trucks/bed height/why so high?

[berge]

am I the only person who finds the current crop of full size trucks with almost unuseable beds because of their height? My 04 F150 is 4X2 and I've had to climb onto the bed of this thing so many times I'm considering retrofitting the intergrated tail gate step off the 08 superduty to my truck(if I can). I'm in the market for a new truck now and the tundra, titan, GM sisters and Dodge all offer these beds that are so high off the ground its almost unuseable without climbing in. And I'm 5'11.

why are they all like this now? I mean, I can understand it for a 4X4 but in most cases, the 4X2's are the same height too.

I've thought about, gasp, lowering kits but apparently then the payload capacity is compromised. This is such a big issue for me that I may have to get a frontier crew cab with the 6foot box as I can actually reach in and get stuff easily. I looked at the tacoma too, and, surprise, it's bed is as almost as high as my F150.

 

[01rangerxl]

The side profile of trucks has become larger. The whole cab and body is taller on all of them. To keep the appearance proportional, they raise the height of the bed up to the higher belt line of the cabs. They are putting form over function.

 

[Warlord]

You're not supposed to put anything into the back of a fullsize. You're supposed to sit up high and show off your fancy wheels and low profile tires.

Seriously though, have you considered some sort of adjusable air ride suspension?

 

[TallPaul]

I hope my '95 F150 lasts forever. When pickups were bought mostly by contractors, sportsmen, farmers and rednecks, they were practical. Now the masses swaying pickup truck design are suburbanites and their tastes have ruined a good thing.

 

[rriddle3]

I was beginning to think I was the only one who had noticed this design mess. Seems like Ford started it when they redesigned the F150 back in, what was it, '96?

 

[Steve S]

I hate the cab forward design where half the engine is under the windshield.

 

[ms21043]

Have you seen the CXT 'pickup'? Bed height is 58" I don't think you're supposed to haul anything in the bed.

Check out the Trick Out Your CXT link at the website.

 

[XS650]

That's 10 inches higher than a standard loading dock.

 

[JustinH]

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I was beginning to think I was the only one who had noticed this design mess. Seems like Ford started it when they redesigned the F150 back in, what was it, '96?

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My 98 f150 had a standard height bed.

Its the new gen f150's with the taller bed, especially the ones with the huge wheels.

 

[454MAG]

Seems to be mostly the 1/2 ton and lighter class doing this. Its the big competition for whos "truck" is "bigger". The most ridiculous of these is that honda ridgeline where the bed slopes all the way up to the cab. these "trucks" are mostly for show and very few actually haul anything other than groceries in them anyway. My Superduty actually has a similar height bed as my 93 f250 did although it sits about chest high due to the 350 suspension and 35" mudders.

 

[mrsilv04]

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am I the only person who finds the current crop of full size trucks with almost unuseable beds because of their height? My 04 F150 is 4X2 and I've had to climb onto the bed of this thing so many times.....

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Well, you bought a Ford, and this is what you ended up with. Not sure why you're whining about it now.

I bought my '04 Silverado because it ISN'T built this way. Try reaching over the bed wall of your '04 Ford, then try it with an '04 Chevy or GMC.

I *can't* touch the bed floor on a Ford, but I *can* with my Chevy. I use my truck to build houses with, and don't want to have to climb in the back of it to retrieve something off the floor.

Maybe someday, people will learn. But as it was said, Ford and Dodge are simply trying to see who can jack it up the highest, put the tallest bed walls on it, and put 20" or 22" stock wheels on it. *sigh*

Low and lean....

 

[berge]

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am I the only person who finds the current crop of full size trucks with almost unuseable beds because of their height? My 04 F150 is 4X2 and I've had to climb onto the bed of this thing so many times.....

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Well, you bought a Ford, and this is what you ended up with. Not sure why you're whining about it now.

I bought my '04 Silverado.....

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Most of my colleagues with the GM full sizers were not recommending their trucks.

The Ford/Dodge owners seemed much more content.

I wish I had bought GM. I moved up from a compact and the question of bed access got lost in the enthusiasm for 4 doors and an 8foot bed.

 

[Spitty]

For me this has been a BIG issue and not only with the full size trucks. I often haul Bark mulch and small loads of Sand or Gravel in my 1990 4cyl Toyota, when I needed to replace the truck there was nothing available that had a bed low enough for unloading from the outside, and I'm getting too old to jump in and out of high truck beds.
To make matters worse, engines tend to be bigger and less economical than my old 22R (Why not offer a small Diesel)
My Stop-gap solution was to buy the very best 'Old' pickup I could find, it's an 84 Extra cab that's been in dry storage 20 years.
Seems they want to sell trucks to posers not workers!

 

[Spitty]

I have to say I was really tempted by the Left hand drive Japanese Domestic market Imports that are around. However I was concerned about parts availability.

 

[mrsilv04]

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Most of my colleagues with the GM full sizers were not recommending their trucks.

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Well, without more information, I'm not sure what they weren't happy about.

My '04 hasn't been back to the dealer since I bought it nearly two years ago.

My next door neighbor manages a construction equipment dealership. They beat the h*ll out the their service trucks. He won't buy anything but a Chevy/GMC for the business. They buy them, rack up 200,000 miles on them, and their mechanics will buy them off of the company when they replace them with new ones.

I use mine to build houses with. That's far from being an easy life as well. As I said before, the low bed height of the Chevy/GM was a big plus.

I don't know what why these manufacturers are bent on making these trucks into overgrown tonka toys with 20" wheels.

Separated at birth?

 

[heath1]

i disagree that it's form over function, as that would imply a pickup bed has only 1 function and beg the question that a slightly higher bedside height hinders such function...i can reach over the rails of my f150 4X4 to the bed standing flat footed behind the rear wheel and i'm 6'-1"...people's appendages come in different proportions

i actually like the taller bedsides as it provides more volume (a good thing with short beds) and better protection/stability for taller loads...it's also less inviting for my dog to jump over on the occasions he rides in the back...i filled my box to the top with brick from a fence i demolished, and lower bedsides would have limited my load substantially (although i was admittedly over the gvwr when i weighed anyway, but that's another story)

as to the comment on the ridgeline--the form of those bedsides is very closely aligned to that sullivan gem "form follows function" and maybe not so aligned to wright's idea that form and function should be one...the bedsides rise to provide structural integrity to the vehicle--the avalanche has the same issue and is braced similarly but with openings in the 'sails' lending a look not unlike that of a 'roll bar'

i suppose if i were shorter or had shorter arms and routinely needed to reach the bed for tools, etc., i might feel differently

the ford superduty line has more traditional lower bedsides as mentioned--might be an option for those looking for that sort of thing

 

[tom slick]

I am one of those rare people that actually haul stuff in the back of my truck and I like the taller bedsides of my F150. I can load more stuff (junk) into the back without needed to add sides to it. What I don't like about the bed design is that the tie down point are almost at the bottom of the bed side so once you get everything loaded you can't get to the tie down points. toyota and nissan have added tie down points up higher.

 

[heath1]

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I am one of those rare people that actually haul stuff in the back of my truck and I like the taller bedsides of my F150. I can load more stuff (junk) into the back without needed to add sides to it. What I don't like about the bed design is that the tie down point are almost at the bottom of the bed side so once you get everything loaded you can't get to the tie down points. toyota and nissan have added tie down points up higher.

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i'm with you on both accounts

 

[01rangerxl]

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My next door neighbor manages a construction equipment dealership. They beat the h*ll out the their service trucks. He won't buy anything but a Chevy/GMC for the business. They buy them, rack up 200,000 miles on them, and their mechanics will buy them off of the company when they replace them with new ones.

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My cousin is a contractor. He only buys Super Duties as work trucks. He has a Titan as his current personal truck, and has had a variety of trucks over the years, but for work trucks he buys Super Duties without exception.

 

[widman]

I wanted to go low with the box I built on my F550, but by the time I considered the spring height I realized that it has to be fairly high so the wheels don't hit the bed when loaded.

For me it was appearance and stability. For loading I put on a hydraulic lift.