Super tall pickup beds

[Jstpssng]

My2015 Sierra has the steps, my '04 Ranger doesn't. Yet when I back them up tailgate to tailgate, they are the same height. Sometimes I put a section of my ATV ramp up, if I am going to be loading the pickup bed.

 

[Wolfy]

I have a 2006 Ford F350 and a 2000 Chevy S10. The S10 is so much easier to load. Even the new Colorados or F150s are way higher.

 

[Rustyiron]

I'm seeing more & more nice aluminum flat beds on brand new single wheel pickups around here. A simple 2x8 for a sideboard and you can reach almost to the middle.

 

[bcp]

About 6 months ago I parked my Tacoma next to a nicely restored 67-72 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4, stock height. Hood, cab, and bed height were almost exactly the same.

Bruce

 

[Doofy]

...something about small peckers and compensating or some such baloney. Bet the car makers know why.

 

[mapper]

Got to love those really tall highboy pavement queens out there without a single scratch or bit of dirt on them. :rotfl:

 

[George2615]

...something about small peckers and compensating or some such baloney. Bet the car makers know why.

I think it has more to do with getting older and not being able to jump up in the pickup bed like I used to 40 years ago. My 3/4T tailgate is over 3' off the ground and the truck is all stock. Needed a 3/4T for towing my larger trailers that are above my 1/2T's rating. And yes, my 3/4T tailgate is higher off the ground than the 1/2T.

 

[deserteagle71]

I reckon that it's supply & demand. More urban purchasers wanting jacked up height = can see farther in traffic and are more prominent (look at ME!!!).

In other words, the 'pick-ups' (utes) are drifting away from being practical work vehicles.

Exactly! I bought a new F150 a couple years ago and to learn what I could about it I spend quite a bit of time on an 150 Forum. It seems about 1 out of 5 posts is some guy asking how high he can lift his new F150 without running into problems with the giant tires he has planned to install on it.

Then pretty soon that same guy is bitching 'cause his new F150 with the lift and big fat tires only gets 13 mpg.

All too many guys buy these trucks because they want them, not because they have any need for them. My nephew is a case in point. Lives in Dallas/Fort Worth and his daily driver is an F350, lifted with big 'ol tires, with the Powerstroke. The truck has never seen a load or even a dirt road.

 

[rankrank1]

Tailgate ladders or steps in the corners of the bumpers are fine for helping get a human up into the bed, but they are not worth a spit for loading a heavy object from the ground into the truck bed using 1 human or 2 humans as the lifting power to lift heavy cargo into the truck bed.

My old 1992 C1500 sees more action when it comes time to haul heavy loads as it is by far the easiest truck I own to get something heavy up into the bed with human power as the bed on it is low to the ground. That all said even my other 2 trucks have low beds compared to all the new models being offered from any manufacturer and they are even 4WD.

Many of these new trucks do look admittingly good lifted like they are but they are not practical to use the beds for anything but light stuff if you are loading cargo with human power. Pretty much relegated to having to always tow a trailer and even then you gonna need a hitch with quite a bit of drop down capability in order to even get the trailer hooked up so you can tow it. And forget about trying to get in the cab of any of them without running board steps. I struggle to get in the cab of a lot of the new trucks if they lack steps and I am 6" 5". It is comical to watch my 5' 4"wife try to get in one without the running boards though.

Between the high beds and the high prices I am not real interested in any of the new trucks and I was looking hard the last couple years with intentions of maybe buying a new one.

 

[CADplans]

I gave up, there are no short 3/4 ton pickups left,,,
beyond that,,, the one I picked,, has over-sized tires, so it is even higher,,, :laughing: