1/2 ton pick-up as daily driver - parking?

[UncleDave]

A full sized 4 door half ton is a very compromised daily driver.

If you can only have one vehicle its the logical choice, but if you can take something a bit smaller you'll be better off.

My choices are to take the big truck (titan) or the little truck (ridgeline)

 

[The Critic]

Another data point…

The other side was about the same:

 

[snarl]

I drive a crew cab with an 8' box (truck is about 21' long) so I park far away and take two spots.

 

[doublebase]

I commuted for a couple years in a full sized Silverado, it was nice to drive, good up and down the highway, actually half decent on gas, and great in the snow, BUT parking it was an issue because these parking lots just don’t leave you a bunch of room. It’s not going to be your fault when it gets dinged, it’s going to be the tool bag that clips you when they’re pulling out. Or the dude that backs into you, or the kid with the car door that smashes right into it and leaves you a $600 dollar ding.

Then again you can combat that by parking far away, and it does help a ton. And don’t get me wrong, with a car Ive tended to park a lot closer and yup!! Got myself a nice $600 dollar dinger! Right the day after Christmas too. Thank you Santa!

 

[01rangerxl]

my coworker says it is easier to back in. I could see that.

If you try backing in to a spot at a busy shopping center in AL, chaos will probably ensue.

 

[BLND1]

I drive a 1/2 ton in Downtown LA all the time. You just have to be on the ball.

 

[JTK]

I'm fortunate to live in wide open spaces, but I know for fact my 2019 Ram 1500 classic crew cab, short bed is easier to park than my FILs 2017 Nissan Frontier crew cab long bed. My ram has a tight turning radius for it's size/configuration, whereas the Frontier's is far from it. For a "small" truck, the turning radius is ridiculous. Not sure why.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I try to back in along an island or at the edge of a lot.

 

[Krieg]

That is by design. They want you to feel guilty about using an ICE. Encouraging us to buy small efficient cars. Lol!

 

[supton]

If you try backing in to a spot at a busy shopping center in AL, chaos will probably ensue.

What happens when people back out? of a spot that is.

 

[01rangerxl]

What happens when people back out? of a spot that is.

They'll stop then because they want the spot. If you pull ahead to try to back in, there's a good chance someone will try to swoop in if it's busy.

 

[skrypj]

I have an F150 supercrew with the 6.5' bed and a 157" wheelbase. Yes this is an issue. I do have to park out in the parking lots sometimes and I usually back in so that I can use the camera to get my bumper right on the line, but even then it will stick out. Or I just park with my bumper over the line so the front is not obnoxiously far out in the row.

Thing is, I don't drive to work and I live in semi-rural Utah so I am parking next to F350's Ram HD's and other bigger trucks all the time. It's just part of the deal around here. If I had to park downtown every day I would have another vehicle.

My lexus GX is kind of the polar opposite and has a 109" wheelbase so I can put that where ever I want with room to spare.

 

[nomas]

Always try to back in if possible . Easier to get out in a lot of cases . Safer too .

 

[buster]

I remember renting a Chevy Suburban and driving to Manhattan with it. LOL If you can drive that there, you can drive anywhere.

 

[svtrit]

Size and cost are the reasons I don't drive a truck anymore. There are just too big. I loved the comfort and ride of my F150 Crew XLT, 6.5' FX4, but it was huge!

Although...I am looking at the Ranger and Maverick as possible future trucks....I do like the Frontier as well. I've grown past the need for a big truck and now just need something with a bed for occasional use. Or, I'll get a trailer for the minivan.

Used Camry's require no financing though....

 

[2EHA]

 

[CharlesInCharge]

I agree with the others, and often roll my eyes or even chuckle at folks who drive these $80k monstrosities to the grocery store or bank. Why? Why would someone NOT IN A JOB THAT REQUIRES IT daily drive such a monstrosity? It makes very little sense from a practicality, enjoyability, or cost perspective, piling on daily driving miles on a very expensive valuable monster truck. A 2nd vehicle, like a normal car, makes far more sense in every respect. I just don't understand it. I have a truck. I use it for jobs that require a truck. It's not very enjoyable to daily drive because of its size and I don't like piling milk-run miles on it. I use my cars, for jobs that require a car. Tool use, 101, is use the right tool for the task.

Also, in parking lots, whenever possible I pull thru so I don't have to reverse but I only pull forward to leave. This should be a mandatory taught skill at drivers' education. In oversized or nice vehicles, I park far away from anyone, way out in the parking lot so nobody will hit me. If people drive monster trucks, I really do appreciate it when they park way out away from everyone else.

I watched in amusement one day, watching this mentally very slow person ironically try to navigate his quad cab extended bed pickup trunk into the regular sized car parking space right up front at the gym. At the gym. At the gym. 50 yards out, mind you, wide open spaces where he could have 4 spots if he wanted. But he needed to be right up front, pancaked between cars. At the gym. Reverse, forward, reverse, forward, reverse, forward, reverse, forward. Then park. Then open the door 6 inches, and squeeze out. Rear end hanging 5 feet into the driving lanes. At the gym. lol

My neighbor is an old lady near-retiree nurse who keeps a horse off site. She daily drives this huge full bed Chevy pickup with a huge horse trailer hitch on it. I think I've seen her tow a horse trailer only a few times. Yet she short trip daily drives the snot out of that extremely valuable truck, coming and going probably 5-10 times daily. Seems she practically runs a grub-hub as much as she comes and goes daily; The short-trip daily wear on that truck is staggering. And this lady isn't rich. And I think I understand why.

 

[02SE]

Suddenly I have the urge to drive our loaded 4wd Crew Cab Diesel Dually to the grocery store. Just for the heck of it...

 

[OVERKILL]

I agree with the others, and often roll my eyes or even chuckle at folks who drive these $80k monstrosities to the grocery store or bank. Why? Why would someone NOT IN A JOB THAT REQUIRES IT daily drive such a monstrosity? It makes very little sense from a practicality, enjoyability, or cost perspective, piling on daily driving miles on a very expensive valuable monster truck. A 2nd vehicle, like a normal car, makes far more sense in every respect. I just don't understand it. I have a truck. I use it for jobs that require a truck. It's not very enjoyable to daily drive because of its size and I don't like piling milk-run miles on it. I use my cars, for jobs that require a car. Tool use, 101, is use the right tool for the task.

Also, in parking lots, whenever possible I pull thru so I don't have to reverse but I only pull forward to leave. This should be a mandatory taught skill at drivers' education. In oversized or nice vehicles, I park far away from anyone, way out in the parking lot so nobody will hit me. If people drive monster trucks, I really do appreciate it when they park way out away from everyone else.

I watched in amusement one day, watching this mentally very slow person ironically try to navigate his quad cab extended bed pickup trunk into the regular sized car parking space right up front at the gym. At the gym. At the gym. 50 yards out, mind you, wide open spaces where he could have 4 spots if he wanted. But he needed to be right up front, pancaked between cars. At the gym. Reverse, forward, reverse, forward, reverse, forward, reverse, forward. Then park. Then open the door 6 inches, and squeeze out. Rear end hanging 5 feet into the driving lanes. At the gym. lol

My neighbor is an old lady near-retiree nurse who keeps a horse off site. She daily drives this huge full bed Chevy pickup with a huge horse trailer hitch on it. I think I've seen her tow a horse trailer only a few times. Yet she short trip daily drives the snot out of that extremely valuable truck, coming and going probably 5-10 times daily. Seems she practically runs a grub-hub as much as she comes and goes daily; The short-trip daily wear on that truck is staggering. And this lady isn't rich. And I think I understand why.

We daily drive our truck, either my wife or myself. Our driveway fits two vehicles, we have a truck because we have ATV's and boats and having owned two SUV's in the past, the truck just makes it SO much better, no need to put the ATV on a trailer, just drive it into the bed. It tows better than the SUV's did too.

So, with two vehicles and two adults with full time jobs, the truck is a DD. The cost of the vehicle is really immaterial, the truck is better on fuel than the three SRT GC's I've owned, or the SRT Charger I owned before that or even my BMW M5 I owned before that and the Expedition we owned forever and a day. It's comfortable, fits all the kids and if we end up having to do a dump run, just fire everything in the back and away you go. Kid breaks his bike? Toss it in the truck. As long as you aren't trying to do stupid things with it, they don't make a bad DD.

 

[IndyIan]

We daily drive our truck, either my wife or myself. Our driveway fits two vehicles, we have a truck because we have ATV's and boats and having owned two SUV's in the past, the truck just makes it SO much better, no need to put the ATV on a trailer, just drive it into the bed. It tows better than the SUV's did too.

So, with two vehicles and two adults with full time jobs, the truck is a DD. The cost of the vehicle is really immaterial, the truck is better on fuel than the three SRT GC's I've owned, or the SRT Charger I owned before that or even my BMW M5 I owned before that and the Expedition we owned forever and a day. It's comfortable, fits all the kids and if we end up having to do a dump run, just fire everything in the back and away you go. Kid breaks his bike? Toss it in the truck. As long as you aren't trying to do stupid things with it, they don't make a bad DD.

I don't think too many people would be able to say their V8 RAM has been a fuel saver for them But there's one atleast!
But if you want to burn the fuel, and know how to drive, make good parking decisions, and can walk a few extra feet every so often, they are a good all round vehicle. And if you don't mind buying the previous generation of RAM new, they may have the lowest depreciation of any vehicle! That said, I do know of a few people that "needed" a fancy truck that aren't towing enough to bother my Outback, and are just burning cash that they could spend more wisely IMO, but that's their business.
Once they get a plugin hybrid with some electric only range, I think the pickup will make more sense for even more people, not cost too much for DD use, and still haul the rv trailer to wherever backwoods location you want.