I don't think that I would buy another pickup truck in the future

[jvs]

One of the reasons i chose Thailand to live is because it is pick-up country!

Love driving a pick-up!

Fits my livestyle.

[Kenny202]

I have an isuzu truck around 3 yrs old. Negative issues:
- Sore back and bum on long trips
- Driving over bitumen roads with potholes/ uneven surfaces, at moderate speed, results in the truck being unstable. It feels like the car is sliding a bit out of control for a few seconds. 
- Last week I was driving in heavy rain on a road in our city and proceeded to overtake at a slow speed. My truck slid for 1 to 2 seconds out of control which scared the shit out of me. A year ago the same thing happened on a gravel road but I was going a bit faster. 
 
My 4 tires are only 1 yr old - chinese brand. Im assuming they are ok. 
 
Im thinking of putting several large heavy sand bags in the back of the truck to see if that helps. 
 
Recently I drove the father in laws new toyota sedan. I felt it was a safer and more comfortable drive at all speeds. 
 
Does anyone else have these issues?

I really like my Isuzu D max 4wd. Bout same age as your. Yeah probably not as comfortable as a sedan but I wouldnt say it was uncomfortable either. As far as light in the back, end utillities can be like that particularly in the wet but I havent noticed it too much with mine. Had a Mazda ute once was dreadful. Stabillity good should be equal to or better than a sedan? Trouble with utillities is once you lose them around a corner or in the wet very hard to regain control. Theyre good until theyre not good. At the end of the day you have a HD work vehicle. If you would prefer the ride of a sedan and dont need the extra versatillity of a pick up get a sedan. If your stuck with the ute because you will lose money resale etc some after market shocks would probably solve a lot of ur issues

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[Kenny202]

Just need to look at the accidents stats. No 1, motorcycles, No 2 Pick-ups.
 
And they way I see them driven sometimes, that comes as no surprise. 
 
Would never buy one.

I think in fairness you need to compare the amount of people driving motorbikes vs pick ups. Correct me if Im wrong but would have to be many more motorbikes on the roads at any one time than cars...up country anyways

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[MyFriend You]

17 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Then why can't we get a bloody parking space kerbside?

Baht buses, Taxi Mafia??  maybe I have a jaundiced eye living part time in Vietnam, where motorcycles are 100 to 1 vs cars......I just don't see that many motorcycles on the road.

[The Theory]

Perhaps you need to check those Chinese tires “trade wear” rating. 

If it’s over 500, it could become unstable with a truck suspensions.  They migh work better on a sport utility, but not on a pick up truck. 

 

[HAKAPALITA]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Three or four at the back of the cabin should be enough. Ensure they stay below the level of the rear window.

I bought the Recaro's second hand, somewhat raggedy condition. I then had them re-upholstered in kangaroo fur.

Thats why it Hops About.!

[Tongjaw]

57 minutes ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Over 20 Million motorcycles??    Hmmmmm  that is not evident in my travels, clearly four wheeled vehicles outnumber motorcycles hands down, wonder where these stats come from??  If you were talking about Vietnam, I would agree 10000%.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-now-has-more-than-37-million-registered-cars/

[steve73]

12 minutes ago, Tongjaw said:

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-now-has-more-than-37-million-registered-cars/

Good link... I'd bet there are another few million unregistered vehicles in use - especially up country & in the sticks.  Seems every other motorcycle by me has no plates (nor any lights or baffles in the exhaust, but that's another issue). 

[Psimbo]

On 2/10/2019 at 12:19 PM, Peterw42 said:

Never really understood expats buying pick-up trucks, fair enough if you live in the country etc but why get a pick-up for urban Bangkok, pattaya etc.

A couple of old guys in my condo block have the mandatory Ford Ranger, just the thing for that weekly trip to Big-C. They dont fit in half the spots in the small condo carpark, one of the old guys gets the security guard to park as he cant reverse it.

 

 

A lot of it is about safety. Up higher as I am in a double cab Hilux I have far better vision than I would in a Jazz and am more aware of the loons zipping around me.  Also in any sort of shunt I am likely to come out better than a smaller vehicle (hopefully I will never have to find out though). it's a bit more intimidating to others as well and people tend not to push me as they would were I in a car. A few little marks on the bodywork helps as well. A nice clean well polished vehicle can draw unwanted attention and ther have been occasions down here where people have deliberately tipped bikes in front of vehicles sensing a quick baht. A dashcam comes in useful as well. I agree that I would not want one in Patts or Bkk but for other areas they are fine.

 

Dual cab is the best of best worlds, I had a Sportrider before and there was a lot of dead space inside that made for noisy journeys. This way it's like having a car and a truck at the same time. I have decent Michelins on it and I find the double cab negates the shimmy one would encounter in a single cab as the weight is distributed better.

 

I am out in the more remote parts of the island at times and again a truck gives me more mobility than a car. A 3 liter turbo diesel makes for comfortable driving when I travel up to Chaing Mai and also give me the power to  accelerate out of dangerous situations if required. 

Edited February 11, 2019 by Psimbo

[wolf81]

Got a half year old Toyota pick-up (Hilux Revo "Rocco" 2WD) and seems to handle fine for me on most roads good or bad. The seat is ok, but not great for long trips though. The pick-up has Dunlop brand tires. It's of course a more luxureous edition with some extras including for safety (brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, trailer sway control, hill start assist control) for better handling on roads.

 

I feel if you stay in a city you probably are better off with a small car (easy for parking, move around, etc…), but if you live on the country side (like me), a pick-up is the best choice.

 

I do love to drive this car though, even if the seat isn't great for me. 

Edited February 11, 2019 by wolf81

[DJ54]

Had a 5 year old (when I bought) Isuzu D-Max 4 dr truck. Rode good only thing I wasn’t thrilled about it was stick shift.

 

Sold two years later and bought MUX solid SUV as comfortable as

a car. 

 

Would’ve preferred another truck but then the in laws would want

to borrow it and fill it to the top.... no not the fuel... the bed.

 

trucks are all how you drive them...... in US mom has the mini ford ranger with a 6 cylinder and I forget and push a bit hard on the pedal ass end breaks loose.... sometimes it’s Fun

 

 

[Foexie]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 4:13 AM, ghworker2010 said:

My 4 tires are only 1 yr old - chinese brand. Im assuming they are ok. 

Maybe i have it wrong but your car is 3y old and already had new tires after 2y? Or you have it for just 3y?

 

A Chinese brand?! And you expect same handling as a Michelin, Continental or whatever premium brand????

I read tire reviews for sedans or non-suv or pick-up cars sometimes and Chinese tires never be better then mediocre at best in those tests. So it would surprice me for your car they would be great.

 

Don't forget a pick-up is build for driving with a load on the back. Not empty. You can fill it with 200-300kg in the back and it will drive already alot better.

You will not have, or at least less, that problem when you buy a SUV because they drive more like a big car.

 

 

[ghworker2010]

On 2/10/2019 at 3:44 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Ford Ranger 2016

 

Love it, replaced the same Bridgestone tyres on it recently after 90,000km's, handles really well, actually loves corners.

 

Did the research on tyres before I purchased, wouldn't touch nothing from overseas, most tyres for pickups made overseas are not fit for use in Europe so why even bother putting them on your vehicle, only to save a few baht, good tyres will save you in the long run.

 

Sore back and legs, nope, am 183cm weigh about 85kg and have marked exactly where I like my seat, when and if we are going for a 10 hour drive, I make sure that I take some paracetamol or stronger in case I do feel a little stiff, but stretch well before the journey and every 2 hours after our usual pit stops and coffee.

 

We can upgrade now that the warranty is over, i.e. sitting on 105,000 klicks, but feel like the pickup is still new, as for speed, I cruise on 100 on most open roads, and have at times opened it up to 160 without an issue handling or stopping.

 

I would strongly suggest it's your tyres and possibly your pick up if it's a two door as my father in-law has an Isuzu 2 door and it's all over the road, as for potholes the Bridgestones eat them, but I do my best to know where I am driving and avoid them at all costs as I don't want to chew up my tyres (19,200 baht) recently replaced and the suspension in the future.

 

If and when you do go to change your tyres, do your research and DO NOT listen to most tyre places as they won't tell you tyres are from overseas, although they will try and sell them to you as there is more money in the sale of those tyres, when you do your research you will see that the tyre you want to purchase has a small symbol on it, that tells you it's made here.

You mention how good bridgestone tires are. Are they made in Thailand? Is that the best option?

[4MyEgo]

1 minute ago, ghworker2010 said:

You mention how good bridgestone tires are. Are they made in Thailand? Is that the best option?

From my understanding, there are Bridgestones made in Thailand and they are the ones you want, not the ones made in I think it's Indonesia or Malaysia as they are not designed for carrying weight and are an inferior tyre, although you can save 500 baht per tyre.

 

If you have a Ford Ranger the Bridgestone 265/65/65R17 shouldn't cost you more than 4,800 per tyre fitted.

 

Best to shop around but more importantly to ask when you are given a price, where are they made.

 

There is also a way to know where they are made as it is marked on the tyre.

[4MyEgo]

16 minutes ago, ghworker2010 said:

You mention how good bridgestone tires are. Are they made in Thailand? Is that the best option?

Also watch out if you are paying by a debit card or credit card as some places will try to charge you a percentage of up to 5%.

 

I know credit cards charge a surcharge, but no debit cards, two places lost the business because they tried to charge me 5% for using my debit card (international) not local which would have cost me an extra 960 baht, the 3rd place also said there was a 5% charge and I explained to them it's a debit card, i.e. my own money, so they went away and checked (thick as bricks these Thai's) I tell you, only to return after speaking to whoever they spoke to and said yes, no charge.

 

So it's either cash or your local banks debit card, but make sure you check with your bank if they charge for using a debit card as I know credit cards charge, that's why I don't have one.

[Denim]

On 2/10/2019 at 9:46 PM, Moonlover said:

Just need to look at the accidents stats. No 1, motorcycles, No 2 Pick-ups.

 

And they way I see them driven sometimes, that comes as no surprise. 

 

Would never buy one.

 

If a pick up is driven sensibly like the work horse it is there should be no problem.

 

However , they often fall into the hands of people who imagine they are driving a Ferrari , tart them up with go fast stickers ,  and drive with the pedal to the metal. 

 

A hotted up Ford blasted past me last week. I was doing 100kph. It must have been going around 140 kph or even a bit more.

 

As it headed off into the distance, every time there was a rise in the road I could see it bouncing up and down. At one bounce the wheels almost left the ground and as it landed it twitched as though about to veer of the road. It didn't and it disappeared but that drivers luck will one day run out.

[boonrawdcnx]

I have an isuzu truck around 3 yrs old. Negative issues:

- Sore back and bum on long trips

- Driving over bitumen roads with potholes/ uneven surfaces, at moderate speed, results in the truck being unstable. It feels like the car is sliding a bit out of control for a few seconds. 

- Last week I was driving in heavy rain on a road in our city and proceeded to overtake at a slow speed. My truck slid for 1 to 2 seconds out of control which scared the shit out of me. A year ago the same thing happened on a gravel road but I was going a bit faster. 

 

My 4 tires are only 1 yr old - chinese brand. Im assuming they are ok. 

 

Im thinking of putting several large heavy sand bags in the back of the truck to see if that helps. 

 

Recently I drove the father in laws new toyota sedan. I felt it was a safer and more comfortable drive at all speeds. 

 

Does anyone else have these issues?

 

I made the mistake and thought I could save some money when I bought a set of cheap brand new Chinese tires for a sedan - 12.000 baht for a set of 4.

 

I did some research on the Internet regarding the tires before I bought them and it turned out they were not too bad but also not really good in the rain still the test results I found on the Internet were acceptable.

 

A bout six months after I had bought the tires I noticed a slight vibration of the car after a trip to Chiang Rai - hit a pothole very likely - and it looked like it was coming from the front left side.

The vibration did not seem to be there all the time but after about a month and a half it felt like that the vibration was getting stronger. I inspected the tires but could not see any visible damage.

 

I had the car checked out and only when the car was lifted up at the tire shop one could see the damage on the inside of the front left tire.

 

That not enough the damaged tire and the vibration had also damaged the shocks.

 

Well in the end this little adventure cost me an additional 55,000 Baht.

 

Thinking I could save some money on a set of cheap Chinese tires it cost me dearly in the end.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, boonrawdcnx said:

 

I made the mistake and thought I could save some money when I bought a set of cheap brand new Chinese tires for a sedan - 12.000 baht for a set of 4.

 

I did some research on the Internet regarding the tires before I bought them and it turned out they were not too bad but also not really good in the rain still the test results I found on the Internet were acceptable.

 

A bout six months after I had bought the tires I noticed a slight vibration of the car after a trip to Chiang Rai - hit a pothole very likely - and it looked like it was coming from the front left side.

The vibration did not seem to be there all the time but after about a month and a half it felt like that the vibration was getting stronger. I inspected the tires but could not see any visible damage.

 

I had the car checked out and only when the car was lifted up at the tire shop one could see the damage on the inside of the front left tire.

 

That not enough the damaged tire and the vibration had also damaged the shocks.

 

Well in the end this little adventure cost me an additional 55,000 Baht.

 

Thinking I could save some money on a set of cheap Chinese tires it cost me dearly in the end.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Shocks don't get vibration from normal driving? Don't know if you could blame the tyres for that.

[spidermike007]

And if you do, please do the nation a favor, and do not buy another diesel. With the air being what it is, the last thing in the world this country needs, is one more diesel vehicle. 

[VocalNeal]

36 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Also watch out if you are paying by a debit card or credit card as some places will try to charge you a percentage of up to 5%.

 

YES. That is because the credit card company charges them 5%. Plus they may have to pay 1500B a month for the rental of the card transaction machine.

Do you think they should absorb that 5% just because you wish to use a card?

 

Some places you can also have a receipt if you pay 7% extra for the VAT !!

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

YES. That is because the credit card company charges them 5%. Plus they may have to pay 1500B a month for the rental of the card transaction machine.

Do you think they should absorb that 5% just because you wish to use a card?

 

Some places you can also have a receipt if you pay 7% extra for the VAT !!

Not suggesting that at all.

 

As I stated, be careful if you are using a debit card or credit card as some may wish to charge for either cards.

 

What I was trying to put across is the card companies do not charge on debit cards, in this case VISA, however all 3 tyre places said yes 5% charge which infers that they do not know the difference between a debit card or a credit card and tried to charge me 5% for using my international debit card, i.e. my money, with the last one checking, otherwise they knew they would have lost my business as I made it very clear, that or the tyre place could choose to absorb the charges as I am not one to pay additional costs for using my own money via a debit card, that would be ludicrous.

 

People who have credit cards use them as they either have no money or want the frequent flyer points, I say no money because they could use a debit card if they had money and didn't want to withdraw and carry it around like myself, each to their own and if a business want to use the facility/machine that takes credit cards and pay 1,500 baht per month rent for the privilege in hope that it attracts more customers to cover such costs, well that's a personal decision as I know a few blokes who run very successful businesses and have signs all around, cash only, no cards of any type, now that says a lot to me because they has a lot of return customers as well as new customers and the law doesn't say that they have to have those machines, when I questioned one of them one day he said; too much paperwork, extra cost to the business and the cost gets added to the customer, so I am saving my customers money and myself costs and paperwork, it's not a convenience, it's a trap !

 

I couldn't argue with him as his business proved it, so thinking outside the square can assists business, after all, how many years did businesses survive without them ?

[VocalNeal]

11 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

which infers that they do not know the difference between a debit card or a credit card and tried to charge me 5% for using my international debit card,

 

Or they don't care and have a policy of charging 5% for the use of any card.

 

Your alternative is to go down the street to an ATM withdraw money for free and then pay the business cash.

 

Then again i thought everyone in Thailand knows it is 5% for using a card. Again as the business has to pay that.

Edited February 13, 2019 by VocalNeal

[4MyEgo]

11 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Then again i thought everyone in Thailand knows it is 5% for using a card. Again as the business has to pay that.

No, I will say it again, there is no charge for using a debit card for a customer, whether businesses factor the 5% they get charged into their prices or not is up to them, I would imagine most would if they get slugged 5%, which I would presume is illegal, because I know when I am in Oz using my card, some outlets/stores will say, sir there will be a charge of 0.01.25% or something like that charged on your card, do you still wish to proceed, therefore leaving the choice for the customer to decide whether or not they are prepared to pay the extra which is fare. 

[watcharacters]

On 2/10/2019 at 12:41 PM, HAKAPALITA said:

not even have Fridge,

[ghworker2010]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

 

YES. That is because the credit card company charges them 5%. Plus they may have to pay 1500B a month for the rental of the card transaction machine.

Do you think they should absorb that 5% just because you wish to use a card?

 

Some places you can also have a receipt if you pay 7% extra for the VAT !!

we are not charged 1500B a month at all. Never heard of this before. we just charge the customer 2% fee. Our competitor close by charges 3%

[HauptmannUK]

Pickup trucks sold in Thailand ride and handle poorly due to the fact that they use a live rear axle with leaf springs. I believe this is something to do with the Thai taxation system classing pickups as 'working vehicles' and applying a reduced sales tax to vehicles with this design.

Leaf-sprung axles date back to Roman chariots. The dynamics of leaf-sprung axles are very poor, and coupled with a high centre of gravity leads to poor handling.  In the words of Scottie (Star Trek).."Ye cannae beat the laws o' physics".  

Pickups are good value and possibly justifiable out in the sticks. But in the 21st century I don't think I could bring myself to buy a vehicle with such dated design.

[transam]

8 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Pickup trucks sold in Thailand ride and handle poorly due to the fact that they use a live rear axle with leaf springs. I believe this is something to do with the Thai taxation system classing pickups as 'working vehicles' and applying a reduced sales tax to vehicles with this design.

Leaf-sprung axles date back to Roman chariots. The dynamics of leaf-sprung axles are very poor, and coupled with a high centre of gravity leads to poor handling.  In the words of Scottie (Star Trek).."Ye cannae beat the laws o' physics".  

Pickups are good value and possibly justifiable out in the sticks. But in the 21st century I don't think I could bring myself to buy a vehicle with such dated design.

Many trucks assembled in LOS are exported. Think they all use leaf springs, even the high end ones..

[HAKAPALITA]

They should only sell them to Ferangs with Work Permits.

[mogandave]

I have an isuzu truck around 3 yrs old. Negative issues:
- Sore back and bum on long trips
- Driving over bitumen roads with potholes/ uneven surfaces, at moderate speed, results in the truck being unstable. It feels like the car is sliding a bit out of control for a few seconds. 
- Last week I was driving in heavy rain on a road in our city and proceeded to overtake at a slow speed. My truck slid for 1 to 2 seconds out of control which scared the shit out of me. A year ago the same thing happened on a gravel road but I was going a bit faster. 
 
My 4 tires are only 1 yr old - chinese brand. Im assuming they are ok. 
 
Im thinking of putting several large heavy sand bags in the back of the truck to see if that helps. 
 
Recently I drove the father in laws new toyota sedan. I felt it was a safer and more comfortable drive at all speeds. 
 
Does anyone else have these issues?

Let some air out of the tires

[ghworker2010]

On 2/13/2019 at 10:34 AM, spidermike007 said:

And if you do, please do the nation a favor, and do not buy another diesel. With the air being what it is, the last thing in the world this country needs, is one more diesel vehicle. 

but I like the sound of the diesel vechiles