New Truck Questions?

[Ironhorse]

For several years now it seems that ALL of the truck mfgs are building and offering trucks SOOO similar. Huge frontal areas the size of a small aircraft carrier it seems. Large, over sized square wheel wells for round tires which just seem to be getting larger and larger in diameter. 15s was the norm for years on end, with a few odd 16s or 16.5s thrown in for optional sizes. Then 16s became the norm, then 17s outdid them, now 18s and even 20s. The huge frontal areas have the aero dynamic loading of a brick! New two wheel drive trucks sit higher than my stock height '71 4x4. What convinced the mfgs to start the over sized building of trucks? Rear bumpers have steps to aid in getting into the bed.

I guess I just don't get the "new truck" look at all. Must be why I don't have one. Am I alone in the idea that I would like trucks to be more "truck like"?
The inside interior seems they just HAVE to be loaded with every conceivable option known to man. Prices are astronomical.

Okay, off my rant I guess. Must be showing my age, huh? Pushing 70 but still playing with cars and trucks. They just still have to look like cars and trucks for me to have an interest in them.

[Grumpy old man]

I can barely navigate this website , Why would I want a truck I need a laptop to diagnosis and repair ? You get way more cool factor points driving one of these old METAL trucks .

[abig84]

I did the new truck thing before. I always found myself driving the k5 anytime I went anywhere in worries of getting a scratch so sold it after a few years. I ended up buying a 1990 Silverado for $300 9 years ago and has been great and pretty much trouble free. Simple things have went out here and there but it's never been on a tow truck.

Midwest salt is taking its toll on it so when it finally rusts in half I'll probably just buy another one from down south

[TKCR]

Ironhorse, I'm with you on the prices!!! Jeez!!! I stopped at a dealership just the other day. They had a Dually with a sticker price of $68,000. I was like WT?? I stopped to look at a used 2011 Chevy Silverado LTZ. 59,000 miles. It was purty, but they still wanted $26,000. I'm with abig84, those days of having of having a new truck are long gone. My last new truck was a Chevy Avalanche, back when they had the body amour. Damn been so long, I can't even remember the year lol. I want to say it was an 06.
And those days are gone of even paying over $25,000 even for a used one. Well unless it was a CLASSIC!

[FleetsidePaul]

I know what you mean about all the options. My neighbor bought a new Toyota. First of all I think of Toyota's as being little trucks. But it's not. Then it took him a week of reading the manual to figure out what all the doo dads did.

He likes it. But I think it's about as exciting as dry toast. It's just boring.

I really don't think they make trucks anymore that aren't loaded with options. Even the fleet trucks we had at work had a bunch of options. Back when I started they had nothing. They were bare bones. And I know the cheapskates ordering them weren't interested in making me comfortable. They just had no choice.

[special-K]

It's the push for more more more created by capitalism gone awry. Options become mandatory and it's a race to add the next big feature as an "option". It's the same with houses and most consumer products. If a person sits down and contemplates what they actually "need" to live and be happy doing it they will find they are surrounded by tons of worthless crap... unless they are brainwashed beyond hope. The fact is, most people are no more happy, if not less happy, with this all this false fulfillment. At least, the buzz wears off awful quick.

[Warrens69GMC]

Look at the commercial trucks aka WT. You can still get a standard cab, shortbed V8 for 29,420- even less if the inctives are there.

[CG]

Supply and demand. If people didn't buy them they wouldn't build them like this.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

You get way more cool factor points driving one of these old METAL trucks .

Very true! Had the 70 out the other day. Twice in an hour, I was told nice truck.

[Matt Man]

Here is a Ram for 82k https://www.mossbroscjdrsanbernardin...275d00313d.htm
Now I understand there are incentives etc so don't bash me to much! I will be in the market for a heavy duty truck and you can get them for a reasonable price is you swing for the lower end models. I am looking at a Ram 3500 crew cab 8' bed 4x4 with the lower output Cummins tradesman model and with incentives they're about 40,000. But then again I like my trucks simple most people want luxury apparently.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

Here is a Ram for 82k https://www.mossbroscjdrsanbernardin...275d00313d.htm
Now I understand there are incentives etc so don't bash me to much! I will be in the market for a heavy duty truck and you can get them for a reasonable price is you swing for the lower end models. I am looking at a Ram 3500 crew cab 8' bed 4x4 with the lower output Cummins tradesman model and with incentives they're about 40,000. But then again I like my trucks simple most people want luxury apparently.

I bought a 2 br condo 100 ' from the beach for $31,500.00 in the 80's ,Now you can't buy a truck for that much .

[flashed]

My New truck I recently bought had 64000 miles on it and the camper top was installed on day one and only ever hauled bags of horse feed . Its a 1997 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 extended cab fully loaded as they were then with one small ding ,like new interior and paint as it was garage kept and I paid $7000 cash for it .

[68C15]

It all started about '92 when dodge came out with the new model. Since then it's been a contest to see who can build the biggest grocery getting 4x4. You never see truck hauling loads at a lumber yard anymore. Beds are too small and chassis is too weak. They all pull a trailer. Here's a pic showing how it's supposed to be done

[67ChevyRedneck]

That's actually a really good question (on the size).

Comparison. I had a 2000 Z71 ext cab for 11 years. Loved the truck. I could get in/out easily, could REACH into the bed, etc. It had a 5.3L Fuel mileage-wise I consistently got 13/14 city 18 highway.

I traded it for a 2015 I bought new. It's significantly wider, taller, higher, and as noted needs steps in the bumper to get into it. I also had to add old man steps on the sides because I couldn't get in it without dragging on the seat. Same as the old truck, 5.3L Extended cab (now the 4 door "double cab") and I now average 14/15 MPG (I can push that up to 16+ if I watch how I drive, but that's no fun) and a legit 22/23 MPG highway.

Just think of how awesome that fuel mileage could be if someone would actually have the balls to shrink their next gen truck. But then, oh wait, that would encroach on the now "mid-size" Colorado.

I also think "bigger" makes getting 5 stars a lot easier on the gov. crash tests. Go back and look at old videos of 90's trucks on youtube. S10s, Rangers, Tacomas, even the Silverado and F150. Those videos aren't pretty at all, especially on an offset test. There was cab intrusions, doors so twisted they won't open. The S10 one looked pretty bad, made me question owning one at the time. Fast forward to my 2015 and it can take an offset impact and damn near still open/close the cab doors.

*And of course I spend my of my weekend driving time in 50 year old cars...

[abig84]

Fuel mileage kinda evens out without a truck payment. Last I checked my 90 gets 14mpg but what I spend on gas is sure less then $500+ a month on truck payments it's also nice to park next to the cart storage thing or right up on that idiot who parked a foot over the line and it's the only parking spot left.

[Coley]

I'm not sure if I get the size increase either....but as CG said, they wouldn't do it if people didn't buy them and want them.

My regular (non classic) truck is 2005 Duramax....great truck not too big relative to what is out there today.

Its amazing tho' as to how small these classic trucks now look up against the big full size trucks.

Regardless, size does not equate to looks and these newer vehicles have very little individuality when dropped into traffic.
Like 99% of new vehicles they disappear into the sea of silver, white and black potatoes also known as the modern vehicle....lol.

Coley

[Palf70Step]

My goal is to never need to replace my DD, my 2002 reg cab work truck. Just enough amenities to keep me happy and no extra BS. I had an 07 for a short while. Same truck, just newer and the extra gadgets, lights and alarms drove me nuts.

So hopefully my 81 and 02 will keep me going however much longer the Lord wants me here.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Hey Bill, is old white up to 500K yet? You had some serious miles on that thing like 10+ years ago.

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Hey Bill, is old white up to 500K yet? You had some serious miles on that thing like 10+ years ago.

Nah....still in the 200k range. My son hardly drove it when he was using it for a couple years and since I had the Mule and now the 81 they get driven a lot. Being retired cuts down on the miles too.

[Willowrun]

I’ve got a 2017 2500 High Country with the Duramax. I used to work at GM so I get a discount and 0% financing but it was still pricey. I don’t DD it because quite honestly they are cumbersome to drive every day, so I tow with it primarily and I couldn’t be happier. Here it is hauling my 300K+ mile HHR (great car btw, I bought a used one for my daughter’s first cat) to the junkyard with my replacement Equinox DD in the background. I figured I should buy the truck I wanted while I can afford it and try to get 10+ years out of it. With around 7K miles on the clock currently and not driving it in the winter I think I should be able to get 15 years out of it. Besides that, how long is this torque battle going to last? Just like modern gas powered muscle cars, get them while you can....