, it's a good idea
to make this choice.
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The 1957 Chevrolet, General Motors'
first civilian four-wheel drive pickup. |
The Engine
Interestingly enough, the engine is one of the less important
considerations, partly because you don't have a lot of choices anyway.
A diesel
engine would be superior for farm or homestead use (and probably any
other use, for that matter) but currently diesels in light trucks are
very rare in America. Izusu used to import a diesel pick-up, but
those are
getting harder and harder to find. Mahindra, the Indian
tractor people, will be importing a small diesel pick-up with an 8-foot
bed next year, and more diesels are headed our way in the future.
As for
today, it would be hard for any earth-conscious person to choose a V-8
engine in anything as light as a quarter- or half-ton truck. You
probably won't find any V-8's in quarter-tons at all, and six-cylinder
half- tons are quite plentiful. You can get all the pull you need
from lower gearing with a good four- or five-speed manual transmission,
leaving us to the last item...
The Transmission
You can't
operate a manual transmission? My goodness,
you really are a si... well, let's not go there.
Being limited
to an automatic transmission may be okay for a teenage girl (although I
made it a point to teach my girls how to get home on their own, no
matter the circumstances) but it's a very expensive weakness in the
country.
Here's what you
need to do before you leave the city, honey...
You need to
learn how to use a clutch. The best way I know to do this is to go out
and buy yourself a truck with a strong, truck-style transmission, with
what's referred to as a "granny gear" low. By the time you get it
home, you should know everything you need to about how to use the
clutch, after that, the rest is just a matter of developing
finesse.
A standard
transmission and clutch system is simple, strong and repairable.
An automatic transmission is none of these things; when one fails, the
only practical solution is to replace the whole expensive mess.
In fact, that's
probably the most beautiful aspect of the perfect homestead truck - it's
the one with the fewest options, the lowest cost, and the most
economical operation. Keep it lubricated and maintained, and you
can depend on it for a lifetime of hauling, pulling and getting you in
and out in the worst of weather.
It may not make
you feel more macho, but you'll spend less time in the ditch, and save
enough hard cash to be a panty-waist in style.
