I love pickup trucks. They have personality, attitude and are a hell of a lot more loyal than a horse! Most vehicles convey the personality of their owner; pickups also have their own individual nature. I’ve never met one that I didn’t like. Trucks I thought I didn’t like, were actually a reflection of my regard for their owner.
You learn a lot about a guy, or gal, when you look at their pickup; beginning with the fact that they actually drive one. Some people baby their trucks and lavish them with gifts. Others neglect them, never clean them or change the oil, beat them up; and are rewarded with loyalty they do not deserve.
I’m not much for bumper stickers but one of my favorites says “Silly Boys, trucks are for girls.” When I met my wife, she had an old rusted-out International Harvester that she took away from her dad. We sold it for almost nothing when we moved from California to Tennessee. She still pines for “Old Red.”
I learned to drive at age 9, on my Dad’s 1954 Willys Pickup. It was a 4 cylinder, 4WD with a three speed stick-shift. It was worn out when he bought it circa1961 and was not reliable. It never left us stranded but we limped in on baling wire more than once. If duct tape had been around then we probably would have kept it running a couple of years longer. I have missed it every day since Dad got rid of it.
My first pickup was a 1952 International Harvester long bed. It had a flat six and a four speed transmission. I bought it in 1976 from my childhood neighbor, George Kirov; he was too old to drive and it had not been driven for a long time. He probably bought it surplus from the Forest Service in the mid ’50’s. It was brush-painted Forest Service Green. I put in a new 6 volt battery and away it went. Had to replace all the belts, hoses and tires before I took it out of town. It was a great truck. Top speed was about 50 and the windows were so sand pitted that you could barely see when the sun was wrong. The brakes were good, as long as you had a ton or less of cargo, usually firewood. The engine and transmission were bullet-proof. In a moment of weakness, I gave it to my brother David. He PROVED it was bullet-proof and I never forgave him for it. That’s another story for another day.
Some people accessorize and pamper their trucks like rich men pamper their daughters. Others never change the oil and drive them into the ground. I guess I am somewhere in the mid-range. My sons would say that I am a bit obsessive with maintenance. Tires are my biggest concern; then general cleanliness. My truck doesn’t have to be spotless but it needs to be reasonably clean. They aren’t waste baskets or storage units.
I had a new tire, on a new vehicle, blow out at a very in-opportune time. Left front tire was a 2 ply nylon rated at 4ply. Had about 400 miles on the tire when it blew. I spun through the median and three lanes of heavy traffic without hitting anything or rolling. Pucker factor 9. I have driven steel belted radials, preferably Michelin, since. I replace them about 5000 miles before they are technically worn out. No re-caps. Haven’t had a tire problem, other than road hazards, since.
No single truck-bed configuration is optimal. Ladder racks, caps, campers, headache racks, tonneau covers or stock; they all have their advantages and limitations as to what you can do. I would lean to a “swiss army” configuration if I could. However, I have to consider how it looks to the neighbors and my wife.
Outfitting is critical. A basic set of tools, a good jack, tow chain, tire chains, shovel and ice scraper are the minimum. I generally add another 800 lbs. of supplemental gear as dictated by my destination. I rarely need the stuff, but when shit happens… I’m ready. When I really get serious, I add a chain saw and a torch to the kit; along with three days food and water.
The simple pleasures of life are the sweetest. One of my favorite things is to load up the truck on an early morning with the dog, grand-dog, and my wife; we go to McDonalds for coffee and sausage biscuits.