cdayton

Spend less than you make.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I’m sure any of us who were/are in your role would do the same. But you might be surprised how many folks who own pickups or SUVs never haul or pull anything bigger than luggage or groceries for 2-3 people. It’s for show.

“But honey, I can’t show up at the soccer fields in a [small sedan]. Brenda Belchfire will laugh at me!”

nobody13579

Never pass up an opportunity to pee.

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

Never, Ever, use your hand as a vise!

Abo

Haul... no... you see the word "haul" implies dragging with effort.
But I do "tow" (effortlessly) with my "little" cars.

Did Melbourne-Townsville return towing a box trailer,
with a Holden Commodore... (see photo below) a 4 door sedan
slightly smaller than a Ford Crown Vic. In the trailer were
two motorcycles (a Kawasaki KLX 650 and a Yamaha YZF 750SP),
plus a refrigerator and other household goods.
I used to regularly tow a boat to my local boat ramp
to launch into Port Phillip Bay with that car too.

Anyway, just to keep the record straight, on the way up to Townsville there was no fridge
and on the way back there was no KLX650. About 2500 kilometres each way...

On the way back I took a short cut that involved
dirt/sand "road" of about 400km.
I enjoyed the journey both ways.

I now (effortlessly) tow the same trailer with a Subaru Liberty (marketed as a Legacy in the US) to take stuff to the council dump... transported another fridge, and furniture, and building materials etc etc etc.

Your question "Ever wish you could see the road better?" is amusing
as the visibility out of my Liberty is very good to the front and sides...
as was the Commodore which I sold on about 5 years ago...
so good in fact I have/had the drivers seat adjusted to its lowest position
in both cars and still get/got a panoramic view.

I also have a Gen 1 Subaru Impreza and the view out of that
is phenomenal. LOL

Having said that, idiotmobiles act as a kind of eclipse,
which obscure the view ahead, of drivers that don't have
to compensate for their short comings and insecurities
by operating oversize shear sheet-metal wastes of finite resources.

And yes I have lived in "the country". A place called King Lake up in the hills
NE of Melbourne. And still visit "the country" regularly.

If you have any other questions about motoring, I'd be pleased to fill you in Jay.

Excuse the "grain"... It's a heavy crop of a digital photo of a 6x4" print, from
a Kodacolor negative I shot with a Nikon FM 35mm film camera.

(Download)

Abo

You have a genuine need for a "fairly large truck"; I have no issue with that.

And I don't have an issue with full size 4 door sedans,
not that I made any mention of little or small economical cars.

So I'm not on any high horse to get off.

Even though I'm down here in Australia I sometimes
buy an orange that's imported from the good ol USA...
Thanks for the produce... they are nearly as good
as Australian oranges

Abo

Also just for the record, what I wrote,
"smaller lighter vehicles."
has been misinterpreted and taken out of context
by more than one poster in this thread and twisted
into me referencing little or small economical cars, which is false.

It is "smaller lighter vehicles" than the shear sheet metal waste of
finite resources "trucks" and SUVs. So the smaller vehicles I refer to
could include a 1968 Hemi Charger for Christ sake... now you've made
me blaspheme you dim wits!

Abo

Hoobloodyray... someone with more than half a brain... it is for show Sir, and the show is to
compensate for a shortcoming of one type or another.

Having said that, I don't know how one "might be surprised how many folks who own pickups or SUVs never haul or pull anything bigger than luggage or groceries for 2-3 people." as you can see a million gigantic shear sheet metal abominations on the highway that are, apart from the imbecile driving it, totally empty every
day of the week.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

When does the virtue shameing start?

Abo

Good question, especially as stupidity and incompetence
seem to be considered virtues today.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Two of the first things that I learned in Kindergarten were, "Don't spit on a hot lightbulb and if you do then F##k is a bad word!"

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yep. I never understood that. I can understand renting a big SUV for a family road trip with 6-8 people and gear. But most folks driving them at 85 MPH on I-95 to Florida from Bum Buff, PA, own them.

For years, when the kids were younger, four or five of us took 10-hour road trips in a Prius with a Sears X-Cargo rooftop carrier mounted on Thule removable rails. Mileage was down from the usual 43 to about 36 at 76 MPH.

I hauled single beds and bookcases in that car. We used it and abused it. At 186,500 miles it was parked off road at 4:30 AM when a drunk redneck in an F150 slammed into it. He said his wife called him and he dropped the phone. He was probably out cheating on her. (Okay, so the cheating part is speculatively mean, but it makes a funny story about kharma being a bee itch.)

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

Exactly, while on most days you would think that I don't need a truck because there isn't anything in the back, I do use it to haul things frequently. Don't judge. Just because you don't need it doesn't mean others don't either.

Murray Loc: New Westminster

Dannj

Am I the only one who’s ever bought a car/truck/SUV just because I liked it?😳