this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Fuck Cars

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Compare american vs japanese craftsmen-cars (feddit.de)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Freeman@feddit.de to c/fuckcars@lemmy.world
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Comparison left vs right for a craftsman who doesnt know which one he should buy:

  • l/r same bed size

  • r lower bed for way easier loading/unloading

  • r less likely to crash

  • r less fuel consumption and costs

  • r less expensive to repair

  • r easy to park

  • r easy to get around in narrow places like crowded construction sites or towns

  • r not participating in road arms race

  • l You get taken serious by your fellow carbrained americans because ""trucks"" are normalized and small handy cars are ridiculed.

So unless you are a fragile piece of human, choose the right one.

top 26 comments
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[–] TheTaj@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I agree with the sentiment of this post, but to be fair, you can also carry 3 or 4 passengers in the left vehicle, as opposed to only one in the right.

The main problem is the US fuel economy regulations actually encourage manufacturers to build bigger trucks and SUVs so they get classified into a category that has looser fuel economy requirements.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Just gonna keep on posting this

[–] MiddleWeigh@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep. I'm an American tradesman and the trucks that the guys drive are way too beefy for what they actually do.

I've gotten by with small Toyota trucks, and rav 4s..much to the chagrin of the good old boys. Should have seen their face when I rolled up in a prius...till I tell em I get 50 mpg easy.

I would love a small little truck like this one in the photo.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also spent a lot of time in the industry (drywall, lath, and plaster). Key cars top out somewhere around 750 pounds of capacity, and I could early blow through that with brining materials to a job site, or hauling stuff to the dump.

Key cars are cool, but you also need other solutions in place for materials delivery and hauling. American trucks are kind of a one size fits all approach to construction. Your truck for heavy hauling is also the truck you use for light hauling.

[–] MetaCubed@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Most Kei trucks do top out around 750lbs, but I know for a fact that there are models of Honda Acty that have a rated bed load around 1500lbs and a rated towing capacity around 2200lbs

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

TIL. That’s pretty cool.

Although the payload capacity of an American truck is often double that. It’s pretty easy to hit 1500lbs with 10 bags of cement, a person, and some gear. I’m assuming Japan has other solutions for hauling that are pretty common. I’m guessing there are some pretty big differences in their construction workflows and logistics that make key cars practical.

IMHO, contractor’s work trucks aren’t the problem is the US. The bigger problem is that most of those vehicles are sold to private citizens who think the space is convenient for an occasional camping trip or an epic Costco run.

[–] chocoladisco@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago

I don't know about Japan but here in Europe I just see tradesmen, needing large quantities, getting their materials delivered on a pallet from a semi-trailer.

Most use vans though for carrying their equipment, since you usually don't want your gear sitting outside, like it would on a pickup truck.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

R can't tow for shit.

[–] mrpants@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

R has a 2,200 lb carrying capacity. It can haul or tow almost anything a regular person needs to 99% of the time.

These little trucks also build and supply massive countries across the world. It's preposterous to think you need 4,000lbs of carrying capacity day in and day out. You absolutely do not.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Great, but carry capacity and towing capacity aren't the same thing. And it doesn't matter if I don't need to tow something everyday, even if I need to tow something monthly or even yearly the one on the right just can't do it. Also from my very brief searching it seems like a KEI truck absolutely does not have a capacity of 2200lbs, more like 800-1500lbs. I will agree though, if you just need a work vehicle and a truck bed then the KEI truck is probably fine. If you need to tow, it absolutely is not.

[–] inge@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you need to tow something that heavy once a year, you are not buying a car for that.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean, I wouldn't but that thing still has to get moved somehow. That truck still has to be available somehow.

[–] inge@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, you can always rent one when you need it.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think the big family that is going on their once or maybe twice a year camping trip with their large trailer is going to rent a truck for their vacation. But, yes that's a possibility.

[–] ratboy@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean if our culture wasn't so car centric and centered around instant gratification that wouldn't be an issue, it's not too hard to rent a car at all, especially if you've been planning a year long trip. Not trying to soapbox here, though, I'm very reliant on my car too and see doing all that as an inconvenience, but I realize how absurd it is to feel that way.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're right, but I would add that we need more vacation days. People want to squeeze out as much vacation time as possible. And of course there are always exceptions. For instance my grandparents owned a trailer that they would only use during the summer. They owned a truck to be able to tow it, but legitimately moved it only a couple of times a year but also for months at a time. The bill to rent a truck for months would be outrageous. The other option I guess would be to rent a truck for the drive to move it around and then swap for a car when they get there. Or rent a truck and have the other person follow along in a smaller car that they own. It's all a lot of hassle for people that rarely drive and rarely tow.

Personally I'm a huge fan of these small trucks coming out. The Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick are nice balances imo. Yet they still can't tow a large camper.

[–] ratboy@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You are definitely right about vacation days; I guess I never really consider that people would be in their trailer for months at a time, so that's a good point. But it's not like people in other countries don't ever go on vacation, so I wonder what their planning looks like? Pointing to cars is just one thing but I think the frustrating thing is just the extreme excessive consumption habits we have in the US.

As an aside I'd be really curious to see breakdowns of like, all of the big truck owners and how often they use their trucks for towing, work, etc.

[–] chocoladisco@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago

The solution in other countries:

Carry a lighter trailer, you don't need to tow a whole house with you.

Here in Germany your usual driver's licence (costing around 3k nowadays, btw) only allows you to drive vehicles rated to max 3500kg and towing up to 750kg. Anything else requires another (also expensive) licence.

Want to tow up to 3500kg? That will be mandatory drivers classes and a driving exam. Total cost about 1k. Want to drive a vehicle rated over 3500kg? That requires a truck licence, so more drivers classes, a medical, a theory and a practical exam. Total cost would be around 5k I guess, also you get to renew it every 5 years.

[–] n0cturnali@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I fvcking love kei trucks but one counter point - a lot of US is shitty rural roads at 50-60 mph (80-95kmh) plus freeways at even higher speeds. Kei trucks are more of a city thing and just wouldn't fare well here. They are however very popular on university campuses.

[–] chocoladisco@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago

100km/h isn't that fast...

[–] carl_dungeon@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I agree with the idea with the exceptions of towing capacity, passenger capacity, and possibly (probably) bed weight capacity.

But if you’re one guy that doesn’t tow anything and needs to haul a few sheets of plywood, sure, it makes sense.

[–] persolb@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The percentage of trucks on the left I see actually doing that is functionally 0%

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

[–] BeardedGingerWonder@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We don't need a lot of anything bar food, water, oxygen and sex. I'm all for sensible cars Vs that monstrosity on the left, but as hobbies go - boating is not the most offensive.

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The problem I have with boating is that it takes a number of related environmentally irresponsible "wants" and chains them together into a series of linked "needs". One "needs" the truck because they have a boat. That's expected to be the end of the discussion, but really it isn't because it is fair to continue to question the whole chain. People are bad at distinguishing wants and needs, or alternatively people are very good at presenting their wants as needs when a justification is needed.

[–] chocoladisco@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago

As a person who likes boating, I don't understand people wanting to tow around their boats all the time. If I were to ride a boat sufficiently that owning one makes sense, it would stay at the marina. Because why would I want a boat in front of my house? Then again I just rent boats because I want to ride them in different locations.