Informal survey

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 02/06/2019 at 12:24 • Filed to: stuff and numbers

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Without putting too much bias in this I wanted to do a quick informal survey of the greatest car community around.

So trucks.

They are the most popular vehicle sold, factually speaking. Statistically , it’ s very likely that many of these vehicles are bought purely by preference and not by need. The truth is that most people that buy trucks probably don’t, strictly speaking, “need” one. That being said I wanted to take a quick poll on people’s actual impressions of trucks and their buyers. W hats the breakdown in the buyers, or the perception of breakdown.

i.e. Who do you picture as the buyer of a mid sized truck ? Half ton? Full size? What do you think of an expensive trim truck and their buyer versus a mid level trim? What are you opinions on off road truck buyers?

Also I want to know where you are and what you base these perceptions on (if you are in sales, let me know, if you are a truck buyer let me know, etc)

I’ m just curious what the sentiment around trucks is and how it matches to region and circumstance.

I’ll start but try and not skew the results too much. I live here.

Utah is semi-rural and semi-urban, we drive an above average miles per capita and have a huge variety of lifestyles and climate but are historically traditional and conservative. Trucks are VERY much a thing here. People have RV’s, off-road toys, boats, horses and other outdoorsy type things. To say nothing of ranching, oil and mineral extraction, construction and other heavy labor uses. That being said I think a lot of people buy trucks just because they want one.

My brother in law is a great example, he grew up on a farm in Idaho and always wanted a truck when he grew up, so he bought one. What does he do now? he works for an insurance company. He doesn’t own a boat, he doesn’t have an RV, he doesn’t go off-road...he just wanted one. He bought a well equipped f150 and has a leveling kit. He’s a mild mannered and excellent dude that I wouldn’t in the least classify as a bro.

T rucks for him growing up were both functional and aspirational and they represent a l arge part of what makes him who he is. H e doesn’t “need” one and he keeps it clean and nice and just drives it to work.

I also know several people who have HD trucks and daily them, but who actually have a real need for a vehicle that is both very nice to be in and very functional and I understand their choice.

I also own 2 gas guzzling off-road vehicles that I try and keep clean but that serve my needs and wants very well.

So what are your thoughts on the mater? 

random001 > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:32

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I would use the hell out of a truck. Home depot employees know my name and tremble and my arrival.

That said, a minivan would be a better choice for me.

The Dummy Gummy > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:33

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Who do you picture as the buyer of a mid sized truck?

Any Suburban Dad

Anyone from Texas

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:37

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In the Southeast it falls into a few categories.

1) Truck because truck

Lots of loaded clean truck s because trucks are cool. May occasionally tow or throw stuff in the back but mostly commute and not needed. Lots of Platinums, F250s, 2500s, Raptors, Roushes, Shelbys, Tonkas and Denalis around here fall into this category. Below a Rover but less soccer mom like than a Yukon or normal SUV.

2) Truck because dirt

My dad falls in this category. Has a Platinum Tundra but always has stuff that shouldn’t get wet but you definitely don’t want in the cab back there. Uses the truck to camp as well as move parts, take the trash to the shop from the house, help move people, etc. Truck stays clean but is used.

3) Useful Trucks

This is a step above my dad. I have a coworker who’ s truck has a leveling kit, beefier tires, bumper, etc. He works a corporate job but lives on a small farm and it shows up to work dirty. This also fits into the category of people that use their truck everyday for what he has to use his for occasionally . Trucks of all capacity fall into this range.

4) Bro Dozers

Screw these guys.

The Dummy Gummy > random001 02/06/2019 at 12:38

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There is a lot going on here. I have to assume you only drive a Miata.

RutRut > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:39

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Having recently moved from Metro-Detroit to the central coast of CA, I have never seen so many Tacomas. Basically no one back in Michigan bought a mid-sized, for the same price basically you could buy a half ton with more power and more room. I had 2 F-250s, diesel and gas, but towed a 26' camper and occasionally snowmobiles up to the U.P., once I sold the camper I bought a STI. As long as the wife keeps driving a crossover and we keep renting then I don’t have any hard need for a truck. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:40

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I’m not sure if my truck counts as “owning a truck” since it is less functional for hauling stuff than my Kia Forte. That being said, do I occasionally load up my Dodge D100 with a slant 6 with lumber, garbage for dump runs or other cargo.  I’ve also pulled around a utility trailer and used it to transport bikes for mountain biking.  It still looks great and has never let me down.

Do you know what my truck doesn’t have? triple digit horsepower or torque , trick tail gates, touchscreens , ride height or any other dumb crap.

H onestly I think that trucks are not a great vehicle choice. Most guys (inevitably) use them more as a status symbol than what they are designed to do. I strongly feel that the rumored Ford Focus based unibody truck will be what 90% of truck guys actually need.

HammerheadFistpunch > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 02/06/2019 at 12:40

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I’m glad to have this info because this is a part of the country I know very little about. west coast? sure, mountain west? yes. Southwest? you bet. Anything east of the mississippi is an unknown to me.

Gerry197 > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:40

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I’ve looked at the list of vehicles I’ve owned throughout my life, with a few very enjoyable, including several BMWs (all manual, I6), Acura Integra GS-R, Geo Storm GSI, Dodge Viper GTS, Corvette C4, Porsch 911 SC to name a few.

However, my favorite memories have always been with the occasional pick-up truck. Not for driving dynamics of course, but because they were there during the “life” things I do. Hanging with the family, trips on weekends to the beach, hauling stuff for camping, etc. Sure, canyon carving in a sports car is fun, but it’s a singular thing.

There is a reason why pickup trucks make up 17% of the auto market, have the highest segment resale regardless of gas prices. And why the F-series has been the number one selling vehicle for the last few decades, again, regardless of fuel prices. It’s simply that trucks are immensely practical for our daily lives. Not just for the first owner, but those that buy them used down the line.

Everyone points to those $70,000 luxury barges, but you don’t have to get them that way. My F150 XLT Supercab is reasonably priced, comes with a 2.7L V6 that can (with a lot of discipline) get 26 mpg highway, does 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. Faster than every sports sedan I’ve owned and some sports cars.

It does all this while seating up to 6 adults, tows and hauls anything I need. Do I need all this capability all the time? No, but I have it for things I do often and also less often.  And when I sell it on in the future, I’ll get great resale towards my next purchase.         

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:40

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My personal stereotypes:

Stripped half ton: landscaper or road crew worker

Normal to high end half ton: just someone who likes trucks. No feelings one way or the other, I get it and wish my brain was less practical cause I kinda want one

3/4 ton (typically pre-07 diesel Ram): bro truck douchebag

3/4 ton (all others): overcompensating douchebag

One ton +: they must work on a farm or tow cars. Or are super, super fat*

*disclosure, all of the 3500 drivers I knew in NM fit into the fat category

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:42

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I really don’t judge people based on the truck itself. I know all kinds of truck owners. From my buddy with a new Taco who has taken up off- roading, to my friend who tows an enormous camper with his wife and four kids with a medium duty International , to his brother -in- law who is the original owner of a V10 Dodge Ram that has literally never had anything in the back except a golf bag . I myself could get by without one, but I do enough “ truck stuff” that it would be a PITA. Plus it was cheap, it’s paid off, and my commute is four miles from one suburb to the next, so why get rid of it? My dad is a contractor who has found the extended cab 6-1/2 foot bed 1/2 ton truck to be the happy place to satisfy both his needs and wants. He’s tried bigger, he’s tried smaller, he’s tried a van, but he’s on his fourth extended cab short bed half ton truck. He buys mid to top trim, because he likes heated leather seats. He’s constantly loaded down with all manner of tools and supplies, and he keeps his engine bay clean enough to eat off of.

What I really judge when it comes to trucks, is the way they’re modified. When I see tacky enormous wheels and low-pro tires, sky high lifts, a million stupid lights that are switched on while they’re commuting in the suburbs, the stupid Carolina Squat, etc. If you make your truck no good at being a truck, I judge you for being an idiot.

TheRevanchist > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:42

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I am not a truck fan, but I can tell you this: F150 drivers are dicks. Not a week goes by when driving to work that one does a complete jackass move.

When I brought this up to one of my co-workers, she said that the stereotypical bro-dudes with the beards are the jackasses driving those things, and, yes, she hates them, too.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:42

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buyer of large trucks... muricans... some of them even use them for work

buyer of midsized/ small trucks... farmers/landscapers/jihadis almost all used for work :p

random001 > The Dummy Gummy 02/06/2019 at 12:44

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I mean...I would....but no.

But I don’t like unitaskers much.  You can do most of truck things, and all of truck things I need, with a minivan.  I also like road trips, not the ideal place for trucks.  and commute.  but i haul stuff.  and have kids.  and....drive a giant SUV...

412GTI > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:46

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I get why people like trucks. They’re fun to drive in a different way than say a sports car. Idk what it is, maybe the height or the powerful V8s, but I like the feeling of driving a truck, at least when there’s open space and not in a city. Even though many don’t use them to their full potential, you know they’re a durable, dependable vehicle and can be very useful in multiple situations . I can see why families like them. They’re big and now are more comfortable/get better mileage than ever before.

I live in Pittsburgh but grew up in rural Pennsylvania. Lots of trucks sold here and a lot of people that actually use them. You do see a lot more nicer or loaded versions that hardly get dirty besides the occasional mulch trip. However, I see a lot being used for hunting, fishing, RV towing, and motorsports.

As far as buyers goes: Midsize - Either younger or older (but cheaper) buyers. They use the trucks for truck stuff occasionally and don’t need a full-size. Some do move on to Full Size after their first mid.

Full Size- The bread and butter. Lots of uses and a shit ton of buyers. Some are commercial use while others are fully-loaded and rarely see dirt. To me, the fully-loaded ones are giant luxury sedans for the modern age.  

HD - You obviously see a lot used commercially, but also driven daily (mainly by oil field/construction type workers). The daily driven ones are hardly used and would honestly be best served by a midsize or full, but diesel, bro.

Sorry for my word spaghetti, I typed this quickly :D

nermal > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:46

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I drive a diesel truck. A Lot.

The truck gets used for driving for work, hauling shit for the house, towing a toy hauler camper, very mild off roading, and rolling coal on protestors .

Technically I could complete almost all of the same activities using a Subaru if I downsized some of my requirements. Trade the camper for a s mall open trailer, a tent, and shitting in the woods , etc.

I have zero intentions of getting rid of the truck, ever. 

HammerheadFistpunch > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/06/2019 at 12:47

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interesting - you are both in the truck havers camp AND in the “they don’t need a truck” camp.  

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:47

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My dad grew up in the country, but needs truck for work/personal use. He is an elevator mechanic so he frequently tows elevator weights to test the lifts after they are installed. He also has toy hauler trailer & that is pretty heavy loaded. He has a 2015 3/4 ton ram. It gets used. 

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher 02/06/2019 at 12:48

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I think we are all on the same page that making your truck worse is not a good call.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:49

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My truck isn’t really in the same class as modern trucks.

Also, I don’t own it by choice, it acquired me rather than the other way around.

HammerheadFistpunch > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 02/06/2019 at 12:50

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I guess it would be a very different situation where you are...do people actually own half ton trucks there?

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:50

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The useful trucks category is more important as you get into the country but I live in one of the wealthiest places in the country so I might be skewed. Trucks are really important to the overall culture here though. Guys that have Supercars and Veyrons also have Raptors. I’d almost consider a G wagon in the truck realm and there are a ton of those around here too.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:50

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My thoughts are this:

-small pickups (Ranger, Colorado, Taco): all the truck most people will ever need, but suspiciously expensive compared to their 1/2 ton brethren. Bought by enthusiasts.

-1/2 tons: now so capable that you can haul/tow just about anything with them. Bought by literally everyone (I’m seeing more fleet 1/2 tons now than 3/4 tons)

3/4 ton and up: almost irrelevant in capability to the general market. Unless you’re in the business of hauling heavy trailers in a fleet capacity, overkill. Still bought by people who want the biggest truck and haulers.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:51

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Mostly seconding ORLG’s post for the Southe ast market, with the expansion that a lot of his category #1 are people who might otherwise consider a big BOF sedan, but trucks are cool * and* comfortable.

Also, I would pin midsize buyers as mostly the same people, but less focused interest in comfort and more interest in opening the doors in town easily.

Here in the mountains, the useful trucks category also expands to hunters, particularly dog hunters.

People buying HD trucks usually have either money to spend, or one specific item they tow, anywhere from once a year to every week.

HammerheadFistpunch > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 02/06/2019 at 12:52

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out of curiosity where are you regionally?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:53

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Montana:

1. must have truck because montana

2. don’t have truck because you have a 15 year old subaru outback

3. saving for truck to replace your 15 year old subaru outback

4. taking out 84 month load to pay for truck that already has 135k miles on it but all “highway miles”

5. taking out bank loan to pay for new transmission in truck you just bought with 135k miles.

Me: currently don’t have newer truck because expensive and I don’t need one. Currently have 1990 Isuzu 4x4 1/2 ton derated to about 700 lbs because rear springs are worn out.

If I could get truck I’d buy a 1/2 ton full size 4 dr with a V8.

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:54

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2016 F150 in So uth Florida.

Do I really need it? Not really.

Do I fucking love it nonetheless? Of course.

It’s a matter of taste. I think it’s really comfortable, quick, fun, and practical.

Most people here who buy one tow occasionally like I do if at all. The bed is used for Costco trips and putting luggage in when we travel, which is often. The Passat’s replacement will be a Ranger simply because I love trucks. I was born and raised around them and will continue to be around them until I die.

Textured Soy Protein > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:55

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When I lived in Madison, WI most people who bought trucks did so because they liked trucks rather than because of any real use of their capabilities. Plenty of people who lived in the suburban parts of Madison had full-size pickups and their garages were big enough to fit them.

At one of my jobs, which was at an IT equipment & services company, the top sales guy had an F-150 crew cab with 2 kid seats in back. Their customers were all over the state of Wisconsin, and they had a small outpost in Minnesota that they were shrinking the staff of, and having the Wisconsin sales team cover those customers.

The VP of sales was trying to cut expenses down and started encouraging the sales people to rent cars for longer work trips because that was cheaper than reimbursing mileage on personal vehicles.

This sales guy, he was going on a family trip to Iowa and was going to hit some customers in Minnesota afterwards, and he made a big stink about how renting a 3-row crossover wouldn’t be an acceptable substitute for his F-150 for carrying his wife, kids, and their crap. Which is ridiculous, because it would be a much better vehicle for that purpose.

The VP made him rent the damn crossover anyway.

Here in the DC burbs, I almost never see pickups except for work vehicles. Sure, the close-in suburbs still have strip malls and parking lots, but the parking spaces are often about 85% of the size of a normal parking place. Land is super expensive so the developers try to cram as many spots as possible into a finite area.

There are lots of older neighborhoods where the houses might not even have driveways let alone garages, and those streets are packed with cars. Or if you do have driveways, they’re small and nobody wants to try and fit a pickup in them. My neighborhood of townhouses has 1-car garages with driveways, and visitor spaces where each house gets a pass to use one of those spaces in perpetuity.

I’m just guessing, but I think that has a lot to do with why I see so few pickups. They’re just a bear to park around here. You have to go to the farther-out suburbs and exurbs before you start seeing them driven as personal vehicles with any kind of frequency. I think this is also I basically never see a bro’d out pickup around here.   99% of bro’d out vehicles are Wranglers. I’ve seen one bro’d out Chevy Colorado.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:55

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a few.. i mostly see them dragging large food wagons around (usually fish round here)

ive seen a couple towing companies run around in wrecker spec f350s too

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:55

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Wichita,  Kansas

HammerheadFistpunch > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 02/06/2019 at 12:57

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There is certainly some  logic in using the super fancy version of the most popular type of new vehicle as a status symbol. 

The Dummy Gummy > random001 02/06/2019 at 12:57

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It was a bad joke. I just said it because racecar.

HammerheadFistpunch > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 02/06/2019 at 12:58

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interestings.  Out here there are a lot...LOT of heavy travel trailers which is where I see most of the HD trucks being used.  That being said the half tons are getting so capable that an f150 with 5th wheel can handle most decent sized travel trailers now.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:58

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It’s the construction foreman logic. You need a truck for a job site, so just show off how much more you make by getting the most expensive version of what your peons use.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:58

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I live in semi rural New Jersey (yes it actually does exist) and the most common truck guys are:

Bro Dozer redneck truck - Truck owned by farmer who uses it as a run about and leaves the farm truck at home.

New York Daily driver - Owns a truck as a daily for the status of owning a truck, works a white collar job in NYC and has to have something that’s different from his wife’s Volvo, X-5 or Mercedes.

Suburban DIY guy - Has a truck as a 3rd Vehicle that he uses for Home depot runs and towing his boat to the boat launches on the Delaware river.

thejustache > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 12:59

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I don’t knock anyone’s choice of a truck if that’s what they want and can afford - this is America after all.

That said my relationship with trucks is such that I think almost everyone overbuys and under uses theirs. Growing up my dad was a music teacher that also worked construction jobs in the summers and evenings to make ends meet. For years he made use of hand me down minivans to transport his tools and supplies. Granted he was mostly doing repairs rather than scratch building new houses, but even when he needed more stuff than he could carry most lumber yards delivered for that quantity. He got his first truck when I turned 15, a single cab RWD only s-10. That thing was gutless and dangerous in the snow without loads of weight in the back, but he made it work for a while before finally getting a first gen Tacoma 4x4 that he still has. Even with just the 4 cylinder he’s hauled loads of firewood out of the woods and carried anything he’s ever needed to move just fine.

Obviously some people need to tow (there are lots of horse farms around here) and something HD makes sense. There are even more people that don’t... My friend is an electrician and often has to tow gear trailers. He bought a used Tundra from a utility company with 100k on it for a few thousand dollars , and 8 years or so later he’s closing in on 300k with the same truck. My wife’s cousin on the other hand was doing landscaping and decided he needed something that could tow. He bought a brand new Ford F something with a diesel and a loan payment bigger than my rent check at the time. Meanwhile my friend also does landscaping, and bought a used Tacoma with a tow package that handles his box trailer just fine. If they both get paid about the same, who is coming home with more money at the end of the day?

Finally we get to people that don’t need a truck but just like them. My old boss was such a person... he was (is?) the manager at a small software company, and dallied an HD Chevy he bought new. Another manager bought the same truck in a different color, and the next week manager 1 shows back up at work with a lift kit and Bro wheels. That’s the kind of truck owner that makes me laugh at the stereotypes.

As for me? I’m a software developer with a 30 minute commute. I have a lot of hobbies and do a lot of work on my house myself. I could see myself owning a smallish truck at some point, but so far for my needs I haven’t met a task my Outback XT couldn’t handle for me, especially with a trailer hitch. 

HammerheadFistpunch > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 02/06/2019 at 12:59

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I remember in texas one guy I knew had this enormous f350 - 4 inch lift, 35's antenna whips, etc - he said he used to buy smaller trucks but they kept getting run over by the big mining trucks where he worked because they couldn’t see it.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:00

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that said... i’d be surprised if the number of half tons owned just because they wanted one is in the triple digits here

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:01

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Definitely a problem in the mines. Not the first time I have heard that. Plus, with the right wheels and non rubber band tires, lifted duallys look fantastic

Discerning > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:02

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I own a 2018 F150, so I suppose I can weigh in. We purchased the truck so that we could tow a camper. Without the camper, we never would have purchased the truck - even though my fiance is very much a fan of trucks. We purchased a Lariat because we had to have leather and the upgraded interior apparently.

Our our camper is about 8500 lb wet. The most common question I get from other people who we ran into at campsites is: you can tow that with that?

Most most everyone I have spoken to about trucks is someone who holes a camper or a fifth wheel. We mostly just talked about how well the truck copes with hills, what sort of hitches we use, and how much the trailer impacts the trucks ability to keep everything stable at highway speeds.

Most most everyone I have spoken to purchased their truck based on their needs. If they are towing a fifth-wheel then they almost always have at least a 3/4 ton. Some owners like to talk about having too much truck races too little. They're usually surprised when I tell them that I can comfortably tow our trailer at 75 miles per hour.

Discerning > Discerning 02/06/2019 at 13:03

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Talk to talk-to-text and Kinj a have butchered my comment but I don’t have time to edit it

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:04

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Portland, OR here.

There are 2 main groups of truck owners I’ve noticed here –

- Some do it for image. Like my boss who is from Idaho and likes to play farmer, although he is a corporate exec. Not much of what he actually does with his “farm” actually needs a huge truck like he has…but I’ve also noticed that he has a cowboy hat on the dash lol. So it’s definitely an image thing. Also husband of a coworker just bought a truck about 3 months ago. He works from home/travels most of the time. They hike quite a bit but outside of that don’t have kids, an RV, do any offroading, or anything like that. They did buy a house recently that they’re renovating slowly but definitely nothing DIY to the extent where they need a V8 F150 crew cab.

- Others do it for lifestyle. My coworker has an F150 with a bench in the front because he has a 6 person household and they pull a (small) camper spending most of the summer outdoors. Yes they could probably pull the camper with something a bit smaller, and they already own a minivan so I think part of it is that he grew up on a farm too and kind of always aspired to own a nice truck. I could never imagine him driving a luxury sedan instead. There are plenty of folks who clearly have trucks that they offroad, take hunting etc. too – you can usually tell which ones those are given that they tend to be a bit older, have dirt on them, and modifications (and typically a variety of stickers on their truck – usually flags, guns, camo, hunting themed).

I’d say the groups are split about 50/50. And even the ones who DO satisfy a need with their trucks tend to be going a bit overboard with their requirements, again for image. I just can’t believe so many people put up with driving around something so massive on a daily basis.

Spanfeller is a twat > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:06

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I’m from Mexico City, which has a population density six times higher than SLC. Even then it’s very low compared to other cities.

I’ll be stern,

i.e. Who do you picture as the buyer of a mid sized truck?

Mid-size idiot

Half ton?

Half-size idiot

Full size?

Idiot

What do you think of an expensive trim truck and their buyer versus a mid level trim?

Trucks are stupid, if you need a work vehicle get a van, if you want a luxury off roader get an SUV.

What are you opinions on off road truck buyers?

Get a Jeep.

In reality my issue with trucks isn’t about their unpractical beds, or the efficiency of their engines, my issue is with visual pollution. Because if you think about it, every car is absolute overkill for our transportation needs.But trucks don’t only make the air worse (just like a sports car) or are too big (like some SUVs), or are never used off road (like some Jeeps)

Trucks are visually too big, the design is too aggressive, and anyone using a truck for non-commercial purposes is, immediately, the biggest asshole of any road at least here.

They don’t fit in lanes, they always ding bumpers when parking and they always, always ride with an empty bed in rush hour traffic. 

I restate, every car is overkill, and I am being just as annoying in my Kia, which has 150hp more than it needs, as a guy in an f250. The only difference is that my car isn’t a pain in the ass to park and it doesn’t have SUPERDUTY printed on the grille.

It isn’t even just pickups, I’m also talking about Land Cruisers and Tahoes.

But then again... in the country side, if you want a truck you should get one.... and If I’ve ever learnt anything in oppo is that I shouldn’t judge people for their car choices .

HammerheadFistpunch > Discerning 02/06/2019 at 13:06

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the line between 1/2  and 3/4 ton is blurring badly in the camp trailer world right now. 15 years ago you would have HAD to have bought a 3/4 ton for that trailer.

HammerheadFistpunch > Spanfeller is a twat 02/06/2019 at 13:08

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why don’t you tell us how you REALLY feel.  That being said your insight is important because it shows the relationship between urban density and your feelings on the mater.  

vicali > TheRevanchist 02/06/2019 at 13:10

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Svend > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:11

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From a British view point the large U.S. standard trucks are b orderline useless for us.

They are too big for our roads. Where many urban and rural roads can be very narrow. People that drive vehicles like the Dodge RAM above are doing so to make a statement and be ostentatious with no intention to carrying anything of using anything of the vehicle other than to be seen.

The load bed may be large but it’s open and exposed to the elements, not good in a place that rains very often.

Where a large van is more use.

Larger carrying capacity, enclosed mostly more economical and financially much cheaper.

Medium size pickup s tend to be used more if the vehicle is used by the owner for work but also uses it for a private daily vehicle and doesn’t want to drive a van everywhere, all the time.

More for a worker that doesn’t want a van and carrie s materials that aren’t going to get damaged by the weath er such as plumber, site labourer, etc...

as above but someone with some family.

Like above but with some weather protection on the rear.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/06/2019 at 13:11

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My dad’s slant 6 D100 was our plow truck, fire wood hauler, and anything else he needed,

He had a Ranger for a Daily Driver. And a Wrangler for a month or too. 

KnowsAboutCars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:11

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European (Finnish) point of view so not necessarily what you were looking for but here goes.

Mid-size: Mid-size USDM trucks are rare here. Most trucks this size are European market ones that are bought by people/companies that actually need them and for some reason don’t want a van.

Half-ton: Probably 90% of half-ton trucks I see are GMT400's. I’d guess most of the owners just wanted an American truck, maybe they need to haul something occasionally. Most buyers of US trucks here go straight to full-size.

Full-size: Probably a contractor of some sort or a farmer, or someone who often needs to haul stuff and likes US cars. There’s also a number of towing companies who use rigs based on these.

fintail > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:11

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I try not to judge as I’d probably drive a G-Wagen if I could justify the costs.

Most non-work trucks I see in Seattle metro live in (insert random generic faceless tract house suburb here), visit IKEA yearly, Home Depot every 6 months, need it for “hauling”, use it as a commuter to a generic office campus . Bonus points for being a dorky Seahawks fan emblazoned with stickers, or a screaming imbalanced youth sports parent trying to make up for stuff and things. Truck size doesn’t seem to matter but 4x4 means everything, it happens from a 4WD Taco to a F350.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/06/2019 at 13:11

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Aww it’s so cute. 

random001 > The Dummy Gummy 02/06/2019 at 13:14

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TURBO MINIVAN!

Spanfeller is a twat > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:15

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I feel that trucks are excessive past what we should allow ourselves to exceed. Which is why I feel that any body on frame vehicle with a stand alone cab should be taxed four times as much as regular vans or cars. I also believe that they should be forced to pay triple as much for parking, and that they should be banned from the city center from 9AM-5PM.

But again, we do live different realities, here in Mexico only 1/3rd of journeys are made by car, in the US it’s over 80%... you have better infrastructure to hand the excesses of trucks than we do. So density and infrastructure matter a lot.

Which is why I don’t judge oppos for getting trucks, and I respect their choices. 

DipodomysDeserti > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:17

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I grew up in Arizona, and have always viewed pickup trucks as utilitarian vehicles, not fashion statements. My dad owned a truck through my entire childhood, and still owns one (always a Chevy pickup, except for the one time h e bought a Tacoma and hated it). We owned a print shop, mailing house and envelope converting company, so my dad’s personal truck was always used for deliveries that were too big for our van. We also owned quads which we would load into the back of our trucks for desert shenanigans.

My wife drove an S10 in high school, a Ranger in college, and I owned a Ranger through high school and college. I still own a pickup (‘66 GMC), which was purchased so my wife could haul her various wares to artist markets. While her daily is an X1, she treats it like a pickup. The back is usually always loaded up with various art supplies, and she hastles me monthly to fix and sell my GMC so she can have a more reliable pickup. My friends that own trucks also all use them to haul stuff, whether it be mountain bikes or race cars.

I would never spend a lot of money on a truck, as that defeats their utilitarian purpose for me. I buy trucks because they’re hard to break, easy to fix, and let me ha ul around a bunch of stuff. These $80k luxury trucks just don’t make any sense to me. My dad’s current truck is one of these sorts. Monster Chevy HD with a sunroof, TV, leather...The thing went down on him in the first year he had it. Something with the alternator. It rides nice and has a 400 something horsepower engine, but why? What’s funny is that my ‘66 GMC was the luxury truck of yesteryear. Chrome trim, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and vinyl seats.

As far as my impression of people that drive these things, I really couldn’t care less. You do you, I do me, just please don’t run into me with one of these things.

I do get a weird sort of joy out of seeing all the old dead trucks on Indian reservations. You know they were ran hard put away wet; used like the tools they were , and eventually put out to pasture to return to the earth from whence they came.

HoustonRunner > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:17

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So I’m not quite in the demo, but I daily a 2015 Suburban LTZ (with a leveling kit) . Trust me, I know it isn’t a “truck”, but fits many of the same questions.

I have a family of 6, and I regularly have to drop 3 of the kids off at school on my way to work, sometimes all 4. But some days I am the only occupant driving almost 100 miles in my round trip commute.

I bought the ‘burb because I like the way it looks, and I feel more comfortable having clearance to drive through curb high water. I live in Houston, and in my area that amount of water on the street happens about once a month (more often July-Sept). And the options to haul 6 people and have some reasonable ground clearance are pretty few.

I also bought a ‘burb becau se my first car was an ‘82 Suburban with a diesel. Nostalgia was definitely part of it for me.

Spaceball-Two > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:18

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I suppose I fit the PNW truck owner profile. I’m in my late 30s with one kid and another on the way. My F150 XLT serves as kid hauler, a camping vehicle for the 3 or 4 times a year we go, does well in inclement weather and I take it to the dump and Home Depot probably ever other month when doing house projects and what not. I could probably achieve all of that with something like a 4runner but for me it’s nice having a bed for when I need it and not having to go rent or borrow one.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:21

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1/2 trucks tow what 3/4 tons used to. THe old guard all of F450s towing their fifth wheel while younger families are using Tahos,vans, and 1/2 tons.

whatisthatsound > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:23

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I love sports cars and if you scroll through my posts I’ve had a few cars that I’ve really enjoyed. Then I bought the morgan and now I don’t want sp orts cars anymore because for right now I’ve found what I’ve been searching for.

I had no interest in trucks prior to this but now I want a tow vehicle/daily driver . I love the interior of the 2016 S-Class, and I want that level of comfort. After driving all 1/2 tons the 2019 Ram Linited fits the bill perfectly minus the massaging seats . I want a vehicle with every creature comfort that can comfortably tow a tandem c overed trailer forever, and drive me to every snowy and muddy destination in the PNW.

DipodomysDeserti > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/06/2019 at 13:28

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My dad  grew up working on a farm in New Jersey. Owned a lifted Toyota in high school and an El Camino. Italian rednecks are a thing.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > DipodomysDeserti 02/06/2019 at 13:31

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IROC out here stands for “Italian Redneck O ut Cruis’n”

Discerning > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:32

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Ford even publishes 5th wheel towing data for the F150 and there are a few camper manufacturers with 1/2 ton specific 5th wheels.

HammerheadFistpunch > Discerning 02/06/2019 at 13:33

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and one or two with (bewilderingly) compact truck specs

Discerning > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:35

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Yikes. I get it. Lots of people don’t like towing a conventional trailer and prefer the 5th wheel feel.

Im more than fine with a good weight distributing hitch. But I see the appeal.

Pickup_man > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:36

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Eastern South Dakota/South West Minnesota area. We pretty much run the gamu t of truck uses around here. We’re a rural area, with lots of space, lots of distance between places, generally a strong mentality of being self sufficient, generally conservative *, and a lot of hobbies around here involve either hauling something, or going mildly off road. Our state is very heavily agricultural based, we usually get a lot of snow in the winter, and there isn’t always a guarantee that the roads will be cleared by the time you need to drive to work/home. There have been multiple days where I’ve driven home in over a foot of snow (with drifted areas being deeper) where a car simply wouldn’t make it. Around here a truck is a very good all purpose vehicle with little downside apart from mileage.

So again, we kinda run the gamut. Sure there are likely a lot of people who don’t need a truck, but I don’t ever doubt that the vast majority of trucks around here haven’t ever been used as a truck at one point or another.

Personally, I’ve loved trucks since I was a kid, no great reason why, I just always have . Currently I own 3 trucks, 1 main one and 2 project trucks. My main truck I dailied, through high school, through college, and for the past five years until maybe two months ago when I bought a winter beater Cobalt from my sister. I love driving my truck, and any truck for that matter, and owning a truck has been beneficial countless times. I’m of the mentality that once you own something, in this case a truck, you start doing more things based around that thing, because you can.

*In this particular case conservative being making the most out of the least. I get the argument that financially a car and a trailer might be better, but functionally   a pickup can do more things than a car.

vicali > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:37

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Location; Southern Interior BC;

Right in the middle of the Province, snow half the year, desert heat the other half. Lots of recreation in every direction. Ranchers, Forestry, Rail, Tourism are the main industries.

- Work trucks - Big three full size; D ecked out with equipment/welders/quads .

-Ranchers, Farmers, Horse people- Fullsize Bigly Duallys; usually pulling horse trailers.

- Executive trucks- F150, Tundra, Sierra/Silverado; always shiny clean, usually black, tonneau covers and chrome.

-Daily drivers, Family trucks- Tacomas, Frontiers, Canyon, Colorado; Double cabs, usually canopies, usually car seats.

Myself? My first car was a truck, my 86 Toyota was exactly what I wanted.

parking it in front of my house at 16 my Mom said that is perfect for you.. I dabbled in cars a bit, but always knew I would be back in a truck.

We bought a house, got a dog, had kids, bought an RV, and the double cab long box with a canopy has been perfect for us.

I can daily it without a fuss, we can travel in it comfortably, it handles traffic in a big city and farm roads all alone with no issues. Weather is not an issue, nor is road condition or off road shape. I can carry couches, washing machines, bikes, strollers, beds, dirt, yard junk, or nothing at all.

Sometimes I miss having a fast car, or a slinky low one, but I’m happy to putter around exploring and finding new off the map places rather than speeding my way through a road trip.

66P1800inpieces > HammerheadFistpunch 02/06/2019 at 13:38

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I have been thinking of getting a small 30-34ft, well built fifth wheel trailer (Artic Fox 27 or 29). They are 10,000-11,000 pounds dry, and have a max weight of 15,500 lbs. For legality purposes I want to make sure my truck is rated for the full weight, even if I don’t max out the trailer. The Chevy 2500's with Diesel max out at 13,500lbs towing. Same goes for bed weight. For fifth wheels they say you should have 15-17% of trailer weight on the pin.. At 15,500lbs that is 2,635 in the bed. Then add in fuel, 2 people and some tools and your in the 1 ton category. Thoughts of a dually creep in as they are not much more expensive but drive really rough unloaded.

More truck is probably better because those tow ratings are weighted trailers and equipment. Big 34' boxes are probably more prone to wind and other road issues.

I don’t know how anyone towed anything 15-20 yrs ago. I remember a family member towed a sized Airstream with a Suburban.  It had a crazy tow package (sliding hitch to reduce sway) and a big block. What a pig!

TrickJos > HammerheadFistpunch