In <C180q6.2FI@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> lovejoy@cantor.math.purdue.edu (Victor W. Lovejoy) writes:
>Hi, everyone, this is Vic. My fiance, Jodi, and I are going to be married in
>May and live in Greencastle, IN. She will graduate in May and start working
>as a Veterinarian there. I will be commuting to Purdue (~75 miles) three days per week to finish my degree. She and I have two horses that reside on her
>Mother's farm about 10 miles away from Greencastle. We have decided to buy
>a pickup for me when she graduates so we will both have transportation and
>we'll have some way to haul hay and feed to the horses.
>We don't have a horse trailer so there will be no trailering done on the
>truck. We figure that by the time we are ready buy our own land and move
>the horses to it, several years will have passed and we can rent or buy a
>truck and trailer then for that purpose.
>So our situation is: we need a truck (A Chevy) that can be used for driving
>everyday and gets used like a car, and then has the capability to haul a
>bed full of hay or maybe a few sacks of grain. We have looked at a 1500 that
>had a bunch of options (used) and it seemed nice. The cruise/air/stereo/power
>features would make my drive to Purdue easy to take, but will a Chevy 1500 be
>strong enough to haul hay and feed? I've heard that in order to haul the 1/2
>ton the truck is rated for, special coolers and suspension will be needed.
>That seems crazy. If the truck will only haul 300 pounds in it's stock conditionwhy don't they call it a Chevy 300 pound truck?
>Logic tells me that a Chevy 1/2 ton will haul 1/2 ton of stuff in it's bed
>just the way it comes off the showroom floor - no optional coolers or shocks
>needed. Am I right? We have a few months to decide on the vehicle we want
>and the place we want to buy it. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I am also starting to look for a truck or maybe a van. The problems I
find looking at pickups are:
* they don't have seating/locking/sheltered space like a van
* pickups have become a status symbol at the expense of functionality
on a farm (as in your example of basic 300lb capacity, which is
nothing)
Nonetheless, I will continue to assess them, and I'll pass on anything
I find out.
On the positive side, the increased use as a liesure vehicle has meant
increased mileage ratings.
One thing that is interesting is that consumer reports' tests suggest
that pickup covers and caps do not improve fuel efficiency. I thought
