People in Texas Buy Trucks for No Reason

[Ben]

The New York Times breaks a shocking story.

Best comment:

I see the @nytimes is continuing their research on the mysterious people located west of the Hudson River.

http://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2017/01/02/ny-times-condescending-hot-take-about-texans-gets-hauled-to-the-mockery-dump-in-a-big-pickup-truck/

[French G.]

Ny times are idiots, big surprise. That said, I live in truck culture, would love a truck more current than my 83 GM. Can't afford one. They have become luxury items with rims, chrome, power everything, and everything one does not need. My Subaru gets more off-road time than many trucks and jeeps I see.

[MechAg94]

How many times do I have to haul something in my truck to justify getting a truck?  The short bed on my F150 has more utility than most of the features they buy on their sports cars.  And I can run over stuff that would wreck the underside of their cars.  In the industrial areas I go that is important.  

Have these people ever ridden in a Ford F150?  I can reach forward and not touch the windshield.  I have lots of room around me and don't feel like the truck is wrapped around me.  That alone is great.  

Also, there was mention of the smaller pickups.  Many of those are nearly as expensive as the full size trucks.  I figure the full size is a better value.

[zxcvbob]

My [sic] times are idiots, big surprise. That said, I live in truck culture, would love a truck more current than my 83 GM. Can't afford one. They have become luxury items with rims, chrome, power everything, and everything one does not need. My Subaru gets more off-road time than many trucks and jeeps I see.

I like my 2001 Chevy 1500 with hand-crank windows, 16" steel wheels, and rubber floor mats.  It does not have cruise control, I kinda wish it did (I think that was why I got a speeding ticket once.)  When I eventually have to replace it I will have to look for a used west Texas (etc) truck from the same era because I don't like the new ones.

[MechAg94]

Also, in the NYT link they were referring to a truck rodeo.  I have never heard of that.  I guess they think it indicates something, but I doubt most people here know what it is.

[Angel Eyes]

I like my 2001 Chevy 1500 with hand-crank windows, 16" steel wheels, and rubber floor mats.  It does not have cruise control, I kinda wish it did (I think that was why I got a speeding ticket once.)

Aftermarket cruise control units are available.

[KD5NRH]

Still, I see a lot of knuckleheads that commute 60+ miles each way in a diesel F350 because they have a one horse trailer they sometimes pull on weekends.  (Which, BTW, I have seen done quite well by a 1977 Chevy Luv.)  A used-but-reliable Accord, even including registration and insurance, would save them a small fortune, especially since they're the ones that take the last smoke break of the day 20 minutes before quitting time to go start the truck and let it warm up or cool off...all the while bitching about the price of diesel.

[Kingcreek]

I still drive a 4wd F250 super duty with the V10 gasser that I bought new in May of 1998. Still runs and hauls just fine but I'm losing the rust battle. 175k miles and counting

[Ben]

My times are idiots, big surprise. That said, I live in truck culture, would love a truck more current than my 83 GM. Can't afford one. They have become luxury items with rims, chrome, power everything, and everything one does not need. My Subaru gets more off-road time than many trucks and jeeps I see.

You have to sift through the bajillion options, but you can still get a truck for a pretty reasonable price. My 2016 F-150 XLT supercab cost me $33K and came with the 301A package with power stuff, the plain Sync, and the 2.7 Ecoboost. I was also looking at an XL supercab with the NA 3.5 that came with the power group and could have got that one for $27K. The only reason I went with the more expensive one is because I planned on using it for road trips to alternate with my 4Runner and give that one a break once in a while.

Certainly these days something like my XLT is "low end". There were plenty of $60K lariats and platinums on the lots when I was looking. More of them than XLTs. You can get plain jane XL regular cab work trucks for the low $20Ks.

[grampster]

Sigh...I sold my 2002 Nissan Frontier 4 door 4x4 a couple months ago.  212,000 miles.  It is a long bed and they are kind of rare.  A friend of my son, who is a retired mechanic paid me $4000.00 for it.

[BlueStarLizzard]

If I could afford a second vehicle, it would probably be a truck. Between the two households, we could probably get enough use out of it to justify it, even if it wasn't big enough for a horse trailer (which is why I haven't brought the idea up with Eric. Mom would be unreasonable on the subject if a truck was purchased that could not potentially pull her precious mare around, despite not having a trailer or even the need for her own truck and trailer to get the horse where it needs to be)

I'd never want a truck for a primary vehicle, but given unlimited funds, I'd have a smallish sedan, an SUV and a truck parked in the driveway and I would be less than concerned if the truck rarely made an appearance on the road. It's one of those things, you may almost never need it, but when you do, you really just need a goddamn truck. There just isn't a great substitute and borrowing/renting is a PITA.

[charby]

Sigh...I sold my 2002 Nissan Frontier 4 door 4x4 a couple months ago.  212,000 miles.  It is a long bed and they are kind of rare.  A friend of my son, who is a retired mechanic paid me $4000.00 for it.

I have the same thing with 112k on it. I'm just shocked how much it is still worth.

[RoadKingLarry]

Crap like this is why we do not need the clueless coasters telling us deplorables out here in flyover country how we need to be living our lives.

[French G.]

Best truck deal I have seen is my dad got a hugely high mileage 2500 fleet truck at auction for 3k. It had a much newer vortec motor in n it though. Spent about a grand on it, has towed across the country several times now, so money well spent.

[230RN]

zxcvbob remarked,

It does not have cruise control, I kinda wish it did (I think that was why I got a speeding ticket once.)

That's why I call it my honest button.

Three things I routinely ignore:

Coyotes howling in the night.
Kids throwing tantrums.
The New York Times.

I only pay real attention if they're getting closer.

Kingcreek said,

Still runs and hauls just fine but I'm losing the rust battle.

Helps with the gas mileage, though.  Rust is heavier than the steel it's made from.  I got half a mile/gallon more in my old Chevvy every time I hit a goodly bump and more rust fell off.  (Also some of the Bondo.((Came with it when I bought it. (((The rust me and G-d made.))))))

Terry

[freakazoid]

"NY Times sent intrepid explorers outside the city limits, what they find will shock you."

[dm1333]

Lots of people buy the NYT for no reason.   

[BlueStarLizzard]

Lots of people buy the NYT for no reason.   

It used to be really awesome for putting down for puppies to poop on, but the paper quality has gone down in the past few years.

[dm1333]

Touché

[Perd Hapley]

Have these people ever ridden in a Ford F150?  I can reach forward and not touch the windshield.  I have lots of room around me and don't feel like the truck is wrapped around me.  That alone is great.  

Yes. My main incentive for going back to a full-sized truck is actually the height, though. I would love to have a vehicle I don't have to crouch down into, and then climb back up out of.

[roo_ster]

Aftermarket cruise control units are available.

JC Whitney FTW.

Yes. My main incentive for going back to a full-sized truck is actually the height, though. I would love to have a vehicle I don't have to crouch down into, and then climb back up out of.

This, this, 1000x this.

I like my 2013 Nissan Frontier, but they effed up the front seats and you have to duck to get inside if your back is of a certain length.

[RevDisk]

Same mentality is why Hillary lost. There is a civilization outside of NYC, DC, SF and LA.

Trump at least knew to pay lip service to folks outside of NYC, even if he is a lifetime limousine liberal New Yorker.

[Perd Hapley]

I like my 2013 Nissan Frontier, but they effed up the front seats and you have to duck to get inside if your back is of a certain length.

I'm not huge - 70", and I was probably about 225 when I bought my Tacoma - figuring out how to get my stems under the steering wheel, and back out again took a few weeks. No tilt wheel.

Same mentality is why Hillary lost. There is a civilization outside of NYC, DC, SF and LA.

Trump at least knew to pay lip service to folks outside of NYC, even if he is a lifetime limousine liberal New Yorker.

One day, the journalists and other eloi will kill a few forests, analyzing and theorizing how that came about.

[Ben]

Yes. My main incentive for going back to a full-sized truck is actually the height, though. I would love to have a vehicle I don't have to crouch down into, and then climb back up out of.

Word. I hate crouching to get into a vehicle. I doubt I'll ever own a car again.

[RoadKingLarry]

Yeah my company car is a '07 Ford Fukos. What a miserable piece of crap. Anything over about an 75 mile ride and I just kind of have to roll/fall out of the damn thing because it cramps up my back and hip so bad.
Hell even the Prius I had for a loaner was more comfortable to drive.