Not a full-size deal, but: My 1985 Toyota 4WD PU got to 290K miles. I'd bought another '85, a rollover, with 120K on it.
I got a guy to swap out the axles, engine and transmission. New grill and windshield. New shocks and new bushings throughout. Painted. $4,300, and I still have a usable motor, transmission and miscellaneous spare "good used" parts.
I do think thats better than $25K for a brand new Toy. If I was doing the full-size work truck thing, I'd follow the same process. I used to do it all myself, but age and arthritis has me hiring it done. Even so, it's cheaper than buying new.
Art
Well, if you don't mind my saying so, Art, the age and arthritis sure hasn't affected your brain, has it?
In the meantime, I've got a '53 Chevy 3600 project that'll be my work truck to haul/pull heavy things around the farmland here.
Ooooohhhh, that is so cool!
There is a 1-ton '58 (+/-) stepside pickup sitting at a ranch house a few miles from here. I doubt I could get them to sell it, and I don't have the time or energy to fix it up anyway. It looks pretty good though, but I don't even know if it runs.
My '85 Toy is a solid front axle, the last year Toyota did that before going to the double wishbone. Mine is stronger for off-road bumping and thumping.
Not to mention that once you rip one of those rubber boots, the CV joint is going to wear out very quickly.
We drive our fire trucks through sagebrush and right over small pine trees.
When I sold my 1980 K-10, it never even occured to me that they were going to stop making those cast iron transfer cases