Okay guys a short background on me: My name is Gregg and I've been plowing snow for five+ years. I used to own my own commercial/residential landscape and plowing business but have since left the remnants of it with family. However, I still work for them when I have the time. I am a full time college student and do not plan to continue the business other than working for the family on an hourly basis. Okay with that out of the way let me tell you about my idea for a truck.

I do not currently own a yota but I have friends who do and I'm looking at several 86-95 4x4 5 Speed trucks. What I really need is either single cab with tool box storage or an extended cab. I need around 20mpg. I need 4x4.

With that being said here is my concept: Extended cab, flat bed, trailer hitch, plow mount, and heavy duty suspension for the weight of the plow and load on the bed.

The idea is that this truck will be my daily driver to school and work. It will also be a backup plow truck to my remaining 2001 Chevy 1500 ext cab z71 that handles the plow like its nothing. I also have a tailgate salter that I'd like to be able to use.

Plow specs: Buyers SnowDogg MD75 that weighs in about 380 pounds 7' 6".
Salter Specs: 600lb capacity tailgate salter

My 01 Chevy is on its last leg. It needs a new trans and is beat to $^%# I have a Camaro that I am planning to turbo/build. I need another vehicle in order to take it off the road.

What can I do to a yota to make it handle more weight? I would like to have the ability to get pallets of salt in an emergency situation where the other trucks are unavailable. Salt weighs in at just above 2500 pounds per pallet.

I have access to a fabricator/welder, a lift, mechanic, and I've built a lot of things myself. I'm just new to this 4x4 build/offroad thing. My prior truck was a 2010 F250 SD 4x4 with front suspension on crack (built up to F450 to handle 10 ft plow) and I bought it new built to spec for my old business. I don't need anything like my old truck. I need something that could go anywhere and do anything I ask of it. It would be mostly on road but might go offroad with some lightly modded jeeps/half tons. Reliability, affordable economy, and flexible use is my biggest goal.

I'm looking for help planning my build. I'm a big plan, plan, and plan again before you execute type of guy. I've done a lot of reading and searching. I'm just not the expert. That is why I ask. I'm just looking to open up some thoughts on what it would take to turn a Yota into a great heavy duty work truck, daily driver, and occasional offroader.

 

IMO you can only get 2 out of your 3 wants in one truck.

2500# is a lot of weight for any mini truck.

 

What do you think if I do a seasonal prep/conversion. Maybe set it up so that I can swap components for plow season. Give up the economy in plow season. Or maybe I just have to compromise on the weight.

I have a 10' trailer that can handle that weight. Maybe I could tow the pallet instead. I've towed the trailer with small trucks/jeeps before. It's not that heavy. It's also rated to handle the weight.

 

Trailer might work. Yours got brakes??

 

Sadly some A-hole backed up to my barn and hitched up to my tandem axle with brakes. He also pulled out the wall it was chained to...

So the smaller trailer that I still have doesn't have it's own brakes but that doesn't mean I can't fit them. I've done lots of brakes and trailer work before. I don't know if I would need the brakes to be honest I've pulled heavier without them.... Although if it helps the truck handle the load that much I might do it anyways. It might be safer now that I don't have a 6300# Super Duty to manhandle the 2000 lb load.

 

you need a one ton truck my friend.

 

By one ton are you referring to a F350/3500 series truck? Because I saw something about a "one ton" toyota pick up. I don't know if the little yotas they call "one ton" are really one ton trucks...

Someone fill me in on that. I understand big trucks are good for plowing. I don't plow anything but two small commercial lots and some driveways. That is the reason I'm downsizing. Plus we only get 30" in Dayton, Ohio per year. That's not much in the snow and ice management world. A lot less than I used to have work wise at least...

I want a Yota because the parts and donor vehicles are EVERYWHERE around here and I'm a student with a job. I commute 30 minutes away for college now and need to drive to work. I need 4x4 to get to my main plow truck during events too. So plowing isn't the main thing in this build. Just one facet of it.

I also occasionally off road, kayak, and fish in my spare time... Something my camaro doesn't support hahahaha.

Can I just do heavy duty leaf springs in the back and some big coils up front with supporting components? I'm looking for suggestions on suspension improvements.

 

i know it could potentially tow that weight, i towed an 85 monte carlo ss (3500#'s) that blew its motor and was loaded to the gunnels with ˟˟˟˟ (an extra 900#'s or so). It towed that load like a champ, I wasn't drag racing by any means and wasn't trying to keep up with highway speed traffic on the few parts of actual interstate BUT it did it with no worries. one way it was about 200 miles and a smidge.
was it smart? probably not. Was I worried about breaking my yota? no, i had the small "HT" tires on. would i do it again? hmm... i don't think i'd make it a frequent thing. for emergencies i say hell yea, but not a first line of defense.

 

Well with an ifs Yota you're not gonna be doing coils up front, it's a torsion bar system. There are heavy duty torsion bars, though, and you could get some stiffer rear leaf springs, too. The issue with 2500 lbs directly on the bed of the truck is the axle strength. It's just not meant to support that much weight at all.

Towing, I'd say possible if you had trailer brakes. I used a tow dolly to tow my '83 Pickup a couple hundred miles when I bought it, and acceleration was slow, sure, but it never felt like it was gonna break anything or that my clutch was slipping or anything. My problem came when someone cut me off in traffic. That was scary, and I won't tow that much without trailer brakes again.

On the 1 ton Yotas, I don't really have info for you there. I'm pretty sure he was meaning a 1 ton domestic, though. Even a Tundra it's pushing it carrying 2500 directly on it.

Last bit of input here from me, not really saying your 20 mpg goal is completely unrealistic, but you should lower the number if you're also wanting pretty decent off road ability. I'm getting about that with my 3.4 swapped Runner with 4.10's and 33's on the highway(I literally drive a block and accelerate to highway speed for 15 miles to go to and from work). I never got that with my 3.0, even though it had matched gears and not very aggressive 31" all terrains.