"What Do You Need a Vehicle Like That For?"

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Bemused

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I think this is the right spot for this, considering.

"What do you need a vehicle like that for?" asked the gentleman from across the pond. He was smoking a cigarette outside an American pub and I had come out of said pub to retrieve my jacket. "In my country [I forget which country he was from, western Europe] nobody has a gas hog like that. And it's so big. We don't need vehicles like that where I come from."

Well sir, Said I, I don't know what I would do without this truck. I can haul all my camping stuff and my wife and kids and dog and kitchen sink and go camp for a week without going back to town. I can fit all my hunting gear and a hunting partner and camping stuff AND two bull elk in it. I can drive my family and all our crap across the country if I wanted and we'd ride in comfort. I can fit a half cord of firewood at a time without a camper shell or lumber rack, we use a wood stove for heat in the winter. I can drive off road to the firewood or the elk etc.  I can haul beds and dressers and tree trimmings and lumber and whatever else I want, reasonably. I can tow a boat or a trailer with it. I can load the family up and go hunting when the dirt roads are muddy and icy and rough. I can drive to work in the snow and ice safely. And more than that, this was my grandpa's truck that I bought from my grandma when he died and I always remember him when I drive it and it means a lot to me. There's not a damned thing I can't do with this vehicle.

His eyes were glazed over half way through my diatribe, he didn't care of course he just wanted to be superior. He repeated himself "well, we don't need vehicles like that where I come from. Only in America do you see trucks like this."

I left it alone, I didn't have the heart to tell him that this is actually not even a very big truck. "Full size" is arguable.

Truck in question; 2008 Toyota Tundra, 4x4, 5.7L V8. Did whatever I ever told it to and I looked good doing it. Well, last weekend a guy fell asleep and rear ended me on clear open highway. I was going ~75mph, he must have been doing 85. I fish-tailed and was able to keep her from rolling but crossed a ditch at 65+ mph and she is totaled. I'll never drive that truck again. It probably saved my life. A little back pain for a few days is all I had to show for it. Doesn't look like much damage at a glance, but it needs a new bed, new tailgate, new bumper, bed smashed into the cab, right rear suspension was hanging loose, muffler was bent around, right rear frame was a little tweaked and who knows what they found underneath. I hit the ditch hard. That's what was obvious and that's a lot of money. Here's my last view ever of her:


But let's remember better times. Elk camp 2015:


Chasing squirrels with the family:


Got a few pinstripes getting to this bull elk but we got him loaded. Beat the hell out of packing him out. The only thing better than shooting a bull elk is being able to drive to him:


I wasn't kidding. A week's worth of supplies, two humans and two bull elk. Road out was a sloppy, muddy, rocky mess. We cruised out in comfort:


Yeah I'm gonna make good memories with the new one and the most important thing is that I'm ok and that my girls weren't with me, but I loved that truck as much as a man can love an inanimate object. The truck made the ultimate sacrifice. I'm in the market for another Tundra.
 
Pretty much sums up why I'm grumpy and just in general don't like people.
 
Bemused":42k5n2y0 said:
" We don't need vehicles like that where I come from."
The only answer I could have come up with is "You don't like it, go back to that country where you probably can't afford a vehicle like this even if they'd let you buy one, which they probably wouldn't".
 
Sorry you've lost your truck. Hope the jerk that nailed you was ticketed.

The "We don't need vehicles like that where I come from" dork probably rides a bicycle.

I bought a Tundra last year and couldn't be happier,,,get shopping for that new one.
 
Yeah it's a shame. I'm shopping, supposed to get paid tomorrow from insurance. The conversation happened like 3 years ago. It's funny that this is the conversation I keep thinking of now that it's gone. As much as it pissed me off being told what I do and do not need, somehow it rooted in my memory as a time when I realized how much I appreciated it.  

These trucks aren't cheap but with as much fun and utility as they provide me, I can't afford not to replace it.
 
Yep, once you have a truck, it is pretty much indispensable. I drive too many miles for work, so our truck is my wife's. I usually get compliments on how nice it looks (it is a 2011) and I work hard to keep it that way. It's her daily driver, but hauls trash, mulch, gravel as needed. We had 30+ inches of snow in January, but her truck had us blowing around the deserted streets, having a ball.

Good luck getting your replacement, it was great seeing your memories - you will make more!
 
Well finding a replacement was quite the adventure. The used market on these things is ridiculous. I paid about $2k over KBB private sale price on a truck yesterday and was glad to do it. After dealing with dealerships, car salesmen and craigslist weirdos and liars, I finally ended up with a truck I like and at a price I thought was fair. Downgraded from an SR5 amenities package (which I will miss) to a base model but have about $5k left over to make any repairs needed and pay off some student debt. Here's some pics, can't wait to start making memories with the new one!




 
Nice ride there. Hard to beat a Tundra. Sorry to hear about the loss of an heirloom though....
 
Just caught this thread. Sorry to hear about the loss of the old Tundra. It's funny how vehicles come to mean a lot to you. Toyota puts out a good product and I'm sure the "new to you" Tundra will serve you well.
 
Sorry for your loss, and congrats on the new one. I don't need a truck like that where I live either, but damn, I sure wish I did! I had pickups from high school until I moved to Mexico City. Can't beat 'em for all around useful vehicles.
 
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