this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
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Handymen around here drive transporters like this:
You can get them slightly lifted and with AWD, I really don't get how a pickup with an open bed is better than that.
I'm in a slightly more....redneck(?) area and the benefit to open bed trucks tends to be things more akin to landscaping, logging, wood and stone moving, and for those with hobbies; moving smaller vehicles (if they don't own a trailer attachment).
Basically the ability to throw dirty things into a hauling vehicle with good suspension on non-paved areas with easy cleaning capabilities.
It comes down to what you're doing is and what is required for a vehicle. HVAC, House work, some masonry or such you could use an enclosed vehicle for sure.
To your point, handymen and tradesmen will usually use a van or similar. And way more people own a truck than actually utilize it for the proper use cases. But there are valid reasons for open bed trucks too
May I introduce you to... a VW Transporter with flatbed. Also available with double cab (don't let the price confuse you it's for a flatbed floor).
You largely see them used by landscapers. Almost wanted to say hauling compact excavators but that's generally done with a trailer, flatbeds tend to be quite a bit too high for comfort you'd need a sturdy crane which you of course also might need but now you're at a point where you're trying quite hard to justify getting an unimog.
Forestry tends to be done with specialised harvesters and then trucks, hunters tend to have bog-standard station wagons. Heavy construction materials like pallets of bricks will generally be delivered by whoever sells them, on trucks with cranes.
Probably not allowed in the US due to some shitty law? I'm guessing... I'm going to check it out. Maybe get one from Craigslist one day in the long future.
Looks great! 💯
You have low floor flatbed like this to transport everything needed for landscaping including an excavator. Trucks are for the bling bling.
This is the way
I'd love a cargo van like that, but I still need something to tow heavy trailers long distance, unfortunately.
2.2litre turbo diesel doesn't have enough pulling power for you?
If you've got one that can haul 6 tons over the Rockies, let me know.
The secret to pulling trailers, for the uninitiated American, is simple: Don't have an automatic transmission. It's a torque thing, most automatic transmissions aren't designed to haul because enabling them to do that requires actively cooling the torque converter which is yet more moving parts, cost, and weight, so only SUVs and upwards ever have that capability.
Meanwhile, Europeans haul things all the time with cars. Regulations and different approaches to tongue weight are yet another factor.
Many cities and towns across the Rockies in North America have elevations above 1800 meters. That's the starting point. By comparison, "high" cities in Europe, like Bern (500m) and Innsbruck (574m) don't Even come close. It's not a factor of one thing like having a manual transmission, but a multitude of factors like road condition, grade, elevation, distance driven, humidity, etc. It's a completely different environment. The 2.2 turbo diesel may indeed not have enough power to get over any of the many 4000+ meter passes if it can't get enough air or cool itself while towing.
Elevation does not say anything about incline. Total elevation btw also does also not say anything about elevation starting from the base of the mountain. Ask a Mountaineer who scaled the Kilimanjaro, the summit is 4.9km above its plateau base.
Also, have a look at other places in the US: Flat like a pancake. Yet you don't see cars hauling stuff there while people haul things with cars in the Alps. How come?
Motor torque doesn't matter add an extra gear and anything can pull anything (slowly). Any motor is also plenty powerful enough to cool itself. Do you even know what a torque converter is. What it does. Why it's in an automatic, but not a manual.
Altitude has a significant affect on engine performance [1], regardless of your opinion on transmissions. Conventional wisdom dictates declining carry capacity per altitude gain. "Note: For high altitude operation, reduce the gross combined weight by 2% per 1000 ft. (305 m) starting at the 1000 ft. (305 m) elevation point." [2] As does incline, which if you read my comment carefully you will notice I mentioned.
I'm not sure you're an authority on what folks in the American Midwest are or are not towing with cars, but I will note that automobiles in North America have one rating, nationally. There's no regional tow rating for Rockies vs Flats, or cold weather performance in Montreal vs Florida.
As with most all things in life, the answer lies in a complex host of variables, not just one singular difference. Just trying to be informative, there's no need to be defensive.
[1] https://www.aamcocolorado.com/high-altitude-car-maintenance/ [2] https://www.cars.com/articles/should-your-pickup-tow-less-at-altitude-454166/
These cargo vans are heavier and get worse fuel economy than a half ton with a similar engine. I'm not sure why lemmings hold them out as the more viable alternative to pickups. They're great if you have a bunch of stuff to protect from prying eyes but don't tow well and you can't put long, heavy or tall things in.
Probably because tricked out cargo vans on chrome wheels with ultra bright headlights on rear mirror level aren't a thing. They really are work vehicles, nobody drives them for clout.