Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[rontaki]

I always wondered what marketing genius came up with the "hardbody" name, especially given how quickly they rusted out here in snow country.

I think his name was "Gym"

 

[Oaktree]

My 018 Colorado doesn't.

Huh. Just looked at the owner's manual, and it does imply that there are 2 different transfer cases available for this truck. Guess mine came with the so-called automatic xfer case. It's an LT with 3.6 & 8 speed.

 

[CliffordK]

Myself, if I had to haul anything over 12,000 pounds, I'd buy a used class 8 truck and do it better, and safer than a new $100K pickup. And if spec'd right, get the same MPG.
I already know a guy with a Kenworth with a 450 Paccar in it and he's getting better mileage than his new Ram pickup.

There is a quite a group of "Hot Shot" truckers. Driving essentially big pickups. They typically deal with smaller loads than the big trucks, and I assume have somewhat cheaper equipment and better fuel efficiency than the big trucks.

Many display DOT numbers on their vehicles. I don't know if there are regulations that they are able to bypass.

 

[Jstpssng]

Huh. Just looked at the owner's manual, and it does imply that there are 2 different transfer cases available for this truck. Guess mine came with the so-called automatic xfer case. It's an LT with 3.6 & 8 speed.

So is mine.

 

[JasperFrank]

Who really needs a pickup any way.

 

[Jstpssng]

Who really needs a pickup any way.

Is that TBN member Digginit? He had a Taurus which he hauled nearly everything in. Then again we once hauled a MotoSki snowsled home in the back of the Belair station wagon, with both parents and 6 kids in the car.

 

[WinterDeere]

It had little tiny joints which were so small that you couldn't get a grease gun on the zerk when it was installed...

 

[WinterDeere]

I always wondered what marketing genius came up with the "hardbody" name, especially given how quickly they rusted out here in snow country.

Older pickups had a single-wall bed, so any items you had rolling around in the bed would cause dents visible on the outside fenders. "Hardbody" denotes a double-wall bed, where a rear differential or pile of rocks rolling around in the bed won't cause dents on the outer body.

 

[Jstpssng]

View attachment 4184662

Yep. So why didn't they use one?

 

[Paystar]

There is a quite a group of "Hot Shot" truckers. Driving essentially big pickups. They typically deal with smaller loads than the big trucks, and I assume have somewhat cheaper equipment and better fuel efficiency than the big trucks.

Many display DOT numbers on their vehicles. I don't know if there are regulations that they are able to bypass.

I did that too. And if you are running LEGAL, yes you need all the same as a big rig. CVOR, registered business and tax account, commercial insurance.

But many of these guys are fly under the radar type, which is why they work so cheap and rates suck.

 

[JasperFrank]

Is that TBN member Digginit? He had a Taurus which he hauled nearly everything in. Then again we once hauled a MotoSki snowsled home in the back of the Belair station wagon, with both parents and 6 kids in the car.

That's my Festiva without back seat.

My Grandfather always drove Buick Electras.
One day haying on the farm, we see him pull on to the field and drive up to us.
In the back, he had a calf he had just bought.

 

[jjeff]

Sure, if you put air bags on your 2500 you can carry more weight. To a point. What are your tires rated for? And the axle? Not to mention how much fun the lawyers will have with you if there's ever a problem.

Your truck should have a payload sticker on it somewhere, telling you how much weight it was rated to haul. Exceed that, no matter what mods you've made to the truck, and you are "illegal".

If your prone to load trailers tongue heavy like me air helper springs help no matter if your Technically legal or not I suppose if I looked Way overloaded and a state cop weigh master pulled me over and weighed how much weight was on the rear axle of truck I could be ticketed I guess. But I'd be more accident prone and dangerous dealing with a death wobble cuz I wanted to take weight off the trailer tongue and rear axle. If your not driving a commercial l truck I haven't been bothered. Only time Ive seen state cops pull a pickup towing a trailer was either trailer was a rusted pos pulling something outrageously large or cargo was barely tyed down using only a couple 500 lb ratchet straps on a tandem equipment trailer hauling a skid steer.

 

[jjeff]

Btw there's a reason why so called "hotshots" drive 3/4 tons over one tons they are rarely bothered much by authority figures in the smaller trucks without duallys.

 

[Oaktree]

Older pickups had a single-wall bed, so any items you had rolling around in the bed would cause dents visible on the outside fenders. "Hardbody" denotes a double-wall bed, where a rear differential or pile of rocks rolling around in the bed won't cause dents on the outer body.

Yeah, I remember all the Japanese trucks having single wall beds well into the 90s. Yeah the dents were ugly, but it was only a couple years before it rusted off. Between the seam where the bed floor met the sides and the thin gauge metal it wasn't exactly a recipe for longevity.
Don't know when American trucks went with double wall beds, but I'm pretty sure they had them by the mid 60s.

 

[Jstpssng]

Don't know when American trucks went with double wall beds, but I'm pretty sure they had them by the mid 60s

The only ones which didn't were stepsides, and even that changed by the mid-80s.

 

[jjeff]

I'd probably never buy a 4x4 show truck, however.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'd probably never buy a 4x4 show truck, however.

Nice to look at, and maybe drive to get groceries. Yet I spent enough time bouncing around in those daily to get it out of my system.

 

[jjeff]

Nice to look at, and maybe drive to get groceries. Yet I spent enough time bouncing around in those daily to get it out of my system.

I watched to much fall guy as a kid or something I've Always liked the looks of Chevy and GMC trucks from the mid to late 70s. Stepside for a 4x4 show truck is a bonus.

 

[Jstpssng]

I watched to much fall guy as a kid or something I've Always liked the looks of Chevy and GMC trucks from the mid to late 70s. Stepside for a 4x4 show truck is a bonus.

They do look nice.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yeah, I remember all the Japanese trucks having single wall beds well into the 90s. Yeah the dents were ugly, but it was only a couple years before it rusted off. Between the seam where the bed floor met the sides and the thin gauge metal it wasn't exactly a recipe for longevity.
Don't know when American trucks went with double wall beds, but I'm pretty sure they had them by the mid 60s.

Never seen a rusted out car I’m 15 minutes from salt water… maybe the legend of California cars is more than legend?