)
The retractable step...why?
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 707
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo, Wyoming
I don't know about ratings or anything like that, but i am in no way a little man. I'm close to 300lbs and me and my bro carried a fridge into the back of our 08' 250 and i was carrying a fridge and was steeping on the tailgate step and it didn't even really bend. I would be comfortable with putting up to 600lbs on it.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 559
Likes: 0
What I don't understand is why are the beds getting deeper and deeper with every build. Why do these manufactures think we need a box that deep.
I for one don't like it and it really throws the overall dimensions of the truck out of whack.
The cabs have to be taller to match and it's cutting down on the aerodynamics by a ton.
I for one don't like it and it really throws the overall dimensions of the truck out of whack.
The cabs have to be taller to match and it's cutting down on the aerodynamics by a ton.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
Think about how many gas caps they no longer have to buy.....
I like my deep box....just this weekend i had 8 bales of insulation in there and they were hardly above the bed.....much easier to keep tied down...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 1997
Posts: 23,165
Likes: 18
From: Enjoying the real world.
It's actually the other way around. Consumers have wanted bigger, roomier cabs with flatter floors (you can see it get flatter in the 2004 change and then completely flat in 2009). The beds had to be deepened to match the cab/back window lines, because it would have looked really stupid if all the windows were 4 inches taller!
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
+1 on the tailgate step, my bud dropped by in a new F350 superduty he was transferring between dealers a while back and the step made getting into the bed much easier, it's getting to be quite a leap into the back of these trucks. Here's a solid 250lbs standing on the step, it didn't flex at all. 
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Northeast Ohio
Why would you assume Ford is going to put steps on their trucks that are going to just simply fall off when some weight is put on them?
That would be extremly stupid and leave Ford open for lawsuits when the steps failed at 200 lbs.
Not to mention the bad press that would come with that. GM, Dodge, and Toyota dealers would have a heyday with that when someone asks them why should I buy your truck isntead of an F-150.
That would be extremly stupid and leave Ford open for lawsuits when the steps failed at 200 lbs.
Not to mention the bad press that would come with that. GM, Dodge, and Toyota dealers would have a heyday with that when someone asks them why should I buy your truck isntead of an F-150.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 0
Lol i know what ya mean. My bro in law rents out medical equipment to hospitals for obese people and he said that it is getting out of control over here. They are having to order more and more beds that can carry weights upto 1000lb because people are getting so big. You will have to put them people in the bed of a truck to get them about lol
Super Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 39,997
Likes: 1,516
From: Maine, Virginia
The next thing to come will be a factory installed hand crank articulating crane to lift heavy objects over the sides. I think the steps are a great option, I hope Ford was able to patent them.
Tim
Tim
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,512
Likes: 0
i have seen some other systems where they fold out from the side but none like fords. im sure they will all have there own versions soon.
Senior User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: sw colorado
I could care less about the tailgate step, as I'm still fairly agile. I am also 6'2", and can't reach into the bed or toolbox unless its real close. I like the sidestep, haven't seen one in person yet though.
