B. Carfree

I'm curious as to what fraction of the times you drive your beasts you fill them up enough to justify such large capacity? When I go to the lumber store, hardware store, Costco or food warehouse, I generally leave with more on my bike trailer, which I try to not put over 700 pounds on, than most all the pick-ups or SUV's are carrying off.

I don't have a problem with people choosing to use the vehicle that gets the job done, and no one needs my approval anyway. If I need to haul 30 tons, I'm going to drive a class A rig. If I only need a quarter-ton or less, I'm on a bike. I can see where folks would have routine loads between those extremes for which a pick-up is the best tool. However, it does look like that tool is used mostly for just moving one human at a time with almost no other payload, kind of like these vehicles are fashion statements or are for "just in case" things that never come to pass. I'm not saying that's you, by the way, just that a pick-up with an actual payload is almost, but not quite, a unicorn.

Mobile 155

The thing is the justification is not what someone else thinks but what the person voting with their wallet thinks. There are a lot of Sports watches that will tell time just fine for under 50 bucks. I however have a really good friend that has always picked a small economy car for daily use but he wanted a Movado watch. I never understood at the time till I got a chance to get a CYMA watch. It may not tell time any better than my Pulser but it feels good on my wrist and looks good when I put on a suit.

Many people want what a large SUV has to offer and have the resources to afford one. They do feel safer and in a one on one with a smaller vehicle they tend to come out on top most of the times. Yes many feel they can drive well enough to avoid the head on accident but almost 50 percent of the serious injury accidents are head on nose to nose.

It may be hard for some of us to understand but that is real life. When I had my Tahoe everyone wanted to ride with me when our bike club went to charity ride out of town. Good air conditioning, leather fully adjustable seats, great sound system. I could carry 5 bikes and 5 people. 4 bikes on the rack and one bike in back with all of the gear, pumps and tires and other things. I also used it to pull a trailer and before that a boat. When I sold the SUV I bought a Honda Fit and you would have thought I gave away one of my kids if you talked to my bike club. It now takes three vehicles to take five people and five bikes out of town. Do we do it every week? no. Do we do it every month? During the spring maybe. Did I feel it was justified? The truck was paid for, I didn't drive much between races or charity rides and my fuel bill wasn't that high. The club paid for gas when I drove to the events.

We have the ability to justify what we feel is justified because of our budget.

Stucky

Hehe, yeah...... I live on 28 acres, so sometimes i'll need to pick up quite a few bags of cement, or lumber, or bulky items- but not all that often. Just doing a grocery & errand run though, can pack up my vehicle pretty good though (35 lb. bag of cat food; 40 lb bag of dog food; bucket of chlorine tabs for the pool; cat litter; dog biscuits; a few 50 lb bags of grain for the chickens.....amazing how quickly it all adds up! Plus, I like to carry tools with me, in case i have a flat/trouble on the road. Of course, the only time i ever have a flat or trouble, is on the rare occasion when i forget to transfer my tools to the vehicle I'm driving! )

But to tell you the truth, I just like big vehicles. Even when I lived in the suburbs, i drove big trucks. (And I could go to the store every day there, or even walk to the store).

I tried a little car back when gas was up to $4 a gallon. Couldn't stand it/rarely used it. I've learned to drive infrequently. If i need something, it'll just have to wait till shopping/errand day, 'cause i'm not wasting a 40 mile round trip to the shopping town just to get one thing, and I don't want to be like some of my neighbors who spend hundreds of dollars a month on gas; but when i do drive, i want to drive something that i enjoy driving.

Funny thing too, i spend less on gas now (even when gas was high) living in the boonies, than i did when I lived in the 'burbs, when gas was only $1.20/gal. -because my life now revolves around my own property, instead of always having to go somewhere else for everything.

Do i need an Excursion that seats 9? Probably not- LOL- since the most passengers i ever carry is one. I do hope one day though, before i die, to move to the jungle or a Pacific isle or some place like that, where I could be car-free, and where doing so does not mean having to live among a car culture, and just being one of the few who abstains. I have great memories as a child, of the freedom and intimacy of being car-free, and am so grateful that i got to experience that. I mean, actually walking places, and seeing all the details one misses from a car; and experiencing the weather and all, is just so much better than watching the world go by a 50MPH. Car culture has so taken over, that there are few places one walk now, where you aren't assaulted by the noise and bustle of constant traffic. THAT is sad.

Stucky

Yeah...depends what you hit, or what hits you. Hit a bridge abutment at 70MPH....probably no advantage to the big vehicle. Get squished by a big-rig? probably safer because there's more crunch area, and less chance of intrusion/more survivable space. Any mere car? I'm gonna win! And since cars comprise the majority of vehicles on the road...and are rarely driven by professional drivers, they are our most likely foes (Regardless of what we're driving or riding!)

I don't by into the more nimble/easier to avoid an accident mentality. most accidents happen before you know what's happening, and really can't be avoided, no matter what you're driving. And bigger vehicles are way more visible and seem to command more respect.

The one accident i had, 25 years ago, was totally unavoidable- a guy pulled out of a stop sign right in front of me- he thought it was a 4-way stop. i didn't even have time to react. Never even had a chance to hit my brakes. I walked away with nothing but a scratch on my head.

My neighbor recently hit a tree in his 4x4 dually F350. Walked away without a scratch. Had he been driving his little commuter Toyota, he would have been in bad shape. (i used to be in auto salvage; I got to see what would happen to those cars... airbags don't offer much help when they get squished like bugs....)

T Stew

Well my regular cab short bed F150 has many advantages due to it's short wheelbase. Although I'd hardly call it a behemoth truck, in fact it's nickname is the fullsize ranger. There is even a compact car spot in the parking garage at work it is short enough to fit in. My F350 though is of the opposite, full 4 door with 8' bed. Very useful, so long as I have space to turn around lol. I get plenty of 'truck' use out of it, in fact the bed is pretty beat up from everything it has hauled. While I definitely get my use out of it as a truck, it is often my daily driver just to take me to work in back. It doesn't really compute financially to get another car just for car duty, but I've been debating on it for a while. In fact I am prepared to get one soon. It may cost a lot more in the short term, maybe a bit more in the long term as well, but it will save mileage on the vehicle I actually want to keep forever, my F350. I may even finally let go of my older F150 to get the car, so that it won't cost me more in insurance and registration, etc. Sadly the market value is crap for an older base model F150, it is almost worth it more for me to keep it as a spare vehicle especially for off road, if it weren't for the insurance and fees and such.

But there are many reasons I prefer driving a truck, for one thing I am much more familiar with and able to work on them. Absolutely hate working on modern cars with sideways engines, complicated transmissions and such. Safety is a hard thing to argue, sure there are many aspects of them that provide more safety but often at the cost of being less safe to the other person. My wife has had a few compact SUVs, Acura RDX, Lexus RX and the like, and put in the same situation as a few accidents I have been in with my trucks and almost every single even would have been thousands of dollars/totaled car, yet my trucks have escaped with no damage in some of them and very minor scrapes in another. In fact out of a handful of incidents only one actually required any real repair (shocks, alignments, new underpants) and that is when I was pushed off the road into the ditch doing just about highway speed and immediately after going into the 1-2' deep ditch I came upon someones driveway that was basically like a wall at that point. My truck came out of the ditch in a hurry- hitting that short 'wall' doing about 50mph the front end was up in the air and landed back on the road, going roughly in the right direction thank god. It blew the shock and the wheel flexed so high it broke out the plastic fender well liner, but I was able to drive home after ripping the plastic out. Probably would have destroyed a car, as would have when I dozed off on the drive home once after nightshift while going into a turn in icy conditions. When I popped back after only a few seconds I jerked the wheel right into the guardrail at 45-50 mph. The truck sat high enough it went under the bumper and the tires just bounced off. Would have destroyed my wifes cars/suvs had I not been driving the truck. Plenty more stories like this. So I've been fortunate that even though I've been involved in a few mishaps that the truck minimized the damage, and without putting others at risk.

I drive a lot of miles too, and the position sitting in the truck is much better. I hate when my wife insisted on driving the Lexus or Acura instead of my F350. I'd much rather fork out 50% more in gas money and be comfortable sitting up off the floor. I remember my long drives from Ohio to NY when I was in college, sitting almost on the floor with my legs out in front of me in a compact car was horrible. Maybe they are a little more ergonomic now, but I didn't think my wifes were either.

Roody

I was in a compact car with a friend a couple years ago. We t-boned a huge pickup that ran the red light. There was no damage to us or even to the little car. The big truck flipped over and slid quite a ways down the street on its roof. Some owners of oversized vehicles have a real "F.U." attitude and a feeling of their own security that may not be warranted.

T Stew

I for one do not race in icy conditions. Perhaps the people you 'beat' were not racing? You're the one that seems to have the attitude here. Cars 'beat' me off the line all the time because I am not racing, that means nothing except that maybe you should slow down be more cautious and enjoy life instead of trying to prove yourself. And it's nice you feel bad for those the went off the road because 'they thought themselves invincible' (did you ask them if that is why they went off the road?), but too bad you couldn't do anything about it. With my truck I've actually helped dozens of unfortunate people during bad storms make it back to their loved ones, or wherever they were going. I've got to say everyone is quick to make a big deal about the one or two trucks that went off the road (without actually knowing why they went off the road mid you) but in my many snowstorms I've driven through I'd say the number of small cars or 2wd trucks stuck outweighs 4wd trucks 10 to 1 (that's just a guess though). And in some cases what you're driving is irrelevant, accidents can happen anywhere anytime and it's not always your fault.

prj71

I use Amazon.com. 75% of my shopping needs are delivered to me. Never have to leave the house and go into town and stand in line.

prj71

I have a quad cab truck with a 5-1/2' box and topper. I can haul myself, 3 other guys and all of our camping gear and food out west for 5-6 day camping trip. Everyone has a comfortable ride. Unlike an extended cab truck with a 6 'box where the back seat becomes cramped for the riders. Ain't no car gonna be able to handle that. Plus we split the gas costs 4 ways.

A single cab truck with 8' box is now reserved for those in the construction trades. Otherwise it's not very useful to those who use it like I do or have a wife and kids.

Love my behemoth!!

prj71

Exactly. You made my point. Which is why I won't drive a smaller vehicle.

prj71

I don't think about justifying it. I have the money to buy the truck and have the money to buy the gas that goes in it.

I-Like-To-Bike

Not being able to understand the difference between real life and wishful thinking/daydreams/conjured scenarios is the basis of oh-so-many threads/posts on LCF.

mconlonx

You might have missed the follow-up post where I clarified -- not racing away from a stoplight, just motoring away from it. I honestly do feel bad for those who go off the road... except maybe those who were previously going way too fast for conditions, thinking themselves invincible in their trucks or SUVs. Good for you for helping people out -- a friend was rescued by a good samaritan like yourself when he went off the road one winter, RWD car on bald tires... Saves people time and money waiting for a tow and keeps traffic moving.

mconlonx

Counterpoint to LCF: living in a vehicle. If one has a truck with a cap, an SUV, or especially a van, they can be set up for use as a full-time, nomadic home. In a sustainable sense, living in such a fashion, while being the polar opposite of LCF, can be very much more sustainable and ecologically beneficial than LCF...

Stucky

Me too.

The things you used to be able to get in the little town closest to where i live, you now have to get in the town 20 miles away; and the things you used to be able to get in the town 20 miles away, you'd now have to go to the small city 50 miles away to get. And half the time, even the things you can get at the stores, are out of stock when you go there. Not to even mention the annoying "music" they play in the stores; the screaming kids; the scantily-dressed cretins, etc. that one has to endure in the stores.....

At a time when B&M retailers should be doing everything they can to keep customers, they seem to be doing everything they can to drive them away. then when they go out of business, they blame "the economy". The big chains and box stores seem to be more concerned with putting on a show for their stockholders, than actually conducting business, whereas if they'd concentrate more on the latter, they wouldn't need to do the former, because the actual books would tell the story.

Stucky

There ya go! More useful than a car, AND economical too! Nice!

Yeah, it depends on what you do with it. To me, a 5.5' bed is kind of useless, because I wouldn't be able to carry 14' 2x8's, and would thus have to use my trailer. To someone else, a 5.5' bed is HUMONGOUS trunk!

Stucky

A perfect illustration of how cars can be just as dangerous to larger vehicles- it all depends on the circumstances. That wedge-shaped front getting underneath the bottom.... cars have even flipped school buses. And stopping in wet/icy conditions can definitely be more challenging in a heavier vehicle. Many people do act as though they are invincible (and seem to be thoroughly unconcerned with the safety of those around them) just because they can get good traction and make it through snow and ice......but they seem to forget about the stopping part!

I'm originally from the northeast, but I never liked driving in the snow/ice. Now that i live in the South, I really avoid driving in snow/ice, because people here don't even have the sense to slow down on the slippery, narrow, curvy roads. We don't get much snow, but every time we get an inch or two, there are accidents galore and vehicles in the ditches. And even if YOU drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions, you'll have a line of cars right on your bumper. It's crazy- people have no sense.

Stucky

Hah! That's a point i was going to make, too!

I absolutely HATE scrunching down into a little car, and sitting a few inches off of the ground, as if i'm in some kind of hippie opium den or something! I rode in my sister's Mustang once.... Holy crud! Talk about claustrophobia! And i'm only 5'10". You don't sit in that car....you wear it!

Zedoo

The saddest cases are the hoarders, the people who actually haul stuff, usually starting with some drink containers and fast food wrappers.

350htrr

Well, around here I would guess/estimate... 9 out of 10 vehicles are trucks, huge 3/4 & 1 tons 4X4s everywhere, with nothing in them but 1 person 99% of the time... Sad for sure...

wolfchild

Aren't you up in Northern BC ??..What would you advocate that people drive up there ??...A Prius or some plug in electric golf cart ??.....It makes sense to drive a big 4x4 truck when living up north. I don't see any problem. If I lived up there I would also be driving a big pick up truck with lifted suspension and big tires...BTW I live in the suburbs and there is a huge amount of trucks and jeeps driving around here that never even see any off road or are used for work and utility. Some people just enjoy driving big vehicles.

Mobile 155

Back in the day, when we had the Governator Arnold, I belonged to an Off road 4X4 club. We did a lot of events in Johnson Valley, Moab, and the Rubicon. We used to see Hummers commuting to work in LA all week long but hardly ever saw them at the off road events. There were also a run on H-2 hummers that were just GMCs with a Hummer body. Back then they had Hummer Taxis, Hummer Limos and I am surprised they didn't have Hummer police cars.

I thought that phase was past but now my local Police department is using SUVs as police cars. I gather not many sedans are big enough for all of the equipment they have to carry.

350htrr

Ha Ha, I actually do, drive a Prius... Now, I too have a big assed 3/4 ton diesel 4X4... But, this is how it works for me and the wife. We used to just drive my truck for everything, as that is all we had and one day I figured out that for what I spent on driving that truck yearly, for everywhere when a car could have done the same thing better and cheaper , I went out and bought her a Prius C and now, when I need a truck I drive a truck and when I need a car I drive the Prius.

And here is the kicker... I/we have saved about $1,000 per year, every year for the last 3 years on total vehicle costs, and now we have 2 vehicles instead of one... for less moneys... Using the type of vehicle that does the best job, whether it's just moving people or moving big stuff... See how it works...

FXjohn

you can pull a hell of a lot bigger trailer than a car can AND carry many adults comfortably.

people are just jealous.

cooker

If he feels the need to post his justifications here, then they are fair game for all of us to take a shot at.