pickup truck size

[ljjhouser]

Starting out by saying I would love to have a smaller PU for DD, something like what they get in Australia.

That being said I love my SuperDuty. I have the top trim Platinum and why not. In the 30 months I have owned this truck I have put 100k miles on it. That is with the truck sitting for a few months because of the pandemic and my surgery. I tow often, love the power and the size.

Plus I don't care that my neighbor has a blinged out truck by GM of the same size. He never tows, waxes it every weekend and I doubt there is ever anything in the bed. He sure seems to love it though.

What does get me is people pulling massive RV's with undersized trucks. I see it all the time and it sends shivers down my spine. It's not about the towing/pulling people it's about the stopping

Ha! My wife sometimes watches the RV show. I kinda take a deep breath when the customer says "I need something I can pull with my suv." and the salesman relies "Oh good, this one only weighs 9000 pounds empty and will be ok." I always feel like they should talk about sway control (flat side wind load) and added weight for loading.

 

[RollingsFarms]

As someone who wants to buy a truck, I feel this. I live in the city but have a hobby farm. I really need a truck, but what's on the market doesn't really appeal to me. I have no desire to be some kind of urban cowboy, I really just need to haul stuff.

Just want a utilitarian truck with a regular cab and an 8' bed, it doesn't need to be aggressively designed or have 300HP. Just needs to haul stuff from A to B, and have 4x4 and enough ground clearance to drive in a field or a gravel bar. Something like a mid 90s F-150 would be ideal, but I don't want to have to depend on a 25 year old truck.

Even a current year base F-150 is just too big. Truck makers seem less concerned with functionality and are more concerned with making some kind of socio-political statement.

F-150, and RAM are the only two trucks that haven’t made their bed sides impossible too reach over. That’s one of my biggest issues with GM, yeah they have more bed space per cubic feet now but you can’t reach over the side to get access to it. I don’t know how the engineers say around and thought that was a good idea. I access my bed from the side 90% of the time, the other 10% I may need to crawl up into it. The way they’ve designed it, they want you to have to crawl up in it 100% of the time.

 

[mbsimpson99]

The size is ridiculous. I find it hard to believe the number of F450 pickups I see on the road. There can’t be that many people that actually need a pickup that big.
I’m also blown away by the so-called “small” trucks out there. Toyota Tacoma and Ford ranger are as big as full size trucks from the 80s and earlier.
There is a place for an actual small truck, say 80s Toyota size that can actually haul something.

 

[q400]

Got me. 99% of the trucks I see on the road are hauling nothing but their own bloated chassis and a whole lotta air. And fuel.
I’m not a fan of waste, so I bought a 20yr old V8 powered small/midsize truck, and it sits until I really need it. I barely need it enough to justify even that (and I live on wooded acreage). For most people, the truck is simply a tall car that gives them a good view and has the added bonus of making them feel rough and tough. I spent that money on an airplane, instead.

 

[jjeff]

My wife has a newer fully loaded mid size SUV with all kinds of options doesn't even have a key. Using it once the Windows were fogged tried to open the door to back it up damn car wouldn't stay in gear as soon as you open the door it goes into park. You drive at night the lights will dim for you,
out of habit I end up accidentally brighting everyone. when it rains the wipers turn on automatically and I accidentally always shut them off when I need them, the car will brake automatically if a cars in front of you, shakes like you have a flat tire when you get to close to the shoulder. I won't even get into all the four letter words I will say talking about syncing cell phones in it I hate that car with a passion and fear the day I need to replace my 2500, she loves her car and all the crazy conveniences for some. What the hell happened to actually driving a car? My Rants over

 

[deezler]

As huge as full sized trucks are today, could you imagine a 4 door one with an 8' bed? I recall seeing a few when they were still made 30+ years ago, they took up 2 parking places they were so long.

Imagine? I see them every single day, many new ones. It's still a very popular configuration for folks around here with 250/350 or 2500/3500 trucks. They do have to park at the back of the parking lots.

While I like the short-ish overall length of my ext cab 6.5' bed 2500HD (it parks fairly easily), I would rather have the full crew cab for my kids and luggage in the backseat. 6.0L V8 pulls down 12-15 mpg (8-10 towing heavy). A new F150 3.5L EcoBoost would suit my needs a bit better, but I like the 3600 lb payload on my 2500HD. (and I dont have sixty thousand dollars, lol)

 

[jjp8182]

As huge as full sized trucks are today, could you imagine a 4 door one with an 8' bed? I recall seeing a few when they were still made 30+ years ago, they took up 2 parking places they were so long.

Don't have to imagine it .... have seen some new ones, and they're about as much of a land yacht as as some of the old Cadillacs. A coworker tends to flip/collect old cars, and if I recall correctly at one point he parked one of those old Cadillacs (think it was a '75 Fleetwood?) next to a collection of modern pickups

.... not much of a difference in overall foot print, but the trucks (crew cab with 6'4" bed) had much better handling/maneuvering in a tight parking lot than the Caddy.

Of course if a person goes pack far enough then the old pickup trucks wouldn't be considered "pickups" by that sheet of plywood fitting in the bed standard either ..... not sure there was a single 1930's model that'd meet that standard (I know the '35 and '37 Fords didn't - my father had one of each that he never got around to restoring)

 

[RollingsFarms]

I honestly debated an F-250 gas and had a few on my radar that were in the $45-47000 range. When it comes to new trucks I have a hang up going over $50k, cars I won’t go over $25,000. I’m weird like that but it does help me stick to what I NEED and not what I WANT.lol This truck suits me fine though, I don’t haul RV’s or anything, as long as it’ll pull a 14ft Big Tex dump trailer a few times a year I’m good. This one handles it easily.

 

[rickdh]

I've often wondered in recent years how is it that American (& foreign) full size pick up trucks have become so large, luxury laden, and overwhelmingly expensive almost requiring a 2nd mortgage to purchase. (i'm not talking about those who make a living from their pickups, just everyday owners who cruise the country, malls, & trips to Lowes...)

What is your take? this is observation only, we all have our preferences. I'm talking sheer size & price. I travel narrow dirt roads almost daily, & drive very defensively around blind curves knowing most current pickups almost aggressively consume 2/3 or more of the road while insulated with power & luxury. That's ok, but puts me at risk. Most of the time i just pull off to the side...

So has it been the result of 1) modern owners actually needing all if it? 2) or is it Americans love affair with bigger, better, & more technology laden? I also note that the size of the payload bed continues to shrink all the while. (some 4 full size door models can't even carry a sheet of ply)
Personally i feel both are true: we now use pickups for in a wider range of activities, & want having it packed into one large size. But dang, the price & size
Hey, just as a simple metaphor to compare: look at the vat sized drink tumblers now served @ fast foods. do we really need it?

On the flip side, i've also noticed that especially since '08 crash, Detroit has done an outstanding job of producing more fuel efficient & modest sized passenger vehicles...strange. So tell me about the big pickup truck size craze. Again, not dumping, just observing.
Apologize in advance if this seems like an inane post, but i'm blown away every day of what the full size pickup has now become. best regards

I have wondered the same thing. I drive a base model 1997 Ford350 with roll up windows and wind wings. Every truck I have ever owned has power window issues so I’m good with going “old school”. I’m not concerned with gas mileage because when I need to haul something I want the power required to do the job.

All those fancy paint jobs and options are turning trucks into cars. No Thanks. The other day I saw an F150 selling for over $60,000 and thought there was some kind of mistake. It was so fancy no one would ever think of even taking it off the pavement. The funny thing is they are selling fast! It’s a crime against the “pickup we know” and grew up with. Thanks for your post as I thought I was the only one.

 

[jjp8182]

Just my 2 cents, I really agree with you on all of your points except one (I like 40+ ounce drinks ). As far as pickups, I live in a really large community of about a dozen full time residents (in a 1,000 acre "subdivision" split up into 5-50 acre plots - we have 45). We get many "big city" folk out here several times a year that have them 6 digit pickups - the go anywhere, do anything type - that have a really hard time taking them on the gravel road to their 5 acre plot (let alone off road). I've asked several of them why they have such an expensive truck living in the city - do you have big/heavy hauling loads, do a lot of "off roading", etc, and the most common answer is the pickup is a status symbol for them (although they don't actually use that term, they say things like "everybody at work thinks it is cool" or "yes sir, it's the best looking truck at work/on the block now" etc). Usually a waste of money if you ask me, a super duty 250/350, 2500/3500 etc 4 wheel drive lifted for off road clearance (but never taken off pavement - except here on a groomed gravel road). Some of them have boats that go 50+ mph too that typically don't go out of sight of the boat dock - but maybe that should be another thread. Bottom line, in my humble opinion, these folks have more dollars than sense - or more high dollar loans than I'd care to think about. Me, I have a 2 wheel drive '81 f-150 with a Napa crate '84 mustang 350 v-8 in it - in decent shape for its age. The beast will pull almost anything, go almost everywhere and pass everything on the road but a gas station, although it usually only stays on the farm, hauls stuff on trailers or makes trips to the co-op for feed, fuel etc.

The best example of that I've seen was a 1 ton truck that had a lift kit installed .... sat at least 6 inches higher than stock.

Can't figure out any logical reason to do that (would seem to ruin towing compatibiliy and it'd seem a bit big for mudding) ..... beyond social status.