u/Atticus_1916

Due to a divorce and midlife crisis I'm going to be shortly looking at getting my first 4x4 ute, south Sydney area. Budget will be max $50k inclusive of ending up with canopy, bull bar, suspension and winch, hoping for under 100k on the clock. Rangers and Hilux seem to be the best option, I'll be doing weekend trips with the kids as remote as possible with a load in the tub. Question to the community, how do I make sure I'm not getting a lemon? Are there mechanics I can pay to come and check out the truck? How much does that typically cost and how quickly can they do it? Does anybody have any recommendations? I'm in the Hurstville area but can travel up to an hour to a dealer. Any other tips for a newbie?