Regular trailer users:

amateur/semi-pro racers- karts, bikes, gear
anglers who take a boat out every weekend
contractors, gardeners, campers, etc.

That's just a glance.

Now, imagine they have a large family. Or even an average sized family. That would, at minimum require a crew cab. What grand difference is there between a crew cab pickup and an SUV? Why purchase two vehicles when one can meet all of ones needs?

I don't have a need these things regularly, and purchased my vehicle accordingly. Others do, and purchase accordingly.

 

I agree with you. However, when we actually take a look at the people on the road what do we see: tons and tons of suvs and trucks with 1 person driving it, no family, no trailer, no load of gravel. Which is fine really. I personally could give two shits about the environment (because global climate change caused by man is total BS - the global climate happens to go in cycles and we happen to be in a typical predictable rise in temperature right before the next ice age) I do, though, kind of chuckle to myself about them pissing away perfectly good money. Maybe some of these are the same people who have 25k in debt and just got their home foreclosed due to having no money sense what so ever? LOL. I would like to see a study done: SUV Ownership Vs Likelyhood for Foreclosure.

 

I think it depends on where you live; nationally, perhaps half of large SUV actually are used in difficult conditions. However, on Atlanta streets, when I've bothered to count, about 1/3 of the cars on the road were SUVs or luxotrucks -- and the vast majority clearly never had been, nor ever would go off road or pull a trailer or do anything else that a Fit couldn't do. Yesterday I was behind a Prius with three whitewater kayaks strapped to a roof rack, and it had clearly been off road a lot.

In contrast, on the streets of San Antonio and in much of Alaska, I was surprised at how few SUVs I saw -- far fewer than in Atlanta. I am pretty sure that I never saw a Chevy Avalanche or Yukon, or a Ford Expedition with local plates in Alaska and the Yukon. Lots of pickup trucks and Subarus, though. Perhaps the Texans and the Alaskans know something they aren't telling.

 

Texas: They all buy trucks there. It's cultural, trucks and cowboys go together.

 

If any sizeable population in Texas actually were cowboys, you'd have a point. Mostly, it's guys going to work in the same jobs as every other state, but pretending to be cowboys wearing imitation Mexican vaquero (buckaroo) wear.


Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals

There are a bit over 38,000 nationwide who are employed in the following BLS occupation class:

45-2093 Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals

Attend to live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Include workers who shear wool from sheep, and collect eggs in hatcheries.

They earn a mere $22k/year on average, hardly enough change to buy a cheapie car like a Fit, let alone a full size pickup truck. Even those in the 90th percentile are only pulling in about $33k/year.

San Antonio? Yeah, they're either federal employees, health care workers, or work in the commercial/tourism industry supporting the city.

Not that they don't find a use for their trucks, but cowboy? No.

There... I pooped on a parade! I feel better now.

 

But I didn't see as many trucks either in San Antonio.

 

You're partway right; they want to look like cowboys.
Unhappily, this thread has drifted down to a 'yay for me and piss on you' kinda thing (have to believe there is a truck forum someplace where they are complaining about 'treehuggers in ricer shitboxes clogging up the road' ). We're all tribal, gang. Let's get over it.

People got in the habit of buying SUVs for three reasons, IMHO. They wanted the utility of a minivan but didn't want to be seen in one. And let's not kid ourselves; the kind of loads I hauled in my long-suffering Cherokee when we were building the camp would have broken the Fit's back, even if interior volume is about the same. You can haul some serious stuff in a 'ute. Second was safety, and rollovers not withstanding, if you're going to ram into something, bigger wins. You might recall that our beloved Fits didn't fare all that well in offset crashes with Accords, let alone anything bigger. Finally, there is the image thing I alluded to up top. There's a lot more cowboy hats out there than real cowboys, and a lot more Harley jackets than bikes. Image does matter.

As an aside, yunz might have noted it snowed over the weekend. A lot. I about got the Fit stuck in an unplowed parking lot, an event that would NOT have happened if I had taken the Jeep.
Moon

 

meanwhile in a SUV forum:

thread: "little itty bitty cars suck"

lol.

not sure how things work in bangkok, but I use my 4Runner off roading, destroying the environment (in designated areas of course.)

 

Can't say I'm real surprised! LOL indeed.
Moon

 

Oh no! Polluting pets: the devastating impact of man's best friend.

 

I have a dog and a 'ute; the guilt is nearly overwhelming.

Just wait, tho', the fun has just begun.
Thnx for the link, Selden.
Moon