Why not more cab chassis?

[Copperhead]

I've never understood the ever increasing height in pickups, surely it's only for marketing to make a truck look tougher. It's a detriment in almost all other regards. It raises the center of gravity, doesn't change ground clearance, makes it harder to get in/out, screws you on leveling a trailer without a drop hitch and makes it a PITA to load things in the bed.

INDEED! And you nailed it! I think this ever increasing height thing comes, partially, from "little boy syndrome": having to make up for a low testosterone level. And the OEM's are piling on to provide that. And if it isn't enough, there are tons of companies out here that will sell you a lift kit to take it up into the stratosphere. And it is true, doesn't change ground clearance any. If the axles can't get thru it, the body won't either.

Some might think it really isn't much of a change. Well then, go to a classic car show and pull your new pickup beside, say, a 1966 Chevy C10.

I have been considering dropping the box and getting a flat bed for my pickup, with the height deal being one of the reasons.

 

[gsganzer]

I bought a used all aluminum 3-horse slant a few weeks ago. When hooked to our F150 FX4, the clearance height from the bedrails to the bottom of the trailer overhang is right at 6". This is the minimum clearance you'd want so your trailer doesn't hit the tailgate or bedrails when driving on uneven ground. I was looking at the new 3/4 ton trucks, the beds are almost an additional 4"- 6" higher. I'm planning to block the trailer axles/frame to lift the trailer an additional 4" which will put my deck height at 16" for the horses to step in ( I might go a little higher, but it's pushing it). This is going to make it awfully tight if I get a new 3/4 ton, without dropping the truck height or going with a flat bed.

 

[bcp]

I walked by a new pickup a couple of days ago. It may have had a lift, but there wasn't any obvious increase in space to the fender above the tire. I'm 6ft and I'm the one that needed a lift kit. The bed side was even with my chin, and I couldn't see over the hood.

About a month ago I parked next to a restored, not lowered, Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 from the late 60's. My eye level was about the same as the door top height. That's my size truck.

Bruce

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have a 2016 Ram 3500 cab/chassis. In the past, I have owned 3 Ram 2500 pickups.

I went to a local truck bed/trailer dealer and had a 9' CM bed installed and added a 100 gal fuel tank, and 3 side boxes. I also added some 2x8 sides. The entire bed, tool boxes, and spare tire rack was about $5400 installed.

I really like the easier access to my tool boxes on the flat bed. Before, I had to step on the rear tires and climb into the bed to get into my cross-bed tool box.

The Ram cab/chassis trucks do have less power than the pickup trucks. For me, this is noticeable, but not a big issue.

The truck bed dealer said he could easily install a flatbed on either a CC truck or a pickup. Although they are different size, CM makes flatbeds for either one. And he said that if you take a box off of a pickup, lots of salvage yards are looking to buy them.

Overall, I like my flatbed better than my pickup beds. There are times that I need to secure items on the flatbed that I didn't have to do before with the pickup bed, such as a large ice chest for deer hunting.

One thing to consider is that CC trucks are not as nice as a pickup. If I had to do it again, I would strongly consider buying a pickup and putting a flatbed on it, just so I can have all the bells and whistles. But that cost a lot more.

I am in the process of buying a used 5th wheel camper and I'm concerned if I'll have enough clearance to pull it with my 9' bed. In fact, I'm going to start another thread on this issue.