Opinions on trucks

[Builder]

Getting old sucks and if a man step offers me convenience, I'll take it.

Getting old does suck. I'm the same boat as you, but I get out of my truck driver's door more than off/on the tailgate.

Therefore, I like GM trucks because they sit lower making everyday ingress/egress to the cab easier on me.

Don't get me wrong though, I'd take a new truck from any brand-Ford, whoever. Canoe will love having a new full-size truck. Glad to see at least he bought from the Big-3. Our country's automakers need us now more than ever.

 

[toddol1971]

I have a ford & a chevy D/A 2500. I like the ford better for the ride, but its an 87 4x4 reg cab & the chevy is a x-cab. I have 5 kids do the math. Put a 2x6 in the slot givin to keep things from going forword. It can be easily removed to facilitate plywood etc. Matt, you have a screw on chain coupling on your sprayer support chains. Go to a trailer or camper place & get a safety hook. They have a clip that keeps it on. I think that would work good. Todd.

 

[pitt_md]

I run an S-10 deerslayer pick'em up for daily habits and commuting.
So far I have got six deer with it, and average about 22mpg. It is a manual.
Parts are cheap and maintenance is minimal.

My other truck is a F-250 non-gasser. Extended cab, 4x4, you name it....
It is expensive and used when towing or cargo capacity exceeds the S-10.

I like both, and favor neither. They have their jobs.

I just got a new grille for the S-10. $25 "bucks".......

Sounds like they need to open the season a little longer on them varmets!

 

[pitt_md]

I'll take a Ford with a man-step over a Chevy any day. I wish my F-250 had one of those as an option in 1999 as I would have ordered one.

Being 50+ takes a little spring out of your step. When I bought my F250 a couple of months back I priced the "man step" Over 2K! I guess I am still young enough to climb up myself.

 

[riptides]

Sounds like they need to open the season a little longer on them varmets!

I walked out into the side yard the other night to watch the space station fly over,
the side yard abutts my pastures.

I carry a 2 million lume. spotlight.

I was aiming just enough to see my way, and caught a bunch of eyes at really strange heights, from ground level to my height. What???? It was even worse when the ground level eyes "rose" to my height.

Shining the spot light directly at the eyes, revealled more than 12 deer, bedding down for the night.

Yeah, I got a problem.

 

[canoetrpr]

Originally I had ordered one with the man step but I took it off the order eventually. I don't think I would have the patience to even get it out. I might think differently in 25 years or so.

My FIL on the other hand keeps a step stool around to help him get into the bed. I'm sure he will appreciate the man step on his next truck. I suspect he will feel more manly using the man step than the step stool

I liked the look of the Toyota but quickly came to the conclusion that they just not have been doing it long enough with pickups. Everything about the Tundra is only 2 or 3 years old and a brand new design. While I was a bit uncertain with the Ford being a brand new model, much of the design is the same as it was in previous generations. Even what I thought was a new 6 speed tranny was re-used from the Expedition which has had it since 2007.

 

[mjncad]

Being 50+ takes a little spring out of your step. When I bought my F250 a couple of months back I priced the "man step" Over 2K! I guess I am still young enough to climb up myself.

$2k for the factory man step! Good grief, the only reason they are charging that much is because Ford is the only to have it. Once Dodge and GM offer one, the price will come down.

 

[mjncad]

Matt, you have a screw on chain coupling on your sprayer support chains. Go to a trailer or camper place & get a safety hook. They have a clip that keeps it on. I think that would work good. Todd.

Todd: I assume you are referring to the pump's anti-rotation chains. Things have changed a bit since I added three rear remotes and a Power Beyond kit to the tractor. Now I need to find a new place to connect the anti-rotation chains to. Thanks for looking and the constructive comments.

 

[mjncad]

I went to the Denver auto show to look at new iron today with a friend.

I noticed that the Dodge 2500 & 3500 and even the Tundra needed running boards to make cab ingress and egress easier. Adding running boards to my F-250 4x4 was one of the first things I did to it, and it makes a world of difference in getting into and out of the cab. The F-150 wasn't too bad, and the GM products were in that awkward in between height of a running board being potentially more of a nuisance than a help with cab access.

They also had a couple of F-650 "***** envy" pickups on the floor. One of them had the tailgate man step; but the bed was so high that it needed another step or two to be useful.

 

[Dmace]

If I buy a new truck, it will have some automatic side steps. I hate the looks of a truck with big ugly side steps but need them as I am only 5'-6".

 

[Bird]

If I buy a new truck, it will have some automatic side steps. I hate the looks of a truck with big ugly side steps but need them as I am only 5'-6".

I just recently noticed that Ford offers the electric retractable steps as an option. I've not seen any of them yet, but that sort of thing has been common on RVs for many years. In fact our 1992 Bounder had the automatic retractable steps.

I thought the man step on the new Ford pickups was a great idea, but if they actually cost $2k as pitt_md said, it suddenly becomes a very bad idea to me.

 

[dgl24087]

63T Step, Tailgate Styleside Models 291.00 350.00 (N/A Flareside Models)
Not $2000.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Its only 2K if you get it in a large convenience package. Its about $300 for the step.

Chris

 

[firemen122]

I always thought the man step was the rear tire. I would consider that thing they put on them new fords a girl step..........

 

[larso1]

I think I saw a new Dodge pickup commercial making fun of Ford's new man step. I guess that means Dodge doesn't offer one, heh heh.

 

[canoetrpr]

After some more thought and the discussion here I decided to add back in the Man Step on the tailgate and the two box access steps on the side.

I know that ford has made a big deal about the tailgate step but the brochure also shows the fold out side steps which you basically extend with your foot and stow back in with your foot. I'm not talking about running boards which help you get in/out of the cab.

After some shopping for a slide in dog box I realized that my best bet is to get a box that I will push up the bed pretty much against the cab. That way I will still have a bed to put stuff in when I'm not doing dog stuff and don't feel like taking the dog box out. This means that I am going to be getting in and out of the bed an awful lot to let the dogs in and out when we are at training and to get into the storage on the top of the box.

At 5'6" I realized that I would probably regret not getting these silly things. Builder's post made me realize that the the access to the box was indeed a big step for a little guy like myself. I don't think I would have missed these if I got a Sierra as the box was more accessible to short guys like me.

As others have noted, they don't cost $2k on the F150. I think iti s $300 on the tailgate step and $290 on both box steps. That is MSRP and on the supplier discount I have with Ford I am getting them both for ~500 $ CDN.

The running boards are of course a must for me.

I'm hoping they have enough time to modify my order to get these in there before I get a VIN back from the factory.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You will be happy you got them. Don't worry about people making fun of the "man step", the others like GM and Dodge will have to follow. That is if they are around in the next few years.

Chris

 

[NuBota]

Glad to know there are others out there at 5'6". I don't have the man steps. Some days I wish I did, especially after a good workout. But the machismo (a.k.a, short-man complex) in me would probably prevent me from putting them on /using them. Call it denial of the dread that I may actually need 'em one day.....

 

[Builder]

You will be happy you got them. Don't worry about people making fun of the "man step", the others like GM and Dodge will have to follow. That is if they are around in the next few years.

Chris

Too bad your nissan don't have one.....maybe you have a man step envy.

GM won't do a man step, they already made fun of it in a TV ad.

GM will be around as long or longer than any other automaker. The military needs them too much to let them go under. I wish they'd declare bankruptcy so they can get the unions out of the way.

 

[drivadesl]

My neighbor just bought a spankin new F250 with the tailgate step. (Didn't know they called it a man step, does that mean women/kids can't use it?) Anyway, at 5'-9" I tried it out and thought it was OK. I've gotten used to using the rear tire to get into the bed easily, but woudn't worry about getting the man step. If you want one, get it, why not make things easier for yourself and screw what anyone else thinks.