Treated myself to a new truck today. Got a good deal on a end of season 2024 4 door V-6 Frontier. I've been working my @ss off the last few years so figured I deserved it. Now to get a replacement title and sell the old truck to pay for the topper of the new truck!
Looks great, PJ!
Congratulations!
Best, Fred
Nice PJ. I like the color too. A matching canopy will be icing on the cake !!
That is sweet!!!! Where are the rod racks going to go? Pretty truck, congratulations!!!!! - john
Quote from: Brewcrafter on December 28, 2024, 01:58:43 AMThat is sweet!!!! Where are the rod racks going to go? Pretty truck, congratulations!!!!! - john
John the rod pod will go on the bed canopy roof racks when I get it in a month or two.
Nice ride!
Styling! Nice
Nice truck. Congratulations.
Nice! My son has a Suzuki Equator which is a rebadged Nissan.
You need a matching blue reel from Tom,congratulations on your new ride!
Very nice. Hope it serves you well.
Okuma Azores Blue spinning reels will match it perfectly.
Nice ride! Looks like you are ready for an adventure.
looking good. i'm sure you got a good deal as well. maybe saved enough money for a new reel or two!!!
Nice truck PJ will last you a long time!
I have a 3/4-ton Dodge diesel, which I need to tow my toys (in a 24' trailer) and carry my cabover camper. If I didn't have those, I'd have a Tacoma or a Frontier.
Is it four wheel drive?
Steve
Quote from: alantani on December 28, 2024, 05:44:46 PMlooking good. i'm sure you got a good deal as well. maybe saved enough money for a new reel or two!!!
Alan I saved enough for the July 3 day trip and maybe one right before or after the trip.
Quote from: Crab Pot on December 28, 2024, 05:56:11 PMNice truck PJ will last you a long time!
I have a 3/4-ton Dodge diesel, which I need to tow my toys (in a 24' trailer) and carry my cabover camper. If I didn't have those, I'd have a Tacoma or a Frontier.
Is it four wheel drive?
Steve
Steve it's not 4wd as I don't have a need for it plus my wife's car is awd
Sweet ride!!
Man, outfitting a new truck is pricy!
The camper shell with roof racks is gonna run me about $4000, the seat covers were $450 and the dog hammock with door protection was $170.....at least the dealership threw in rubber floor mats!!!!
Are you going with Leer or Snug Top on the shell, PJ?
Both are pretty much equal and top quality.
Best, Fred
Leer with the headliner, slide window in the front and roof racks
It's what I've got now and its been great.
Looking good
nick truck amigo PJ, when I grow up I want a truck like that
Spent some $ and time to do some upgrades to the inside of the truck.
Center console tray and neoprene center console cover.
Dashboard tray insert with dividers and cell phone cut out.
Caltrend neoprene seat covers
Ruff Liners dog hammock with door protectors
Congratulations on your beautiful new truck PJ!
Got the bed topper installed today. It completely changed the look of the truck! Only thing left to buy and install are some step bars....
Sharp, PJ!
Best, Fred
Nicely done pj
What kind of gas mileage are you getting ?
Quote from: Maxed Out on February 19, 2025, 03:41:40 AMNicely done pj
What kind of gas mileage are you getting ?
I think it's a little too early to tell but I'm thinking about 21 mpg
That's a good looking rig, PJ
Hi pj,
I really liked your truck when I saw it and especially so when you added the color matched shell. Just a few days ago I found myself in the unenviable position of facing 4K of repairs to my 13 yo tow vehicle. It's a 2012 Pathfinder. It's done a good job for me dragging my 25', 5600# GVWR Jayco TT around FL but I dread the thought of having a breakdown hundreds of miles from home with my wife and two dogs.
I've been looking for over a year in anticipation of this so like you I found a year end clearance truck. 2025 Frontier SV Crewcab. It was a dealer courtesy vehicle with 808 miles. Glacier White, charcoal interior, 2-wd, 9-spd shiftable auto, 3.69 axle. Just what I wanted no unnecessary gadgetry to add unnecessary weight. In the world of towing payload is evetything.
The numbers for anyone interested:
GVWR 6012#
5' bed
WB 126"
Tow 7000#
Payload 1480#
GCWR 11,960#
3.8L NA V6, 310hp, 281trq
And a further consideration was it's about the biggest vehicle that will fit in my postage stamp sized driveway.
So pj I'm not trying to hijack your thread but I remembered seeing somthing in your pictures that I'm going to need. The doggie cover on your rear seat. How is it holding up? Would you recommend it? My dogs each weigh 70# but are quite content to sleep while riding.
Regards,
OR
Quote from: OhReely on January 30, 2026, 09:33:17 AMHi pj,
I really liked your truck when I saw it and especially so when you added the color matched shell. Just a few days ago I found myself in the unenviable position of facing 4K of repairs to my 13 yo tow vehicle. It's a 2012 Pathfinder. It's done a good job for me dragging my 25', 5600# GVWR Jayco TT around FL but I dread the thought of having a breakdown hundreds of miles from home with my wife and two dogs.
I've been looking for over a year in anticipation of this so like you I found a year end clearance truck. 2025 Frontier SV Crewcab. It was a dealer courtesy vehicle with 808 miles. Glacier White, charcoal interior, 2-wd, 9-spd shiftable auto, 3.69 axle. Just what I wanted no unnecessary gadgetry to add unnecessary weight. In the world of towing payload is evetything.
The numbers for anyone interested:
GVWR 6012#
5' bed
WB 126"
Tow 7000#
Payload 1480#
GCWR 11,960#
3.8L NA V6, 310hp, 281trq
And a further consideration was it's about the biggest vehicle that will fit in my postage stamp sized driveway.
So pj I'm not trying to hijack your thread but I remembered seeing somthing in your pictures that I'm going to need. The doggie cover on your rear seat. How is it holding up? Would you recommend it? My dogs each weigh 70# but are quite content to sleep while riding.
Regards,
OR
Congrats on the new ride. You're going to love it.
The dog cover only gets used about 2 times a year. It sends durable enough. I know folks complain about the cover pulling off the door widow inserts. Depending on how much your dogs ride in the truck it could be an option.
The best dog accessory I have is homemade. I leave the back seats folded up and made a level platform for them to lay on. It eliminated the dreaded fumble off the seats when stopping quickly. I basically made a template of the back contour of the center console. Then cut a sheet of plywood to fit between the back of the front seats/console to the back seat frames. Covered it in padding and outdoor carpet then added legs to make it level. I leave it in permanently as it's great to not have to worry about anything falling off the back seats.
If you don't want to buy the big cover you could always just do seat covers and a dog hammock
Here's the question: when you drive it do you feel like yours riding in a truck-shaped under-powered tablet or are there still trucks out there that still act like a truck?
Here's the answer: WTF
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on January 30, 2026, 07:23:51 PMHere's the question: when you drive it do you feel like yours riding in a truck-shaped under-powered tablet or are there still trucks out there that still act like a truck?
It feels like a truck to me. I turned off a lot of bells and safety whistles. It's not overly techy....
Quote from: pjstevko on January 30, 2026, 08:31:36 PMQuote from: JasonGotaProblem on January 30, 2026, 07:23:51 PMHere's the question: when you drive it do you feel like yours riding in a truck-shaped under-powered tablet or are there still trucks out there that still act like a truck?
It feels like a truck to me. I turned off a lot of bells and safety whistles. It's not overly techy....
That's good to know. I think my 2011 xterra pro4X with an aftermarket stereo is just about the perfect level of technology in a vehicle. But it's got 190k miles and I've fixed a lot of things lately, including a new radiator this week. I hope I'm nowhere near needing a new one but I'm terrified of what I'll have to settle for when that time comes. Every rental I've been in has been straight up unpleasant. A CVT makes me sad. I'm glad there's still hope.
This is the reason that I have hung on to my 2002 Toyota Tacoma Ext. Cab, TRD 4WD, 5-Speed manual, 3.4V6, 10-ply AT/3 tires, 8K Warn winch, ARB (Australian bull bumper, 1 ton truck —- bought new, 255K, well maintained.
It pulls 6000 lb. logs, a travel trailer, boat, stumps, and frees Dodges, Fords, Chevy's, and others out of ditches and snowbanks. Hauls stuff to the dump in the utility trailer, and more.
I can shift it into 3rd gear, with my elbow out the window —- and head down mountain roads without even touching the brakes very often. But if I need the power, it's ready without shifting. 5,000 lb towing capacity.
If I ever lose the engine —- I'll just drop in a Japanese engine.
It does the job.
I too have done axles, radiator, upgraded brakes, clutches, etc —- but that is required to keep a vehicle ready for all types of weather, conditions, and capability.
Wife has been after me to get a new truck — I generally try to abide with her wishes — but my decision was a firm "NO" — and fortunately she is OK with that, and respects both the truck and my judgement when it comes to vehicles. I make sure she has had (4) new cars since I bought the Tacoma — '02 Honda Civic EX, '04 Toyota 4Runner, '14 Subaru Outback, '22 Subaru Outback.
It doesn't have all of the new computer features like the newer trucks.
So, at least for now —- it is 24 years old and still doing its job.
Best, Fred
Jason,
I had no idea what you were talking about but now that I know I'll say I don't consider 310hp underpowered in a vehicle this size. The torque on the otherhand is lower than I would like but stays fairly flat for awhile once it peaks. I'll address that when the time comes if it proves insufficient for my needs, for now I'm just breaking it in. I have no problem with a truck riding like a sedan if it acts like a truck when I need it to. I answer to a higher authority who has given it the tushy test and said wow rides nice for a truck.
Anyway I don't want to keep going in pj's thread but I wanted to talk with you about your Xterra radiator. I'll send a PM.
My son-in-law's previous job the service trucks were Tacoma with 300k+ miles still going strong.I think there are Tundras with 1 million miles.
I have kept vehicles too long where it was more to repair than it was worth,but that was a 14 year old mercury Grand Marquis. At that point we were just ready for something different.
My mother stopped driving last year at 82 & gave us her 2012 Lincoln MKX,it is in great condition.I recently had to put an EVAP purge valve on it & drove it to Jacksonville last week. 24 MPG drives great.
So we gave my son-in-law our 2003 Mazda Tribute which is still going strong 3.0 V6
My in-laws had a 2004 Xterra V6 which is on a truck frame rear wheel Drive it was a tank.
Scotty Kilmer states on Youtube the best made vehicle on the road is drum roll...Toyota 4runner made in Japan
I have no idea how to tell if one is made in Japan I assume the VIN or door post sticker?
If I were going to buy a new truck it would be a Toyota Tundra,I know it would last my life time & probably longer.
P.S.
Some Ford Explorers now have internal water pumps,there is no way I would buy a motor that had that. I think some engineers have these fancy smancy ideas which are great on paper,but not practical.
My good friend's daughter just went through this,you can replace the water pump for $4k but it's a gamble that the motor doesn't have damage. So she opted for a new engine $9k,ridiculous,just because of a water pump!
When shopping for vehicles I think these type things need to be considered i.e. future repairs,vehicles/insurance cost too much but are a necessity for most.