Tag: pick up truck

riding at the back of pick up trucks

Riding At The Back Of Pick Up Truck – Why You Shouldn’t Do It

You must have thought about the legality of riding at the back of pick up trucks. Some people will tell you it is illegal, while others will encourage you to do it. Should you do it? The cause of this confusion is that US states have various laws regarding riding at the back of a pick up truck, and some states have no laws regulating it.

Take the example of Texas, where it is legal to ride in the back of a pick-up truck only if you are 18 years and above and seated on the bed floor but not on the sides. At the same time, other states like Alabama do not have any restrictions regarding riding in the back of a pick-up truck. Some states, on the other hand, have banned it.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Riding At The Back Of Pick up Truck

While it is fully legal and partially legal in some states, it is risky to be riding at the back of pick up trucks. The bed of pick-up trucks is specifically for goods but not passengers. No safety measures are attached to riding in the back of a pick-up truck.

Many passengers die yearly due to riding in the back of a pick-up. When sitting at the back of a pick-up, you will be subject to shocks even from rough road surfaces. The higher exposure to shock is because there are no seat belts or other things to hold the passengers in place.

In case of a pick-up truck accident, the force from it is adequate to rip apart, dislocate, and even decapitate a grown-up adult. The passengers at the back will fly in the air, drag, and crash with a third on the ground. You will have minimal chances of surviving if you fly, drag, and crash.

If another vehicle crashes on your truck from behind, it can get stuck in the back of your pick-up. If it happens, the passengers or anything not secured will launch in front of the truck. If the truck rolls due to the hit, the force will throw the passenger from the pick-up bed and crash under it.

Apart from accidents, emergency brakes, sharp turns, or hitting bumps is just adequate to suspend the passengers in the back in the air. When you fly while the pick-up truck is in motion, you will likely not land on the pick-up bed. Instead, you will crash.

Conclusion

Riding in the pick-up truck’s bed is fun and a good experience, but in case of an accident, it is either perishing or surviving with a permanent injury. For this reason, some states have strict laws about pick-up truck bed riding.

It is unsafe to be riding at the back of pick up trucks. In case of an accident, you will have minimal chances of surviving, but if you stay, there are higher chances of you undergoing lifetime suffering. The high level of risk attached to it is the main reason some states do not allow passengers in the bed of the pick-up truck.

Pick Up Truck Engine Swap – Is it Worth It?

Pick-Up Truck Engine Swap – Is it Worth It?

Prevalent in car tuning culture, engine swap refers to replacing the original truck engine with an aftermarket engine. People perform engine swaps for various reasons. Some might do it to increase the performance of their truck, and some may do it for truck maintenance. Either way, you will need to do a pick-up truck engine swap. An engine swap is complicated. Consider choosing experienced mechanics to do it for you. Consult the experts who will access your vehicle and recommend an engine that fits your chassis. After swapping, consider doing a thorough mapping. 

Pick-Up Truck Engine Swap – Considerations

Most truck owners usually find themselves at crossroads whether to swap their engines or buy a new truck. Engine swapping might sound expensive, and you will wonder if it is worth it. Let us look at some reasosn as to why an engine swap is your best option.

Cost 

Buying and installing a new engine in your truck is less expensive than buying a new one, even if you decide to pay cash for it or use insurance or a warranty. If other parts of your truck are still intact and the engine is somehow problematic, replacing it is worthwhile.

Reliability

As your truck serves you, its engine starts to wear out, and you will spend more on maintenance. Instead of driving a truck which you are unsure when and where it will break down, consider engine swapping. New engines are more powerful and reliable.

The Sentimental Values You Attach to Your Truck

Your truck might be giving you good memories, and maybe it was a gift from your parents or grandparents, or what you went through to acquire it makes you more attached to it. Losing a truck to which you are emotionally attached is not easy. If such trucks develop major engine complications, performing an engine swap will help maintain the truck and make it last longer.

Warranty

If you have a new truck whose warranty is still active and its engine develops problems. Performing an engine swap is the best option. You can either incur little or no expenses. It is necessary to take a truck under warranty to the manufacturer if it develops any problem apart from the engine. Doing this will enable manufacturers to identify errors related to truck generation and might consider a recall if such errors are prevalent. 

Insurance Policy

You can buy various insurance policies for your truck, with varying prices and terms and conditions. If your policy caters to minor and significant truck repairs, consider swapping your engine if it becomes problematic.

Before you perform an engine swap, know that there are two engine options you can choose. The manufactured engine is relatively cheap compared to a new engine. They are engines previously restored by professionals, meaning they had developed issues and were thoroughly repaired at some point. If you choose a manufactured engine, consider swapping with a mechanic who offers a warranty.

Conclusion,

Different reasons can make you do an engine swap. When performing an engine swap, consult and seek the services of a professional. 

Pick Up Truck Maintenance Tips

Pick Up Truck Maintenance Tips

The pick-up trucks are a darling to people because they can fit any work perfectly. You can use them to commute to work; they look very official when parked next to SUVs. After work, you can use them to transport hay to your cows; the bed behind can carry several kilograms of hay. In this guide, we will be delving into some pick up truck maintenance tips that are worth looking into.

Pick Up Truck Maintenance Tips

Pick-up trucks can also humble a rugged and rough terrain. Check on these maintenance tips for your truck to achieve its potential and serve you better.

Buy the Right Tires

When shopping for tires, buy the correct one. Good tires will protect your shock absorbers and bearing from wearing out regularly. Good tires reduce road accidents, hence offering you the necessary protection.

Buy the tire that can survive your daily driving terrain. Before buying a tire, you should know the nature of the surface you regularly drive on. For example, pick-up truck tires for offroad are different from the ones designed for highways. If possible, buy tires for all terrains and consider changing depending on where you are going.

Give Your Diesel-Powered Engine a Special Attention

The diesel-powered pick-up trucks require regular fuel filter replacement compared to the petrol-powered ones. Their fuel filter gets clogged faster, and a clogged fuel filter can lead to engine starvation. To prevent your engine from starving, replace the fuel filters every 15,000 miles.

Consider using an engine oil with anti-wear additives on your diesel engine because it absorbs more carbon than petrol engines.

Do A Regular Brake Check-up

Brakes are life savers, especially if you use your pick-up truck for towing or carrying heavy loads. Do a regular check-up on your brakes and replace them if you notice they have started to wear out. Uneven wear on your brakes indicates that your braking system is not balanced. Balance them to increase the performance of your brakes.

Perform a regular Gearbox and Clutch Check-up

Pick-up trucks have high-torque engines that mostly carry heavy loads, meaning more stress and pressure goes to the clutch and the gearbox whenever you are driving. Regularly inspect your gearbox and clutch to ensure they are in good working condition.

Inspect the Levels of the Fluids

Your pick-up truck has engine oil, coolant, transmission, power steering, and brake fluids. Always check the levels of such fluids. If you realize their levels have gone down, consider topping them up. Reduced levels of fluids signal a leakage somewhere. Try to find out the leaking part and fix it.

Check Your Lighting System

Turn on your lights and walk around your pick-up truck to confirm if all the bulbs are operating perfectly. If you realize that some are burnt, consider replacing them. When doing this, never forget that the brake, signal, and hazard lights are functioning properly.

Conclusion

Maintaining a pick-up is the best way of giving it a long lifespan. Never wait for your truck to signal you that something is not right with it. Take the initiative of doing a regular check-up on your pick-up and do minor fixings. Minor fixings escalate to major problems if you ignore them.

mini truck

Pickup Truck With Dump Bed – How To Choose Wisely

We all love pickup trucks. Not only do we admire the gorgeous look, but they also come in handy when you are hauling goods from one place to the other. But have you ever thought of a pickup truck with dump bed capabilities? They are the rave these days and you will find many pickup truck owners out there getting the dump bed fitted onto their mini trucks. Dump beds, unlike the common trucks gives you the added capability of easily dumping loads without going through the hassles of manually offloading. With the push of a button, your truck is offloading.

Also while pickup trucks are super cool and does the job, there is another alternative that you may like for some reasons: the Japanese kei mini trucks. If you have been following the pickup and truck world trends for a while, then you must at some point come across the Japanese mini trucks. They are small trucks that are made in Japan and today they are used globally for a number of uses. Below are some of the reasons why the kei mini trucks are lovable, and could be your ideal vehicle worth going for;

Why Consider Japanese Mini Trucks?

Why are these Japanese mini trucks so good and could they really be the perfect alternative to the pickup trucks? Here are some of the reasons why you will fall in love with the Kei trucks as they are commonly known in Japan.

Affordability

Don’t we all love affordable vehicles? Apparently, this is not the case as pickup trucks are getting more expensive each day. If you are looking for an affordable pickup truck, then you may want to consider a Japanese mini truck.  Perhaps the first thing that will catch your attention is the fact that these mini trucks are affordable and come at a fraction of the pickup truck costs. Although most pickup trucks will always have a higher horse power and powertrain as compared to the Japanese mini trucks, these kei trucks are ideal for carrying medium weight loads from an all-terrain environment. Even better, getting a used mini truck sways the cost lower.

Among the things that make the kei trucks affordable is the fact that the Japanese government imposes higher tax on older vehicles. This has forced people to get rid of them and get newer ones that are cheaper to run. You can take advantage of these used kei mini trucks and get yourself a super cool pickup truck alternative.

Low Maintenance Cost

blankDon’t we all get sick and tired of cars that break down everytime, demanding a mechanic and repairs all the time? Such a vehicle could end up robbing you off your budget. Having a vehicle that is also low in efficiency and isn’t dependable also derails your projects and plans, making it a worthless vehicle. You can come across many such vehicles, but rest assured the kei mini trucks have been ingeniously designed and they have a track record that precedes them when it comes to maintenance and efficiency.

Although these mini trucks are less than 1000cc, the high technology and engineering that has been used is great and you can always count on it to deliver quality service without demanding much. Their spare parts are also readily available from major dealers, thanks to the fact that they are made by some of the leading automakers.

High Performance

A vehicle without good reliability and performance is nothing, and you probably would have been better off without it. For decades, the kei mini trucks have been used to run daily errands in Japan, and anyone who has ever used these vehicles know that they are high performing.

With the added 4X4 capabilities that makes these kei mini trucks reliable when it comes to handling murky and all weather roads, you can be rest assured to go almost anywhere. Be it the snowy hunting season, or muddy seasons and still have to carry loads, these kei mini trucks will do the job.

They are also easily customizable to meet the requirements and specs that needed. If you want to add a snow plow, you can do it easily and can get the mini trucks do everything for you.

Eco Friendly

Carbon emission has taken a U-turn and that is something that has affected many things including the auto industry. Apart from being a requirement that vehicles meet the set environmental standards, it is also good to know that you are driving a vehicle that does good to the environment. Kei trucks are made   by some of the leading automakers including Suzuki, Daihatsu, Mazda and Subaru. Along with the fact that Japan has strict laws on carbon emission, the mini trucks are vehicles that you can count on for this one.

There are many mini truck models depending on the automaker, although they are almost similar when compared in their manufacturing year. Some of the best dump bed mini truck models that you will find include the Subaru Sambar, Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu Hijet and Mitsubishi Minicab mini truck.

Final Word:

Pickup trucks fitted with a dump bed mini truck are ideal vehicles for people who carry loads and would like to easily offload them. However, it could get tricky finding one that is good performing at an affordable cost. As such, you may consider the Japanese mini trucks which have already got love from many people across the globe. You can do almost anything with these mini trucks as you would with pickup trucks.

If you are looking for an ideal Japanese mini truck, that will serve you perfectly, then why not check out some of the dump bed mini trucks that we have in our listing page? We have thoroughly vetted these mini trucks and you can always request for more information before ordering any of them. We also take care of the shipping process, which helps you avoid the shipping hassles. Get in touch with us if you need any vehicle but can’t seem to find it in our listing page— we could help you get one from the auctions.