They make wussy trucks nowadays

[WiscWoody]

I have a truck rant going on since I saw a commercial for the new Chevy Silverado trucks with their power tailgates that also slice, dice and make julienne fries. I thought it was already bad that vans had the power rear doors... I mean what was wrong with just having the gas strut assisted opening and closing of the doors? I could maybe see that the power doors were good for a handicapped person but in my mind it’s just more to go wrong in a vehicle and it makes the vehicle more expensive which in the case of the power tailgates we don’t need more expensive trucks, not when some big super whiz bang diesel trucks are going for more than the $83,750 I paid for my new first house a a few decades ago. And just to get a well appointed gas truck as they say your looking at around $50,000 if I’m not mistaken. I like my ‘78 F-150’s tailgate. It’s solid as can be and it has a bars that fold in half when you lift and fold in when the tailgate is raised and locked into the up position, no cables that seem weaker to me but I do have those on my ‘03 Super Duty and ‘08 Super Duty plow truck. Anyways... that my two cents in power tailgate. I hope to never have to get a truck with them... I’d feel like a wussy.

 

[begreen]

The automakers are milking a cash cow. In this case GM is trying to one-up Ford which innovated a built-in step in the tailgate. It does seem like a step too far. That was not necessary with old pickups because the bed was so much lower. I can't reach over the siderails of a modern 4x4 and grab something from the bed. Used to be able to do that fairly easily in an old pickup. Having had both step and no-step I definitely appreciated the step on the F150. As a geezer with sore knees, it really helps. The Ford step is manual, simple and rugged. GM has taken it to a whole nuther level of complexity. I question the need for the greater complexity and bet that tailgate now weighs a ton which is no fun if it needs to be removed for a camper. And I wonder how well that step will work after years of hauling and fills up with dirt, wood bark, etc..

 

[johneh]

The price of a new full load truck is more than I paid for my Farm 40 years ago
The farm cost 41 thousand Dollars in 1979 and I figured I paid to much
My 94 GMC is just fine

 

[brenndatomu]

I question the need for the greater complexity and bet that tailgate now weighs a ton which is no fun if it needs to be removed for a camper. And I wonder how well that step will work after years of hauling and fills up with dirt, wood bark, etc..

Power open/close is next, you know it is.
Heck I hate even the power locking tailgate on our 2018 F250 at work...you pull up, jump out and go to open the gate but it is locked, so you have to run back up front and hit the lock button! Argh!
When I first saw GMs new tailgate the first thing I thought was "bet that will work good after a couple years on a farm or construction site"! How many old school gates have you seen bowed into a "smile"
(like Amazon's logo ) when the gate is down...and still basically accomplishes its life's purpose!

 

[WiscWoody]

Power open/close is next, you know it is.
Heck I hate even the power locking tailgate on our 2018 F250 at work...you pull up, jump out and go to open the gate but it is locked, so you have to run back up front and hit the lock button! Argh!
When I first saw GMs new tailgate the first thing I thought was "bet that will work good after a couple years on a farm or construction site"! How many old school gates have you seen bowed into a "smile"
(like Amazon's logo View attachment 246170) when the gate is down...and still basically accomplishes its life's purpose!

That’s my main gripe is that Chevy and I imagine GMC have power open and close tailgates now. I’m not sure when they added them or if it’s a option or standard equipment.

 

[WiscWoody]

Power open/close is next, you know it is.
Heck I hate even the power locking tailgate on our 2018 F250 at work...you pull up, jump out and go to open the gate but it is locked, so you have to run back up front and hit the lock button! Argh!
When I first saw GMs new tailgate the first thing I thought was "bet that will work good after a couple years on a farm or construction site"! How many old school gates have you seen bowed into a "smile"
(like Amazon's logo View attachment 246170) when the gate is down...and still basically accomplishes its life's purpose!

My ‘78 F-150’s tailgate has a bit of a bow to it from things slamming into it. It opens and closes just fine though.

 

[WiscWoody]

The automakers are milking a cash cow. In this case GM is trying to one-up Ford which innovated a built-in step in the tailgate. It does seem like a step too far. That was not necessary with old pickups because the bed was so much lower. I can't reach over the siderails of a modern 4x4 and grab something from the bed. Used to be able to do that fairly easily in an old pickup. Having had both step and no-step I definitely appreciated the step on the F150. As a geezer with sore knees, it really helps. The Ford step is manual, simple and rugged. GM has taken it to a whole nuther level of complexity. I question the need for the greater complexity and bet that tailgate now weighs a ton which is no fun if it needs to be removed for a camper. And I wonder how well that step will work after years of hauling and fills up with dirt, wood bark, etc..

Yes a step is a good thing. I’ve found with the height of my Super Duties and my age plus some extra pounds that I can’t jump up on a tailgate like I could years ago so I added Amp Research (like the one in the photo) fold down steps on the two of my higher 4X4 trucks. The old ‘78 Ford is a lower 2wd and I can manage getting up in that truck bed yet.

 

[brenndatomu]

View attachment 246172
Yes a step is a good thing. I’ve found with the height of my Super Duties and my age plus some extra pounds that I can’t jump up on a tailgate like I could years ago so I added Amp Research (like the one in the photo) fold down steps on the two of my higher 4X4 trucks. The old ‘78 Ford is a lower 2wd and I can manage getting up in that truck bed yet.

Does that attach to the bumper? Wait until they start making truck bumpers of plastic like cars are now...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I tend to agree with you, but people keep buying the new trucks at the higher prices. Auto makers will continue to make them as long as people buy them.

I think you can still buy stripped down trucks, if you order them. They arent as stripped down as they were in '78 though.

 

[begreen]

Yes, most dealer still have base models sold as "work trucks". Single-cab, 2WD, with a mid-sized motor.

 

[WiscWoody]

Does that attach to the bumper? Wait until they start making truck bumpers of plastic like cars are now...

It attaches to the frame where the bumper attaches to it with new bolts and nuts from Amp Research. The step can take up to 300lbs.

 

[bholler]

Yes you can still get pretty basic work trucks. We just got one used without many extras. It has power windows and locks air and bluetooth but not many other luxuries. It still wasnt cheap though. But it is 3/4 ton 4x4 with the big v8 and a locking rear diff

 

[brenndatomu]

What would the lumbersexuals drive if they didn't make these power everything foo foo trucks?!

 

[bholler]

I will say i hate that they have decided all trucks now need to be 6" taller than they used to be. I have a truck for work all that extra height means to me is that i have to lift stuff higher.

 

[brenndatomu]

Its funny, these new 4x4s are WAY taller than the old mid seventies F250 "highboy" that I thought was so huge as a kid
The 2018 F250 at work that I mentioned before has a 30" high floor board...bone stock...that's 4" taller than the exact same truck in 2011!

 

[bholler]

Its funny, these new 4x4s are WAY taller than the old mid seventies F250 "highboy" that I thought was so huge as a kid
The 2018 F250 at work that I mentioned before has a 30" high floor board...bone stock...that's 4" taller than the exact same truck in 2011!

Look at the rear. It has a 4" lift block. Ours is a 17. I wish the front was the ssme i would just pull the blocks

 

[brenndatomu]

Look at the rear. It has a 4" lift block. Ours is a 17. I wish the front was the ssme i would just pull the blocks

Yeah the 2011 has the same block as the 18...same plow prep pack, same options, same size tires, but floorboard 4" taller...we had to add steps to it because nobody could get in it!

 

[bholler]

Yeah the 2011 has the same block as the 18...same plow prep pack, same options, same size tires, but floorboard 4" taller...we had to add steps to it because nobody could get in it!

Ours has running boards so getting in the cab is no big deal. The bed is a pita though.

 

[WiscWoody]

Ours has running boards so getting in the cab is no big deal. The bed is a pita though.

 

[WiscWoody]

I will have to say that the automakers have done well with the truck engines for power and fuel economy. In Fords case some of the fuel economy can be attributed to the aluminum body as well. I’ve heard they both Chevy and Ford owners are getting 27-28 mpg in highway driving nowadays. That’s incredible for a full sized truck. My old ‘78 with its 300/6 only gets 10.5 mpg pulling my lawn care trailer in the summer. That’s what I use it for exclusively. I only put around 2600 miles a year on it though and it sits all winter long in the shed. I really don’t drive my other trucks a lot either since I have a fuel sipping Toyota Echo I do my daily driving in. Oh and for the diesel trucks the amount of torque they have from the factory is impressive indeed.

 

[bholler]

View attachment 246184

That would help getting into the bed. But loading tickets of brick or rubber still means lifting higher. And our running board are only on the van do you cant reach over the side of the bed to the floor

 

[bholler]

I will have to say that the automakers have done well with the truck engines for power and fuel economy. In Fords case some of the fuel economy can be attributed to the aluminum body as well. I’ve heard they both Chevy and Ford owners are getting 27-28 mpg in highway driving nowadays. That’s incredible for a full sized truck. My old ‘78 with its 300/6 only gets 10.5 mpg pulling my lawn care trailer in the summer. That’s what I use it for exclusively. I only put around 2600 miles a year in it though and it sits all winter long in the shed. I really don’t drive my other trucks a lot either since I have a fuel sipping Toyota Echo I do my daily driving in. Oh and for the diesel trucks the amount of torque they have from the factory is impressive indeed.

Yeah they have done allot with the 1/2ton tricks. Not to much with 3/4ton one. We are averaging in the 11s

 

[Ashful]

I will say i hate that they have decided all trucks now need to be 6" taller than they used to be. I have a truck for work all that extra height means to me is that i have to lift stuff higher.

“They” didn’t decide. New truck customers made that decision for them. Millions (plural) of dollars in market research goes into every such decision, they are only building what new truck customers are requesting, or at least their best interpretation of it.

The trouble is that, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of insanely well-appointed trucks available off 2-year lease at any time, the majority of new truck buyers have chit for brains. And they’re the ones dictating the trends!

 

[WiscWoody]

That would help getting into the bed. But loading tickets of brick or rubber still means lifting higher. And our running board are only on the van do you cant reach over the side of the bed to the floor

Maybe this would help, Amp Research also makes fold down steps for the bedsides.

 

[WiscWoody]

“They” didn’t decide. New truck customers made that decision for them. Millions (plural) of dollars in market research goes into every such decision, they are only building what new truck customers are requesting, or at least their best interpretation of it.

The trouble is that, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of insanely well-appointed trucks available off 2-year lease at any time, the majority of new truck buyers have chit for brains. And they’re the ones dictating the trends!

Right, I think the truck makers seen many 4x4 drivers- those that spend a lot on their trucks like to have them lifted. Personally I would never put a lift on my two 4x4’s as I’m not a off-roader and at first I thought maybe my ‘03 SD has a 2-4" lift on it when I got it but it’s just high as it is from the factory.