The Classic Cowboy/Ranch Truck..

[Chris B]

At work me and another guy got into a discussion about trucks. And we got into the cowboys/ranch truck area. And hopefully people on here can settle this dispute. I was saying to him that the truck would be an old one with faded paint, 2wd or 4x4 wouldnt really matter. And he said that you need a crew cab with fancy paint. Now mind you I have never really been west...well unless you count vacation when I was little. But I wish I could go out there and at least try and cowboy...aaaaa dreams. Anyway, can someone here help me out on this? And possibly a pic of a truck like that. Just so I can print it out and take this hole thread in and let him read it.

Thanks,

Chris

[DUDDY]

Well I come from a Ranch/Rodeo family from the south east courner of Washington and in my Family the ranch trucks only tend to last around 5 years at the most then you trade it off for a newer rig. Now there are some pick-ups that never leave the ranch(grandpas last truck died in feild next to a fence and there it sits to this day) But truly it comes down to what you can aford. I know some ranchers that buy a new truck evey year and some that will only buy new when their old truck is just DEAD.... My self I am no longer on or near the ranch and I still drive a 4x4 extra cab built in 2004 even thought I really dont use the 4x4 I just cant seem to get away from it... Im sure that really didnt help, sorry..

[Denise]

Most places have a couple, actually. The old one for driving pastures and doing the work, and a newer vehicle for going to town, taking the kids around, etc. Usually the second vehicle is a crew cab truck, though it can be a minivan if you have a family. Not a lot of cars. They don't take the gravel roads as well and don't do so well if you meet up with a deer or a moose or some one else's farm truck or a semi on the highways. Doesn't matter if the paint is new or old, you can't see it because the truck is brown from the dust of gravel roads. 4 x 4 pretty standard up here. If it isn't snow to get stuck in, it is mud. Now this isn't cowboy country as such, but lots of real farms and ranches. We have a car for going to town (only 2 1/2 miles of gravel, it is better on gas, we don't have kids, and I didn't hit the three moose I saw today on the way to town), our 1996 Ford F150 4 x 4 (some rust) for doing some of the farm work and when we need a truck to go to town, and our trusty little old Dodge Ram 50 - 1989, makes terrible noises and "it is going to die" has been said about it for about 8 years now, but its still holding together. Not insured or registered but used for a most of the pasture/fence work. It gets parked over winter. We don't worry too much about scratching it any more!

[WyomingSlick]

Well...first you have to define the cowboy, and then you can talk about what kind of truck he may have. I come from a ranching family background, both sides. In general, cowboy refers to a working ranch hand, a man who works for low wages and usually doesn't make enough money to afford a real nice truck. He is likely to be driving an older second hand truck like you are thinking of. Out here in Wyoming it is going to be a 4 wheel drive nowdays, because almost nobody buys anything else. When I was a kid, it was the opposite; 4 wheel drive trucks were rare critters. See pic of my Uncle Ike at the ranch in the 50s . Ike was a real cowboy in that he spent far more hours in a saddle than in a pickup. He was such a real genuine cowboy, that the Alcoa Aluminum Company sponsered a TV Special featuring him, appropriately called "Cowboy", which originally aired in the 60's and a few times since. Some of you may have seen it.

Now if your "cowboy" is actually a rancher, or a ranch manager, then he is very likely to be driving a newer and much nicer pickup with lots of "bells and whistles". And if your cowboy is a "weekend cowboy" who holds down a good paying job, as in in the oil/gas field. then he damn sure is driving a very nice pickup, one selling for forty thousand or more.

Then you have your Rodeo Cowboys and what they drive depends on how well they are doing on the circuit, and on what events they participate in. If they have to haul a horse or two for roping, doggin', or cutting. then they usually do it with a truck. Many riding event cowboys may get around in a car; doesn't take much to haul a saddle or a rigging. And fuel ain't cheap!

Then of course, you always have the old ranch truck which may never leave the home place. I, like many a ranch kid, learned to drive in one of those old workhorses. In my case, it was a 1952 2 wheel drive Dodge that was painted kind of a pale green. That old truck body was built out of some solid steel, it took a damn hard bump to dent a fender on it, unlike the thin stuff they use today.

Edited January 20, 2010 by WyomingSlick

[superchute]

Well my first thought of a cowboy's truck would be a 72 ford 4x4 the tall ones . With a stock rack on it with one or 2 saddles tied to the rack with a 30- 30 in the back window. This is my first thought of a truck.

AS looking back in the 80 as I roped a lot it was a stock trailer 6 x 16 and a crewcab pickup. Was way up town it had A/C in but still hand crack windows and no power locks lol

in the 90 was horse trailers with dressing rooms and nice trucks and some made over 2 ton turcks to pull th trailers for the rodeo guys

back on most working ranches we have a old pick up to feed and take care of the cows and fence and wish we hand a nice new truck to drive to town and show off but with gas going and calf pirces down we just have to keep driveing the old ones and watch the rodeo guys drive by in the new little peterbuilts made up to pull trailer as thay go by with the big long trailers with the living quarters in them.

so I might say all trucks are used just have to deside what cowboy your taking about

thanks for your time on my thoughts

Russ

[Blake]

This is a fun thread!

Mine is pretty typical but it can be any model or make.

1993 GMC 4x4 single cab no tail gate, Reese hitch, Ball hitch in the bed . Its what is in the bed that makes it a "cowboy truck" Spare tire ( probably flat) fuel can, spare fence posts and wire. Old bumper jack to pull posts. Various cans and containers of fluids for tractors and equipment. Hot Shot, catch ropes, empty feed sack or two, Cribbing marks on the hood , doors or bed sides, bailing wire, hay strings, chain, jumper cables. Thats just one layer. My neighbor has a new 2010 Dodge and is already stocked with the above. Duallys are good for road travel but the rear fenders take a beating on narrow gates and close quarters between trees and chutes. Brush guards if still intact come in handy and some might even still have a headache rack if the original owner thought it necessary. Some will also have strategically placed dents that resemble the various points of anatomy of a bovine. Judging from the inside of the color of the door jambs mine is dark blue but its hard to remember for sure. Mud color is in style this time of year.

My wife likes sport cars so hers is a Hemi Sport with a bed mat and tail gate protector. I think she puts dog food back there when she shops.

Blake

[Chris B]

Thanks guys!!! The debate at work was a little i guess off base. Because when someone says cowboy to me I think of the actual working cowboy. And to the other guy he was think the rodeo cowboy. So I guess we were both right lol. Thanks for the replies, but this doesnt have to stop this thread lol. I dont mind talking trucks or reading about them at all.

Thanks,

Chris

Oh and wyoming slick, that is an awesome picture!!

Edited January 21, 2010 by welder5724

[sdkid]

The real cowboy is drivin the faded, dented, bed full of stuff he uses everyday truck. The fancy painted crew cab is driven by the urban cowboy to the bar on saturday night. I'll get a pic of my truck and throw it up too.

[Dink]

I think I have recently traded for the ultimate ranch truck. My every day driver is a dodge cummins because I like the motor.

But for the ranch truck that we use daily to feed, fence and put out mineral, my nephew just built. He used an old 72 Ford two wheel drive that he inherited when my dad passed away. He then found a 1990 dodge 4 x 4 that had been totaled due to a fire in the cab, and used the dodge 4 wheel drive running gear and cummins motor and then put on the 72 ford cab and a flatbed. This is a great ranch truck.

The real cowboy is drivin the faded, dented, bed full of stuff he uses everyday truck. The fancy painted crew cab is driven by the urban cowboy to the bar on saturday night. I'll get a pic of my truck and throw it up too.