What's Wrong With This Picture: Full-Sized Love Edition
by
Jack Baruth
Published: January 2nd, 2011
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Not to inflame the passions brought on by our CAFE regulations and pickup trucks article, but take a look at this still from a movie called “The Dentist 2”. Keep in mind, this is the very old second-gen Explorer that is busy dwarfing a GMC C-20 full-sized pickup; the modern, D3 unibody 2011 Explorer is a foot longer and three inches taller.
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I've worked in construction and driven 20-year old F-350s, 10-year old F-550s, new and almost-new F-250s and their GM equivalents... and I like the old ones more. It comes down to one specific thing: the height of the bed sides. I shouldn't need a ladder or a crane to grab my stuff out of the back! At least I can climb though - a lot of our superintendents are 50+ years old. They'll never admit it, but some of them would find it easier to use a smaller truck. By "smaller" I'm talking about height. We need long beds and a decent load rating (in the bed, not towing). We don't need tremendous towing capacity. It can come in handy, but isn't that what the larger models are for? We always had an F-550 flatbed on hand, but it's not like every carpenter and engineer needs all that much capacity. One of our competitors gave its engineers Tundras (previous-gen, back when it was a "7/8s" truck) and it never seemed to be a problem for them. Engineers would probably be fine with 4x4, 4-seat Tacomas.
Yes, the old trucks were smaller...but not because people were somehow more responsible or sensible in the 1960s. Instead of driving around in huge Silverados and F-150s, they drove around in huge Caprices and LTDS and Fury IIIs and Montereys and Bonnevilles and Ninety-Eights with big-block V-8s that got about 10-12 mpg in good conditions.
When my wife and I were shopping for a replacement for our Blazer I decided to look at the new Explorers. Even in the dealer lot I had a hard time telling the difference between the Explorer and Excursion unless they were side by side. Dittos for most late model domestic Pick-ups, the ride height on them is amazing. Doesn't anyone load their trucks by hand anymre?
"Doesn’t anyone load their trucks by hand anymre? ' Ever shovel 2500 lbs of 1 1/2" river rock into the bed of a PU at a dusty, shadeless, landscaping yard in 90 degree heat? Neither have I! ....LOL