Living the great outdoor Truck experience!

Ahhh, the pointedly perfect pickup truck, where would we outdoor aficionados be without thee?

Not living the Great Outdoor experience to its fullest, that’s for sure!

So many incredible hunting, fishing and camping trips would never have been possible without the trusty, and now ubiquitous, pickup truck.

I recall with fondness my early day as an impressionable youth, perched proudly inside my Dad’s bright yellow 1975 Chevy 3/4 quarter ton, or later-on flaked-out in the back between sleeping bags, grabbing a catnap on a long road trip into the Canadian north woods.(It had a camper top btw)

For me (& most other sportsmen) excitement and adventure were always part and parcel of the old reliable pickup truck, and little has changed.

I’ve been travelling in trucks since the early 70’s as a passenger and then, by the late-80’s, I finally purchased one of my own – a slightly rusted but totally rad two-tone Ford Ranger – a mediocre ride at best but to me it was like a country boy Cadillac!

Since that time, I’ve owned several other trucks, a couple more Fords and now a Toyota. As a traditional fish & wildlife conservation writer; recently expanded into more mainstream recreational activities like camping, outdoor travel and adventure, I’ve had the pleasure and opportunity of road-testing several new truck models in recent years.

Each truck manufacturer seems to have its own schtick or selling point, if you will, so how ever to choose the one that’s right for you?

Ford instills their legendary reputation and a new Ecoboost engine, Toyota brings quality, reliability & residual value, Dodge Ram boasts the hardest working trucks in America and General Motors delivers a solid one-two punch of Vortec power plants and Allison transmissions.

Although I have experience with Ford, Chrysler and Toyota; having owned products from each of these manufactures over the years, the last time I actually drove a Chevy pickup was some 25 years ago. Being a proponent of fair competition and a lover of trucks in general, I educated myself, went online to do some research and as it turns out, Chevrolet still makes a darn good heavy duty pickup!

Chevrolet’s new 2015 Silverado 2500HD, for example, is what I would describe as a substantially updated version of my Dad’s 1975 Chevy 3/4 ton. With a max towing capacity of 17,900 pounds, combined with an Allison transmission and several Vortec engines to choose from, this certainly isn’t the same vehicle I rode in three decades ago.

As an avid camper and fifth wheel owner, I can see the new 2500HD being as well-suited an RV hauler as it would be for any hunting and fishing trip.

http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/silverado-hd-2500/overview

Call me a redneck at heart, but what would we outdoor adventurists do without our beloved pickup trucks, regardless of the manufacturer?

Travel and adventure in the Great Outdoors would seem rather bland and colourless would it not?

Vive le Pickup truck!!

Outdoorsguy