7 ms·

Yeah, I moved out to the country(ish) recently after living in SF and swore off ever getting a truck. Within a year of being out here, finally caved and got one

Yeah, I moved out to the country(ish) recently after living in SF and swore off ever getting a truck. Within a year of being out here, finally caved and got one and haven't looked back. I still have the smaller honda for longer trips, but the truck has opened up an entire world (getting plywood sheets/siding/lumber, dump runs, towing, etc). So much of the stuff I used to think "I can't do that myself" now just takes a weekend or two. Re-siding? Sure. Retaining wall? Done. The list keeps going, and I couldn't do it without the truck. Having a truck in a big city if you're a in tech or some other desk job is probably kind of pointless. But if you're not in the city and plan on saving thousands and thousands of dollars doing some of the work on your property yourself, you can't really live without it. Seriously, the thing has paid for itself already (bought it used) and haven't even had it a year.

lamontcg 5y ago
I just scuba dive and a truck is a lot better for hundreds of pounds of wet smelly gear than anything else. Plus you can go to the dump, or pick stuff up from Lowe's, etc. But its only an old Ford Ranger and not a F950 that is raised enough to crawl over boulders on Mars.
- orthecreedence 5y ago
  Yeah, honestly, I couldn't justify the utility of a truck buying new. The price tags are nuts. I got an old T100. They run forever, cost less than $10K (even in CA where the truck market is crazy), and are very capable for all the stuff I throw at it. I love the thing.
  - sllewe 5y ago
    Here in upper US East Coast - most of the older Japanese Trucks that are perfect as a cheap hauler are piles of rust. Really unfortunate.
    - lamontcg 5y ago
      Looks like it has infected the Japanese trucks and the Australian Ute market. Even the latest Hilux is starting to look very American in its girth.
rypskar 5y ago
Why not use a small trailer instead? I have a small hybrid, have driven 2200km since last time I filled the 40 liter tank, when I want some plywood, lumber or dump run I connect my trailer which I can load 1000 kg on. I do live in a country where petrol isn't almost free so am not only saving the environment but also lots of money from not driving a lorry
- orthecreedence 5y ago
  My honda can't really haul anything but a few people and some surfboards. If I attached a trailer with 2000lb of base rock in it, it would probably kill the engine but more importantly would be super dangerous to drive since there's no real hitch or brake controller. So another vehicle was warranted: why not get one with the trailer "built in" (truck bed) so I don't have to have an SUV and a trailer that I have to hook up every time? There's other reasons I needed a tow-capable vehicle, but the utility of a truck just made the most sense. I agree that there's an entire class if stuff (lumber/plywood) you can strap to your roof or get a little trailer for that doesn't warrant a truck, but having one makes a lot of the stuff I do weekly so much easier.
  - wffurr 5y ago
    Do you really haul 2000lb loads weekly? Your list of items "(getting plywood sheets/siding/lumber, dump runs, towing, etc)." all seems perfectly doable with a trailer. I never had any trouble hauling trailers with my Subaru WRX sedan.
    - orthecreedence 5y ago
      Weekly? No. But it has happened enough times (20+) in the last eight months to justify a vehicle that can do it, among all the other things the truck can do that my honda cannot. Also, depending on the weight of the loads you're hauling in your trailer (lumber is obviously fine), you could be putting a lot of people on or around the road in danger. The brakes on a WRX are not designed for towing. I don't understand the weird fascination with people trying to convince others that they don't need a truck. Does it occur to you that I was aware that trailers existed before getting the truck and that their existence factored into the decision?
dbatten 5y ago
Also worth mentioning that U-haul trailers are very handy for this. There's at least 3 U-haul dealers that I can think of within a 5-minute drive of me. The one I prefer is probably 2 minutes away, I can rent a trailer for a day for like $15, they're never out of stock, and the owner of the U-haul dealership is the most chill person on the planet. I get all the benefits of a pickup truck, but don't have to pay for one. Win-win. You're of course welcome to own a pickup truck if you want, nothing wrong with that. And I'm sure plenty of people don't live in suburbia with U-haul dealers everywhere. But if you do, it's stupid simple and you can save a ton of money.
- JohnBooty 5y ago
  I agree with you and the U-Haul idea makes loads of sense, but dear heavens are those unpleasant places. I wish there was a business that was like.... U-Haul, except nice although I'm sure it would cost 3x as much. I'm sure the experience varies somewhat by location but it usually involves some combination of: - very long lines, particularly on weekends. understandable, but adds hours and stress - the vehicle you "reserved" online last week so you could do that job today? yeah, it's not really reserved. it may or may not be available; they "overbook" because they expect a certain number of cancellations. again this is understandable and something you see in a lot of industries, but yuck. - lots of bogus-ish fees like "cleaning fees". That all said, I own a home and have never felt the need for a pickup truck. I do fine with a hatchback and a roof rack.
- deleted 5y ago
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- rootusrootus 5y ago
  IMO for people who don't want to own a pickup, the Home Depot rentals may be a more convenient option. Especially since you're as likely as not buying whatever it is you need to haul from there.
  - nsxwolf 5y ago
    It's a pretty painless process, but I save that option for the "big" hauls. If I didn't have the minivan and renting the Home Depot trucks was my only option, I'd probably organize my life around hauling less stuff.
alexose 5y ago
I drive a 1999 F-150 for all the reasons you describe. The sheer amount of _stuff_ that needs to be moved around the countryside was so surprising to me when I first moved out here. I remember thinking how insanely huge a 2 cubic foot back of potting soil used to feel. Now I routinely buy two yards (54 cubic feet) at a time. It all still feels a little weird to me. There was a time not long ago where I never thought I'd own a car, much less a big pickup! I'll admit that this lifestyle feels very inefficient. Though, I wonder if my carbon footprint is actually smaller, since I spend most of my vacation time working on stuff at home (rather than flying places).
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lamontcg 5y ago

I just scuba dive and a truck is a lot better for hundreds of pounds of wet smelly gear than anything else. Plus you can go to the dump, or pick stuff up from Lowe's, etc. But its only an old Ford Ranger and not a F950 that is raised enough to crawl over boulders on Mars.

orthecreedence 5y ago
Yeah, honestly, I couldn't justify the utility of a truck buying new. The price tags are nuts. I got an old T100. They run forever, cost less than $10K (even in CA where the truck market is crazy), and are very capable for all the stuff I throw at it. I love the thing.
- sllewe 5y ago
  Here in upper US East Coast - most of the older Japanese Trucks that are perfect as a cheap hauler are piles of rust. Really unfortunate.
  - lamontcg 5y ago
    Looks like it has infected the Japanese trucks and the Australian Ute market. Even the latest Hilux is starting to look very American in its girth.

rypskar 5y ago

Why not use a small trailer instead? I have a small hybrid, have driven 2200km since last time I filled the 40 liter tank, when I want some plywood, lumber or dump run I connect my trailer which I can load 1000 kg on. I do live in a country where petrol isn't almost free so am not only saving the environment but also lots of money from not driving a lorry

orthecreedence 5y ago
My honda can't really haul anything but a few people and some surfboards. If I attached a trailer with 2000lb of base rock in it, it would probably kill the engine but more importantly would be super dangerous to drive since there's no real hitch or brake controller. So another vehicle was warranted: why not get one with the trailer "built in" (truck bed) so I don't have to have an SUV and a trailer that I have to hook up every time? There's other reasons I needed a tow-capable vehicle, but the utility of a truck just made the most sense. I agree that there's an entire class if stuff (lumber/plywood) you can strap to your roof or get a little trailer for that doesn't warrant a truck, but having one makes a lot of the stuff I do weekly so much easier.
- wffurr 5y ago
  Do you really haul 2000lb loads weekly? Your list of items "(getting plywood sheets/siding/lumber, dump runs, towing, etc)." all seems perfectly doable with a trailer. I never had any trouble hauling trailers with my Subaru WRX sedan.
  - orthecreedence 5y ago
    Weekly? No. But it has happened enough times (20+) in the last eight months to justify a vehicle that can do it, among all the other things the truck can do that my honda cannot. Also, depending on the weight of the loads you're hauling in your trailer (lumber is obviously fine), you could be putting a lot of people on or around the road in danger. The brakes on a WRX are not designed for towing. I don't understand the weird fascination with people trying to convince others that they don't need a truck. Does it occur to you that I was aware that trailers existed before getting the truck and that their existence factored into the decision?

dbatten 5y ago

Also worth mentioning that U-haul trailers are very handy for this. There's at least 3 U-haul dealers that I can think of within a 5-minute drive of me. The one I prefer is probably 2 minutes away, I can rent a trailer for a day for like $15, they're never out of stock, and the owner of the U-haul dealership is the most chill person on the planet. I get all the benefits of a pickup truck, but don't have to pay for one. Win-win. You're of course welcome to own a pickup truck if you want, nothing wrong with that. And I'm sure plenty of people don't live in suburbia with U-haul dealers everywhere. But if you do, it's stupid simple and you can save a ton of money.

JohnBooty 5y ago
I agree with you and the U-Haul idea makes loads of sense, but dear heavens are those unpleasant places. I wish there was a business that was like.... U-Haul, except nice although I'm sure it would cost 3x as much. I'm sure the experience varies somewhat by location but it usually involves some combination of: - very long lines, particularly on weekends. understandable, but adds hours and stress - the vehicle you "reserved" online last week so you could do that job today? yeah, it's not really reserved. it may or may not be available; they "overbook" because they expect a certain number of cancellations. again this is understandable and something you see in a lot of industries, but yuck. - lots of bogus-ish fees like "cleaning fees". That all said, I own a home and have never felt the need for a pickup truck. I do fine with a hatchback and a roof rack.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
rootusrootus 5y ago
IMO for people who don't want to own a pickup, the Home Depot rentals may be a more convenient option. Especially since you're as likely as not buying whatever it is you need to haul from there.
- nsxwolf 5y ago
  It's a pretty painless process, but I save that option for the "big" hauls. If I didn't have the minivan and renting the Home Depot trucks was my only option, I'd probably organize my life around hauling less stuff.

alexose 5y ago

I drive a 1999 F-150 for all the reasons you describe. The sheer amount of _stuff_ that needs to be moved around the countryside was so surprising to me when I first moved out here. I remember thinking how insanely huge a 2 cubic foot back of potting soil used to feel. Now I routinely buy two yards (54 cubic feet) at a time. It all still feels a little weird to me. There was a time not long ago where I never thought I'd own a car, much less a big pickup! I'll admit that this lifestyle feels very inefficient. Though, I wonder if my carbon footprint is actually smaller, since I spend most of my vacation time working on stuff at home (rather than flying places).

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]