My wife and I are acquiring a 2nd home in the country (weekend, vacation, hurricane, and zombie apocalypse retreat). I believe a pick'em up truck is pretty much a mandatory tool to maintain the property and have included this in the overall budget for this "project." I am interested in everyone's input on what to look for, and look out for. I have owned both GM and Ford full size trucks in the past, never had anything Chrysler.
I have budgeted up to 12k for the vehicle based on my cursory searches of what is available in a 50mi radius. I plan on at least a 3/4 ton. I have my eye on a couple of trucks that fit the profile: a 2001 GMC Sierra 2500 with 105k miles and a fischer plow (about 9k asking price), and a 2006 Ford F250 XLT with 111k miles and a Western plow (about 12k asking price).
The plowing duties for this vehicle will not be very extreme, but I figure if I am getting a pickup anyway, may as well have it plow equipped too. Having the storage space and a pickup also opens up interesting future possibilites for track cars and trailers
Please share your experiences and help me make a good choice. Thanks.