Truck Size

When shopping for a used truck, the most important thing to consider is how big of a truck you actually need to get the job done. If you will be hauling relatively light loads or small trailers, then a nice compact truck should work nicely for you. In contrast, if you have a large boat or equipment that will be pulled around on a consistent basis, then a larger model will be better. Keeping this in mind before walking into a used truck dealership should help prevent you from driving off with an overpriced full size truck that is more looks than functional for you- with the payments to show for it.

Engine and Fuel Usage

If you are looking for value for your truck purchase, you may be surprised to find that many compact trucks get the same mileage as cars. There are compact truck models that have 4, 6, and eight cylinder engines and automatic transmissions that will give you a good mileage per dollar investment. That’s in contrast to the larger 10 and diesel engines that full size trucks offer. Unless the dealership is giving you an excellent deal on the price to compensate for the lack of fuel economy, then it’s probably not worth it to buy a full size truck for everyday use.

Safety Equipment

Today’s trucks come loaded with the best in safety equipment like anti-lock brakes, drive train slippage prevention and air bags. Just like cars, the newer year trucks will offer you, your family or employees a higher safety rating than an older used truck. That’s especially important if you will be using the truck for family transportation or as part of a corporate fleet of vehicles. When purchasing a used truck, you may want to inquire as to the safety rating and ask about any safety equipment that it has before you decide to purchase it. That can save lives in the event of an accident.

Passenger Capacity/Interior

There are three basic styles when it comes to truck interiors. These include regular cab, extended cab and crew cabs. What that means is if you will need additional room inside the truck, such as for employees or family, you will need the type of cab space to accommodate that. Too many people have learned the hard way that it’s nearly impossible for the family to ride together in a regular cab truck that has a standard transmission stick in the middle of the front seat area. Try putting a car seat there and you’ll see how frustrating that can be. When buying a used truck, try to picture who will be riding in the truck on a regular basis and how much room you will actually need.

Towing Ability

People often buy trucks to handle touch hauling jobs like towing boats, work trailers or other equipment. These can be personal or work related so in order to get the best value on a used truck, its important to inquire as to the truck’s towing ability before you buy it. Here’s a range to keep in mind: Compact trucks can tow between 1-1.5 tons, full-size trucks can tow 4-5 tons depending on how they are equipped.

Buying a used truck doesn’t have to be a major headache if you know what you want and how much you should spend. Taking some time beforehand to research the different types of trucks and their available features will save you a great deal of time, money and trouble after the fact.

About the Author

Used cars Edmonton dealer providing a massive selection of used cars including Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars and trucks.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

By anutt

Technorati Tags: Trucks

1. Truck Racks – If you need to go somewhere with your bike, ATV, luggage, ladder, tools, or just extra junk but still need a vehicle to get to your destination, then it’s wise to install one on your vehicle. This is, of course, to protect your vehicle and your supplies. There are light weight models, and long or short racks to choose from for the perfect fit on your truck, SUV or car.

2. Cargo Carriers and Nets – This is best used for pick-up trucks. It keeps your stuff organized and you won’t have to worry about anything falling off.

3. Truck Ramps – According to your needs, you can get truck ramps in different styles. You can get folding aluminum, arc, bi-fold and tri-fold ramps. There are aluminum ramps and steel ramps, duraloaders, arched steel and standard models.

4. Cargo Securing – Install secure points for your cargo on your pick-up truck, including anchor points, tie downs, control rackets, retractable rackets, pocket anchor point, tow straps and universal anchoring system.

5. Suspensions – If you use your truck for heavy hauling, it’s best to get suspension stabilizers. It maintains a smooth ride for your pick-up truck and load and tow capacity of the truck at the same time. Suspension stabilizers also help prevent the easy and quick death of three things: your brakes, tires and suspension.

6. Towing Accessories – If you use your pick-up truck to tow stuff, then you’ll definitely need these accessories. Towing accessories include towing balls and mounts, towing hitch pins and clips, pintle hooks and tow hitch accessories.

7. Towing Electrical – Be sure to get these items along with the towing accessories: towing lights, tail light converters, brake controllers and wiring connectors.

8. Under Bed Systems – Choose between a double pivot fifth wheel hitch with or without glider or a fifth wheel glider without hitch.

9. Weight Distribution Hitches and Sway Control – These accessories will help distribute the weight of the cargo evenly on the entire length of the vehicle. It will improve handling and provide more control and stability of the vehicle while putting less strain on it, ensuring a smooth ride.

There are other truck accessories, however, that work hard to make sure that your vehicle will always give maximum performance from the inside.

1. Engine Oil Cooler Accessories and Engine Oil Coolers – Engine Oil Coolers will ensure that your engine does not overheat and will always promise you a smoother ride and longer life.

2. Electric Fans, Accessories and Thermostats – This is another way to make sure that the car is running smoothly without minimal danger of overheating.

3. Power Steering Coolers – Power Steering Coolers are used to extend the power steering pump, especially in road or street races. These coolers also reduce any heat related power steering pump failure.

4. Transmission Coolers – Transmission coolers are effective especially when your pick-up truck is used for hauling big stuff. It prevents transmission fluid from overheating. Spending money on transmission coolers is less expensive than having to go to the repair shop and spend lots of money on repairs.

In case of emergencies, it’s also best if you can be prepared with these additional items for your vehicle:

1. Consoles – You can choose between a dash mount or floor mount console to help you in emergencies. Your console just could save your life if you are ever stuck in the snow, or have a car accident that could strand you for days. Fill it with supplies and items you’ll need if you ever get suck on, or off, the roads.

2. Trunk Trays and Cargo Organizers – Trunk Trays and Cargo Organizers keep your stuff organized and in place. So that the next time you have an emergency, you won’t have to lose any time simply looking for the tools you’ll need.

3. Skid Plates – Protect the underside of your vehicle with these skid plates.

4. Emergency Lighting – There is nothing worse than getting stuck with a car emergency, except getting stuck with a car emergency in the dark. So stock up on those emergency lights and safety flare kits.

You don’t have to have a truck rack and other truck accessories, especially if you can’t afford them. But overall you can see that providing a little up front investment in your vehicle can provide you with safety and cost effectiveness over time.

About the Author

Andy West is a writer for Buy Auto Truck Accessories, an online retailer of the best SUV and truck accessories, bar none! Get a truck rack or some chrome accessories to go with your new truck or SUV. Visit BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com for more information!

Article Source: Content for Reprint

By andywest

Technorati Tags: Trucks

Even if you do have your own truck, though, sometimes it’s a better idea to rent a truck than to use yours.  For instance, you might find renting a truck to be a better idea if…

• You either need a bigger truck, or will need to make a lot of trips
• You are mving quite a long distance away
• Your truck doesn’t have a bed liner or anything to protect the bed from scratches and dents
• You have lots of valuable furniture that needs to be move and packed very carefully, so that it doesn’t become damaged

These are all good reasons to rent a truck instead of using your own, even if you have a truck available to you.

Also, bear in mind that if you are moving stuff to a self storage facility, some places have trucks that they rent out free to folks who are moving in.  If the truck is free, why not take it?  It will save a lot of wear and tear on your own vehicle!

Technorati Tags: bed liner, self storage

A lot of the purchases that we make for our trucks are things that we are going to need to make more than once. We buy oil and air filters and tires for our trucks on a regular or semi-regular basis. We pay for new air fresheners or get the truck detailed or otherwise find accessories and services that have to be done more than just one time. But not all truck purchases need to be made more than once; some of them will last forever.

Here are three truck accessories that you can probably only buy once for each truck that you own:

1. Hood ornaments. Unless your personal style changes, the hood ornament that you put on your truck will probably never grow old.
2. Bed mats. These are designed to be durable and to withstand the test of time in order to protect the bed underneath so you’ll probably only buy them once per truck.
3. Running boards. Although these may be used daily, they don’t get a lot of wear and usually won’t require replacement on most trucks.

Of course, if you get into an accident in your truck then these things might not last as long as they should but driving the truck under normal conditions should allow these types of truck accessories to be only one-time purchases.

Technorati Tags: bed mats, hood ornaments, running boards

For instance, back racks give a vehicle a great tough look, but they also have a specific purpose — to protect the rear window of the cab (and the passengers inside) from anything in the bed that could fall against the window.  In addition, many back racks are compatible with top-mounted lights, such as those made by Hella, and light bars.

Another common purpose of truck accessories is to keep things from being stolen.  Since trucks don’t have as much interior storage as regular cars and SUVs, and since most truck owners use their truck beds for storage quite frequently, things such as locking truck boxes help to keep your belongings safe and secure.  Truck tool boxes are also an attractive addition to any pickup truck.

Another option to keep things from getting stolen is to hide what’s in the bed.  As a result, tonneau covers are popular accessories for pickup trucks.  These usually snap or velcro down over the truck bed, hiding the bed’s contents as well as improving gas mileage by reducing wind resistance.

There are a lot of FUNctional pickup truck accessories to choose from — I’m sure you’ll find something that suits your needs and your desires!

Technorati Tags: back racks, functional truck accessories, Hella, light bars, locking truck boxes, pickup truck, pickup truck accessories, tonneau covers, truck boxes, truck tool boxes