I’m also in the market for a truck to enable a woodworking hobby. Basic requirement is being able to haul sheet material (4’ wide) with no fuss.
Even 20 year old beaters are going for over 10k in my area.
Anything in the last 10 years or so is bloated. Even the smallest models like Tacomas are ridiculously sized, yet have tiny beds.
Basic requirement is being able to haul sheet material (4’ wide) with no fuss.
I hate to say it, but what you actually want is a minivan.
I’ve borrowed my parents minivan for this in the past, but their newer Odyssey (~8yr old) doesn’t even fit sheet goods without going diagonal, which causes problems. Plus even with care, it inevitably scratches up the interior.
I’d rather have a medium to small sized truck with a standard to extended bed. I don’t care about scratches or dents, so can just toss things in without a worry, and can load without even lowering the tailgate.
TIL Odysseys are inferior minivans.
The Aerostar I had two decades ago and the Sedona I have now both fit sheet goods just fine.
Also, I don’t think you’ve been able to buy a regular cab/8’ bed pickup easily since about the '90s.