Engineering trick or are these aluminum beds that crappy?
#106
I picked up a few loads of pea gravel for our old driveway in my old 1978 F100 shortbed flareside; it was dropped in with a loader. I did have a tarp in the bed, but the bottom of the bed, if you recall flaresides, was oak planks with steel skid strips. And the bed sides and rear fenders were one layer pretty thick steel.
So the bed floor was definitely dentproof, but when I sold the truck in 1986, the wood was rotting and had ventilation holes at the front of the bed where water/snow would gather. (Fortunately I sold it on a snowy day when the bed was full of snow and the buyer did not notice...times were different back then.) In addition, although the fenders were one layer of heavy steel (about as thick as a dang bathtub), Ford had sprayed the undersides with heavy undercoating which fractured where they joined the bed, held salt and water, so the dang Fenders rusted through on the tops. So the good old days did have some better ideas...but it wasn't all great. If I was buying a pickup, I'd take aluminum over steel.
George
So the bed floor was definitely dentproof, but when I sold the truck in 1986, the wood was rotting and had ventilation holes at the front of the bed where water/snow would gather. (Fortunately I sold it on a snowy day when the bed was full of snow and the buyer did not notice...times were different back then.) In addition, although the fenders were one layer of heavy steel (about as thick as a dang bathtub), Ford had sprayed the undersides with heavy undercoating which fractured where they joined the bed, held salt and water, so the dang Fenders rusted through on the tops. So the good old days did have some better ideas...but it wasn't all great. If I was buying a pickup, I'd take aluminum over steel.
George
#107
I buy what has the features and performance I'm looking for and needing. I don't care if it's steel or aluminum. Ford won out because of the interior features that the GMC didn't have. If the GMC had proximity door unlocking, push button start and rear AC vents I would be driving a GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate 4X4 6.2l right now.
#108
#111
I take any of these "tests"(good or bad)with a grain of salt. They are all designed to exploit strengths or weaknesses.
I guess if someone uses these tests as the only research for the best truck then they should buy a Honda Ridgeline because according to the test they did the Ridgeline has the best box.
I guess if someone uses these tests as the only research for the best truck then they should buy a Honda Ridgeline because according to the test they did the Ridgeline has the best box.
#113
I use my truck for family and farm and have never banged up my truck like that even though I have a steel body truck. What I am curious to see is how well they will hold up in a salt air environment. Launching boats and living the coastal life as I do here in fl. My current truck is a 2012 f250. It shows signs of launching boats and salt corrosion. But it's to be expected.
#114
Linex adds an amazing amount of strength to the bed. And you can always add a rubber mat over the top.
#115
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