What happened to regular cab pickup trucks?

[Mick!]

Car manufacturers are a business like any other, they don't make em cos there's no money in it anymore.
It's just not worth tooling up for something that won't sell in sufficient numbers.
Salesmen are just doing their job, trying to move metal.

 

[bstewert]

Yes, I totally understand that. What I'm missing is, what changed in our culture about how people haul stuff around in their pickup trucks? Oregon is probably a more "Joe Homeowner-Do it Yourself" state than most others, and yet I'm told there is no market for a truck with an 8' bed. Or, you can get one, but don't plan to park it in a garage. The used car guy last night told me when they get an 8' bed truck, it's gone quick. It's a puzzle to me.

 

[squisher]

I drive a long box extended cab f-350 for my personal truck, it's quite a common set-up for around here, four door with a rear bench. I like the space and don't mind parking it because I don't like to go many places where parking is a problem anyways. Lol.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Why do you need a 1 ton for a personal truck?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Horses

 

[MasterBlaster]

Doesn't that call for a work truck?

A personal truck is what I drive to go get groceries, or go to the movies/whatnot.

 

[squisher]

Yup, and I've used it for work as a back-up or alternate at times when other rigs are outfitted with plow/sanders during the overlap season. Also I got a good deal on it, I've owned it for six years now and it owes me nothing. Oil/brakes/ and one fuel pump are all it's ever cost me. Tires are the same size as my one plow truck so old plow tires become my daily drivers tires so I haven't even had to buy a single tire for it in that time either.

 

[squisher]

Doesn't that call for a work truck?

A personal truck is what I drive to go get groceries, or go to the movies/whatnot.

My wife has a truck too, sorta, a ridgeline. Last new vehicle I'll ever buy I think. I dislike it, rarely drive it but do sometimes.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Fuel must be cheap up nort. Nice.

 

[squisher]

It's not, unfortunately. More than down there I believe? The pricing of things reflect it........like treework.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Yeah, fuel is more expensive in Canada.

I drive a 3/4 ton everyday, in fact all my stuff is either a 3/4 or a one ton.

Dad just bought a 2001 chevy 3/4 HD with a regular cab, 4x4, auto, and a 6.0 liter. 112000 miles for 8000 bucks. I really like that pickup. They are out there, just used and harder to find. Does not bother me though, I never buy new, I prefer to let some other poor bastard take the depreciation in the pants!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I guarantee I will FUBAR anything less than a 3/4 ton with all that I do, work or pleasure.

 

[bstewert]

The Times they are a'changing, and sometimes that SUCKS!

Well said, Butch, and here's a pic I took today of the changed times.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I love my V-6 Chevy half-ton. A million miles on a tank of gas.

 

[squisher]

A million....that is good mileage!

 

[flushcut]

My next one will probably be... I miss our crew cab Dodge. Thing was like parking and turning the Titanic in town and god forbid you had a trailer behind it. But I really miss having the seats.

Calling the Dodge the Titanic is a little harsh but a school bus on the other hand is more fitting.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Easier to borrow/ use a trailer on occasion and have 4-6' bed for groceries, and more passenger room. The modern station wagon/ soccer mom mobile as Suburbans are getting replaced.

 

[bstewert]

Wouldn't you rather have your groceries covered from the rain, or more secure if you decided to make a stop or two after the grocery store? I don't see an advantage over a Suburban.

 

[HolmenTree]

This pic of my Ford Bronco was when I was up in the North Cascades exactly 30 years ago.
I miss that Bronco badly........but then myself being only 26 years old at the time I miss badly too.

 

[squisher]

Nice!

 

[HolmenTree]

Nice!

Thanks, I had a 1 year older brown one too with a 302 /auto.

This one had high back bucket seats with console , roll bar, air front and rear, power everything with a 400 c.i. mill,with auto.
Fun driving with the shell cap removed when 4x4-ing.
$14,000 brand new!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Calling the Dodge the Titanic is a little harsh but a school bus on the other hand is more fitting.

Relative to street and parking sites. They send tow trucks after wayward buses and large RVs here.....

 

[flushcut]

Bummer!

 

[Bermy]

Shame you can't get what you want.

In Tasmania we got a 2011 Isuzu 'D-Max', cab chassis (single cab) with what they call a 'flat tray' over here. The tray is aluminium, set over the wheels so we have a clear, flat 6'x8'6" of bed, We lined the bed and sides with form ply, so the tray doesn't get dented when we drop logs in it, and also a load of brush slides out pretty easy at the tip. We could get a tipper mechanism retrofit, but haven't had the need as yet. It's diesel 3.2litre, 1 tonne with 3 tonne towing.
We put gear in plastic tubs to stay dry but tucked behind the cab it rarely gets went under way.

We are about to upgrade the suspension as we also use it for putting the slide on camper for those 'getaway weekends'..

The almost exact same in other brands are:
Toyota HiLux
Ford Ranger
Nissan Navarra
Mitubishi...can't remember
Volkwagen Amarok (new)
Holden Commodore (identical)

 

[Mick!]

Willard, on the thread of trucks that we loved, here's my old hi lux, first decent vehicle I ever owned.