So Montana has taken the top spot.... (for sale, 2014)

[Wyoprairie]

Rather disturbing development just came to my attention. Montana has passed Wyoming for the top spot
in the nation on "registered vehicles per capita".

Both of our states have more vehicles than people. (Other states have more vehicles but they also have
way more people.) Wyoming held the top ranking in per capita vehicles for quite some time. The study
attributes distances and need for "second vehicle" pickup trucks as a primary factor driving the multiple vehicle habit in Montana and Wyoming. (I'm thinking what do they mean, second vehicle?)

I just came back from Pennsylvania with another pickup, however, and I haven't registered the truck yet.
Given the size of our population down here, when I go get my plates we may at least temporarily take
back the top spot.

Both of our states have some work to do on "pickup trucks per capita". That title goes to North Dakota.

[Marie Joseph]

Hey, at least people in Montana and Wyoming have a lot of room to move around in ::

I would think that in most states without an extensive public transport system, a second vehicle is pretty much a given. I haven't had the pleasure of traveling to MT or WY yet but have heard that they are both pretty spread out in terms of driving distances from city to city.

We live outside of the main city area so even in my location, it's two cars for us. No pick-up truck though Of course I do see some of them but they have snow plows on the front of them during the winter and during the summer the owners are hauling for people and in the early fall, they are hauling home-grown crops in them.

Hopefully registering a vehicle in Wyoming is less of a pain than it is in PA with the inspection and all.

[AK76]

Why on earth would this disturb you? What is required to be registered, an automobile, a motorcycle, a snowmobile, ATV, UTV, boat, airplane, etc.? How many can 1 person drive/operate at one time? One.

[Wyoprairie]

Hey you are in PA! I just nabbed one of your pickup trucks. A 2014 F-150 Supercab 4X4, with only 10k one-owner miles.
Can't find outfits with that low mileage around here-also more expensive here. I flew back there and drove the truck back
out here. Has 2 inspection stickers-emissions and safety. We don't have either of those out here. Also don't have a tire
tax.

MT has the advantage because no sales tax and they have a permanent plate option. This truck I brought back is going to cost me 1600 folding ones for sales tax and 400 more for plates. Registering isn't bad-there's no line at the county treasurer, you just go right in. We can register in any county we want-they all cost the same except sales tax may be 1% difference. Since MT has a gazillion license plate options, you might pay more for one of those.

It's 75 miles to the Walmart. Both states public transportation is pretty much unheard of....too spread out, not enough
demand. I can't imagine trying to live out here and not have your own vehicle(s).

[MTSilvertip]

Town living may be different, but in the country, having your primary work truck is a given, probably a car for gas milage and the 80+/-miles each direction trip to "town"" for Dr. appointments or once monthly shopping trips to a town that offers more than the couple local stores in your closest town of 500 to 2000 population.

Then you just about always need a backup vehicle so you can go get parts when the primary is broken down, usually an old semi-retired farm truck that still runs, but a full tank of gas would double it's book value.

Having a vehicle "parked out" away from the buildings up on a hill in winter is a good idea so if your primaries are drifted in, you may still have a way to get out if you need, and it's parked on top of a hill where the snow blows clear, and if its a manual transmission, and it won't start for whatever reason, you may be able to roll start it.

That's just the basics as most ranches and farms have a bone yard for rigs that are completely worn out, but you can pull parts from. Not to mention stock trucks, grain trucks, some are outfitted with hydraulic arms to load hay bales or tool trucks loaded with welders, generators, cutting torches and tools for repairs in the field.

I see several places with old Jeeps or Broncos or even old Land cruisers that are used for fencing or ditch riding or checking stock.

Most of these rigs are over 20 years old with a permanent plate on them, and if they rarely leave the ranch, probably no insurance. There are many reasons for multiple vehicles on a place, and some are just kept because you couldn't get enough trade in on them to be with taking them in.

Personally, I have a work truck, the wife's car, and three International Scouts, a 1965, a1966 and a 1967. The '66 was the one I drove, the other 2 were for parts until I found out by accident the 67 runs great. With permanent plates on the Scouts, I have good ranch rigs, and backup 4 wheel drive transport if I need.

Dad always said if you have one good rig, you need at least one backup just to have one running when you need it.:

[Wyoprairie]

My sister had a Scout that she really liked. Eventually decided she had to sell the Scout due to cost of maintenance and
difficulty finding parts. She sold to a Scout enthusiast, however, so the story has good ending. That rascal is a tank.
We picked up some new furniture one time, and my nephew was riding in back on the new sofa-so we had the back end
open-anyway he didn't notice when the spare tire made it's exit. We were unloading, and Oh no, where is the spare?
(Thinking it's in the highway and somebody may have hit it or something-we found it back by the store, no problem)

So according to that article, you guys have 1.6 vehicles per person (highest in the country) and we have 1.4 (2nd highest)

I have 4 personal pickups, and a couple company ones. Got my first pickup at 17. I'd say pretty common out here that
your first vehicle is a truck. From a demographic standpoint, the irony of it is that I see urban residents on City-data
asking about getting by without any vehicle in such and such a city, and out here I can't imagine getting by with just a
couple of vehicles.

[Redraven]

I helped peak that average:
Motorhome
Diesel pickup
Chrysler convertible
(2) Kawasaki 750 street legal ATVs
(2) trailers, one box and one flatbed

This year, perhaps I will pay the price and put PERMANENT registration on the Dodge truck and the Chrysler. The motorhome, the ATVs, and the trailers already have it.

[mrwumpus]

In MT there is room to have extra vehicles and good reasons (bad weather, rough roads), and people are more talented at keeping said vehicles running. And finally, in MT it's socially OK to drive a dented rust bucket.

[Wyoprairie]

Originally Posted by Redraven

I helped peak that average:
Motorhome
Diesel pickup
Chrysler convertible
(2) Kawasaki 750 street legal ATVs
(2) trailers, one box and one flatbed

This year, perhaps I will pay the price and put PERMANENT registration on the Dodge truck and the Chrysler. The motorhome, the ATVs, and the trailers already have it.

Kawasaki guy here, too. I have a pair of Prairie 360's.

[Crazy4Chickens]

We moved to Wyoming last year. We came with a truck and my little Honda Civic. We're already talking about buying a new truck, but keeping the old one too.

My husband commutes over an hour each way every day for work, in the summer my Civic is a killer commuter car, in the winter...nope.

So he takes the truck and I stay off the roads if things look to dicey in my car. She does good with the snow tires, but there's still days when I'm just better off staying home. However with a second truck in the winter we'll both drive the trucks and the car can just be the summer commuter. This was never the plan when we lived in California, but the winters here are rough, and the distances too great.

Finally we also bought a travel trailer last March because I wanted to explore all this beautiful wilderness around us. There's also talks of getting a snow mobile or two, or maybe a four-wheeler. You can see how all these vehicles can add up over time. 😉