Full-size trucks in America are big business. The venerable Ford F-150 is the best selling vehicle in this country for well over two decades. The GM and Ram trucks also sell in very lucrative numbers. It’s a head-scratcher from my perspective here in San Francisco. I would never buy one of these behemoths in our area of narrow streets and scarcely little parking space. Imagine parallel parking a modern four-door pickup truck; I’m not sure one would even fit in one of the city’s metered spaces.
I get the appeal of trucks, though. It’s literally one vehicle to do absolutely everything. The typical “crew-cab” four-door configuration can seat five people with space and comfort rivaling large sedans. The high-seating position is easy to get in and out of. The pickup bed needs no explanation for its utility. Four-wheel drive version of trucks can go off-road with the best of sport-utility-vehicles, provided the trail has the width for these super wide machines. If parking weren’t ever a problem anywhere I normally frequent, a full-size truck would definitely be something to consider.
This past weekend I was up north of Sacramento in the rural town of Calusa. I was amazed at the sheer amount of trucks there. It seems everyone in town is driving a half-ton, crew-cab pickup, about 80 percent of all vehicle traffic to my eyes. The lone Ford dealership in Calusa has an inventory of mostly F-150s! Surely a confirmation of pickup truck’s popularity in those parts.
And why wouldn’t it be? Parking is wide and freely available there. Calusa is a farming community, so the trucks are actually being used to haul stuff. The 4X4 systems will take care of any beaten path with ease. From what I can tell, these people own trucks not for some machismo image, but rather they truly need the utility of these type of vehicles. I can dig it.
Indeed.