Rented one of those Lowes rental trucks the other day.

[JulesMaximus]

It was a Chevy of some sort, for getting the occasional purchase back to your home it sure beats the hell out of owning your own gas guzzling truck. $20 for 75 minutes vs 5 years of truck maintenance and truck fuel economy? It's a freaking bargain!

Edit-The truck was great. I loved it. I'm going to buy one just like it because it defines who I am as a man. Now fuck off.

 

[MotF Bane]

Uh, you're going to judge all modern Chevy pickups by a rental at a home improvement store?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Uh, you're going to judge all modern Chevy pickups by a rental at a home improvement store?

They make special cheap interiors, use different engines, or tire pressure sensors for the Lowes/Home Depot fleet vehicles?

I used to work in the car rental industry. I can assure you that it is an excellent way to judge the quality of a vehicle. Of course, that was back in the late 80s to early 90s when American cars were by and large complete garbage. Let me put it to you this way, we would get in a fleet of new vehicles, GM, Toyota, Ford, Buick, Dodge/Chrysler, send them all out into the world and then 2 years and 30-40,000 miles later the ones that held up the best were the Toyotas. Ford wasn't bad, Dodge/Chrysler interiors held up well but everything else was failing. GM and Buick were falling apart and constantly in and out of the dealership. I had a brand new Pontiac with less than 100 miles on it just quit running on the freeway at 10PM on a Saturday night. I could bore you for hours with tales from my car rental days.

BTW-I rented a Ford Escape a few years ago and put 300 miles on it in a weekend and I have to say I was impressed by it. Nothing to complain about anyway...well, other than the gas mileage.

How do you judge a vehicle? By a 15 minute test drive at the dealership? Consumer reports?

 

[MotF Bane]

They make special cheap interiors, use different engines, or tire pressure sensors for the Lowes/Home Depot fleet vehicles?

I used to work in the car rental industry. I can assure you that it is an excellent way to judge the quality of a vehicle. Of course, that was back in the late 80s to early 90s when American cars were by and large complete garbage. Let me put it to you this way, we would get in a fleet of new vehicles, GM, Toyota, Ford, Buick, Dodge/Chrysler, send them all out into the world and then 2 years and 30-40,000 miles later the ones that held up the best were the Toyotas. Ford wasn't bad, Dodge/Chrysler interiors held up well but everything else was failing. GM and Buick were falling apart and constantly in and out of the dealership. I had a brand new Pontiac with less than 100 miles on it just quit running on the freeway at 10PM on a Saturday night. I could bore you for hours with tales from my car rental days.

BTW-I rented a Ford Escape a few years ago and put 300 miles on it in a weekend and I have to say I was impressed by it. Nothing to complain about anyway...well, other than the gas mileage.

How do you judge a vehicle? By a 15 minute test drive at the dealership? Consumer reports?

The rough idle could be related to the CEL, which in turn could be a maintenance consideration. The tire pressures are very likely to be a maintenance issue, or do you think both sensors have failed in similar manner at similar times? The interior and the "drives like a truck" are not statements I would disagree with.

How do I judge a vehicle? The test drive is the only missing part of the equation, all numerical data can be obtained online with a few hours.

 

[JulesMaximus]

The rough idle could be related to the CEL, which in turn could be a maintenance consideration. The tire pressures are very likely to be a maintenance issue, or do you think both sensors have failed in similar manner at similar times? The interior and the "drives like a truck" are not statements I would disagree with.

How do I judge a vehicle? The test drive is the only missing part of the equation, all numerical data can be obtained online with a few hours.

True, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the vehicle as a whole. BTW-I did check the tire pressure and it was fine.

 

[Zargon]

yes do they make special fleet vehicles of most rentals

you should know this

use way less insulation, lower grade interior materials, shit they wouldnt put in a regular sales car

I'd be surprised if it wasnt also the base v6

 

[foghorn67]

Yes, they call them fleet vehicles. They do this because dirty, greasy and smelly working men who don't care at all about their company truck occupy them.
They used to be all vinyl interiors, but I'm sure the concept is the same.
Just go to a dealer and drive a base Chevy truck a consumer can buy.
Otherwise, I think you are trolling.

 

[JulesMaximus]

yes do they make special fleet vehicles of most rentals

you should know this

use way less insulation, lower grade interior materials, shit they wouldnt put in a regular sales car

I'd be surprised if it wasnt also the base v6

The only difference in the interior is the carpet delete and the base model seating materials. The dash and all other interior panels are exactly the same as a production truck.

I realize it is stripped down, even had window cranks. I didn't complain about that at all because I know it is a fleet vehicle.

 

[MotF Bane]

True, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the vehicle as a whole. BTW-I did check the tire pressure and it was fine.

Okay then. I figured you wouldn't have.

 

[alfa147x]

Im going to stick with my: Nothing good comes from GM and their bullshit products.

(Except the Corvette)

 

[ponyo]

Beggars can't be chooser.

 

[Vette73]

Its a 3/4 Ton HD rental truck, what did you expect.

And yes the larger HD trucks get more plastic interior, its so it will hold up better. You think companies are going to pay extra so their guys can tear the sh_t out of a costly truck?

Heres a 3/4 ton GM interior if you went to the dealer.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

They make special cheap interiors, use different engines, or tire pressure sensors for the Lowes/Home Depot fleet vehicles?

I used to work in the car rental industry. I can assure you that it is an excellent way to judge the quality of a vehicle. Of course, that was back in the late 80s to early 90s when American cars were by and large complete garbage. Let me put it to you this way, we would get in a fleet of new vehicles, GM, Toyota, Ford, Buick, Dodge/Chrysler, send them all out into the world and then 2 years and 30-40,000 miles later the ones that held up the best were the Toyotas. Ford wasn't bad, Dodge/Chrysler interiors held up well but everything else was failing. GM and Buick were falling apart and constantly in and out of the dealership. I had a brand new Pontiac with less than 100 miles on it just quit running on the freeway at 10PM on a Saturday night. I could bore you for hours with tales from my car rental days.

BTW-I rented a Ford Escape a few years ago and put 300 miles on it in a weekend and I have to say I was impressed by it. Nothing to complain about anyway...well, other than the gas mileage.

How do you judge a vehicle? By a 15 minute test drive at the dealership? Consumer reports?

i agree completely with this post, but as for your OP...

TPMS lights are on probably because the TP was low.
CEL/rough idle could be related and due to poor maintenance.
cheap plastic is acceptable in a work truck, as long as it's durable.

 

[Vic Vega]

This is coming from the guy who tells people not to buy trucks but rent them, and then complains that the rental is a piece of crap.

Come on Jules!

 

[96Firebird]

I rented a Mazda6 last year, tire pressure sensor was giving a bad reading as well. I must now assume that all Mazda6's are crap.

 

[Throckmorton]

The interior on your motorcycle is probably even worse.

 

[hanoverphist]

we have chevy 2500 service body fleet trucks for our crews. they last about 200-250k miles, even with the abuse we put them through. they are solid trucks, and have so far been cheaper to maintain and last longer than the F-250 and 350s we used to use. hell, our old ones we sold are still on the road, most were sold to employees when we were done with them.

 

[Zargon]

The only difference in the interior is the carpet delete and the base model seating materials. The dash and all other interior panels are exactly the same as a production truck.

I realize it is stripped down, even had window cranks. I didn't complain about that at all because I know it is a fleet vehicle.

my insurance adjuster friend says they get all different part #'s, and the dash, door skins etc are all thinner than a regular model. so they are flimsier and louder

 

[Bl0cks]

Your first mistake was going to Lowes.

 

[JulesMaximus]

my insurance adjuster friend says they get all different part #'s, and the dash, door skins etc are all thinner than a regular model. so they are flimsier and louder

Maybe they are parts that didn't pass QC for the regular trucks? I don't know.

Perhaps I am being a tad hard on the vehicle.

 

[MotF Bane]

Perhaps I am being a tad hard on the vehicle.

In general...

Q: Is vehicle roof above four feet high?

If yes, then JM hates it already.

:awe:

 

[ShawnD1]

True, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the vehicle as a whole. BTW-I did check the tire pressure and it was fine.

My car always has the tire pressure light on in winter because that's when I'm using cheap walmart steel rims that don't have the something something required to make the sensor work. It's likely your rented truck had replacement rims.

Heres a 3/4 ton GM interior if you went to the dealer

You can't tell the quality of the plastic just by looking at a picture. Sometimes plastic looks really nice even though it's terrible. It can also look terrible but be tough as nails.
Hammond and Clarkson both disliked how much cheap plastic is found in the corvette. I can't view youtube at work but I think this is the video I'm looking for:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMcZH-1FEHo

 

[CraigRT]

The TPMS was probably not working because they changed the rims, maybe put on some duals. You get TMPS errors the minute you change rims and don't have the sensors installed in the new rims/or can't install the new sensors.

Also a CEL can just be an evaporative leak or something small.. Could be anything. Every time I've seen a CEL in a car I've owned, its always been for something mundane, and the car remained easily drivable.

 

[7window]

I have to agree with the op but you have to remember most interior are plastic. Some are just wrapped in leather or vinyl.

 

[Possessed Freak]

It's a truck, made for people who need a truck.