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Old 05-28-2014, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Kaliforneea
2,518 posts, read 2,038,449 times
Reputation: 5258

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Aside from the pure "utilitarian" criteria of transportation-for-mpg
a truck could have SOCIAL value. Maybe your [niece, sister, cousin, next door neighbor] loves their econo-box/hybrid but they count on having some [male] in their social orbit who can help them move their apartment, deliver new furniture or whatever.

I dont want to live in the world where the People's Republic of Vehicle Utilization determines that I have only been to Home Depot to buy drywall or 2x4s "once in the last 90 days" and is therefore revoking my truck driver's permit. I will tend to own only "one" car, not "three" at any given point in time, so I got to buy the jack-of-all-trades model for my lifestyle.

Sometimes the POTENTIAL to help my cousin randomly move the coffee table she just bought, allowed me to meet her old college roommate, who became my girlfriend. Therefore, the truck was worth it's weight in GOLD, I dontgiveachiclet about my lower mpg/ fuel economy.

 
Old 05-28-2014, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,568 posts, read 15,139,225 times
Reputation: 14589
Quote:
Originally Posted by phlinak View Post
Perhaps the OP's question should have been worded differently:

Putting aside want or desire,
This is like putting aside life. If you don't have wants or desires you are dead. I have a motorcycle that is used 30 days a year tops. Based on your formula what should I do with it? Is that wasteful too? You want to move on to boats?
 
Old 05-28-2014, 07:19 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
4,659 posts, read 3,825,768 times
Reputation: 4284
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyRider View Post
I have a motorcycle that is used 30 days a year tops. Based on your formula what should I do with it?
Sell it ASAP.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 07:21 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,568 posts, read 15,139,225 times
Reputation: 14589
Quote:
Originally Posted by phlinak View Post
Are you seriously arguing that you can't see the difference between passenger vehicles (Mercedes, Sentras, Priuses, Porsches, and Lexuses) that are designed to primarily transport people and pickup trucks that are designed to primarily haul stuff and tow trailers?
What do you care what they are "designed" for? An S-class is as much a factor in your global warming myth (and don't deny you aren't one of them) as my truck is. I drive my truck 15 miles a day and burn 1 gallon of gas. The guy in the Prius drives 100 miles a day and burns 2 gallons of gas. Why are you picking on the truck?
 
Old 05-28-2014, 07:23 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,568 posts, read 15,139,225 times
Reputation: 14589
Quote:
Originally Posted by phlinak View Post
I can see both side of this debate.
BS

You enter the debate with a measured voice of reason, calmly balancing multiple view points. It took less than a half a dozen posts before you outed yourself as a fire breathing radical who wants to tell people what to do, what to drive and when to drive.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
4,659 posts, read 3,825,768 times
Reputation: 4284
Quote:
Originally Posted by xsthomas View Post
Stuff, Stuff. I gota haul my Stuff!
That pretty much sums it all up.
Sadly, many people in the U.S. feel the need to buy lots of junk (boats, pets, motorcycles, horses, 4 wheelers, campers, snowmobiles). Then they tell themselves they have to buy even more, such as a larger house, land, or a truck because of these things they've bought. Then people wonder why they're broke or they complain about gas costing too much fill a tank.
 
Old 05-28-2014, 09:37 PM
 
Location: MD's Eastern Shore
3,653 posts, read 4,784,182 times
Reputation: 6287
Quote:
Originally Posted by everwinter View Post
That pretty much sums it all up.
Sadly, many people in the U.S. feel the need to buy lots of junk (boats, pets, motorcycles, horses, 4 wheelers, campers, snowmobiles). Then they tell themselves they have to buy even more, such as a larger house, land, or a truck because of these things they've bought. Then people wonder why they're broke or they complain about gas costing too much fill a tank.
What's so sad about that? You think it's sad that people buy recreational items so they can enjoy their life? Have you ever thought that people don't tell themselves they NEED things such as a bigger house, more land or a truck? They actually WANT these things.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 05:44 AM
 
Location: Powell, Oh
1,846 posts, read 4,727,430 times
Reputation: 1088
Quote:
Originally Posted by phlinak View Post
I will concede that the magic number will probably be 25% or higher, if the owner is a contractor, rancher, farmer, or someone whose occupation or activities provide more opportunities to fully utilize the capabilities of a pickup. I mean having need of it more than a dozen times a year because if you factor in the cost of fuel, maintenance, insurance, registration, and the initial output of a few to several thousands of dollars to acquire the vehicle, it will take years to break even, if at all.

Now, if you're not one of the above but you're picking up firewood, animal feed, lumber, sheet rock, moving furniture, towing trailers, etc., two or three times a month, then it's a totally different story and would, of course, be justifiable financially.

In the interest of full disclosure, the only reason that I may have come across as having a bias against trucks or truck owners is because of some of my neighbors. I get tired of hearing them constantly bitching about how they're tired of paying $800-$1200 monthly in fuel because of their commutes but they won't drive something more fuel efficient because "my granddaddy drove a pickup, my daddy drove a pickup, and I'm going to drive a pickup" even as they cry about how much it's costing them. It seems stupid to me because they don't even do "truck stuff" with their pickups. They and their wives just drive them like most people drive cars but then they're always complaining about the cost of ownership.

I don't understand their stubbornness, maybe it's a cultural thing.

Maybe some of you guys and gals can give me some insight or show me something I'm missing.


I have seen thst many times. I lived in a southern state for work. Almost all men drive a truck. When I bought a new car, a lot of them were surprised that a truck wasn't on my radar.

Personally I don't care what people drive, but like you said it's annoying when they complain about the fuel costs each month to keep a truck and a large SUV (suburban or Tahoe) running.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 06:16 AM
 
17,004 posts, read 21,686,573 times
Reputation: 29091
Quote:
Originally Posted by marlinfshr View Post
What's so sad about that? You think it's sad that people buy recreational items so they can enjoy their life? Have you ever thought that people don't tell themselves they NEED things such as a bigger house, more land or a truck? They actually WANT these things.

But on the flip side, how many people clutter their lives with stuff they simply don't use....

boats sitting in marinas, campers fading on the side of the house......costing money, not getting used.

In the big truck/suv argument, how many people are spending $100 a week/$5200 a year in fuel when they simply don't need the capacity. I have done it, bought a diesel truck brand new for 32K then drove it 170K miles and spent 39K in FUEL! So I spent more in fuel than I did the truck! 99% of the time I was driving alone, yes I needed the capacity at times but I suspect I could have driven something else 50% of those miles and not needed the capacity. I had a friend figure this out, kept the F350 for heavy use only, switched to driving a Honda Fit for daily driver duty. Fuel savings alone pays for the 2nd car/insurance. I had a neighbor get rid of a Suburban, the $150 a week in fuel was killing her wallet on top of the $700 payment, $200 insurance.....$1500 a month to drive a Suburban? She has a few kids, would use the suburban but found most of the time it was her and one or two of the kids. She also considered the smaller car might be better for kids that are starting to drive (easier to handle).

Something we have been doing when considering a trip/savings. Going to drive 30 miles to do something, consider the fuel round trip. At 15 mpg, you burn 4 gallons of gas ($15 @ $3.75 gallon). Not a deal breaker but suddenly to drive to a store to get something on sale ($100 item, 20% off).....well $20 in savings but you burn $15 in gas to get it.
 
Old 05-29-2014, 06:24 AM
 
Location: Texas
38,859 posts, read 25,395,132 times
Reputation: 24780
Default What is the point of owning a pickup truck?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo View Post
I just don't get it.
Very true.

Quote:
People buy these huge trucks and then use them to commute in etc. They seem like such as waste of vehicle. Sure, they are great for going to home depot a couple times a year or moving large furniture, but what about the other 360 days a year?

All people are doing is hauling around a giant cargo beds everywhere they go that is mostly empty, meanwhile, the usable part of the truck is just not very user friendly for normal day to day living (grocery shopping, commuting etc).

And you pay like twice as much in gas to haul around a cargo bed everywhere, take up two parking spots in urban areas etc.

I tried a truck once, bought a brand new Nissan Frontier extended cab. It was a nice truck, but completely worthless most of the time and traded it in after a year.

And the redneck trucks with all the big smokestacks and what not spewing black smoke???

If you are a contractor or something like that, I get having a big truck, but other than that, I just don't see why people like them.

It works kinda like this...

You get to choose the vehicle that best suits your needs and desires.

Everyone else does, too.

It's all good.

Carry on.

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