What do you use your pickup truck for?

hillhound

that I'm curious as to how many people are buying pickups for "image" or "fad" reasons. Many people say these are the reasons why truck sales have been booming lateley.
Most of the "work" my truck does is recreational hauling and towing, but it does this often and alot better than any car or suv. Plus it gets me to work daily and in any kind of weather!
So how about it? Did you buy the pickup because you needed it, wanted it, or both??

ryanbab

I probably could have gotten by with an S-10 but i didnt want another S-10.

I have worked the thing (few home projects deck, basement, fences).

I also figured i am young now better get it now might not be able to one day

jcmdie

My truck is used both as my daily transportation and my company's delivery truck. If I didn't need the truck for deliveries, I likely would own a car. My deliveries would not be suitable fora van or SUV.

michgndr

Used for hunting, fishing, pulling the boat(s), commuting to work, and transporting home improvement materials.

Just like a truck should be.

ryanbab

ever been to silver lake offroading?

sonjaab

Snowplowing, Towing , Hauling, Enjoying
SHE AIN'T NO DRIVEWAY QUEEN !!!!!!!!!

gator36

Going where the pavement ends....
Towing my boat
Home improvemnt duties for me and my family..
Daily commute.. So I can see over the IDIOTS
on the L.A. Freeways.
Towing a 25' travel trailer..

lariat1

I use mine for everything. Towing my boat, hauling garbage to the dump, off road, hauling big black wet dog. The only I dont do with it is race, got a car for when I want to go fast.

txyank1

I don't tow....don't even want a hitch. Seldom haul anything, but ocassionally odds and ends of household stuff. Use lots of cardboard and blankets though. I have it because I prefer driving a truck. I like to be at "see" level.

jcave1

Who the heck needs a reason? It all comes down to preferences. Excuses to own a truck include towing a driftboat, hauling a mt bike, and general hauling household stuff such as lumber, firewood etc. Cannot imagine owning a car again, the wife has one, that's enough. She sits right down there wtih all the other bumper watchers too.

michgndr

Have done that, but not in any vehicle I owned. It's a blast. There used to be some great gravel pits (up and down and steep and tight and nobody else there) near the house, but access is blocked now by houses.

jim4444

I used my truck to move to my new house recently. Its nice to have whenever you need to pick something up like a lawnmower or grill that would never fit in a car, just put it in the bed and go.

And I'm not at the mercy of someone else, wanting to use their truck. How many times are you asked to get something for someone or they want to use your truck?

Five days a week I take it to work.

I prefer a truck over a car now because most cars are FWD. Ever do a tune up on a FWD car?

I might get a car someday.....as a second vehicle. I'll always have a truck.

I'm not a country music fan but I heard a song before that goes something like this.....

"you can set my truck on fire and roll it down a hill and I still wouldnt trade it for a coupe deville"

amorales

Oh!, been driving pick-ups since 1961. Trucks are the only true utility vehicles out there, right?

erikheiker

I use mine as basic transportation, first and foremost. 4WD makes getting around in the winter so much easier. But I also use the back as a camper, I haul an entire booth to home shows, I haul building materials home, and I use it for dump runs. A boat will soon be attached to the back and I also have access to a camping trailer. Plus, I have a vehicle that is very comfortable for my 6' 2" frame. To me, a car is almost useless.

hillhound

""you can set my truck on fire and roll it down a hill and I still wouldnt trade it for a coupe deville" "

Someone needs to have a talk with Alan Jackson! Around here, setting a man's truck on fire might get you shot! LOL!

ethuresson

Wife has a car we use for trips etc, my Dakota quad cab is a compromise vehicle. When it's me and the young'uns I can throw 'em in the back seat and go, a regular cab can't do that; and like someone else said, screw being at the mercy of others when you need to haul something (furniture, lumber, garbage, bushes, whatever). Had a truck for 10 years then went 1 year in a sedan. Let's just say I WILL NOT be without a pick-em up again. Just too handy..

eric2001

needs, hauling atv, snowmobile trailer, kayaks in bed... Occasionally other odds & ends, help someone out moving large items. Like Jim already said, its at my convenience.

Oh, have a car also for daily work commute (split it 50/50 with truck) trips to the mall (crew cabs aren't made for parking lots), and long commutes when 10mpg just isn't enough...

-Eric

hillhound

is fast approaching!! Anybody use their truck's tailgate for tailgating at their team's stadium?

txyank1

for tailgating at Texas Motor Speedway at the Nascar Truck Races!

amorales

a good momentum going and hope your radiator doesn't boil over....love that Winston truck racing, especially here in Fontana raceway in So. Ca. I think California leads Texas in people who drive real sport trucks. Reason Texas has more pick-ups is because your older brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, older step parents, step sister, older girlfriends watched
URBAN COWBOY in early 80 and all went out to buy Ford F100 pick-ups like John Revolta drove in the move right?? And danced the Electric Slide at Gilleys...

txyank1

come to think of it, maybe that's the problem with the drivers here in TX. They've been watching too many races and think they're drafting and not tailgating. Probably trying to get better gas mileage. I bought my 1st pickup in NY in 1980 before I moved down here. 1980 Ford Flareside. I bought a lockable cartop carrier at Sears and screwed it to the wooden floor. Barely noticeable above the side of the bed. Worked out great.

amorales

dual gas tanks, dual batteries. Had a K40 CB RADIO that was peaked out to max modulation, Had BFG 275-60 rubber,
dual exhaust, AOD. Truck was sweet, went 277,000 miles with only a cracked carburetor plate. A construction worker bought it and i believe is still driving it.

jim4444

I agree about setting a guys truck on fire, you should be shot, but you never know what an ex girlfriend will do LOL.

My point, and the point of that song was a truck is so useful I'll always have one.

hillhound

Point taken! Especially the part about the ex-girlfriend!

txyank1

used car lot one day and a really clean looking silver Flareside caught my eye. Lo and behold it was mine! This was several yrs after I traded it in and it still looked good. It had been reupholstered but original paint and the red pnistripes my Daughterr had put on it for me were still on it. It had just over 100k miles on it.

jim4444

LOL I'd say been there but I'm there now!

ricsch

show these guys in Wisconsin that a 2wd(even lowered at that) can tow a snowmobile trailer in winter w/ no trouble. It's funny watching these guys w/ 4wd spinning away from stop signs when all they had to do is push that little button-why have it if you don't use it? Also use it for commuting all year 'round.

chevytruck_fan

first I think people should drive what they enjoye, some people enjoye driving pickups more than cars even if they don't tow or go off road ever.

that said,
my truck has been a commuter for the last 20 years, it now has almost 340,000 miles (personally I think trucks last longer than cars but that is another debate) and has been a weekend hauler for 20 years, i.e. almost every weekend the bed is used for its purpose, and I continue that tradition. lots of fire wood, manure, and lumber. good camping truck too.

I have driven cars for a day never owned them, and I perfer driving a truck, even I didn't have a use for it I would drive it everyday and suck lots of gas so there greenpeace freaks lol

whoops got a little carried away

hillhound

I've known folks that actually do wait until they're stuck to put it in 4wd! Not me-I'm paranoid! I paid for it so I use it and I've yet to wear out the 4wd on any truck I've owned. I even use the autotrac on my Silverado if it's raining hard!

richcolo

go where I need to go, haul what needs haulin' and pull what needs towin'. I've got two more kids now than when I bought it and I'd like to pull some bigger toys. That's why I've got a Crew Cab 2500 HD on the way. I'll keep running old reliable to work and back until she drops, or until I get tired of scraping ice off of her, since she's gonna sleep outside once the new one arrives. There is only room for two in the garage, and Mrs. Colo thinks the Odyssey needs to sleep inside. Oh well, I guess 10 years is long enough for keeping the paint shiny.

Also, I agree with ricsch, 2WD will go in snow. I know when it starts to get slick because she starts to slip leaving the stop signs. Then I drive (carefully) past where the 4x4 slid in the ditch because the driver had no idea how slick it was. I've even pulled a few of them out over the years. I used to be the guy who went out and shut the gates to close I-25 at Wellington (north of Fort Collins) during snow storms. I drove a 4x4 state truck to the gate, but how do you think I got to the yard where the state truck lived? My 2WD with some weight in back and good snow tires was always better in the snow than the empty state 4x4 with low-bid all season or all terrain tires.

txyank1

drove VW bug's!

jcave1

You guys remind me of the youthful days. Trying to get a 2wd Datsun pickup stuck in the snow way back in the woods. Deflate the rear tires a little, put the fat guy in the back, never could get it stuck.

The F-150 4X4 I sold last fall could get stuck in its own tracks in the snow. Weight helped a bit but never enough. Standard differential didn't help either. Am anxious to try the PSD SD which does have limited slip, it's also 4X4.

obyone

What happened when you forgot the fat guy?

jcave1

Ray would never think of letting us go play without him. We could always lift the rearend or put Doug fir branches under the tires. Didn't have that happen much though.

tundradude

My uses are hauling trash and wood.

Sometimes haul furniture and fences.

Haul my dogs around all the time.

Tows my 26' camping trailer.

If its not doing above, it is parked and I drive my car to work.

joeltrane

I like having a pickup because I can get to the oil pan drain plug without using jack stands. And...there's alot of room in the engine bay(in my truck anyway) to fiddle around and tinker.

Although it's a 2wd, it does sit higher than cars and I like to be able to see what's up ahead.

Then of course there's the bed, which is nice to haul stuff like furniture, fire wood, etc...

Last but not least, I like to have my power going to the rear wheels, as all vehicles did back in the good 'ol days.

It's my daily driver now and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hail to the pickup no matter what make or model!!!

jab

txyank1

it's fun to watch the folks new to driving a pickup fishtailing and doing unintentional 360's!

joeltrane

Yea, as long as I'm on the opposite side of the median!!!LOL

jab

sf0383

We are a two truck family. Wife drives a '97 Tahoe that was supposed to be mine after a few years. Plan was to park my '92 Ext Cab Silverado and buy her a car. Well, when the time came she decided she didn't really want a car ( used the excuse that she didn't want three vehicles even though we poured a second driveway specifically for that reason)So we sold the truck and bought our "compromise" vehicle. I insisted on a pickup and she demanded something that would seat six in seat belts and had a rearview mirror with a compass and temp guage.What we wound up with has turned out to be my mid-life mobile. 2001 2500HD Crew Cab 4x4. Used mainly as a commuter with the weekend projects and trips to deer camp thrown in for good measure. Added nerfs, bed rails, line-x and a Pace Edwards roll top with a power bolt for the tail gate. Amped up the stereo replaced the speakers and added a sub woofer. Soon as the Firestones wear out I'll be looking for larger tires and new wheels. Probably add a power inverter and DVD player before too much longer. We use the Tahoe for road trips, which we take quite a few and I have the truck for all the truck stuff. But mainly I drive it because I like it and nobody is around to tell me I can't!

eric2001

Ken: If you don't mind, I would be interested in your current audio improvements, namely the sub & dvd player. Where did you mount the dvd & the monitor (or is a complete unit dvd/video display) and what sub/enclosure, and where did you place it (them)? I have been contemplating mounting a dvd unit where the cassette player is, but haven't done anything yet. Thanks.
-Eric

sf0383

The sub is a 10" JL, the enclosure is mounted behind the back seat (so is the amp). The shop that did the work had to custom build the enclosure. They also had to remove the spring loaded "bridge" that covered the gap when the seat back is folded down. We are talking Crew Cab here remember. I have not added the DVD yet, note "probably" in the original message. However I have considered several options. The in dash units are nice. So are the monitors that mount overhead. They also make monitors that mount into the back of the headrests of the front seats if you are primarily doing this for kids in the back. What I will most likely do is use an AC/DC TV/VCR combo that I already have. This way I can either get a portable DVD player or something like a Sony Playstation that will also play DVD's and then use the Aux inputs on the TV monitor. I already run this set up in the Tahoe with a power inverter and a Nintendo64. The kids can play nintendo using the TV monitor. It works pretty slick. The biggest drawback that will come from doing this is the fact that I will not be running the DVD sound through the stereo system. The amp I have doesn't seem to have any aux inputs. The advantage is that by going with a portable DVD player I am not locked into using it only in the truck. Besides,I already have everything I need (Santa is bringing the playstation so I'll have to wait on that).I am going to talk to the guys at the local shop about hard wiring a bigger power inverter into the truck. I have the extra battery so figure I might as well put an inverter on board that will pull a skill saw or drill. I want to talk to them at that time about my options for running sound through the speakers from a source other than the head unit. The guy that runs the shop has his truck set up like that but I'm not exactly sure how he did it.

eric2001

Yes, I also have the crew cab. I am currently using a Pioneer 1.5 din unit (lost On-Star - oh well) and I was contemplating a dvd unit with motorized screen for the lower console. I haven't done anything yet with the speakers or subs (have 2 JL 10's as well as Infinity Kappa seperates for doors & polks for rear) but I have yet to figure on where to put the subs & still have room for the amp board (takes up entire back deck behind seats).

Let us know what you finally end up doing, and any issues, please. Thanks.
-Eric

sf0383

I can see where 2 10's is going to be tough. The 1 I have plus the amp takes up the entire area behind the seat. If you put the amp under one of the seats you might be able to get two 10's back there. The area behind the seats is so narrow that it will be hard to build a box for two subs that will fit. I am upgrading mine a little at a time. I have replaced the rear speakers with some Boston Accoustics co-ax, added the sub and an amp. I'm still running the factory seperates in the front and they actually sound pretty good. I don't expect them to last too long so I am thinking about some MB Quart seperates for the front. Please keep us posted on your systems as well.

Thanks

rmblizzard

Trucks are practical for the modern person where SUV's are for the uninformed yuppie masses. The main use of my truck is for hauling mtn bikes, road bikes and pulling a snowmobile trailer in the winter.

Good Dirt!

txyank1

are for those who want an enclosed truck, and need passenger space more than hauling space. Or our Wives who doen't really want a car, but sorta want to drive a truck.

markbuck

but need my 2500HD CC for hauling dirtbikes, buncha dirtbikers, and my 25' travel trailer.

I'd drive a crown vic if I didn't need a PU.

Looking for a Wrangler or maybe a sports car for back and forth to work, but hard to justify the expense....

coas2

Like most, I use my truck for a daily driver. I also use it to go camping, carrying a canoe, equipment and a big dog (german sheperd). It goes where I ask it to in the mountains of Colorado and never complains.

edwardt1

If you have Bostons in the rear you might
consider the Boston 6.5 or 6.53's. My wife
has a 2001 Yukon with the 6.53's in the
front door and they sound fantastic. She has
the coaxials in the rear doors and 10 JL
sub in that was custom placed were the
factory sub was. The system is run by two
Xtant amps a 4channel and a mono amp.
I have a 2000 Sierra 4x4 EXT that I was going to put a similar system but I think I'm going to
trade it for 2002 Crew Cab that will get a sound system upgrade. I'm thinking about
adding video to the wife's Yukon

edwardt1

Forgot to post how my truck is used. I use it as a daily driver. I'm
involved in real estate development so my truck does go off - road. It is also used to haul large items. I lcan't imagine not having a truck.

bowhuntwi

My truck needs, used to have a 2K Ford Super Duty Crew Cab 4x4, if you didn't have weight in the back, you would sit there spinning until you put in 4wd, even with L/s, you could dig a hole. I hauled everything and everybody's things. When the interest rates got inviting, I did a recheck on my needs. I still wanted a crew cab of sorts, decided on the SuperCrew, can carry 6 passengers, still pull my boat and got enough room for my hunting buddies & supplies. I don't need a football field or two to turn around in. If I need drywall, I'll have it delivered. This is my weekend ride. I have a company van to drive for work.

drumcircle

99.5 F350 SC PSD.. Homeowner,that should sum it up..Every homeowner should have a p/u or a cargo van..Dump runs,,,trailering the ol' SS Minnow...Didnt need the F350,,but stumbled across a good deal..It's there when I need it..Diesel for fuel economy reasons..40 miles round trip daily work drive...