What makes for the best hunting trucks? You want a cheap pickup truck for starters; then, you want to make sure you have a reliable pickup truck. The last thing you want is to tear up an expensive truck or break down 10 miles down a logging trail. We want to help by suggesting the five best classic pickup trucks that are still cheap and good for hunting. Grab your camo and dip, and let’s find the best hunting truck for cheap.
What is the most reliable classic pickup truck?
As with most reliability inquiries, Toyota is normally the go-to, but it’s the only correct answer with trucks. The classic pickup truck reliability conversation doesn’t exist without Toyota in the room. Now, Toyota probably isn’t the first name to come to mind when someone says “classic pickup truck,” but the first-gen Tacoma and plain Toyota 4×4 pickup trucks are well into the “classic” designation at this point.
However, there are plenty of old Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge trucks that fit the rough and tumble requirements for being a good hunting truck; they are cheap pickup trucks, and they don’t have to be babied. According to Outdoor Life, these trucks can cover a wide swath of classic pickup truck types, but these seven are some of the best hunting truck options for cheap, even if some are a bit avant-garde.
The Chevrolet K10 is the best hunting truck in the half-ton category
One of the best parts of buying a classic American truck like the Chevrolet K10 or any of its predecessors is that parts are plentiful and cheap. This is a must for a good, cheap hunting truck.
Hunting is rough work, and it requires a lot from your pickup truck. The K10, which preceded the 1500 and 2500 nomenclature, is a tough old bird that was built to work and still knows the mission. Given the rough and often dirty work of hunting, the K10 has a plethora of interior, bed, engine, and every other sort of replacement kits that you could ever want.
The hardest part will be finding one that isn’t eaten up with rust. These trucks were built to work, and most of them did, so the condition will certainly be a factor. However, a little patience and luck can go a long way.
The best mid-size classic pickup truck is the Toyota pickup truck
Before the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra, Toyota’s first pickup truck was simply called the Toyota Pickup. The simplicity of the name should tell you all you need to know about these tough little bastards. As Outdoor Life says, from 1979 through 1983, these were objectively some of the best trucks in the world.
These days the little pickup trucks are starting to get collectible. However, even the rougher ones are so durable and reliable that a truck with 200k-300k miles may still have plenty of life left. Don’t sleep on this little killer.
Are old Ford F-250 diesel trucks any good?
Everyone always wants the F-150, but those bad boys are quickly climbing up the price lists. However, the old F-250s and F-350s from the mid-’80s have a lot of potential. We already know the diesel powerplants have the grunt to get you out in the woods and back, and the beds have plenty of room for slain beasts.
While these old 6.9-liter IDI V8s generate far less power than the turbocharged alternatives of today, they have a reputation for being incredibly reliable and can tow a hell of a load.
The rest of the truck is a classic Ford pickup. They have great lines and a functional interior. If your best hunting truck adventure involves a camper, johnboat, or a portable blind, this could be the perfect classic pickup truck rig for you.
Don’t sleep on the Bizzaro classic pickup truck; the Subaru Bratt
You probably didn’t see this one coming. Subaru is the adventure vehicle brand these days. Whether you want to go fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, or hunting, Subaru makes wheels for you.
“But Subaru doesn’t make a truck!” Well, it used to, or at least a sort’a one. The Subaru Brat might be a weird choice, but for hunters who live in a city or apartment complex where parking a big truck might be tough, it makes plenty of sense.
These little AWD pickups (or utes as the Australians call them) are basically the predecessors to the small pickup truck trend that is gathering steam today. The Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick are essentially using the same logic the Subaru Brat employed all those years ago.
Are old trucks more reliable?
Yes and no. As with all older vehicles, old trucks will obviously take more work at first than buying a newer pickup truck. However, once you get a good old truck doing right, they are generally sturdier. The paint and bodywork won’t be nearly as sensitive as most newer trucks. Classic pickup trucks also have far fewer parts to go wrong, making them simpler and tougher.
As with all things, you have to be patient when looking for the right good old hunting truck, especially if you are looking for a cheap pickup truck.
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