I will be closing on my first house in a couple of weeks. It's a 38 year old house, but it's in excellent condition, the home inspection only turned up some very minor issues.

The S is my only car right now. I've been thinking about a truck for a while now, for various reasons. I drove a Ridgeline yesterday. I actually liked it.

So is a truck/SUV/van really necessary for homeowners? Or does it make more sense to just rent the truck from Home Depot for $20 a few times a year? I'm looking for opinions.

 

Even better to have a pal or family member with a truck. No need for one then.

 

+1

I have an S, my Dad has a Miata, and my brother has an accord. 3 cars are enough for the house, when we need something we rent.

 

I see no reason to buy a truck until you consistently need the truck.

As a home owner, I've never been in a position where I've needed a truck. Most places will deliver, or rent you a truck, and I've got a lot of friends and family with trucks.

 

I borrow my neighbor's truck. If not that, my brother in law's, or a friends. Trucks can come in really handy, especially when you're buying stuff for home improvements, moving the lawn mower, hauling junk to Goodwill, etc. But everyone has trucks, so I don't need one myself!

 

I have used the Home Depot rental to haul some wood/stone a few times and it was a breeze. $29 for 75 minutes.

 

get into off roading so you can claim that it's cost effective because it fulfills a hobby and house needs.

 

its best to just rent the long van at home depot, cause most of those stuff are huge and long! those trucks at the dealer wont really do it. my house is brand spankin new.., still needed alot of improvement no matter what.

 

I have a beater truck and honestly I don't know if I could live without it. Right now I'm redoing the garage and basement so having a vehicle that can haul lumber, sheetrock, etc. whenever I need is very helpful.

 

Having a truck is a convenience, but not a must-have. As mentioned, you can always borrow a truck or rent one. Even if you have to rent one 6 times in a year, you still won't spend as much as you would by buying one and keeping it insured, registered, etc.

For the times that you really need to haul major stuff, a Ridgeline wouldn't cut it anyway. When I was renovating my media room, I bought a dozen sheets of 3/4" oak ply and some lumber. My cousin hauled it in his F150, and even with two trips, the tail was almost dragging the whole way. One-ton or none.