Looking at replacing our Toyota avensis estate and have always wanted a pickup. I'm telling hubby its the ideal camping vehicle as for wet pack up can lob everything in and wet tent last...instead of having to get tent just so in car first now.
We only have one car and will have to be the family run around too for a stay at home mum and 3.5yr old (I know she'll love it)
So...what's the load bay really like? How much does it really cost to run? How much does it really cost to maintain, insure, tax?
How easy it it to use around town? Park at the supermarket, local shop, doctors surgery?
I know a lot of these are subjective (and make/model dependant) but how else do you find these things out? And yes we will do more research and test drive if we feel it's looking like a contender.
Had a double cab MK5 Toyota Hilux Pickup and loved it. The ride is quite hard as it has leaf springs but not horrendous, and to be honest you get used to it. Cost about £350 to insure fully comp. Tax was around £220. I was getting about 30mpg. I do a lot of short journeys though. Maintenance costs will depend on how much mechanical knowledge you or hubby have. Mine never really needed anything other than basic stuff, and DH did it.
The tub is okay for most things but you will need to tie stuff down. I had a mountain top that keeps the look of the pick up but gives you dry storage. Great for everyday, but not so good if you had something tall to put in the tub as the lid won't go back down. We camped with ours and there wasn't much more space than a decent sized car boot. However with the mountain top it meant stuff could be tied down to the top of it. We put the chairs and tent there. If you get a truckman top for the back it will give you dry storage and LOADS of space as the top of it will be level with the top of the cab.
I used mine as a daily driver, school runs, shopping, etc. I loved the height and the size never bothered me. DH did fit a reversing camera which helped a lot with getting into spaces, though after a while I often didn't need it as I'd got used to the length.
I'd have no qualms about having another Toyota, possibly a MK6 though as they are a bit more refined.
I'd recommend having a look on the Hilux Pickup forum. Lots of info on there and a really friendly bunch of people too. Search on HPOC.
I'd like a ssangyong korando sport with the hard top. Car type suspension and a decent size double cab.
------------- Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag
I run a Ford Ranger doublecab...mainly because of my love of camping.It has a hard-top and can carry an immense amount of gear without ever being overloaded.Large tent, gazebo,large gas bbq.2 gas bottles, toilet,huge table and chairs.windbreaks and occasionally a crate of lager .As we camp in a group..there are usually items belonging to others as well.I never worry about a wet pack-up and use those large builders buckets(trugs?) to carry wet tents etc.The hard top doesnt have side windows..no point really..and can be unclamped and lifted off in minutes by 2 people.It handles any snow or mud without problem and thats with normal road tyres fitted.
Tax is £220 and fully comp with all the extras
under £300.Dial direct is my latest insurer-cheapest quote ever.
Practicality? Comfortable to drive--around 30mpg--not the fastest on the road but will sit at the limit all day They do fill a parking space and I am always worried about being hit by others trying to reverse out of spaces so I tend to park away from the crowd.Maintenance costs have been minimal for me so far--if you think about it as a commercial vehicle they are quite simple mechanically and built to last--not so much of the fancy electronics to go wrong!
As for the shopping..wel you can get plenty in! your local shopkeeper will be asking you to "nip to the cash+carry" for him..mine does when I pop in for a paper. cant comment on the Drs surgery..Im sure it will be frowned upon..people wont be able to get out of their motability cars to collect another sick note (not all obviously...but I know a few!)
All in all--best thing I have ever bought.
I had a Toyota Hilux Invincible automatic pickup until last year, didn't want the hardtop as in my opinion spoils the look of a pickup.
Really nice to drive, easy to park once used to size. The problem we had was we kept buying more camping gear, the hardtop would have made packing so much easier but probably wouldn't have been enough room.
Average just over 30mpg, insurance under £250
Thanks for the replies guys. Will pass all the info on with a 'see, it'll be perfect' ;) I don't generally mind driving something big but don't feel confident enough to tow and we have nowhere to keep a trailer anyway.
Damo and RTS5 how come u changed and what do u have now?
For some reason the thought of a wet pack up makes me really anxious and I've got it into my head that this'll be the answer to my woes. I know, I have crazy reasoning!
Seriously tho, since hubby's brain tumour was diagnosed i don't want to put things off anymore and I want to go camping as often as poss, weather or no. We don't have a huge amount of money so want as many informed opinions as poss so help us minimise making a costly error. I'm already wondering if our tent was an error as so heavy and time consuming and the worry of wet tent on top of this is putting me off our planned mid sept camp. So it already looks like we will need a 'weekender' and I'll have to look for an easier option when he's less able to help.
Long story short hubby has mine now. I've got a car again but missing the Hilux. Will probably get a Hilux again in the future. I at least still get a chance to drive my old one from time to time.
Wet pack up can be achieved in a car. Many do it by putting the tent in plastic bags. You would still have to do that even with a pickup as otherwise everything around it will get wet. Unless it was on a mountain top.
Good luck with the search. I hope you find some good weather in September, and that your DH health improves.
Hey, thanks.
It's not so much the tent as everything else as the tent takes over 2/3 of the boot and has to go in first with everything else strategically packed on top. Even chucking everything in the car first that's a lot of shuffling. I'm thinking mountain top and then everything can go in first nearest the cab and wet tent humped in last in plastic sacks, job done!
Another question, does the fact theyre commercial vehicles have any implications for the domestic user? Tax or otherwise?
Packing in a pickup can still be a game of 'where does this fit'. Though with a mountain top you could dump the tent and any other large bits on top of it. They would need some plastic over it if there was a chance of rain on the way to your destination. Nothing worse than starting with a wet tent!
No isofix on the Hilux unfortunately. No problems with them being commercial vehicle as tax is based on emissions/engine size now.