How many use their trucks as true daily drivers?

[FLJoe]

Like the title says, how many depend on your old trucks day to day and, if you do, how long do you intend to?

For me, the Tahoe has been my go-to vehicle for over 20 years. Since I bought it, I've also had a 2005 Suburban (I originally expected to replace the Tahoe with it, but didn't like it as much and got rid of it), 95 Thunderbird, 84 F250 and a 2005 Pontiac which I still have. Still, in all that time, the Tahoe has gotten nearly 500,000 miles, and out lasted every other vehicle. When I need to take a long trip, or just run around town or go to work, I almost always grab the Tahoe keys. My wife has a 2018 Nissan, but I prefer the truck and we tend to use it for longer drives because it's more comfortable (plus I trust it more).

One big reason it's lasted so long is that I have always done a lot of my own work and I'm super careful. I also have a mechanic who has become a good friend over the years that is the best old-school, GM trained truck mechanic you'll ever meet. He does things like tear down my steering box or rear axle and put it together better than factory. Other than he and I, no one has touched the truck in 15 years, so it's never been screwed up.

Now I'm questioning how long it makes sense to keep depending on such an old truck, and what I'll do when Andy (the mechanic) finally retires. I just don't like any of the new trucks, and hate all the electronics. They don't drive any better than a good condition 400, aren't built the same, and have way too much electronic crap to fail.

 

[Caman96]

Well I haven’t owned mine anywhere near 20 years. 1 1/2 total. But it is my daily driver since I unloaded my 2018 Z71 last spring. Since it’s a relatively low mileage ‘96 K1500 and still drives like one, I’m perfectly comfortable with it as my only vehicle, although my son’s Tacoma would be available in a pinch.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

I feel like it shouldn't count but I got 478k miles on my burb. My dad bought it new in oct of 97. When I got to high school he gave it to me with 350/70k miles. I kept it running til 425k and that's when I got a rebuilt motor that ended up being built wrong from the local engine builders.... anyways got a new motor recently and now its relaxing in the garage. 99% of the time it's my go to vehicle. I wouldnt trade it for anything else. These vehicles last and it depends what you want to do with it. If your carful and baby it the tahoe will last past you. If your rough like me then maybe may have to know another mechanic when the time comes. I personally havent been stranded in the middle of nowhere. It's always kept me at a safe place and kept my family safe. Now the only thing that scares me is a wreck(total automatically) and discontinued parts.

 

[TechNova]

I drive my 89 daily, will only drive my 09 on days like tomorrow when I have to haul a bunch
of stuff. Some items don't haul well in a stepside with no tie downs on the box. I did rockers and cab corners two years ago and will continue to fix and paint for as long as I can drive. Parts are alot cheaper and easier to replace on the 89. Especially with 2 parts trucks and many in local yards.

 

[Dariusz Salomon]

I also used my truck daily for 2 years since I had it tho recently the lpg(propane-mine is converted) prices have gone up substatially and I'm using it less now-2-3 days a week. In UK price of fuel us now roughly about 2$/litre so not easy to fork it out for a working man lol

 

[smdk2500]

I drive my 95 6.5 everyday. When I feel like a change I drive my other 95 lol. SHMBO drives my 14 1500. If we go out of town we do use the 14 since theres more room in it.

 

[Zerio29]

As long as I owned my '97 K1500 I depended on it. It was my only vehicle. The one time it let me down was when the starter motor crapped the bed. But being what it is, I crawled underneath and just hit it with a rock until it engaged and got it fixed at home. Now you get the new stuff like this:

You must be registered for see images attach

couldn't imagine trying to fix that on the side of the road.

Reliability is not just something that runs most of the time. Everything breaks and wears out, so it's also a matter of cost and fixability. If I can fix it in a driveway for $100 once a year, that's more reliable than something that goes into de-rate because of a sensor and leaves me stranded with a multi-thousand dollar tow/repair bill once every 5 years.

That's why we love these trucks

 

[kennythewelder]

I have had my truck for almost 20 years. It was my wife's Dailey driver when we bought it in 2002. I took it from her in 2009. It has always been a Dailey driver and still is. When I used to work offshore on the oil well drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, I drove my truck to every oil company dock from Mobile Alabama, to Galveston Texas, and every in between. I haven't been in that line of work since January of 2015. Now I drive it back and forth around town. Where I go, my truck takes me there. The only time ( and that's rear) is when I go somewhere with my wife in Her 4 Runner. When my truck brakes, I fix it. When I can not fix it, I have it fixed, but about the only work I won't do is front end alignments, and transmission rebuilds. And for those who don't know, my truck is in a car show every weekend. It even won a trophy 2 months ago

 

[Eskimomann209]

I daily drive my 98.
It’s a C1500 SAS with a divorced 205.
I drive it farther than I want to daily.
If my 98 starts to act up my LS swapped 73 gets driven instead. Here in a few weeks I’m swapping the 98 onto a k3500 frame and might LS swap it too.
For me these trucks always make sense to drive vs a new one.
I can TS and get it running on the side of the freeway n the rain in no time.
Rarely have I been late for work cuz of the truck.

 

[Caman96]

Yeah I’m doing minimum 80 miles a day now.