# mini van or small truck



## NCMCarpentry (Apr 7, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> What's a mini van contractor? Are you suggesting that the vehicle has some relation to their skill and ability? Or are you just jealous that they can do their job and rock a mini van and you can't?


I'm quite jealous. I wish I had the confidence to rock a mini van.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

NCMCarpentry said:


> I'm quite jealous. I wish I had the confidence to rock a mini van.


makin up for something? :laughing: 

wish i had a black dodge eco diesel 4x4 with high topper and a trailer, but i would be broke driving around looking for parking that a repo man couldn't get to. 
the ranger is what i personally want. 
but the company part of me wants the caravan but that chart shows some issues. right now ive had a 1990 cargo ram van with a camper topper. 3 liter Mitsubishi motor. for 5 years. I love it hurts to let her go but shes done. 
Ive put 100,000 kms on it and have only done shocks, brakes, tires, and muffler. at 260ish now. 
Nothing like giving out 20k quotes out of a 500 buck caravan. :blink: 
works out to 8 bucks a month if i financed the 500 :laughing:
but last week i was tightening a valve cover bolt and snap... thought aw man snapped the bolt. but the bolt wouldn't come out. I snapped a piece of the engine block or rocker assembly. used some atv silicon for a better seal. seems to be holding.:thumbup:


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

NCMCarpentry said:


> I'm quite jealous. I wish I had the confidence to rock a mini van.


I just wised up a long time ago and realized vehicles and tools don't make you a contractor or skilled craftsman. You'll either learn the same lesson or continue only looking at the surface and miss out on a lot of good talent.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I just wised up a long time ago and realized vehicles and tools don't make you a contractor or skilled craftsman. You'll either learn the same lesson or continue only looking at the surface and miss out on a lot of good talent.


yeah one job I quoted was for staining cedar siding and came to the conclusion that he did it wrong not stianing both sides first to prevent warping. told him about it and that coating both side on the ground then one coat after would be same price as 2 coats on scaffold. 
I didn't hear back yet.. 
anyways he has big truck with trailer all new tools and doing massive siding jobs. bit confused why im subing for guys like this. :laughing:


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## Pearce Services (Nov 21, 2005)

I like the ranger, but the only thing that matters is whether or not it will do all the jobs you need it to do. 

I am surprised you do not have more options to choose from.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

Pearce Services said:


> I like the ranger, but the only thing that matters is whether or not it will do all the jobs you need it to do.
> 
> I am surprised you do not have more options to choose from.


Toyota Tacoma is another option but newer tacos arnt what they use to be ive heard and parts cost alot. 
Dakotas im guessing are junk. 

Im all ears for early 2000s rides that might be better.

I drove a 3/4 ton for a company with a trailer and hated it for parking.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

cedarboarder said:


> Toyota Tacoma is another option but newer tacos arnt what they use to be ive heard and parts cost alot.
> Dakotas im guessing are junk.
> 
> Im all ears for early 2000s rides that might be better.
> ...


So your candidate vehicles have to be
1. affordable
2. reliable
3. not [3/4 ton for a company with a trailer]

1 and 2 are related by 'the cost of ownership'.

"the ranger is what i personally want." 
>Can you ar-tick-cul-late exactly why?

The used vehicle blue book sites can tell you how many bucks off for each additional 10K miles you can expect, on average. Otherwise it's hard to tell whether 66,000 km is worth $2K from whatever base prices we're talking about.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

The mini van is way more practical.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

GettingBy said:


> So your candidate vehicles have to be
> 1. affordable
> 2. reliable
> 3. not [3/4 ton for a company with a trailer]
> ...


As mort said "its dorky"
I imagine the ranger has a better payload. 
I think a small truck would be best. 

Chevy s10 haha ahhh no
Nissan frontier...
Toyota taco...
Mazda b series pretty sure its just a ford.
Dodge dakota....

Of all these the ford might be best. Cheap parts. Decent on gas. And alot of people seem to like them. 
The new 2015 ranger looks decent, to bad I hate financing.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

OK, dorky. . .

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=dorky&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

:whistling

No dorks or dweebs here
http://www.google.com/search?q=cont...h&sa=X&ei=X21OVd6TMIiwsATIioGQBg&ved=0CAUQ_AU


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

I'd go ranger. Careful ford truck beds have been known to fall off the truck from rust just miles away from the dealership entrance.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

Morning Wood said:


> I'd go ranger. Careful ford truck beds have been known to fall off the truck from rust just miles away from the dealership entrance.


"Built Ford Tough"

Good i want a flat bed. Haha
If I can find a ranger thats been rear ended ill have no problem getting a deal and ripping the bed off.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

cedarboarder said:


> been rear ended
> ripping the bed off


Where you find that the frame is bent and so the tires wear rapidly and the steering is weird.
And if the frame is warped these frame straighteners can't fix it.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

GettingBy said:


> Where you find that the frame is bent and so the tires wear rapidly and the steering is weird.
> And if the frame is warped these frame straighteners can't fix it.


If a frame is bent its a write off and cant be sold. If it has been fixed the status says rebuilt.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

cedarboarder said:


> As mort said "its dorky"
> I imagine the ranger has a better payload.
> I think a small truck would be best.
> 
> ...


Between those two the caravan has a payload of 1599 and the ranger only 1260, but the towing capacity is a bit better on the ranger (about 600 more lbs.)


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

You really can do a lot in a minivan. 2 big sliding doors and one awning-like rear door. With the right shelving system you use all of the volume, no need to waste space with a walkway. And they fit 4x8 sheet goods.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Between those two the caravan has a payload of 1599 and the ranger only 1260, but the towing capacity is a bit better on the ranger (about 600 more lbs.)


That make no sense to me haha very confused.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

r a s said:


> some data from Consumer Reports


For these charts is it based on percentage of vechicals having trouble. Or the # of problems in general. Way more caravans out there vs ford rangers.


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## Pearce Services (Nov 21, 2005)

If you buy the mini van, don't ever show up at a job with brand new work boots and tools that still have the harbor freight price tag on them. Just kidding.... but the point is about credibility. 

I know your work speaks for itself, but there will be plenty of potential clients that will never get a chance to see your work if they size you up as a newbie working out of mom's car,

Get the ranger


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## madmax718 (Dec 7, 2012)

If you work in more urban areas, a minivan is fine. Does it make a difference in appearance? Kinda. Sorta. Not really. 

Minivan is also very discreet. black out the rear windows and the side windows, and your pretty incognito.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

still havnt gotten a new truck. 
both the mini van and ranger are to small for me. 

Now the debate on a old guzzling 90-95 F-150 or a new truckish truck that decent on gas.
old F150 
pros 1. more reliable than a new truck, (just a theory I have that new truck are made to break so dealers get more money) 2. easy to work on not much computers and wires in the old girls 3. cheaper initial investment. 4. dont have to worry about dents.
cons. 1. gas guzzler

new truck.
pros, 1. better on gas 2. looks better
cons 1. payments 2. have to worry about denting damaging it. 3. cant work on it have to visit mechanics to plug in to a computer.
Do any of you miss your old F150s?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

let the guy on youtube do a teardown on it and tell you if it's any good :laughing:


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## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

Safety is another pro on a new truck. Buy a used, newer model.


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## Defenestrate (Aug 13, 2015)

I miss my chevy astro when I'm crawling on my hands and knees under the topper of my '14 tacoma. 

Furniture repair dude rolled up in a NV2500 to my jobsite today and made me more jealous. 

So, if I had the bucks, I'd be in a van that could carry 1000# day in, day out.


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