What's the fascination with trucks?

[John Smith]

Some families have more than four members, and have a need for minivans or wagons.

I see a LOT of ads for trucks. My neighbor has a large pick-up truck for which he has no need, and only himself to drive around. I've known several others like that.

I'm sure some need trucks, but seems to me a lot of people who have them don't need them. A coworker who only had herself to drive had a Suburban. Not a truck, but far more vehicle than she needed.

What am I missing? What impact do all these unnecessary large vehicles have on the price of gas?

[Peerie Maa]

You can ask the same question about Chelsea Tractors.

[Too Little Time]

What am I missing?

You need to stalk your neighbors better. Record what they actually do.

I used to have an AMC Gremlin. I pulled a heavy trailer more often than I should have. A pickup would have been nice.

[hawkeye54]

^ I had to Google that, Nick - We have an elementary / middle school / high school nearby, and the (literally) miles-long backup of Mom's / Dad's waiting to drop off or pickup their little ones snarls traffic for a large area of a major highway ! ! ! ( all bearing just Mom / Dad and a kid )




Rick

[birlinn]

Bigger because I can afford it, unlike you losers.
Bigger 'cos they are safer (they aren't)
Bigger 'cos my ego needs big.
Bigger 'cos it sticks one to those greens/libs.

[Figment]

Bigger 'cos they are safer (they aren't)
.

An acquiaintance was infected with this thought. She wrecked a car, with minor injury and then didn't feel safe in small car so got a bigger car.
Wrecked that one, felt unsafe got a small SUV.
Wrecked that one, felt unsafe, got a fullsize SUV and complained about difficulty parking.
Wrecked that one, felt unsafe, got a huge SUV, complained about difficulty parking and fuel consumption.
Wrecked that one, felt unsafe, got a huge diesel powered SUV.

(this is all in a span of less than 10 yrs)

By all reports she was just a horrible driver from the start. Three tries to pass (our absolute joke of a) licensing test, etc. But if you have the credit they'll sell you whatever.

[artif]

Water, food, shelter - everything else is ego driven greed. 😋
Convince me otherwise

[dutchpp]

^ Ego or the most obvious manifestation of the small penis syndrome.
Chelsea tractor owners are greeted with this sign.
kleintje.jpg

[Too Little Time]

Water, food, shelter - everything else is ego driven greed. 
Convince me otherwise

Change comes from a willingness to change. No one will convince you until you want to change.

[Peerie Maa]

Cars and trucks are just tools. You dont take a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

[LeeG]

Some families have more than four members, and have a need for minivans or wagons.

I see a LOT of ads for trucks. My neighbor has a large pick-up truck for which he has no need, and only himself to drive around. I've known several others like that.

I'm sure some need trucks, but seems to me a lot of people who have them don't need them. A coworker who only had herself to drive had a Suburban. Not a truck, but far more vehicle than she needed.

What am I missing? What impact do all these unnecessary large vehicles have on the price of gas?

The vehicles have no effect on the price of gas but reflect consumer fashion. Cultural values, comparatively low price of fuel and gov’t policies made them popular. And now the Ford Maverick pickup has the efficiency of a 80’s compact car.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

You may be missing a large one: Bigger 'cause I might have to haul something big someday, like lumber, or a load of gravel (after I get a liner for the bed, of course).

Bigger because I can afford it, unlike you losers.
Bigger 'cos they are safer (they aren't)
Bigger 'cos my ego needs big.
Bigger 'cos it sticks one to those greens/libs.

[ron ll]

Because football commercial advertisers realize they have tapped into a gullible target rich environment.

[LeeG]

You may be missing a large one: Bigger 'cause I might have to haul something big someday, like lumber, or a load of gravel (after I get a liner for the bed, of course).

Exactly. Not any less practical than a sports sedan. Zoom, zoom, zoom out of suburbia and on to the race course.

[Breakaway]

You may be missing a large one: Bigger 'cause I might have to haul something big someday, like lumber, or a load of gravel (after I get a liner for the bed, of course).

Around, here you can have stuff like that delivered, often for free.

That said, and to address the OP, people often buy what they want, not what they need.

Kevin


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[Paul Pless]

What's the fascination with trucks?

they are an easy $50K to $125K tax deduction

[LeeG]

they are an easy $50K to $125K tax deduction

To help the farmers!

[Paul Pless]

and the auto manufacturers
and the petroleum suppliers
and the car dealerships
and the cpa firms

dse

[Dikhaut]

Some people just like trucks. Some people like fancy cars or sports cars. There is no practical justification for them, but there doesn’t need to be. Their money, their choice. Try coming up with a practical justification for owning a boat - especially a wood boat.


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[L.W. Baxter]

i bought a huge thing in 2006, biggest passenger truck made at the time, i believe. still have it. closing in on 300k miles. used for work, play, pulling boats, trailers, carrying beds full of gifts to mexico. farming deliveries. have forklifted a full pallet of redimix concrete into the back in an emergency. etc.. no regrets.

i also have the smallest pickup on the road, which i drive more often. best mechanical thing i have ever owned.

but i will admit that culturally speaking, my ownership of the big truck confuses some people.

[Breakaway]

they are an easy $50K to $125K tax deduction

This, too!


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[LeeG]

and the auto manufacturers
and the petroleum suppliers
and the car dealerships
and the cpa firms

dse

Everyone wins! And to top it off while the deduction got bigger and bigger the Fed fuel tax adjustments for inflation stopped so people got incrementallycheaper gas, just a few cents, and here we are nearly 30 yrs later the fed fuel tax about $.17-$.25 low and Biden is on the idiotic gas tax vacation bandwagon.

So I’m gonna drive to town and burn up about 1.5 gallons of gas in my 25 yr old F150 and get coffee cuz I don’t want to wait for Amazon!

But I have to fill the bed w 8 trashcans,cardboard and a pile of garbage bags as high as the cab. Cuz I’m the Trash Man Yeahehhhh I’m the Trash Mannnnnnnn.

[JimD]

You may be missing a large one: Bigger 'cause I might have to haul something big someday, like lumber, or a load of gravel (after I get a liner for the bed, of course).

For those relatively rare occasions I have a utility trailer, because you can always haul more weight behind the vehicle than in it.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

But, why do many of them like trucks.

Big assed "trucks" and "Chesea Tractors" are often treated as "Man Cards" - silly.

Many people like the higher eye-line - which is a sort of mixed blessing.

[Breakaway]

I don't understand this. Do you mean to say that it is silly to consider that some, or many people buy huge trucks as identity rather than practicality?

Sure, they do.

Same reason many people by a wooden boat instead of an aluminum one, or a ketch instead of a sloop or trawler instead of a planing craft, a restored classic instead of a new build. We could do motorcycles, too. Or, anything.

The big trucks, like all those boat types DO offer specific advantages some of the time. Combine such justification ( tenuous as it may be) with self identity, keeping up with the Joneses, hobbies. tribalism, whimsy, and you have the recipe for a purchase decision.

Kevin


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[ron ll]

Interesting, but cause or effect? You might get a similar graph using rural and urban.

520BA86C-6D6E-4024-92C9-72794E17ED6A.jpg

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

I don't understand this. Do you mean to say that it is silly to consider that some, or many people buy huge trucks as identity rather than practicality?

I mean that it is "Silly" to hang your identity on a vehicle type - but people certainly seem to do exactly that.

I once suggested that a van was a more appropriate tool than an F150 for many people - result was outrage - from a Canadian.

[L.W. Baxter]

Interesting, but cause or effect? You might get a similar graph using rural and urban.

or wealthy and less wealthy

[David G]

Ron-too... what's an APT car? One you can bring into your apartment? <G> EV/hybrid?

As a redneck liberal, I have mixed feelings about driving a full-size, 4WD, CrewCab, pickup around. At heart, I'm more of a Sports Car guy. But, being in the boatbuilding/woodworking business... I need a big rig. Not 'want' one, need one. Tried a van for a few years... and it was a serious compromise. Even dangerous a few times. I'm looking forward to the day when my efforts at downsizing result in an ability to shift to a smaller truck. What I'd like is something like a Ford Maverick, but built by someone reliable (Toyota, Honda, etc.), and with a 6'+ bed length. If such a thing existed, I might be already scouting the used market for a Tundra replacement. As it is, I just steal my sweetie's Honda Fit when I can. Remarkable job of packaging. I call it my 'mini-mini' pickup, and it does maybe 80% of what I need a shop vehicle for. The remaining tasks, though... not even close.

[Rich Jones]

For those relatively rare occasions I have a utility trailer, because you can always haul more weight behind the vehicle than in it.

This is what I ended up doing.
I have owned several vans and trucks for my business because I needed them.
The problem with the van was that there was no 4X4 option. The problem with a 4X4 pick-up is that is almost impossible to get one with an 8' bed. My 2001 Dodge 4X4 pick-up was a compromise that worked. Club cab with a tiny back seat but only a 6 1/2' bed. I loved that thing but no longer needed a truck once I retired.
I've now got a 2021 Jeep Cherokee (with true 4X4 capability). It's the perfect size for me and I've got a utility trailer for whenever I need to haul stuff.
The only downside is that the utility trailer is usually buried in a snowbank during the winter.

[George Jung]

Lots of pickups in Lincoln; generally only one person; and, 'as a group', the most aggressive drivers. Followed closely, in terms of aggressiveness, by Jeep Wranglers.

[stromborg]

Ron-too... what's an APT car? One you can bring into your apartment? <G> EV/hybrid?

I was going with All Purpose Transportation

Based on what I see around here, most folks driving big pickup trucks would be better served by a van or utility trailer. But we don't spend Sundays being inundated with advertising showing Honda Odyssey vans tearing it up on forest service roads under a deep-voiced cowboy accented narrator between football plays.

[George Jung]

Nailed it; 'we the people' is real gullible.

I had vans, for years - loved their utility. But the idea of owning one, themselves, was repulsive to my kids - until they had their own. Funny how we attribute 'traits' to transportation.

[Peerie Maa]

I mean that it is "Silly" to hang your identity on a vehicle type - but people certainly seem to do exactly that.

I once suggested that a van was a more appropriate tool than an F150 for many people - result was outrage - from a Canadian.

You should have suggested a van with windows.

2126 cu decimeters is 75 cu foot and 5' 6 3/4" long

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Hey, if your great grandfather drove a team of horses hitched to a wagon from eastern Pennsylvania to Indiana, while the sons walked with several cattle and the women rode trains, like mine did, a good pickup like my Dodge Diesel, compensates in my imagination for having worked in engineering offices all my working life.