I'm not decrying the abilities of a big van, I drive a 3.5 tonne Transit for work and love it. But we are comparing apples with oranges. I have a friend who owns a Nissan Navara. During the week it is onsite, dragging machinery around building sites. At the weekend it is a family car, taking the kids out etc.
I do admit though, not all pickups are used in this way and my mate is probably in the minority where he has a genuine need for a vehicle that can handle the extremes of work life and home life.
Sometimes it's down to more than what the vehicle can carry, but what the vehicle can tow. A pickup with a 3.5 tonne towing capacity might be a far more useful vehicle than a van that can only pull 1 tonne for example.
I have it's sibling, the Tour de Fer. I've done many multi-day tours on it across many different terrains and through all sorts of weather, loaded up to the hilt with gear and me just shy of 200lbs. The bike has been rock solid, and I've no doubt could take me round the world if the opportunity ever arises.
The only maintenance I've had to do has been consumables like brake pads, tyres, chain etc.
OP, get this new info to your Dad!