RideLust

Image: Bremach USA

If you wanted a go-anywhere truck to haul you and your stuff out where the busses don’t run, Mercedes-Benz’s Unimog is perhaps the best choice in the world. What if you’re concerned with saving the planet, even after the zombie apocalypse, and you prefer your heavy duty 4×4 truck in EV flavor? Until now, you were out of luck, but Bremach is looking to change that with their T.Rex. Sure, you can still get it in fossil fuel versions (one variant comes equipped with a 6.0 liter Chevy V8), but tree hugging survivalists can also opt for a hybrid version, a compressed natural gas version or a full-on EV model. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Turbodiesel torque, reasonable ride quality for a heavy-duty truck

Thumbs Down: To big to park in tight lots

Buy This Truck If: If you’re a Mopar guy and need a heavy duty truck, this is it

I just reviewed the 2010 Ram 2500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4 back in December, so I’ll just summarize my last review by saying it does everything you expect a large, heavy duty pickup to do. Heavy duty trucks don’t make a lot of sense unless you need their towing or hauling capacity; while I didn’t have a chance to test either, I got the distinct impression that the Ram 2500 with the Cummins turbodiesel motor could easily tow the maximum load of 15,450 pounds with very little drama. This time around, I saw 16.6 MPG instead of the 12.6 MPG returned by my last 2010 Ram 2500 tester, and I’d attribute much of the difference to the fact that my latest Ram 2500 rode on stock wheels and tires, not oversized mud-terrain tires. This version had a standard ride height instead of a 2” lift, and that made a noticeable difference in handling. Driving the lifted Ram on-road was a chore, but driving the latest Ram on pavement was far more enjoyable. Read More…

*Photo Credit: DieselPower

It should be no secret that the longer you keep your car or truck, the longer it’ll pay you back. I mean let’s face it, in an economy that’s riddled with unemployment, layoff’s and unexpected expenditures, not having a car payment can be a beautiful thing. Now most cars today are good up until 100,000-150,000 miles. After that though things simply start to wear out. Suspension components, body and interior items, even if well taken care of, all have a life span. But what about the heart of your vehicle, what about the engine. The old adage of changing your oil every 3000 miles is all but gone, in fact many manufacturers don’t recommend oil changes until 7,500 miles. Personally, this kinda freaks me out, but hey, they did the research and development so they should supposedly know best. Over time some people simply get bored with rides and either sell them out right, or trade them in for something new. However if your name is Howard Clayton, then you may just keep your cars forever.
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*Photo Credit: StupidDope.com

Over the years I’ve come across some pretty ostentatious vehicles, but this sucker takes the cake. This is the SportChassis P4XL from Freightliner and it’s the vehicle for those with severe insecurity problems. It used to be that the Hummer H1 was the biggest and baddest 4×4 you could buy, but compared to the SportChassis P4XL, the H1 is like a Tonka toy. What you get with the P4XL is basically a full-sized big rig with limited 4×4 capabilities, loads of interior cabin space and a footprint the size of Montana. For instance the P4XL has a 174-in. wheelbase, 100-in. width and is 264 inches from front to back – that’s stupid big. It’s also four wheel drive, but with a weight of 6.5 tons it’s not exactly fit for any real off-roading. What the P4XL does do however is make a statement by basically telling the world that you simply don’t give a shit about anyone or anything.
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My own FJ, playin' in the dirt.

Uh oh – this recall hits close to home, since I own a 2008 FJ Cruiser. Looks like I’ll be getting notice in the near future to bring my truck to the dealer for a tire pressure sensor recalibration. I have no idea what’s involved, but I imagine it’s just a software update to correct the minimum threshold tire sensor values. Since replacement parts aren’t involved, I suspect the recall will be executed quickly once Toyota kicks it off. Some 22,000 Toyota trucks are affected and the list of vehicles follows the jump. Read More…

It looks like RAM is taking a page from the import worlds playbook by offering a soon-to-be-released Ram 1500 pickup designed for first time buyers who want to customize their trucks. Possibly to be called the Adventurer, the new truck takes some marketing ideas directly from the new Ram Tradesman that we wrote about earlier by offering a lot of truck for little money. The guys at Ram know that most young buyers will modify their trucks shortly after purchase, so it makes sense to offer them a great inexpensive platform for which to start with.

A blurb from Chrysler’s Press release states:
“We know we have the formula right,” said Ram Truck President and CEO Fred Diaz. “Now we just need a great name that promotes pride of ownership. This new Ram model will be an attractive alternative for a younger or first-time buyer looking for performance at an affordable price. Case in point, it will have more horsepower and a lower base price than our competitors’ entry-level performance cars with the added benefit of versatility and capability.”

Not only do I think that this is a great marketing strategy by Ram, but I have a feeling that it’s going to lure A LOT of potential buyers away from Ford and Chevrolet. Don’t be surprised however if you see them following suit with low budget performance trucks in the near future.

Source: Chrysler

Chevy's Colorado will live on. Image: © GM Corp.

Like pickup trucks but don’t need a full size one? If you’re partial to GM products, there’s good news on the horizon: PickupTrucks.com is reporting that GM has started work on the replacement for the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon midsize pickups. Unlike the new Ford Ranger, these trucks are destined for the U.S. market and will be based on the GMI 700 body-on-frame global small truck platform. The 700 platform Chevy Colorado for the far east market is expected to be shown at this year’s Thailand International Motor Expo, but don’t expect new trucks in the U.S. sooner than 2014. Read More…

Ever see a pickup truck outfitted with high racks, a trailer hitch and a work-box? Well guess what, that’s a work truck and they keep all sorts of small businesses going year after year. They’re also the backbone of local contractors, municipalities and hard working people all over the country. Dodge understands this and to answer the call they’ll be releasing a new pickup truck called the Tradesman that was specifically designed for the working man. The Tradesman starts off as a normal Ram 1500 ST, but then adds such standard features as a 390 hp/407 lb-ft of torque HEMI V8, a 5-speed automatic transmission, class IV trailer hitch with integrated harnesses, as well as heavy-duty engine cooling and a separate transmission cooler. This all helps the Tradesman to achieve a best-in-class towing capacity of 10,450 lbs. Combine that with painted 17-inch steel wheels and available four-wheel drive and you’ve got a truck that will get just about any job done.
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Ya’ know I always wondered how those big 18-wheelers actually removed the snow from the tops of their trailers during a snow storm. Now I don’t know about where you live, but here in New York State it’s against the law to drive around with a snow covered roof. The fear is that the snow (or ice) may go flying off and into somebodies windshield. It’s a valid concern and one that I’ve actually seen happen on the Long Island Expressway. This becomes especially dangerous if you’ve experienced below freezing temperatures as what you have then are large projectiles that have the ability to cause some major damage. As for these trucks, I’m sure there are some kind of regulations against ripping down the interstate with 3-feet of snow on your trailer, but for the life of me I have no idea what they are. What’s really interesting here is that the driver of the following car had the foresight to whip out their cellphone and take the wild video you see here.
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It’s probably a bad thing to judge a commercial delivery vehicle on looks alone, but I’ve got to say that Navistar’s eStar is the coolest looking delivery truck I’ve ever seen. Hell, it might even be the coolest looking EV I’ve seen to date, and I can’t wait to see one in person. Unlike electric conversions, the eStar was designed from the ground up as a commercial electric vehicle. It’s got a range of up to 100 miles per charge, it’ll take up to a 4,000 pound payload and it’ll go up to 50 miles per hour (relegating it to city-only use). Using a Level 2 charger (220 volt), the eStar can be fully recharged in about 8 hours. FedEx tested four eStars for routes in Los Angeles, and found the battery range to be sufficient for a normal eight hour shift. Read More…