75% of truck owners tow 1/year or less?

[Romarrb1]

We went to Alaska, permanently, in 1965 in a brand new VW beetle. After taking that poor little car on some of the most God awful roads and trails. The wife said - why not just buy a 4WD vehicle.

Many times we surprised a group of 4WD vehicles by joining their group with the bug. The advantage of the VW - it was exceptionally light. Get it stuck - 3 or 4 people could, literally, drag it out of a tough spot.

I have spent many times over the years driving my 1967 and later my 1972 super beetle all over the back roads. I still have the 72.

 

[Oaktree]

You can get a well equipped 2500 or 3500 with a Cummins for less than that...instead of a car with a tiny bed on the back.

You can, but if you don't need the extra hauling/towing capacity why would you want to? Worse gas mileage, higher insurance, registration and repair costs and a worse ride. And just because it's a 25-3500 doesn't mean it doesn't have a short bed.
I wouldn't consider a 1500 to be a "car with a tiny bed on the back"...Maverick or a Santa Cruze yeah, but the 1500 is still a full size truck.

Many times we surprised a group of 4WD vehicles by joining their group with the bug. The advantage of the VW - it was exceptionally light. Get it stuck - 3 or 4 people could, literally, drag it out of a tough spot.

Those old bugs were pretty good in snow. Between the engine over the drive wheels, the skinny tires (ISTR they had 15" tires...large for the day), decent ground clearance and not enough power to spin the tires they did all right.
One of the print ads they used to run for them called them the vehicle the plow truck driver uses to get to work.

Most front wheel drive cars I've had were pretty good in snow, limited mostly by ground clearance. Interestingly, the one exception was an 80s vintage Suburu (back when they still made 2WD cars). That car sucked in snow.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Overall my VW beattle got around well in the snow until it was deep enough to build up under the floor pan. Then there was the time that I left it sit and rode with someone. When we got back some "friends" had picked it up and set it on a plowed snow bank.

 

[masscity]

I guess if I only had to buy gas once a year for my ATV or twice a year for my tractor and only use the utility trailer once a year I wouldn’t even have that stuff. I would just rent it when I needed it.

What do think that only buy 5 gals at a time? Gas, I buy 20-25 gals at a time and diesel I buy 30 gals at a time. Right now I

haven't been to NAPA this year and I have a bunch of used oil in 3 and 2 1/2 gal plastic bottles.

Ferguson brush hogging is only 8 hrs a year. Husky 54" zero turn is 2 gals each mow. ATV don't use it many hours a year. I

don't go on rides anymore. Generator, I run it about 2 1/2 hrs a year under load unless I need it. B7100DT not many hrs per

year, but the L3540HST, every year is different. Stumps, moving dirt and snow. There were years I got more than 40 hrs

blowing snow. The last 3 years have been 22, 16 and 9 hrs. Blowing snow is the hardest thing I do with my tractor and uses

most fuel. When blowing snow that is heavy I run 2600 rpm and sometimes only move .5 mph. What you're are saying is that

I should sell everything it just keep one shovel. I live on 140 acres and my yard is 2 acres.

 

[ArlyA]

Overall my VW beattle got around well in the snow until it was deep enough to build up under the floor pan. Then there was the time that I left it sit and rode with someone. When we got back some "friends" had picked it up and set it on a plowed snow bank.

That ain't much snow. We get more here.

 

[dodge man]

Is that a picture from yesterday Arly?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

You can, but if you don't need the extra hauling/towing capacity why would you want to? Worse gas mileage, higher insurance, registration and repair costs and a worse ride. And just because it's a 25-3500 doesn't mean it doesn't have a short bed.
I wouldn't consider a 1500 to be a "car with a tiny bed on the back"...Maverick or a Santa Cruze yeah, but the 1500 is still a full size truck.

My counterpoints to this, whether you consider them valid or not, are that 1500s are basically cars with tiny beds. If I want to drive a car, I'll drive one. If I need a pickup, I'll take it instead.

Blanket statements like worse mileage, higher insurance and registration, and repair costs, doesn't apply in my case.

If I towed even 25% of what I pull with the 3500 Cummins with the 1500 the mileage would be worse, much worse. Actually, there's only about a 40% difference as it is and that's without towing with the 1500.

In my case the 14,000 GVWR 3500 costs less in insurance than does the 1500. Granted, the 3500 is a '17 and the 1500 is a '21. If memory serves me, the 3500 is $5 more per year in registration. Again, age can factor in.

Repair costs? Okay, oil changes cost more on the 3500 because it holds more oil, but it can also go longer between changes. And with regular maintenance the Cummins should go about 500,000 miles. That's more than any 1500 engine I know of, not even counting the notoriously dismal Ecodiesel.

Lastly, as far as ride quality goes, yes the car with a tiny bed does does ride better than a real pickup. On the other hand, I stopped going to the store after dark to buy five cases of water since I got tired of having to adjust the headlights for the drive home.

Had a '14 1500 V6 for many years, and it got good mileage, did everything a car should, but it was just that - a car with a tiny bed and very boring. My current 1500 is much more fun to drive, but it's still a car, and with an even tinier bed.

 

[Hay Dude]

Snow sucks.
I’ve plowed the miserable crap since I was 16. Great for kids-bad for outdoor work.
Never made much money off plowing it because the equipment is expensive and it wears out your trucks.

Global warming made it go away here-maybe you too can have the pleasure of winters with no snow. You’ll like it.

 

[paulsharvey]

A 1/2 ton is plenty capable of towing plenty; and 1200-1800lbs of Payload covers most of what normal people need to carry. 2024 Ram 1500 can be equipped to tow 12,750. A 1990 F350 max factory towing was 12,500.

For the average guy/gal; that's 1/2 pallet of quikcrete in the bed, or two trucks on a trailer in towing.

I just would like a bit more Payload, and I'm fine with a less car like ride quality. I do think the 1/2t have too soft of a suspension. Yes, I know you can get air bags, helper springs, ect; but not many people are going to do that.

Heck, to top it off, I would bet my 2019 ram would outrun a early 1990s corvette?

My 0-60 "should" be 5.9s
1994 Vette, "should" be 5.6s; so I was wrong about that

It also had a nicer cab then a 2000 Cadillac Escalade.

Point being; for a normal person, you aren't giving anything up getting a 1500 over a nice full sized car or suv; but you do gain a lot of capability

 

[ultrarunner]

Dad had a 73 Chevrolet 1/2 ton pickup that handled everything we threw at it.

350 v8 with auto and a/c.

Towed 2 horse trailer all over Western States with bales in the 8’ bed.

Truck was often loaded with gravel, dirt, hay stacked, etc.

Dad sold it in 1985 and never needed anything other than tires, fluids, etc.

It was a great truck with camper leaf springs.