Ah I see! You see I am also American and have an automatic, but don’t have the funds or space for boats, caravans, or horses. I definitely did not know that about the torque converter, so thank you for that info!
I guess I just always assumed that those with the money and land for those activities you listed are wealthy enough to be in the extreme minority, but the way you say this makes me think my friends across the pond have a different perspective. Perhaps I am also in a bit of a bubble, having grown up in and only talk to people in a similar economic class.
Oh boats are definitely a big money thing (unless we’re talking inflatable, even with outboard motor), horses well you just may have a crazy horse girl on your hands – they definitely cost money but are affordable on an insurance clerk’s salary, but caravans aren’t expensive. You can get a decent used one for 5k and camping grounds and cooking for yourself are quite a bit cheaper than hotels and restaurants. Maybe the difference is that over here, people do have vacations.
And simple flatbed trailers are even cheaper, under 1k if you’re lucky, new. If you’re DIYing and are transporting material regularly but don’t want a VW Transporter or such (as most contractors would use) those definitely make a lot of sense.
