4 ms·

I work in an office job. Here are some of my reasons for owning a pickup truck, yet not a mining dump truck. - I volunteer at a community garden and move mulch

I work in an office job. Here are some of my reasons for owning a pickup truck, yet not a mining dump truck. - I volunteer at a community garden and move mulch/plants/soil - I cycle, kayak, and go camping and it's easier to transport my gear - I am a homeowner, and do the repairs and maintenance myself. It's hard to haul things like lumber and miter saw in the trunk of a civic. - Taking tree trimmings and other wood mulch to a dump site - When buying new furniture, I can move it myself instead of renting/borrowing a truck

toomuchtodo 8y ago
I used to own a large pickup truck. Traded in as part of my Tesla Model S purchase. Slapped a hitch on the Model S (2500 lb towing capacity) and I can do everything I did before with my pickup with my electric car (arguably easier with a lower platform for loading and unloading, and my trailer has a higher load limit than my pickup truck bed did). Unless you’re hauling thousand of pounds behind that truck every day (above smaller vehicle tow limits, which is a legitimate use case if you're someone who is a shipper/transporter or contractor with a heavy trailer of some sort), it’s a waste, but to each their own.
- squish78 8y ago
  That seems like a reasonable alternative, but I like to also do maintenance on my own vehicle and have been working on combustion engines my whole life. I supposed it is as unnecessary as anything in life, no more or less so than a Tesla, Civic, motorcycle, or scooter Edit: I will concede that a mining dump truck would be unnecessary, in response to the parent comment
  - cronix 8y ago
    If you really enjoy doing maintenance, don't get a Tesla. The main thing you'd really be doing is changing tires every 40k or so, and eventually the battery pack. They are tremendously simple compared to a combustion engine. No spark plugs, no oil or filters to change, no oxygen sensors to go bad, no air filters, no fuel pumps or timing belts, etc. You'd be quite bored.
    - squish78 8y ago
      You're preaching to choir. I think they are beautiful cars, but for other people. I've never paid over 10k for a vehicle, and I've never paid a mechanic. I only see a vehicle as a tool and Tesla is just another impractical status symbol but I absolutely admire the technology
      - toomuchtodo 8y ago
        > I only see a vehicle as a tool and Tesla is just another impractical status symbol but I absolutely admire the technology We see things differently. To me, it is the ultimate tool: efficient, reliable, the safest vehicle I can put my family in, and saves me time in the lack of fueling and maintenance required. I have no problem paying for nice tools. It's a sexy car, no doubt! But to me, that is far down the requirements list.
        squish78 8y ago
        I don't disagree with your points, but paying >$40k for a vehicle is an impossibility for most people. A working class shmuck like me can't prioritize luxury
        cronix 8y ago
        That is true its more expensive up front, but they also last a lot longer than an ICE car and the gas/maintenance savings add quite a bit to that: https://electrek.co/2018/07/17/tesla-model-s-holds-up-400000-miles-3-years/ https://electrek.co/2018/07/17/tesla-model-s-holds-up-400000...
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
        toomuchtodo 8y ago
        > but paying >$40k for a vehicle is an impossibility for most people. I agree. I paid more than I would for a car so others in the future can pay less.
- briffle 8y ago
  That works great for small utility trailers, but not many tall cargo trailers or RV trailers can work that way. Some might be under the weight limits, barely, but when you factor in the wind resistance, and the shorter wheelbase of a sports car, it could be very dangerous.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    My comment covers that. If you’re hauling large trailers daily, a pickup truck is for you. I would not haul a horse trailer with my S, but a flatbed trailer with various reasonable loads is fine (generators, a golf cart, lawn equipment, etc).
sentenza 8y ago
Given the use case you describe, a Citroën Jumpy would probably be the most sensible car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Jumpy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Jumpy If you want a car that looks slightly better and costs a bit more, you could go with a VW T6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Transporter_(T6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Transporter_(T6) Here in Europe, most people with your usage pattern would actually just buy a station wagon and hitch a trailer to it when needed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Insignia#/media/File:Opel_Insignia_Sports_Tourer_1.5_DIT_Innovation_(B)_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht,_12._Mai_2017,_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Insignia#/media/File:Opel... There are even rooftop containers for kayaks and specific cycle holders for the rear of the car so that you can go camping with a typical European station wagon without having to use a trailer. I'm not trying to complain about the choices you made, but rather trying to emphasize the point of the article. Pickup trucks are more of a cultural phenomenon than a practical necessity. If the emission standards are raised, other solutions will appear without much/any loss in convenience.
- wafflesraccoon 8y ago
  I'd argue a pickup truck does everything described better than the three vehicles you posted. Most people only have one vehicle and a pickup is simply a great jack of all trades. I 100% agree that pickups are a American cultural icon (just look at the ads, they drip nationalism) but it is hard to argue that they are not practical.
  - sentenza 8y ago
    Pickup trucks indeed have their advantages over the vehicles I listed. However, I would disagree somewhat regarding where the advantages are. I'd say that the vehicles I listed and pickup trucks manage fairly equally in the above transport categories (tools, furniture, kayak, bike). The way to go about it is just different. But: Pickup trucks outclass all the vehicles I listed as soon as you leave the tarmac. Here in Germany, many people in rural areas who would own a pickup truck in the US also own a "family tractor" for working in the woods or in other off-road locations. Then again: The vehicles I listed will always be faster on the Autobahn than a pickup truck. I regularly see people in station wagons go 160km/h and above for prolonged distances on the A3 at night. In the end, I find it extremely fascinating how a different regulatory environment has bred different 'species' of utility vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic.

toomuchtodo 8y ago

I used to own a large pickup truck. Traded in as part of my Tesla Model S purchase. Slapped a hitch on the Model S (2500 lb towing capacity) and I can do everything I did before with my pickup with my electric car (arguably easier with a lower platform for loading and unloading, and my trailer has a higher load limit than my pickup truck bed did). Unless you’re hauling thousand of pounds behind that truck every day (above smaller vehicle tow limits, which is a legitimate use case if you're someone who is a shipper/transporter or contractor with a heavy trailer of some sort), it’s a waste, but to each their own.

squish78 8y ago
That seems like a reasonable alternative, but I like to also do maintenance on my own vehicle and have been working on combustion engines my whole life. I supposed it is as unnecessary as anything in life, no more or less so than a Tesla, Civic, motorcycle, or scooter Edit: I will concede that a mining dump truck would be unnecessary, in response to the parent comment
- cronix 8y ago
  If you really enjoy doing maintenance, don't get a Tesla. The main thing you'd really be doing is changing tires every 40k or so, and eventually the battery pack. They are tremendously simple compared to a combustion engine. No spark plugs, no oil or filters to change, no oxygen sensors to go bad, no air filters, no fuel pumps or timing belts, etc. You'd be quite bored.
  - squish78 8y ago
    You're preaching to choir. I think they are beautiful cars, but for other people. I've never paid over 10k for a vehicle, and I've never paid a mechanic. I only see a vehicle as a tool and Tesla is just another impractical status symbol but I absolutely admire the technology
    - toomuchtodo 8y ago
      > I only see a vehicle as a tool and Tesla is just another impractical status symbol but I absolutely admire the technology We see things differently. To me, it is the ultimate tool: efficient, reliable, the safest vehicle I can put my family in, and saves me time in the lack of fueling and maintenance required. I have no problem paying for nice tools. It's a sexy car, no doubt! But to me, that is far down the requirements list.
      - squish78 8y ago
        I don't disagree with your points, but paying >$40k for a vehicle is an impossibility for most people. A working class shmuck like me can't prioritize luxury
        cronix 8y ago
        That is true its more expensive up front, but they also last a lot longer than an ICE car and the gas/maintenance savings add quite a bit to that: https://electrek.co/2018/07/17/tesla-model-s-holds-up-400000-miles-3-years/ https://electrek.co/2018/07/17/tesla-model-s-holds-up-400000...
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
        toomuchtodo 8y ago
        > but paying >$40k for a vehicle is an impossibility for most people. I agree. I paid more than I would for a car so others in the future can pay less.
briffle 8y ago
That works great for small utility trailers, but not many tall cargo trailers or RV trailers can work that way. Some might be under the weight limits, barely, but when you factor in the wind resistance, and the shorter wheelbase of a sports car, it could be very dangerous.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  My comment covers that. If you’re hauling large trailers daily, a pickup truck is for you. I would not haul a horse trailer with my S, but a flatbed trailer with various reasonable loads is fine (generators, a golf cart, lawn equipment, etc).

sentenza 8y ago

Given the use case you describe, a Citroën Jumpy would probably be the most sensible car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Jumpy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Jumpy If you want a car that looks slightly better and costs a bit more, you could go with a VW T6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Transporter_(T6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Transporter_(T6) Here in Europe, most people with your usage pattern would actually just buy a station wagon and hitch a trailer to it when needed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Insignia#/media/File:Opel_Insignia_Sports_Tourer_1.5_DIT_Innovation_(B)_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht,_12._Mai_2017,_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Insignia#/media/File:Opel... There are even rooftop containers for kayaks and specific cycle holders for the rear of the car so that you can go camping with a typical European station wagon without having to use a trailer. I'm not trying to complain about the choices you made, but rather trying to emphasize the point of the article. Pickup trucks are more of a cultural phenomenon than a practical necessity. If the emission standards are raised, other solutions will appear without much/any loss in convenience.

wafflesraccoon 8y ago
I'd argue a pickup truck does everything described better than the three vehicles you posted. Most people only have one vehicle and a pickup is simply a great jack of all trades. I 100% agree that pickups are a American cultural icon (just look at the ads, they drip nationalism) but it is hard to argue that they are not practical.
- sentenza 8y ago
  Pickup trucks indeed have their advantages over the vehicles I listed. However, I would disagree somewhat regarding where the advantages are. I'd say that the vehicles I listed and pickup trucks manage fairly equally in the above transport categories (tools, furniture, kayak, bike). The way to go about it is just different. But: Pickup trucks outclass all the vehicles I listed as soon as you leave the tarmac. Here in Germany, many people in rural areas who would own a pickup truck in the US also own a "family tractor" for working in the woods or in other off-road locations. Then again: The vehicles I listed will always be faster on the Autobahn than a pickup truck. I regularly see people in station wagons go 160km/h and above for prolonged distances on the A3 at night. In the end, I find it extremely fascinating how a different regulatory environment has bred different 'species' of utility vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic.