Will trucks ever become awesome again?

[u/cakeba]

I bought my first truck recently, a 2017 F-150 SCSB with the 5.0 and the 6 speed. 4x4. It has NOTHING. Manual windows, manual locks, I consider the A/C system to be the most luxurious aspect of the vehicle. I love it to death.

Is that era totally over and have I scored the last of its kind? Will we ever see boxy, simple, spacious trucks again? The free market is supposed to dictate what gets produced but between government regulations and what people are buying, it seems like every new truck is just amber running lights, plastic everything, complicated and expensive tech...

I feel a little bit hopeless about what the future holds for pickups, but I also think that if they made a real pickup for the pickup crowd, like literally brought back bricknoses and square bodies with nothing more than a modern power train (not too modern; a naturally aspirated V8 will do just fine) and modern suspension, they'd be knockouts with trades companies, simple people like myself, broke blue collar guys... How do we get them to put 4 wheel drive under metal boxes again without ipads for climate controls?

[u/eyecandynsx]

If you consider “awesome” a stripped down, featureless truck, then no. Manufacturers build what actually sells, not what a very select few want because they’re completely averse to technology and convenience features.

[u/cakeba → u/eyecandynsx]

It doesn't have to specifically be a lack of electric amenities. Honestly it could just be a lack of dials and buttons being on a screen, or the truck being the size of a nuclear submarine but with the same useful space as a truck from 20 years ago, or just a truck that's not 40% plastic grille, 40% origami tailgate, and 20% LED's and badging.

[u/RR50 → u/cakeba]

If you want a truck with the same space as a 20 year old truck, buy a ranger….

The new pro access tailgate (assuming that’s what your talking about with your origami tailgate comment) if fricking amazing, and I’ll admit I was very skeptical about it.

What is there possibly to be annoyed with LED’s?? You liked changing light bulbs??

[u/Drzhivago138 → u/RR50]

A 20-year-old F-150 (2005) is the same size as today's.

[u/RR50 → u/Drzhivago138]

I’m assuming he’s talking about the generation before that, which were smaller.

[u/Drzhivago138 → u/RR50]

The jellybean '97-03s were a whopping 6" shorter, all in the cabin (139" vs. 145" WB). Same bed sizes, widths, and heights. People forget that they were still full-size trucks that could hold 3 adults comfortably. Can't do that in a Ranger, even the bigger mid-size model.

[u/texasroadkill → u/Drzhivago138]

This 100%. As a person that has an old ranger and 60s ford f100s. Too many people try to say there the same size and I can tell you they most definitely are not. There is a huge size difference.

[u/Drzhivago138 → u/texasroadkill]

The mid-size Rangers are taller than they used to be, which makes them look bigger. But they're not as wide as a '61 F-100.

[u/texasroadkill → u/Drzhivago138]

Yup.

[u/Drzhivago138 → u/texasroadkill]

I've come to find that when people say they want "small trucks" (or cars) again, what they really want is low trucks. Look at how low the 2WD compacts sat compared to the 2WD mid-sizers of today.

[u/texasroadkill → u/Drzhivago138]

Not by enough to matter.