I Gotta Ask...

[rule18]

I use my truck like a truck when I need a truck. I use it like transportation when I need that. Sometimes, I use it as stadium seating when we go over to the drive-in. Crazy talk.

Questions?

 

[MoparDriver]

I know I'm old school, but who besides me bought their truck to use as an actual truck? You know, for hauling heavy stuff in the bed and towing a lot of weight behind them. That is the only reason for buying a truck, to haul and tow crap, IMO of course. And it's not just RAM. I see so many people paying large bucks for Chevys and Fords, then buying all these pretty bells and whistles - light bars, trim kits, etc. - and raising and lowering and tricking out their trucks, and yet they never take them off the asphalt. Then they take them through the car wash every week and wax them every month. If people want a show vehicle, they could spend a lot less and buy a Mustang or Charger.

I picked up my truck at the end of March. Since then I have swept out the inside about 3 times because I like to keep the interior relatively clean, and I took an actual wet rag to the outside once in May because the pollen was building up to the point I couldn't see out the windshield. Other than that, I haven't touched it cosmetically. I did add some real nice camo seat covers to it because the gray vinyl was boring, and I bought some Husky floor mats because it's easier than mopping off the rubber flooring. And I've dented the bed when I dropped a battery in there, and chipped some paint off the tailgate when I hit it with a 2x4. It's a truck, that's why I bought it.

Good morning and Good Point, that's the military in you sir. Thank you for your service. I too have purchased my 4x4 4Door Silver RAM for the utility of it, it is all stock except the Wheels because the CRACKED Veneer Chrome outer lining required replacing the whole wheel at $400/ea. That Said, I do like to keep it clean and have purchased Weather Tech protection, so when I mud it up, or haul dirt, it goes straight to the wash rack. Mine is a 2012 (Classic) and I was asked yesterday if it was a 2023 model.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I love it when someone thinks they know how a truck should and shouldn't be used.

My question to you is why do you care? I'm not sure what you would consider old school, but I turned 60 this year. I had no problem with the wife buying a $75k truck to drive to work and back because that's what she chooses to drive. But hey, I'm driving an Audi to work now so there's that LOL. My point is use your truck however you want and let others do their own thing. You might live longer not worrying about things you can't change.

It was just a question. I explained why I bought mine, and asked why someone would buy a truck if they're not going to use it as such. It would be like me buying a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, and then never taking it to the track. Makes no sense to buy a vehicle that is manufactured for a specific purpose, then never using for that purpose.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Good morning and Good Point, that's the military in you sir. Thank you for your service. I too have purchased my 4x4 4Door Silver RAM for the utility of it, it is all stock except the Wheels because the CRACKED Veneer Chrome outer lining required replacing the whole wheel at $400/ea. That Said, I do like to keep it clean and have purchased Weather Tech protection, so when I mud it up, or haul dirt, it goes straight to the wash rack. Mine is a 2012 (Classic) and I was asked yesterday if it was a 2023 model.

Oh, don't misunderstand. I will wash it when it gets grimy, I just don't get all an-al (apparently that real scientific word isn't allowed by their bot here) about it and wash it just to have something to do. It rains enough in my area that for the most part it stays relatively clean, so mopping off a few times a year is sufficient. And I don't let the inside get too dirty before I sweep it out and wipe things down.

 

[nlambert182]

It was just a question. I explained why I bought mine, and asked why someone would buy a truck if they're not going to use it as such. It would be like me buying a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, and then never taking it to the track. Makes no sense to buy a vehicle that is manufactured for a specific purpose, then never using for that purpose.

True..... but the difference in a Lambo and a Ram is that you can have luxury similar to a car (for a truck) if you want it and STILL use it for a truck if need be. Can't do that in a lambo and most wouldn't dare daily drive one for fear of damaging it.

The beautiful thing about newer trucks and all their bells and whistles is that it's one of the few times where we can have our cake and eat it too.

There's one thing I have always cautioned people on when talking about some of these nice trucks. My coworkers used to ask me why I had a truck because they never saw me use it as a truck. "You don't need a truck like that just to drive back and forth to work." "That truck is too nice for you to actually use it as a truck." etc...

I asked... how many minutes during the day do you actually see me in my truck? 10-15? Doesn't mean that I'm not using it when you don't see me or that I'm not using it because you see some pictures of it all nice and shiny. Trucks are manufactured nowadays for multi-use. Given what they cost... I want it to stay as nice as I can keep it but rest assured there are probably a lot more people using these nice trucks than you witness.

I tend to live and let live. If you like it and can afford it who am I to question?

If you want to take it offroading and beat the sides out of it, then by all means. It's capable.
If you want to lift it 10", slap on 26" rims and rubber bands and cover it in lights, by all means. It's capable.
If you want to use it as a grocery getter and vacation toy, by all means. It's capable.
If you want to stick it on a job site full of tools and hauling equipment non-stop, by all means. It's capable.

 

[Farmer Fran]

The inside and outside of my truck was immaculate. The bed was well used for hauling and I towed a travel trailer 1000s of miles. So yes, I used my truck as a truck.

Sold my travel trailer and the wrangler can do most hauling with a utility trailer so I sold my truck and got a ZL1

 

[Sherman Bird]

I know I'm old school, but who besides me bought their truck to use as an actual truck? You know, for hauling heavy stuff in the bed and towing a lot of weight behind them. That is the only reason for buying a truck, to haul and tow crap, IMO of course. And it's not just RAM. I see so many people paying large bucks for Chevys and Fords, then buying all these pretty bells and whistles - light bars, trim kits, etc. - and raising and lowering and tricking out their trucks, and yet they never take them off the asphalt. Then they take them through the car wash every week and wax them every month. If people want a show vehicle, they could spend a lot less and buy a Mustang or Charger.

I picked up my truck at the end of March. Since then I have swept out the inside about 3 times because I like to keep the interior relatively clean, and I took an actual wet rag to the outside once in May because the pollen was building up to the point I couldn't see out the windshield. Other than that, I haven't touched it cosmetically. I did add some real nice camo seat covers to it because the gray vinyl was boring, and I bought some Husky floor mats because it's easier than mopping off the rubber flooring. And I've dented the bed when I dropped a battery in there, and chipped some paint off the tailgate when I hit it with a 2x4. It's a truck, that's why I bought it.

I downsized to my Ranger for a regular use truck... for economy and ease of parking.... but to keep the utility of fetching auto parts and hauling scrap to the recycler. I put less than 2000 miles a year on it.

 

[Randy Grant]

Aunt Jerri aske me during a conversation about crazy people,
"why don't they just stop being that way?" Guess you can ask the same thing about truck owners, eh?

 

[Tulecreeper]

It is a use case. You, for example, post a message claiming you bought a truck to haul and pull heavy stuff yet you have a gas engine and a 2500 with a limited payload rating. You aren't pulling heavy, not with a gasser, and you are not hauling heavy with a 2500's payload. I guess it is how you define heavy, from my facet, you are running light duty.

My 3500 pulls heavy and carries the 20% or so weight of a gooseneck/fifth-wheel trailer or the 12% weight of my utility trailer with tractor and backhoe. My 1500 is used for feed runs hauling 40 and 50-pound bags of feed and towing my fishing boat.

Both of my trucks are Longhorn trims, I like the upscale features of the trim. I also clean the interiors monthly and constantly hand wash and wax the exterior. I do my own maintenance and typically keep my trucks for 10-plus years.

I use to drive Tahos and Surburbans but I was constantly inconvenienced by the cargo area's fixed roof, so in 2013 I switched to a pickup.

It is shallow thinking to define a truck's use case only in the context you use them.

I have a 15K# towing capacity and 4000# cargo capacity, which is a lot for a non-commercial rig. I could have gone to 20k towing if I had gotten the diesel, but then I would have lost 800 pounds in cargo capacity because the diesel weighs more. And cargo capacity gets used up faster than towing capacity. When I was hauling with my CDL I pulled a lot more than that, but there isn't a TT on the market that I can't pull with what I have. I didn't need a 3500, or I would have gone that route. And how else would you define a vehicle's use, truck or not, unless by the context in which you use them? It would be silly for me to buy a Lamborghini or Spider and then never take it to the track. And it's silly to spend that kind of money for a vehicle to only be a status symbol.

And my question had nothing to do with the size of the truck a person buys. Only why a person decides to buy one and then not use it as such.

And this is my 3rd truck in 36 years, so I keep them a while also. My last one for 23.

 

[BadHemi2014]

I got a Ram specifically for the go-fast part, so there ya go

 

[gwilburn]

I have a 2014 Laramie Crew... According to the computer, I've towed by 28' snowmobile/motorcycle trailer 24,000 of the 98,000 miles on the odometer. It has all the bells and whistles as you call em. I just ordered a 2024 Limited to replace it. Why? Because I can!
I don't have a lift or extra lights or any crap like that on my truck. I also don't have any scratches or dents - two chips that I've painted. Its been waxed maybe 3 times in 10 years, but I wash it A LOT (mostly in the winter). And it's sprayed underneath (2x) with grease (in the rockers, doors and bedsides as well. Which is why I'll still get $20,000 for it on trade.

When I'm hauling my toys, it's usually a long haul (800+ miles one way). I like to be comfortable doing so, and typically have 2-3 other passengers. I do have a Bakflip hard bed cover - on trips our luggage and tools go in there (we break stuff). As for other stuff in the bed... I have to haul my garbage to a collection site and sometimes material for a project. I have a spray in bedliner (highly recommend). I also have the 4-corner air suspension. Yes, sometimes it's a PITA. But it sure is nice when pulling a trailer - levels out perfectly.

I take care of my stuff because I like to, and I like to get something out of it when it's time to upgrade.

 

[chopperdog45]

I used to wonder about those things. I have a Jeep that I bought because I like going off road with. I have modified it with a lift, bigger tires, winch, etc. to make it more capable off road. There are people who do all these things to their Jeeps because they like how it looks, and they most likely will never even see a gravel road, let alone some real off road trails. Don't even get me started on snorkels, lol.

Same thing with trucks, I reckon. I bought my truck because I needed something to tow my toy hauler with, as well as do other truck things with. There are some people who like to have certain vehicles because they just like them, and they have no intention of ever using the vehicle for its intended purpose. I used to let these things occupy space in my thoughts, but I have stopped doing that years ago. I figure some people just like what they like.

 

[mikeru]

It was just a question. I explained why I bought mine, and asked why someone would buy a truck if they're not going to use it as such. It would be like me buying a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, and then never taking it to the track. Makes no sense to buy a vehicle that is manufactured for a specific purpose, then never using for that purpose.

Correction, it makes no sense to you.

Makes perfect sense to me and a lot of other people who buy trucks and use them as daily drivers, never tow or haul anything, etc. And I'd be perfectly happy with a Lambo or Ferrari and never take it to the track if that's what I wanted to do and could afford to do so. My point was it doesn't have to make sense to anyone except the person who buys it. To me it makes no sense why anyone would smoke cigarettes or watch cooking shows, but lots of people do those things. It has zero impact on my life so I don't let it bother me.

 

[Docwagon1776]

It was just a question. I explained why I bought mine, and asked why someone would buy a truck if they're not going to use it as such.

Have you considered that both the manufacturers and the buyers may not see the use case as limited as you appear to? Today's trucks are yesterday's sedans. 4 door comfortable vehicles with good visibility, better crash safety, and plenty of 'trunk space'...

 

[Tulecreeper]

Have you considered that both the manufacturers and the buyers may not see the use case as limited as you appear to? Today's trucks are yesterday's sedans. 4 door comfortable vehicles with good visibility, better crash safety, and plenty of 'trunk space'...

Not all of them come with 4 doors.

 

[JHoward]

Not all of them come with 4 doors.

And that was a good thing when I bought my regular cab short box ... I don't have a need for a four door truck.

 

[Tulecreeper]

And that was a good thing when I bought my regular cab short box ... I don't have a need for a four door truck.

I've owned 3 pickups in the last 40 years and all of them have been regular cab. Never had a use for the extended cab version(s). Mostly because there has never been anyone but me and a girlfriend/wife/hunting partner in it at any given time, but also because adding that extra cab cuts down on my cargo capacity by hundreds of pounds. And as I mentioned, the only reasons I have bought trucks - other than being my everyday driver - is for the cargo/towing capacities.

 

[Docwagon1776]

Not all of them come with 4 doors.

What truck in current production doesn't have at least the *option* of four doors? Nothing I can think of in the 3500 and down classes.

 

[Tulecreeper]

What truck in current production doesn't have at least the *option* of four doors? Nothing I can think of in the 3500 and down classes.

I didn't say there was no option to get 4 doors. I just said not all of them come with 4 doors. I had the option, but mine didn't come with it because I didn't order it.

 

[Docwagon1776]

I didn't say there was no option to get 4 doors. I just said not all of them come with 4 doors. I had the option, but mine didn't come with it because I didn't order it.

...which brings us right back to: buyers may not see the use case as limited as you appear to? Today's trucks are yesterday's sedans.

You ordered for your use case. That isn't everyone's, or even the majority's, use case for a 1500/2500 buyer.