Trucks are such a personal thing. I love it.
I grew up on a small ranch in California and then a horse property in South Carolina: We never had a truck bigger than a 1/2 ton and drove all over California going to Three Day Events towing a two spot horse trailer for at least a decade: Grape Vine, Route 1, Sierras, etc.
We then towed four horses across country in two trailers with a Ford Country Squire station wagon and a Ford F100.
When I bought the farm here in Maryland in 1995 I had an 1991 SR5 four cylinder 4x4 Toyota. For the first four years here I moved an amazing amount of stuff with that truck and a nice 5x8 trailer. Local runs, go slow, make multiple runs.
I really didn't see a need for a bigger truck, even with nearly 70 acres. My Dad wanted my '91 in 2000 so I bought another Toyota, a Tacoma TRD with the bigger 4 cylinder to replace it.
Same trailer, same result.
It wasn't until 2004, when we went over to the dark side, horses, that I needed a bigger truck to tow a horse trailer. I really looked hard at 3/4 ton diesels, ran the numbers and went 1/2 ton Ford.
I kept the Tacoma, now my son's, and it is still humping right along. So is the '91, btw: I got it back from my Dad and gave it to a friend of mines son...Navy pilot who still drives it.
Funny how new capability occasions ancillary stuff: Sold the 5x8 and bought a new 18 foot utility trailer...a 5 ton dump trailer soon followed the Ford home. I still have the trailers but sold the Ford in 2015 after eleven years and 188K, at least 30k towing.
Looked at 3/4 tons again and just simply could not make the leap. I opted for a Tundra based entirely on price: neighbors best friends with the local dealer, etc.
Again, my trucks work and tow. I am amazed at the amount of 3/4 ton trucks on the road which are never used to the capability they were built for...there is a percentage of people who need them, it simply isn't that high a percentage of those who drive them.
That said, a diesel 1/2 ton makes me smile. We'll see when the Tundra quits
