The past few weeks have been project after project at my house. Between building a new shed, starting a large garden and preparing for holiday decorations, the need for a pickup truck has come up several times.
We have two vehicles, one a small hatchback that I drive daily, and my wife has a small SUV. We generally use the SUV for trips to the hardware store and local nurseries, but sometimes I really need the cargo space that a pickup truck or full-size vans have to offer.
I thought about how many times a year I would need a truck and figured it would most likely be no more than 20 times a year on average.
I have owned pickup trucks before a few times in my life, but I don’t enjoy driving them every day. Poor fuel economy and a floating ride just aren’t my cup of tea.
A possible remedy to this is to head down to my local dealership and pick out a shiny new truck for hopefully years of trouble-free ownership and use. I wouldn’t need anything fancy as I would be using this truck for, well, truck things. I don’t think I would ever use it for towing, as I have no boat or camper.
The cheapest full-size truck for sale now is the Ford F-150 XL according to Motor Trend. Starting around $36,000, I calculate the car payment to be over $700 a month! That is well more than I would want to pay for a part-time vehicle. Of course, that is even if you can find a base model truck in stock, as most dealers are going to stock upper-level trims and powertrains.
Another option is buying a used truck and there are many posted on dealer lots and private sales. The problem is the market is seller oriented at the moment. To get a decent full-size truck less than 10 years old with less than 100,000 miles is going to cost you $20,000 or more, plus taxes, insurance, and any repairs or maintenance.
Over a five-year period, I estimate that I would spend $200 each time I used it based on sticker price only. With that being said, this option didn’t seem to make sense either.
I suppose I could also get a small trailer to hitch to our SUV. The towing capacity is a low 2,000 pounds, so it would have to be a very small trailer. I would still have to get a hitch, trailer wiring, and pay for a tag, which I estimate at around $1,500. The SUV isn’t really designed for towing, but in a pinch it may work.
While visiting the local Lowe’s home Improvement store, I see a blue Ford F-150 parked out front with “RENT ME” in lettering on the back window. Would renting a truck from time to time be a cost-effective way to get my chores done? With further investigation, they charge about $20 for the first 90 minutes and $65 a day. There is no pay by the mile and all you must do is bring it back full of gasoline. Proof of insurance is also required.
With a further search, I found that Home Depot has a similar program. There is always U-Haul as an option as well, but there is pay per mile consideration. All these options seemed like a better deal, with the drawback of not actually owning the truck being the only negative I can think of.
This option will not work for everyone, of course. If you are an outdoors enthusiast, work in a job you need a truck, or need to tow anything, this will cost you more in the long run. Also, some people just like driving trucks and there is no shame in that. Modern trucks have added utility features, such as four doors, advanced comfort systems, and are stylish, which makes them great options for daily driving if you are into that.
Having a truck in the driveway is always going to be easier and faster than renting, especially with unplanned chores.
As for me, I will see you on the road!
