Good morning all. I am seriously considering purchasing either a 2001 or 2003 4-door Blazer.

Back story...

I've always been a pick-up guy, and when I say pickup, I mean, American full sized V8 with an 8' bed. Nothing less than that.

Well, my father is in a nursing home and requires multiple doctors visits as of recent. My daily driver is a 2015 Nissan Sentra, and with two bum knees, he has a hard time getting in and out of it It sits way too low. My truck is a 1998 Silverado Z71 with a mild lift and 18" wheels/tires, so with his bum knees and being a bit overweight, he can't get into that truck at all. I have a 94-mile round-trip commute to work every day, so I have to keep the Sentra, which gets around 40MPG or more, so I have to trade the truck for something more manageable for my father. So, it's either purchase a minivan or an SUV. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself driving a minivan, and though I'm not much of an SUV fan either, I think I can live and be happy with an older, true SUV. So, looking around, I think the 1995-? generation Blazer/Jimmy would fit the bill. It's tall enough, but not too tall for my old man too get in and out of, and my disabled brother, who can get in and out of both vehicles, but struggles a little, might benefit from it too.

I do own a 14' Lund fishing boat. It's not very heavy and if I pushed, I'll bet my Sentra (manual tranny) can pull it fine, though I doubt I'd be able to yank it out of the water. So I do need a decent vehicle for that. I'm sure the Blazer can pull it without batting an eye. There is the issue of not having an 8' bed. I am a wood worker, and haul wood, drywall, wood working machinery, etc, as well as a motorcycle on a trailer, when needed, so I just want to make sure the Blazer can handle that stuff as well.

Since this will be replacing my beloved pickup (and I may shed a tear or two), I just want to make sure this thing would be capable. Oh, and for those looking, the Blazer will be a 4-door and a 4X4.

Thanks for looking,
Dan

 

I am sure a blazer will fit the bill and will have more than enough power to do what you need.

 

I can't help you with a trade (and I'm sure your dad couldn't get into my Blazer. anyway), but I used to have a similar issue with my grandfather when he was living. I've always had lifted trucks that he couldn't get in, so I bought a step stool for him to use so he could get in and out. After he used it to get in, I would just throw it in the back of the truck and set it up for him when we arrived at our destination.

Not exactly what you're asking for, but if you really want to keep your truck, it's a way to possibly make it work.

 

That's a good suggestion , Tom A. It's worth a try at little or no cost.......If that doesn't work for you, I recommend the 2003 4 door Blazer due to the upgraded fuel injection spider starting in the 2003 year. Of course, if you select the 2001, you can retro fit the improved F.I. spider on it at some cost. Approx $800.00 You can pull a fishing boat and be comfortable with either. Please let us know what you decide.