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> I see them in pristine condition on city streets hauling a totality of one human. It’s about having one vehicle that can do it all. Maybe you’re noticing wh

> I see them in pristine condition on city streets hauling a totality of one human. It’s about having one vehicle that can do it all. Maybe you’re noticing when there’s one human but you don’t really know how else that person is using the vehicle at other times. Trucks can haul people, things, do road trips, etc. pretty well.

bix6 1y ago
Except that one vehicle is completely incompetent for its primary use 99% of the time :)
- culi 1y ago
  In a sane society "knowing someone with a truck" is all you really need. In a highly individualistic society "having a truck just in case" is the dominant precept
  - amelius 1y ago
    In most places in the 1st world you can rent a truck if you need one * For other times, use a car. * a truck is just a car that misses a roof over the back part of it
    - bArray 1y ago
      > * a truck is just a car that misses a roof over the back part of it Respectfully, a truck is not just a car missing the back part of it. It often has a lot more power, is lifted, has off-road springs, larger wheels, low and high speed gear box, roll cage for the front cabin, raised air intake - the list goes on. Most people, though, do just need a car with a removable back.
      - amelius 1y ago
        In any case, the "truck" from the article doesn't seem to have all that.
    - mullingitover 1y ago
      I own a truck.* *It’s stored at Home Depot and whenever I need it, I just pay them $19 for the hour or so that I use it.
      - mckn1ght 1y ago
        I did this for a while. You’re leaving out some ancillary details: time driving to and from home depot to pick up and drop off the truck, needing a truck and no rentals available, picking up a rental truck and there’s some issue with it, something happens out of your control that requires more time with the truck but you can’t extend the rental… all things i’ve encountered. At some point the number of times i needed to use it picked up (hah) which multiplied these inconveniences enough that it became worth it to just pick up (hah) a used truck. I use it exclusively for hauling work, but that usually entails at least one trip without a load, which may lead people to incorrectly judging me for driving it unnecessarily.
  - Ray20 1y ago
    >In a sane society "knowing someone with a truck" is all you really need. Yes, yes, we all know. "You'll own nothing and be happy". Fewer and fewer people believe you.
  - NoLinkToMe 1y ago
    Fully agreed. Although to add, I literally never met someone with a truck, and in fact never owned a car myself either, but rented a car and also ranted a van plenty of times during a move, even with a driver. Same reason I don't own an airplane, I just rent one with a driver if I go on holiday trips. Big caveat: I've always lived in a (capital) city of my country and I have no kids yet. But by and large I think renting for the 3 day a year use-case makes more sense than owning 365 days of the year, even if you have no friends to rely on.
    - SkyPuncher 1y ago
      If you tow anything, renting is not an option. Rental contracts almost always prohibit towing or restrict it to only 1st party trailers.
      - mlhpdx 1y ago
        This. I learned as much when I was clobbered by a distracted teen and my SUV ended up in the shop. I use it a lot for moving people, things and towing (like daily). Nobody would rent me a SUV and allow me to tow with it, only commercial truck rentals at ridiculous rates. And for the truck driver haters three things: - Are you speaking from experience or projection? Stereotyping doesn’t work. After owning a large SUV for 25 years I can say with conviction that the price is worth the utility to me. No question. - I would LOVE to also own a small electric scooter for small trips. The cost and poor quality have put me off for years but it’s inevitable I’ll end up with one soon. - Our next sedan will be electric as well, and probably weigh more than the SUV. Truck owners aren’t idiots or evil.
      - NoLinkToMe 1y ago
        Eh perhaps if you rent a recreational vehicle from a company that caters these cars 90% to tourists . I've rented plenty of cars for towing, even with the trailer, from the same company. There are lots of companies that specialize in renting out vehicles for moving, construction etc. There is a market for everything.
        1y ago
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- SilverElfin 1y ago
  You don’t know that. You’re making assumptions. But even if that were true, so what? Maybe it is important to that person’s quality of life to have the truck for weekend adventures or chores.
  - stouset 1y ago
    If this were the case, you’d see more trucks with wear and tear on them and fewer with five years in and pristine paint jobs. Most people buy trucks as a lifestyle choice, not as a practical one. That’s not to say there aren’t real uses for trucks, or people who use them for their designed purpose. That’s also not to say people should be required to purchase only vehicles that meet their basic transportation requirements. People drive sports cars even without ever going out to a track. Trucks (and full-size SUVs) specifically push some pretty crappy externalities onto other road users, so it’s not exactly crazy to be annoyed with people who buy and drive big trucks a personality trait.
    - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
      Yep. Trucks that actually get used as trucks look like it with dings, scratches, and scuffs because they’re tools, not toys. Ironically they’re also often old small models that owners have been keeping running forever because they’re cheap to fix, practical, and easy to park unlike their embiggened modern counterparts.
      - SilverElfin 1y ago
        > Trucks that actually get used as trucks look like it with dings, scratches, and scuffs because they’re tools, not toys. Not really. Lots of people use trucks and keep them in pristine condition too. Beds have liners now to keep them looking new. And you aren’t getting random dings on the outside unless you drive into things.
        cosmic_cheese 1y ago
        The amount of effort required to keep them pristine scales with the quantity and intensity of the work performed, no? The most serious truck drivers probably aren’t going to have time to buff out every little mark when it’s going to get covered in them again on the job tomorrow.
Marazan 1y ago
The typical number of times an American non work truck is used to haul a load each year is zero. Same for using it's bed capacity.
- freshtake 1y ago
  I don't think this generalization is quite fair. I'm sure this is true for some folks and their social circles, but for those of us who engineer and know our way around a Home Depot, the capacity is a game changer. I used to have to rent or borrow trucks for my projects. Not to mention Christmas trees, moving, helping friends out, etc.
  - Marazan 1y ago
    Depending on the survey 63-to-75% of truck owners use it for towing once a year or less (i.e in reality never). So yes, the majority do not use it for towing. To be fair I'd misremembered the load carrying figure and the load figure for 1 time a year or less is 32-35% https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history?trk=feed-detail_main-feed-card_feed-article-content https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history?trk=feed-de... https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-siz...
- culi 1y ago
  Yes this has actually been studied. Though I don't have a link on hand I remember the numbers being quite stark
- Aurornis 1y ago
  > The typical number of times an American non work truck is used to haul a load each year is zero. If you specifically exclude work trucks and define “haul a load” as filling up the bed with loose dirt or gravel or something then I could believe this. I haven’t put a cubic yard of anything in my truck bed this year but hauling a cubic yard of anything is a rare occurrence for someone who isn’t doing landscaping. But you have to really stretch the definitions if you believe that people never put anything in the bed to haul.
toomuchtodo 1y ago
You Don't Need a Full-Size Pickup Truck, You Need a Cowboy Costume - https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-siz... - March 15th, 2019 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42638394 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42638394 - January 2025 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21631704 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21631704 - November 2019 Ray Delahanty | CityNerd: Rural Cosplay is, Unfortunately, A Thing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 (Americans buy trucks out of emotion and cosplay, not realized utility and rational TCO, based on the evidence and data)
- Aurornis 1y ago
  > Americans buy trucks out of emotion and cosplay This is a hilarious take for anyone who has spent any time living outside of a big city. Yes, there are some people who buy trucks because they want one but don’t actually use the truck features. Generalizing to “Americans are cosplaying” is just trolling.
  - toomuchtodo 1y ago
    Study Claims That Most Pickup Truck Owners Don’t Actually Use Them For Truck Stuff - September 2023 https://www.powernationtv.com/post/most-pickup-truck-owners-use-them https://www.powernationtv.com/post/most-pickup-truck-owners-... https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history
    - kortilla 1y ago
      From that own study it shows more than half are using it at least “occasionally” for “hauling”. I’d like to see the study on what percentage of people use all 4 seats in their car so you can dunk on people who buy 4 seaters next.
      - master-lincoln 1y ago
stouset 1y ago
> Trucks can haul people, things, do road trips, etc. pretty well. Yes, as can most vehicles?
- SilverElfin 1y ago
  Not to the same ability. Sedans and mid size SUVs have far less space, and also less ground height. If you’re traveling on gravel roads or camping, most sedans and smaller SUVs aren’t ideal. If you have kids, space fills up quickly even for small trips. If you’re moving something larger (like drywall or a TV) it may not fit at all in a smaller vehicle. Even most full size SUVs also have less space than a full size truck (even one that isn’t one of the larger models).
  - fumar 1y ago
    The argument Telo makes is that you can have high utility in a smaller vehicle designed well. I was my own GC for a site-built home and sub contracted out many parts of it. I did it while owning a 2 door Mini SE. Only twice did I need to rent truck from my local Home Depot to haul some unwieldy and heavy debris. Most stores will deliver what you need (lumber, large pipes, insulation, etc) because consumer trucks are rarely large enough. I would not have been able to load any significant amount of lumber into an F250. That leaves large vehicles for recreation or family space. I hope car manufacturers rethink vehicle packaging now that EV motors and batteries allow for different confirmations like putting the motor in the wheel hub. And, the sub contractors - the ones doing the work (immigrants) - they had a wide variety of vehicles. I took note that some had Camrys, Prius, old Golfs, small picks ups like Rangers, and some older mid size trucks that were visually heavily used. Else, they used commercial trucks or vans. When did I see the prestigious full cab F150s or Silverado RTs? When I originally interviewed GCs which is when I noticed they drove their clean and new trucks.
    - mlhpdx 1y ago
      They did a good job maximizing wheelbase given the small size, which is very important for safe and comfortable towing. I look forward to their launch and some real-world reviews and drive tests.
amluto 1y ago
A lot of modern “trucks” are pretty crappy for actually hauling anything. A few months ago I had the pleasure of loading some furniture into an Escalade. The outside is huge, but the inside is remarkably small. The height of the interior floor is also ridiculous, so it’s extra difficult to lift anything into the vehicle. I don’t think most full size pickups are a lot better. Also, check out the underside of most of these monster vehicles. The approach, breakover, and departure angles may be awesome, but that’s only because the definitions assume uniform height transverse to the driving direction. If you drive these things over any substantial bump that the wheels don’t go over, the differential will bottom out. Oops. This means that, for many practical purposes, the height of the vehicle and the absurd suspensions don’t buy nearly as much capability as they might appear to.
- matwood 1y ago
  I wouldn’t consider an Escalade a truck, just a luxury SUV. A Hilux/Tacoma, Tundra or F150 are trucks. And they pretty capable of doing all the things. My Tundra might be one of the best cars I ever owned.
- HeyLaughingBoy 1y ago
  Rule #1 of driving offroad is that tires contact the ground, not other parts of the truck. If you see a bump, drive over it; don't straddle it.
  - amluto 1y ago
    What fraction of modern light trucks do you suppose are ever driven in a technically competent manner off-road, even once, by their original owner? I bet a larger fraction, albeit still small, are driven around construction sites with crud on the ground, with a driver who pays approximately no attention to what they’re driving over. In which case a monster suspension with a dangly differential is probably less appropriate than a low vehicle without any dangly bits in the middle. (I’m obviously excluding trucks that are used a loading docks. If you are planning to load and unload at a loading dock, you want your truck to load and unload at loading dock height.)
lo_zamoyski 1y ago
Let’s not play this game. The main objection is the buffoonish size. Look at trucks in the 1990s and compare the size. There is absolutely an element of clownish machismo involved.
- silisili 1y ago
  I agree generally, but blame the makers I guess. One important thing to remember is bed length. Trying to haul plywood or 2x4s with a 5 ft bed is a joke, and not easy with even a 6 ft bed. The old, small rangers used to have a 7 ft bed option! I believe the longest you can get today is 6. So if you want a longer bed, you're kinda forced into the full size fold. I don't know how well they'd actually sell, but it'd be neat if they at least offered something maybe a hair bigger than maverick sized with a 7 ft bed.
- SkyPuncher 1y ago
  > Look at trucks in the 1990s and compare the size. If you actually compare similiar configurations, you'll find basically no difference in size. Compared to a 90's F-150, a modern f-150 is * 1" wider * Either 0' longer or 1' longer depending on the exact configuration * 1" taller * Nearly 1k lbs less heavy (lots of weight optimization in the past ~35 years)
stn8188 1y ago
The other day, I was just remarking how my minivan makes a better pickup than most pickups for most tasks. For years I've wanted to get another truck (had an old Dakota that I had to sell when kid #3 was on the way). Practicality reigns, though, and I'm extremely satisfied with the usability of the van.
- qingcharles 1y ago
  The people I know with pick-ups don't use the bed half the time "in case it rains today" and have to tow a covered trailer to haul anything that wouldn't like to get wet.
- cosmic_cheese 1y ago
  Getting a cheap minivan with an ugly, worn out interior that’s been through the rigors of family and ripping the seats out seems like it’d be a great cost saving hack for a number of businesses that people often buy trucks or small commercial vans for.
rco8786 1y ago
> Maybe you’re noticing when there’s one human but you don’t really know how else that person is using the vehicle at other times. 95% of big trucks I see on the road have one person in them and beyond my anecdotal experience we know statistically that most vehicle trips involve 1 person. It's not super hard to extrapolate from there. I'm not even particularly "anti" truck, though I do think the increase in size and weight has gotten totally ridiculous.
jnwatson 1y ago
You can do all those things with a vehicle half the size. Modern F-150s are industrial vehicles. They weight 5000 pounds. They and their large SUV cousins are a menace to pedestrians, normal-sized vehicles, and the road itself.
SkyPuncher 1y ago
I now own a truck. I’m actually regretting not getting a bigger/heavier duty one. The biggest limitation is payload capacity. Payload is anything that puts weight on the vehicle - occupants, dogs, gear, food, supplies, bed covers/caps, etc. You must legally be under payload capacity or you can risk fines or liability in an accident. A lot of people are willing to push these limits, but cops pay a lot more attention to people towing/hauling. If you want to actually tow with your truck, you need to allot a good portion of your payload to trailer weight (and hitches) that rests on the truck (tongue weight). This can range from 200lbs to 1k+ lbs, but is typically in the 500 to 600lb range for something like a boat or travel trailer. It can easily go higher if you load the trailer up with stuff. A typical light duty truck might have 1500 lbs of payload capacity. Four people and their belongings can easily add up to 800lbs. Add pets, bikes, travel gear, food, etc and your suddenly well over 1k lbs of payload. You literally have no capacity to tow anything but the smallest of trailers. So what do you do, well you get a bigger truck. You don’t need it all of the time, but it just doesn’t make sense to own a vehicle that cannot legally handle a family road trip. Before people say “rent”. That comes with its own major set of issues. The biggest being little to no ability to tow with a rental vehicle. Most rentals flat out prohibit towing (even if technically capable and equipped). Those that do allow towing, generally limit it to 1st party trailers (U-Haul truck can only tow u-haul trailer).
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GiorgioG 1y ago
This. I have had a 2016 F-150 since late 2017 - I'd never owned a truck before. I can go get mulch, take an entire bed-load of stuff to the dump (couches, mattresses, etc). When we go on vacation within driving distance (usually up to 500ish miles for us, we can bring more or less anything we want without concern for space. We took my wife's SUV 2 weeks ago on a 700 mile trip (her mid-sized SUV is much newer) and we had to pack very carefully compared to when we take the truck. Our son plays ice hockey, his hockey equipment stinks (yes it gets aired out...he's still a stinky teenager), but it's never an issue because with the truck, it's not in the passenger compartment. We live in the south but drove to Pittsburgh through 2 snowstorm there and back...lots of SUVs stranded on the road...my 4x4 F-150 made it through without any trouble. When my father in law passed last year, we moved all of his things out of his apartment with my truck. I let my neighbors borrow it when they need to move something large. The only thing that sucks about it is parking in store parking lots. That and buying a newer (not brand new) costs 2x what I paid for my 2016 in 2017. I've toyed with getting rid of it for something smaller, but it's just too versatile for me to give up.
Vinnl 1y ago
Where I'm from, people often own a car for their commute to work, and rent a van when they're moving. Their regular car is way less of a hassle for other people than the van is, but that's okay, cause the van is just for a few days.

bix6 1y ago

Except that one vehicle is completely incompetent for its primary use 99% of the time :)

culi 1y ago
In a sane society "knowing someone with a truck" is all you really need. In a highly individualistic society "having a truck just in case" is the dominant precept
- amelius 1y ago
  In most places in the 1st world you can rent a truck if you need one * For other times, use a car. * a truck is just a car that misses a roof over the back part of it
  - bArray 1y ago
    > * a truck is just a car that misses a roof over the back part of it Respectfully, a truck is not just a car missing the back part of it. It often has a lot more power, is lifted, has off-road springs, larger wheels, low and high speed gear box, roll cage for the front cabin, raised air intake - the list goes on. Most people, though, do just need a car with a removable back.
    - amelius 1y ago
      In any case, the "truck" from the article doesn't seem to have all that.
  - mullingitover 1y ago
    I own a truck.* *It’s stored at Home Depot and whenever I need it, I just pay them $19 for the hour or so that I use it.
    - mckn1ght 1y ago
      I did this for a while. You’re leaving out some ancillary details: time driving to and from home depot to pick up and drop off the truck, needing a truck and no rentals available, picking up a rental truck and there’s some issue with it, something happens out of your control that requires more time with the truck but you can’t extend the rental… all things i’ve encountered. At some point the number of times i needed to use it picked up (hah) which multiplied these inconveniences enough that it became worth it to just pick up (hah) a used truck. I use it exclusively for hauling work, but that usually entails at least one trip without a load, which may lead people to incorrectly judging me for driving it unnecessarily.
- Ray20 1y ago
  >In a sane society "knowing someone with a truck" is all you really need. Yes, yes, we all know. "You'll own nothing and be happy". Fewer and fewer people believe you.
- NoLinkToMe 1y ago
  Fully agreed. Although to add, I literally never met someone with a truck, and in fact never owned a car myself either, but rented a car and also ranted a van plenty of times during a move, even with a driver. Same reason I don't own an airplane, I just rent one with a driver if I go on holiday trips. Big caveat: I've always lived in a (capital) city of my country and I have no kids yet. But by and large I think renting for the 3 day a year use-case makes more sense than owning 365 days of the year, even if you have no friends to rely on.
  - SkyPuncher 1y ago
    If you tow anything, renting is not an option. Rental contracts almost always prohibit towing or restrict it to only 1st party trailers.
    - mlhpdx 1y ago
      This. I learned as much when I was clobbered by a distracted teen and my SUV ended up in the shop. I use it a lot for moving people, things and towing (like daily). Nobody would rent me a SUV and allow me to tow with it, only commercial truck rentals at ridiculous rates. And for the truck driver haters three things: - Are you speaking from experience or projection? Stereotyping doesn’t work. After owning a large SUV for 25 years I can say with conviction that the price is worth the utility to me. No question. - I would LOVE to also own a small electric scooter for small trips. The cost and poor quality have put me off for years but it’s inevitable I’ll end up with one soon. - Our next sedan will be electric as well, and probably weigh more than the SUV. Truck owners aren’t idiots or evil.
    - NoLinkToMe 1y ago
      Eh perhaps if you rent a recreational vehicle from a company that caters these cars 90% to tourists . I've rented plenty of cars for towing, even with the trailer, from the same company. There are lots of companies that specialize in renting out vehicles for moving, construction etc. There is a market for everything.
      - 1y ago
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SilverElfin 1y ago
You don’t know that. You’re making assumptions. But even if that were true, so what? Maybe it is important to that person’s quality of life to have the truck for weekend adventures or chores.
- stouset 1y ago
  If this were the case, you’d see more trucks with wear and tear on them and fewer with five years in and pristine paint jobs. Most people buy trucks as a lifestyle choice, not as a practical one. That’s not to say there aren’t real uses for trucks, or people who use them for their designed purpose. That’s also not to say people should be required to purchase only vehicles that meet their basic transportation requirements. People drive sports cars even without ever going out to a track. Trucks (and full-size SUVs) specifically push some pretty crappy externalities onto other road users, so it’s not exactly crazy to be annoyed with people who buy and drive big trucks a personality trait.
  - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
    Yep. Trucks that actually get used as trucks look like it with dings, scratches, and scuffs because they’re tools, not toys. Ironically they’re also often old small models that owners have been keeping running forever because they’re cheap to fix, practical, and easy to park unlike their embiggened modern counterparts.
    - SilverElfin 1y ago
      > Trucks that actually get used as trucks look like it with dings, scratches, and scuffs because they’re tools, not toys. Not really. Lots of people use trucks and keep them in pristine condition too. Beds have liners now to keep them looking new. And you aren’t getting random dings on the outside unless you drive into things.
      - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
        The amount of effort required to keep them pristine scales with the quantity and intensity of the work performed, no? The most serious truck drivers probably aren’t going to have time to buff out every little mark when it’s going to get covered in them again on the job tomorrow.

Marazan 1y ago

The typical number of times an American non work truck is used to haul a load each year is zero. Same for using it's bed capacity.

freshtake 1y ago
I don't think this generalization is quite fair. I'm sure this is true for some folks and their social circles, but for those of us who engineer and know our way around a Home Depot, the capacity is a game changer. I used to have to rent or borrow trucks for my projects. Not to mention Christmas trees, moving, helping friends out, etc.
- Marazan 1y ago
  Depending on the survey 63-to-75% of truck owners use it for towing once a year or less (i.e in reality never). So yes, the majority do not use it for towing. To be fair I'd misremembered the load carrying figure and the load figure for 1 time a year or less is 32-35% https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history?trk=feed-detail_main-feed-card_feed-article-content https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history?trk=feed-de... https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-siz...
culi 1y ago
Yes this has actually been studied. Though I don't have a link on hand I remember the numbers being quite stark
Aurornis 1y ago
> The typical number of times an American non work truck is used to haul a load each year is zero. If you specifically exclude work trucks and define “haul a load” as filling up the bed with loose dirt or gravel or something then I could believe this. I haven’t put a cubic yard of anything in my truck bed this year but hauling a cubic yard of anything is a rare occurrence for someone who isn’t doing landscaping. But you have to really stretch the definitions if you believe that people never put anything in the bed to haul.

toomuchtodo 1y ago

You Don't Need a Full-Size Pickup Truck, You Need a Cowboy Costume - https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-siz... - March 15th, 2019 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42638394 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42638394 - January 2025 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21631704 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21631704 - November 2019 Ray Delahanty | CityNerd: Rural Cosplay is, Unfortunately, A Thing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 (Americans buy trucks out of emotion and cosplay, not realized utility and rational TCO, based on the evidence and data)

Aurornis 1y ago
> Americans buy trucks out of emotion and cosplay This is a hilarious take for anyone who has spent any time living outside of a big city. Yes, there are some people who buy trucks because they want one but don’t actually use the truck features. Generalizing to “Americans are cosplaying” is just trolling.
- toomuchtodo 1y ago
  Study Claims That Most Pickup Truck Owners Don’t Actually Use Them For Truck Stuff - September 2023 https://www.powernationtv.com/post/most-pickup-truck-owners-use-them https://www.powernationtv.com/post/most-pickup-truck-owners-... https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history
  - kortilla 1y ago
    From that own study it shows more than half are using it at least “occasionally” for “hauling”. I’d like to see the study on what percentage of people use all 4 seats in their car so you can dunk on people who buy 4 seaters next.
    - master-lincoln 1y ago

stouset 1y ago

> Trucks can haul people, things, do road trips, etc. pretty well. Yes, as can most vehicles?

SilverElfin 1y ago
Not to the same ability. Sedans and mid size SUVs have far less space, and also less ground height. If you’re traveling on gravel roads or camping, most sedans and smaller SUVs aren’t ideal. If you have kids, space fills up quickly even for small trips. If you’re moving something larger (like drywall or a TV) it may not fit at all in a smaller vehicle. Even most full size SUVs also have less space than a full size truck (even one that isn’t one of the larger models).
- fumar 1y ago
  The argument Telo makes is that you can have high utility in a smaller vehicle designed well. I was my own GC for a site-built home and sub contracted out many parts of it. I did it while owning a 2 door Mini SE. Only twice did I need to rent truck from my local Home Depot to haul some unwieldy and heavy debris. Most stores will deliver what you need (lumber, large pipes, insulation, etc) because consumer trucks are rarely large enough. I would not have been able to load any significant amount of lumber into an F250. That leaves large vehicles for recreation or family space. I hope car manufacturers rethink vehicle packaging now that EV motors and batteries allow for different confirmations like putting the motor in the wheel hub. And, the sub contractors - the ones doing the work (immigrants) - they had a wide variety of vehicles. I took note that some had Camrys, Prius, old Golfs, small picks ups like Rangers, and some older mid size trucks that were visually heavily used. Else, they used commercial trucks or vans. When did I see the prestigious full cab F150s or Silverado RTs? When I originally interviewed GCs which is when I noticed they drove their clean and new trucks.
  - mlhpdx 1y ago
    They did a good job maximizing wheelbase given the small size, which is very important for safe and comfortable towing. I look forward to their launch and some real-world reviews and drive tests.

amluto 1y ago

A lot of modern “trucks” are pretty crappy for actually hauling anything. A few months ago I had the pleasure of loading some furniture into an Escalade. The outside is huge, but the inside is remarkably small. The height of the interior floor is also ridiculous, so it’s extra difficult to lift anything into the vehicle. I don’t think most full size pickups are a lot better. Also, check out the underside of most of these monster vehicles. The approach, breakover, and departure angles may be awesome, but that’s only because the definitions assume uniform height transverse to the driving direction. If you drive these things over any substantial bump that the wheels don’t go over, the differential will bottom out. Oops. This means that, for many practical purposes, the height of the vehicle and the absurd suspensions don’t buy nearly as much capability as they might appear to.

matwood 1y ago
I wouldn’t consider an Escalade a truck, just a luxury SUV. A Hilux/Tacoma, Tundra or F150 are trucks. And they pretty capable of doing all the things. My Tundra might be one of the best cars I ever owned.
HeyLaughingBoy 1y ago
Rule #1 of driving offroad is that tires contact the ground, not other parts of the truck. If you see a bump, drive over it; don't straddle it.
- amluto 1y ago
  What fraction of modern light trucks do you suppose are ever driven in a technically competent manner off-road, even once, by their original owner? I bet a larger fraction, albeit still small, are driven around construction sites with crud on the ground, with a driver who pays approximately no attention to what they’re driving over. In which case a monster suspension with a dangly differential is probably less appropriate than a low vehicle without any dangly bits in the middle. (I’m obviously excluding trucks that are used a loading docks. If you are planning to load and unload at a loading dock, you want your truck to load and unload at loading dock height.)

lo_zamoyski 1y ago

Let’s not play this game. The main objection is the buffoonish size. Look at trucks in the 1990s and compare the size. There is absolutely an element of clownish machismo involved.

silisili 1y ago
I agree generally, but blame the makers I guess. One important thing to remember is bed length. Trying to haul plywood or 2x4s with a 5 ft bed is a joke, and not easy with even a 6 ft bed. The old, small rangers used to have a 7 ft bed option! I believe the longest you can get today is 6. So if you want a longer bed, you're kinda forced into the full size fold. I don't know how well they'd actually sell, but it'd be neat if they at least offered something maybe a hair bigger than maverick sized with a 7 ft bed.
SkyPuncher 1y ago
> Look at trucks in the 1990s and compare the size. If you actually compare similiar configurations, you'll find basically no difference in size. Compared to a 90's F-150, a modern f-150 is * 1" wider * Either 0' longer or 1' longer depending on the exact configuration * 1" taller * Nearly 1k lbs less heavy (lots of weight optimization in the past ~35 years)

stn8188 1y ago

The other day, I was just remarking how my minivan makes a better pickup than most pickups for most tasks. For years I've wanted to get another truck (had an old Dakota that I had to sell when kid #3 was on the way). Practicality reigns, though, and I'm extremely satisfied with the usability of the van.

qingcharles 1y ago
The people I know with pick-ups don't use the bed half the time "in case it rains today" and have to tow a covered trailer to haul anything that wouldn't like to get wet.
cosmic_cheese 1y ago
Getting a cheap minivan with an ugly, worn out interior that’s been through the rigors of family and ripping the seats out seems like it’d be a great cost saving hack for a number of businesses that people often buy trucks or small commercial vans for.

rco8786 1y ago

> Maybe you’re noticing when there’s one human but you don’t really know how else that person is using the vehicle at other times. 95% of big trucks I see on the road have one person in them and beyond my anecdotal experience we know statistically that most vehicle trips involve 1 person. It's not super hard to extrapolate from there. I'm not even particularly "anti" truck, though I do think the increase in size and weight has gotten totally ridiculous.

jnwatson 1y ago

You can do all those things with a vehicle half the size. Modern F-150s are industrial vehicles. They weight 5000 pounds. They and their large SUV cousins are a menace to pedestrians, normal-sized vehicles, and the road itself.

SkyPuncher 1y ago

I now own a truck. I’m actually regretting not getting a bigger/heavier duty one. The biggest limitation is payload capacity. Payload is anything that puts weight on the vehicle - occupants, dogs, gear, food, supplies, bed covers/caps, etc. You must legally be under payload capacity or you can risk fines or liability in an accident. A lot of people are willing to push these limits, but cops pay a lot more attention to people towing/hauling. If you want to actually tow with your truck, you need to allot a good portion of your payload to trailer weight (and hitches) that rests on the truck (tongue weight). This can range from 200lbs to 1k+ lbs, but is typically in the 500 to 600lb range for something like a boat or travel trailer. It can easily go higher if you load the trailer up with stuff. A typical light duty truck might have 1500 lbs of payload capacity. Four people and their belongings can easily add up to 800lbs. Add pets, bikes, travel gear, food, etc and your suddenly well over 1k lbs of payload. You literally have no capacity to tow anything but the smallest of trailers. So what do you do, well you get a bigger truck. You don’t need it all of the time, but it just doesn’t make sense to own a vehicle that cannot legally handle a family road trip. Before people say “rent”. That comes with its own major set of issues. The biggest being little to no ability to tow with a rental vehicle. Most rentals flat out prohibit towing (even if technically capable and equipped). Those that do allow towing, generally limit it to 1st party trailers (U-Haul truck can only tow u-haul trailer).

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GiorgioG 1y ago

This. I have had a 2016 F-150 since late 2017 - I'd never owned a truck before. I can go get mulch, take an entire bed-load of stuff to the dump (couches, mattresses, etc). When we go on vacation within driving distance (usually up to 500ish miles for us, we can bring more or less anything we want without concern for space. We took my wife's SUV 2 weeks ago on a 700 mile trip (her mid-sized SUV is much newer) and we had to pack very carefully compared to when we take the truck. Our son plays ice hockey, his hockey equipment stinks (yes it gets aired out...he's still a stinky teenager), but it's never an issue because with the truck, it's not in the passenger compartment. We live in the south but drove to Pittsburgh through 2 snowstorm there and back...lots of SUVs stranded on the road...my 4x4 F-150 made it through without any trouble. When my father in law passed last year, we moved all of his things out of his apartment with my truck. I let my neighbors borrow it when they need to move something large. The only thing that sucks about it is parking in store parking lots. That and buying a newer (not brand new) costs 2x what I paid for my 2016 in 2017. I've toyed with getting rid of it for something smaller, but it's just too versatile for me to give up.

Vinnl 1y ago

Where I'm from, people often own a car for their commute to work, and rent a van when they're moving. Their regular car is way less of a hassle for other people than the van is, but that's okay, cause the van is just for a few days.