Author Topic: Truckpocalypse Now  (Read 982 times)

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Online Elderberry

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Truckpocalypse Now
« on: March 10, 2023, 12:45:47 am »
Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog 3/9/2023

As I’ve been expecting a glut of car inventory due to inflation, rising interest rates, and all the demand destruction of the Biden Recession, I’ve been paying more attention to the car market just in case dealers had to liquidate new cars at absolute fire sale prices and I could swoop in and take advantage. So far that hasn’t happened, and prices haven’t behaved they way I’ve expected. (Used care prices are rising because inventory is tight despite dealers overpaying in 2022?)

But one thing I have noticed: Pickup truck prices have gotten absolutely insane.

Pickups used to be the steady, dependable, unglamorous vehicles of ordinary blue collar Americans. Lately, car makers seem to have turned them into cash cows by pricing them like luxury goods for rich people.

As the Ford F-series is the most popular pickup truck, I though I would look at the prices there. The average selling price for a 2023 Ford F-150 is an eye-watering $82,395. Given the rule of thumb that you should never pay more than a maximum of 35% of your yearly income for a new car, which means that buyers should be making $235,000 a year to afford a new F-150. That’s not “HVAC Repairman” money. Hell, it’s barely “guy who owns his own HVAC shop” money. And this despite Ford having such quality control problems that they’ve issued a slew of recalls.

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More: https://www.battleswarmblog.com/?p=54317

Here Zach and Ray of Car Edge on how insane Ford’s pricing has gotten (and the F-150 is far from the only Ford vehicle that prices have soared on).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usv8Ed349ns

Offline goatprairie

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2023, 12:58:24 am »
You can buy anything you want if you've got the dough, but I wonder how many of the people, usually men, I see driving around in Ford 150s actually need it for what they do?
It seems to be more of a statement for many of them.

Online Elderberry

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2023, 01:34:28 am »
Especially when you see they have low profile tires on their truck.

Online Polly Ticks

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2023, 01:39:21 am »
My construction-working son just bought a (used) truck today.  Yowsa.
His dad and I tried to convince him to wait a bit, but he was determined.
 :shrug:
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Offline goatprairie

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2023, 02:21:12 am »
My construction-working son just bought a (used) truck today.  Yowsa.
His dad and I tried to convince him to wait a bit, but he was determined.
 :shrug:
A friend of mine told me about a guy he knew who bought a Ford 150 or some other high priced pickup with all the bells and whistles.
My friend asked the guy if he used it to haul stuff around or some other work purpose.
The guy said hell no, he didn't want to get it scratched up.  :rolling:

Online Elderberry

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2023, 02:52:47 am »
A friend of mine told me about a guy he knew who bought a Ford 150 or some other high priced pickup with all the bells and whistles.
My friend asked the guy if he used it to haul stuff around or some other work purpose.
The guy said hell no, he didn't want to get it scratched up.  :rolling:

I bought a new 1980 Chevy C10 pickup. I once went to Schlumberger to pick up a pallet of transformers. Their forklift operator refused to load that pallet into my truck. He didn't want to scratch the bed on my new truck. I had to take a pallet and put it in my truck bed myself and then load all the transformers myself. I was so glad when I finally wore some of the "New" off of my truck.

Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2023, 10:44:49 am »
 I picked up an old dodge 1/2 ton 2WD with a manual transmission and a slant 6 for $800 a few years back. Glad I did. Tires, battery, and oil changes are all I have had to spend on it besides gas. The body is in pretty good shape, too. In 5 more years, I can get pioneer plates for it, and never have to pay registration fees again.
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

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Online Elderberry

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2023, 12:47:34 pm »
I picked up an old dodge 1/2 ton 2WD with a manual transmission and a slant 6 for $800 a few years back. Glad I did. Tires, battery, and oil changes are all I have had to spend on it besides gas. The body is in pretty good shape, too. In 5 more years, I can get pioneer plates for it, and never have to pay registration fees again.

You got a good deal. I paid more for my Chevy 3/4 ton straight 6, I picked up years back, but it was a 56. I replaced the so very short rear end, with one I got from a junk yard, as I couldn't find a ring & pinion swap for it. So I could run at highway speeds. I was given a granny 4sp, and I converted it to 4 wheel disc brakes.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2023, 06:54:15 pm »
Looking at the issue from the other way around, the used market could not be more robust.

The magic is in overdrive.

An old square body chevy, restored, brings a high dollar if you can find a 5 speed.
And busted 00-10's are cheap to buy, if you can fix em... Almost invariably transmission problems... But you can turn a buck if you can fix em.

Offline jmyrlefuller

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2023, 07:05:22 pm »
You can buy anything you want if you've got the dough, but I wonder how many of the people, usually men, I see driving around in Ford 150s actually need it for what they do?
It seems to be more of a statement for many of them.
And the women who will marry them, but not the guy driving a sedan.

It's true. I saw it happen.
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Offline MajorClay

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2023, 07:20:07 pm »
Damn,
I was thinking of upgrading my 2012 Tacoma before the crash.

Offline GtHawk

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2023, 10:09:08 pm »
You can buy anything you want if you've got the dough, but I wonder how many of the people, usually men, I see driving around in Ford 150s actually need it for what they do?
It seems to be more of a statement for many of them.
When I was working I had a Chevy Silverado extended cab and it was our go to family vehicle on weekends but when I stopped working I sold it because I no longer need something that big, even though I loved it. Even if I could afford a new truck now I wouldn't buy one.

Offline roamer_1

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2023, 10:30:20 pm »
When I was working I had a Chevy Silverado extended cab and it was our go to family vehicle on weekends but when I stopped working I sold it because I no longer need something that big, even though I loved it. Even if I could afford a new truck now I wouldn't buy one.

I would never ever be without a truck.
It is part and parcel with my liberty.

Online sneakypete

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2023, 10:31:41 pm »
I bought a 06 GMC 3/4 ton extended cab turbo diesel maybe 10 years ago. Truck had 95k miles on it,and IIRC,I paid around 18 grand for it. Don't know about now  with the diesel fuel prices through the roof,but a couple of years ago people where offering me more than I paid for it when I bought  it.

BTW,the price of diesel fuel today is a scandal that everyone seems to be ignoring. Back when I bought my first diesel truck (a F-350 Xtended cab Ford) in the 70's,diesel fuel was around 18 cents a gallon and regular gas was around 31 cents a gallon.

In FACT,diesel fuel is a byproduct of creating gasoline. The gas companies used to burn it off to get rid of it. Now it is over $4 per gallon anywhere you buy it,and since damn never every product for sale in the country is delivered by diesel-burning 18 wheeler trucks,we are ALL being robbed.

Of course,if it were delivered in gasoline-powered trucks,it would cost even  more,but that is besides the fact that diesel fuel is even more expensive than gasoline these days.
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Online Elderberry

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2023, 01:50:44 am »
Diesel is taxed more than gasoline and  since 2014, the EPA has regulated that all diesel sold and produced in the United States must be ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel). That caused the price to go up even more.

Online sneakypete

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2023, 03:46:55 am »
Diesel is taxed more than gasoline and  since 2014, the EPA has regulated that all diesel sold and produced in the United States must be ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel). That caused the price to go up even more.

@Elderberry

My current diesel pu was made during the last year before the ULSD fuel came out. This was the prime reason I searched for a diesel truck made that year. GREAT truck,and I love it,but can't afford to drive it when I have a Camry sitting in the yard that gets between 45-50 mpg on gasoline. Actually got 53 mpg on  a trip,once.
Anyone who isn't paranoid in 2021 just isn't thinking clearly!

Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: Truckpocalypse Now
« Reply #16 on: March 18, 2023, 08:50:28 am »
And the women who will marry them, but not the guy driving a sedan.

It's true. I saw it happen.
It's not unusual in the oil patch to see some nice looking gal driving a F-340 4WD when she doesn't reach up to the hood standing next to it. (If it isn't hers, bet her old man is driving something equally large, or a company truck).
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

C S Lewis