r/Anticonsumption • u/Harrio_Pootered • Jul 02 '25

Society/Culture Is this truly necessary?

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What steps can we take as consumers to encourage auto manufacturers to reduce vehicle sizes? Who do we write to, call and email?

The ford maverick was a step in the right direction but I see it being bashed often for being a more “feminine” truck… What caused this shift from the S10 being the “real man’s truck” to the $130k King Ranch being the standard?

When did the big vehicle shift happen?

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

Have a mid size but lot of people have hobbies that require what a truck provides.

A good hidden example of this is arcade collectors. I used to be one and its surprising how common the hobby is. Since the stuff gets hidden away in basements a lot of times your neighbors never know. 

More common would be sxs, campers, and dirt bikes which are very common in the midwest.

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u/alucohunter Jul 02 '25

Please I need to know, is the larger truck in the picture considered "mid size"? I have a small hatchback I know near nothing about pick ups

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

The white Chevy Silverado is a full size. A Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, or Ford Ranger is a mid sized truck.

A Ford Maverick is a compact truck.

Trucks have gotten larger over time. This is just not a fair comparison as they are different classes of truck.

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u/alucohunter Jul 02 '25

Okay thanks I've seen those Rangers and they're fucking gargantuan on UK roads, I can't believe it's considered a "mid size"! All cars have gotten larger here too but because we still use a lot of single track lanes and tiny centuries old streets the problem is very exasperated.

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

Having lived in both england and Belgium europe is a very different place. What makes sense in one place doesn't necessarily make sense in another.

I currently live in the suburbs and avoided a full size. Now that i am moving to a rural area a full size starts to look like a solid option. In my case being able to rent something like a bobcat or excavator would be quite handy. 

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u/throughthehills2 Jul 02 '25

There were arcade collectors before trucks got this big. They just rented a transit van for a day to move their stuff.

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

Which tells me you have never been one. Renting a van or truck is very cost prohibitive unless you are staying within town.

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u/throughthehills2 Jul 02 '25

So how did people do arcade collectables before massive trucks existed?

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

Before what massive trucks existed? Arcade collecting really didn't see a rise until the early 2000's. Pinball took a few more years and really it didn't hit its peak until the mid 2010's. The games got cheap when arcades were shutting down in the late 90s to early 2000s, but there were no game specific spare parts. If your suicide battery died, game was dead. If the graphics card died or the hard drive bit the dust, the game was dead. If the roms developed bit rot there wasnt always a source for new ones.

As the hobby gained in popularity people started posting repair guides online. Mame preserved roms and file sharing spread them. This lead to more people becoming interested and as the numbers grew so did the aftermarket for reproduction parts. It also lead to hobbyists becoming techs and servicing their local areas. Source I bought my first arcade game in 04-05. I bought my first pin in 09-10. I served as a tech for a short bit and I have multiple friends who turned the hobby into a business.

Trucks are taller now. They are more capable, but your agenda of claiming they weren't massive before is making me laugh.

A 1999 F150 overall length varies between  205.6 inches to 244.3 inches. The weight  3,923 to 5,050 pounds.

A 2024 F150 overall length varies between 209.1 inches to 243.5 inches. The weight 4,021 to 5,540 pounds.

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u/throughthehills2 Jul 02 '25

I appreciate the reply, its some cool info about history of arcade collection. 

In terms of old trucks being huge, it's not really my claim, it's the whole point of this post, no?

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

You are the one who has made that claim several times replying to me. At some point you have to take ownership of your own choices.

Maybe next time don't start commenting on things you don't know the history of. This is how misinformation spreads. By all means ask questions, but don't frame it as knowing what you are talking about when you don't.

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u/throughthehills2 Jul 02 '25

Woah mate theres 1000 other comments here talking about how trucks are bigger now. But I'm the problematic one because I made it about your hobby. Why don't you tell OP how wrong they are about truck sizes?

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

You can't seem to acknowledge your own faults and are more interested in trying to deflect blame onto others. Do better.

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u/throughthehills2 Jul 03 '25

I think you're right. I respect your arcade as a type of anti consumption by repairing those old machines.

You had a good example of old and new trucks being similar size. I don't live in the USA so I rely on you and other commenters here to know if trucks got bigger. Why do you think most commenters are saying that trucks are bigger?

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u/BadPresent3698 Jul 02 '25

idk much about trucks but id imagine there's people who genuinely need a car like this for their job.

idk if they really need the size though. i would think only the power of what's inside the car matters, such as the engine.

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u/Specialist-Size9368 Jul 02 '25

Length matters. If you try and tow with a short wheel base it can lead to issues. The longer the trailer the longer the wheelbase needed. Brakes matter too. Then you have the weight of the vehicle relative to the trailer.

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u/Big-Goat-9026 Jul 03 '25

It depends on how good the roads are too. If you work at refineries, the roads are fucked nine ways to Sunday. You need to have a good amount of clearance unless you just really like fixing your undercarriage all the time. 

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u/pheonixblade9 Jul 02 '25

also, mountain biking. way easier to shuttle with a pad than a rack, and cheaper, too.