It’s been an interesting last couple of days around these parts, hasn’t it? Chad is still in the honeymoon phase with his recently-acquired square-body dually. And after reading my piece about how late-model trucks are steadily climbing to the oddly mythical 1,000 ft/lb mark, he went off like a cannon about how these overkill, overloaded toy haulers are landing in the wrong hands. And judging from how many comments suddenly appeared out of nowhere, that struck a nerve with a few of you. But I tend to agree: the people who are out there buying Ford F-350 and F-450 Super Duty pickups, Ram Heavy Duty trucks, and the top-tier GM twins aren’t all workers who need that kind of grunt, or people who use those trucks on a daily basis. They are buying the toy hauler, the truck that will carry the fifth-wheel RV trailer around the country. They will be the top-of-the-line variation, they will be pretty, and they won’t mean jack squat to most BangShifters until that first sucker eats the depreciation and those rigs start to hit the used market.
Instead of carrying on about new trucks, I’m going to switch gears and move on to an old truck. This Chevy is almost forty years old, if the ad is to be believed. It’s a square Chevy…I don’t care what year it is, I’ll take it at face value. And what I’m seeing here is both strange and awesome at the same time. It’s a crew cab, but it’s not a dually. Instead, it’s a single rear that’s supporting a gooseneck hitch in a custom rear kit, complete with a headache bar, toolboxes, storage bins and the works. According to the ad, this thing is running a 7.8L diesel engine…but it’s also claiming that it’s a V8, too. One look under the hood will clear that up: if it isn’t a giant six-cylinder, you’re probably packing a 6.2/6.5L. Whatever the case, gearing shouldn’t be a concern: it’s a five-speed with a three-speed auxillary unit. Row those gears to your heart’s content!
We’d take this over any late-model hauler any day of the week. A tweak here and there and some brightening, and we might even see the value go up on this beauty!
Oh Yeah, I got this 53′ Great Dane loaded to the top with old engine blocks I need to get to the west coast by Thursday. This is just what I was looking for to pull it. Thanks Taggs.