Trucks

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2020 Toyota Tundra improved, still trails truck royalty

Like multi-word vehicles’ exterior paint colors, the names of cars and trucks are no longer simple. Welcome the 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro CrewMax. The initials TRD stand for Toyota Racing Development, with the word Pro added as embellishment. Combined, it’s one vehicle simultaneously focused on racing and off-road duties. The TRD Package means Bilstein shocks raise the stance two inches, good for the 18-inch wheels. It also includes dual exhaust, a front skid plate and an eight-inch touchscreen for the Toyota Entune infotainment system. CrewMax means an extra spacious cabin, with a five or six-seat configuration and more interior storage space. Overall, the Tundra is a brute-force beast. It’s 19-feet long, about 6 1/2 feet tall and the same

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Buyer beware: Average price for a new pick-up truck now $50,000

Considering buying a new pick-up truck? Beware. Just like new cars, the average price of a new pickup truck in the United States has increased. It’s now around $50,000, according to automotive analytics businesses like Edmunds and JD Power. With its calculations, the average price of a new pick-up truck in 2019, according to Edmunds.com was $49,543; JD Power determined the average 2019 new truck price was $51,700. Not all manufacturers’ 2020 models have been unveiled, but the average price is expected to further increase. Regardless of the source, the new pick-up truck average cost is the highest in history. Various financial incentives and rebates lower the prices, but industry analysts say truck prices have increased about three percent annually

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#116, The Weekly Driver Podcast’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and the Kia K900 to the Toyota Camry. These four diverse vehicles are on the list of the 2019 Best Cars and Trucks of the Year, announced by The Weekly Driver Podcast. Podcast co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the list on episode #116 of the weekly program that reports on all things automotive. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews for my weekly syndicated automotive column. It’s published by Bay Area News Group in San Jose,

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2019 Nissan Titan: tough competitors, tough road ahead

Pickup trucks for many years have topped annual sales charts. With their sport utility vehicle cousins as co-conspirators, several manufacturers did what seemed unfathomable — abandon their sedan lineups. Poor gas mileage, difficult entry and exit and sometimes clunky rides don’t matter. Masculinity and versatility reign in new automotive purchasing. The top six best-selling vehicles in the United States in 2018 were either pickups or SUVs. Good reasons abound. In many instances, pickups are luxurious small apartments. The Nissan Titan is among the few trucks struggling. Sales slipped to just over 50,000 in 2018, a loss of nearly 5 percent from a peak year in 2017, according to Kelley Blue Book, the automotive research company. The manufacturer is trying to

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#21, West Sacramento dump truck company helps Paradise cleanup (video)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:45 — 34.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreMaricela and Adam Fry, husband and wife, own Big Country Restoration and Transport in West Sacramento. They own three massive dump trucks and have one of many contracts to help the cleanup of The Camp Fire in Paradise, California. Not too long ago, I overheard a conversation in a Starbucks in Sacramento. The barista asked the woman in front of me what she does for a living. The response: “My husband and I own a dump truck.” I asked Maricela for her card and recently called her. The result: Adam Fry and his crew from Big Country Restoration and Transport in West Sacramento are

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#94, West Sacramento truck company helps Paradise Fire cleanup

Not too long ago, I overheard a conversation in a Starbucks in Sacramento. The barista asked the woman in front of me what she does for a living. The response: “My husband and I own a dump truck.” It turns out, the Maricela and Adam Fry, husband and wife, own Big Country Restoration and Transport in West Sacramento. They own three massive dump trucks and have one of many contracts to help the cleanup of The Camp Fire in Paradise, California. Adam Fry is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Drive Podcast. The fire started in Paradise on Nov. 9 2018 and was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. It was also the deadliest wildfire in the United

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Justin selects his top-5 parts under $500 for 2009-2014 F150s

In this episode of AmericanTruck’s (AT) “The Haul” YouTube Video Series, host Justin 
Dugan selects his favorite top-5 parts for under $500 for 2009-2014 F150s. Including parts from AT’s most popular categories like Truck Lighting, F150 Lift Kits, Exterior Accessories+ more, Justin’s Top 5 focuses on functionality while sprinkling in a few F150 exterior styling mods for good measure. Parts featured in this video: Barricade HD Bull Bar w/Skid Plate & 20-inch. Dual Row LED Light Bar, Textured Black, JLT, V3.0 Black Oil Separator Passenger Side, ReadyLIFT 2 in. Billet Aluminum Leveling Kit Anodized Black, Husky X Act Contour Front Floor Liners Black & TruShield Soft Rolling Bed Cover. American Trucks is regarded as one of the best, most reliable

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#20, Vintage firetruck gets new life as mobile party pub (video)

Kevin Mullan owns a 1987 E-One first pumper. It’s a fascinating vintage firetruck. And he’s made it further intriguing by converting it to a mobile pub. Mullan, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, purchased the truck, had a walk-in cooler with 10 beer taps installed, and named the business-on-wheels Ladder 419 beer truck. The name is a nod to the city’s area code. As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I are now bonafide members of the Mullan’s fan club. He’s our guest on Episode #92 of our weekly discussion of all things automotive. The beer truck, which debuted in late June in Blissfield, Michigan, is unique. Its walk-in cooler was installed after the 1,500-gallon water tank was removed.

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2020 Jeep Gladiator stands alone among truck malaise

Lots of new vehicles look similar cruising down the highway. One family sedan is likely related to another. The flood of SUVs, with rare exception, could all be made by the same manufacturer. Tesla and pending electric competition from Byton and Rivian are non-conformists. A Porsche Panamera stands out anywhere. Hummers stand alone in gaudiness. A few gimmick cars get attention. And now there’s the industry’s first convertible truck, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. It’s a midsize vehicle that resembles its sibling, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, but simultaneously looks nothing like its relative. Beyond its signature spindle grille, an extended wheelbase and a five-foot cargo bed, the Gladiator is unlike any other mainstream vehicle. When it literally gets unhinged (the doors

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#88, Moving a space shuttle, other big stuff on roads

If you want to transport the Endeavor Space Shuttle or a similarly large object, there’s a good chance Commercial Truck Trader will be involved. The Virginia-based company rents vehicles of all shapes and sizes, particularly when the task involves moving something on the road that requires special needs. Amanda Ayala, vice president Commercial Truck & Equipment Trader, is our guest in Episode 88 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Ayala and examine what’s involved moving the famous shuttle. It’s only 12 miles from the Los Angles International Airport to the California Science Center. But as Ayala explained, the move required the uses of six freeway lanes. The moving crew was also required to trim

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2019 Ford Ranger back but with a few warts, flat tires

After an eight-year absence, the Ford Ranger was re-introduced to the North American market late last year as a 2019 model. It marked a 60-year timestamp since the nameplate’s debut on a 1958 Edsel Ranger. The Ranger name was first used on a pickup in 1983 when Ford replaced the Ford Courier. With its return, the Ford Ranger is now mid-sized, comparable to its sibling, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The latter debuted in 2006 and was discounted a few years later. The new Ranger is available as a SuperCab (2+2 door extended cab with 6-foot bed) and SuperCrew (4-door crew cab with 5-foot bed). The SuperCab’s bed is 72.8 inches long, 44.8 inches wide. During its first tenure, the

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Kaiyun Motors offers new, cheap EV pickup for $8,950

Cheap new vehicles aren’t a new phenomenon in certain countries. But so far it’s only been wishful thinking for a few niche manufacturers in the United States — until now. Kaiyun Motors will soon arrive. It will soon introduce the Pickman, an all-electric pickup in the U.S. It has a base price of $8,950. The price was listed mistakingly listed previously at $5,700, but it was for a non-street legal version of the truck not available in the U.S. The Pickman has a 5.5 horsepower engine and a top speed of 35 miles per hour. It’s classified as a low-speed or neighborhood electric vehicle (LSV/NEV). Kaiyun Motors Co Ltd. was founded in 2014 and is based in Xingtai, China. Kaiyun

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Ford calls another massive recall in F-150, Super Duty trucks

For the second time in three months, Ford is recalling large quantities of the best-selling F-150 vehicles in North America over a several-year time frame for fire risks. The manufacturer has just recalled 900,000 F-150 and Super Duty trucks to replace an engine block heater cable to due to the risk of fire. The recall involves more than 410,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. and nearly 464,000 in Canada. Affected models include: * 2015-19 F-150 vehicles built at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, truck plant between March 18, 2014, and Nov. 17, 2018, and at its Kansas City plant between Aug. 21, 2014, and Nov. 17, 2018. * 2017-19 Super Duty vehicles built at Ford’s Ohio assembly plant between Feb. 5, 2016,

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2018 Ford F-150, 2018 Toyota Corolla icons of success

The Ford F-150 pickup, the overt sentinel of masculinity, and the Toyota Corolla, the tiny titan compact sedan, have little in common with two exceptions, reliability and enduring success. The Corolla, manufactured since 1966, is the best-selling car in history with more than 43 million sold. The Ford F-Series, introduced in 1948, has been the country’s best-selling vehicle for decades. It’s the second best-selling vehicle in history with more than 40 million sold. While the sedan might be able to fit in the bed of the pick-up and cost one-third as much, driving either vehicle is experiencing automotive royalty. There’s little out of the ordinary about the Corolla. It’s understated and remains increasingly popular because of its consistency. The F-150

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2017 Nissan Titan improved, but still trails truck pack

The automotive landscape is dominated by large trucks. The Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado and Ram pick-ups are perennially the country’s top-selling vehicles. So what are the other guys supposed to do to sell trucks? Nissan, which launched the Titan in late 2003, decided it needed to regroup. Except for a V8 diesel, the Titan wasn’t available as a 2016 model. It’s back in 2017 with a new look and an expanded warranty. Nissan’s goal is optimistic. It hopes the Titan can challenge the Big Three. Last year, Ford sold 820,799 F-Series trucks, led by the F-150. In 2005, Nissan sold 86,945 Titans, its best year. Sales haven’t reached 35,000 in any year in the last decade. With its 2017 model,

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1955 Ford F100 best of show at Concours & Cocktails

Supercars, family heirlooms and affordable vintage vehicles are nothing new to the Monterey Peninsula, particularly during Classic Car Week. Gawk at a new multi-colored Rolls-Royce or a carbon-fiber Pagani. Admire a classic Aston Martin, Ferrari or Porsche. They’re all automotive works of art. Bob Kavner appreciates cars as much as any collector or enthusiast. But he has a different perspective. While plenty of sports cars and classic sedans were showcased at the recent Concours & Cocktails at The Santa Lucia Preserve, Kavner presented two trucks. The former Silicon Valley executive, now a resident of Carmel, lives just down the country road from The Hacienda, the 20,000-acre private community’s idyllic clubhouse. As he’s done before, it was only a few-minute task

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