Fordlover
Lot's of half tons headed to Pismo Beach. You would be surprised at how many are used to haul trailers with their 4 wheelers, or even their 4 wheeler by themselves.
If you would like to include the SUV's in the list of half tons, ( in my posts I did say 1/2 tons of all types) I would put the number of overloaded 1/2 tons at 30%. The most obvious offender seems to be the Ford Raptor like vehicles. It was a very popular style around here.
Pismo Beach is well known for its dunes. So a great many young people with their lifted rides head over there. And if the hitch isn't set up properly it doesn't take much weight to overload that type of vehicle. A small flatbed trailer with a few 4 wheelers on it can do that.
If the hitch is at the wrong angle you start lifting the front trailer axle. This quickly overloads the hitch weight.
As far as 1/2 tons not towing. I am not the normal 1/2 ton driver. And I drive a heavy half with a leaf spring pack of a 3/4 ton and it also came with a overload spring pack. Heck I never take my camper off or unhook my trailer. I drive it at least once a week. If I don't the fuel evaporates out of the fuel bowl in the summer heat and I have to crank the starter for much longer to start it. I also have never needed it, but count on it as a emergency vehicle and place to stay. It wouldn't really serve that purpose if I stored it. I have a large lot and over 300' of street parking. As long as I move it at least every 72 hours I can legally park there and the neighbors really don't mind because I park on a side street of my house.
There are a LOT of gardeners in my town. And a good number of them are still driving older model small import size pickups. Even more driving regular 1/2 tons. A good number of 3/4 tons but very few driving 1 tons and above. Those driving the larger 1 ton or above vehicles usually service commercial properties that require a riding lawnmower.
Besides Pismo we have 3 Off road vehicle parks within 50 miles or so. Then there are the forest service roads, BLM land and the dessert areas. OHV registered properly can use all of those areas. This is a very popular area for OHV. Most of these are younger people. Because of this I might see more of the problems.
But those are my experiences.
Do I see a lot of 1/2 tons riding around empty. Yes I do. I would guess that most people don't get to Pismo more than 5 times a year no matter what type of unit they drive.
Should the fact that you will overload your vehicle only 5 times a year. Justify purposely buying a vehicle that would be under capacity those 5 times a year?
And if you are only going to the hardware store a few times and to the dump a few times. Why do you need a 325 HP turbo charged engine. When the stock V6 can easily get you up a 7% if it is in a empty 1/2 ton truck.
If the 2.7 comes at a drastically smaller premium than the 3.5. It may be a good substitute. But based on MPG it doesn't appear to have much of an advantage.
And:
To the young buyer. The 3.5 gets the bragging rights over a 2.7.
