pickup truck

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by RussL30

I think my 2017 F150 looks great and the old Fords look good too.

However, I don't know if anything looks better than the early 70's Chevy C10's with the open face grill, 2 tone paint job and rally wheels. Several
Colors look great, but I love the blue and white.

I really loved that style when they came out in 1967 and remember the joys of building a plastic model of one.

We had new blue 1972 for our farm and scrap yards that had a really hard life. A really beat up and rusted one with a spray painted white I-beam for front bumper was one of my struggling between work and college vehicles. They were at once sort of good and sort of introducing us to the malaise era - lots of crappy aspects too.

One day driving that rusted crappy shift mechanism POS to grocery store a bus driver was being a bully and I thought it could not really look much worse than it does. The bus in essence side swiped me. We saw a blue smudge on the white bus but it was hard to identify any more damage when we got to the grocery store.

What memories of what crap the vehicles used to be, and where I once was. They were not very healthy towards and after 100,000 miles. I remember a time when the rotten thing failed pulling into a driveway after a snow storm and getting washed with frigid water in the gutter. Bushings would wear out and so did hoses leak. You could cut a section of fuel pump hose and it fit in the lose shift linkage.

I can't help but smile now living well, and about to drive my wife's modern German car with a manual transmission that's polar opposite for look/feel/touch/smell.

[Gitfiddlemann]

What memories of what crap the vehicles used to be, and where I once was. They were not very healthy towards and after 100,000 miles.

That's an interesting comment, but contradictory to what I've heard.
I was talking to my mechanic yesterday. He was commenting on how many more newer vehicles and trucks are coming in every day with parts related problems. Parts that used to last much longer in older trucks like mine. Especially the Fords, GMCs and Chevies.
Not only that, but these vehicles are more complex and expensive to fix these days. Customers need to fork over much more to get them back running.
Both my trucks are pretty old, 185K + 200+K, but he still advised me to hang on to them as long as I can. Needed parts for them are also cheaper, and less labor to fix.
So, I'm in a stuck pattern. EV's aren't a viable solution for me yet. I'm thinking a used Tundra would be a good one to find in the interim to replace mine. Everyone I've talked to that owns one raves about them.

[KenL]

We were in St. Louis last month visiting my son. He drives a newer F-150. We had flown in, so we didn't have a vehicle. He let me borrow his truck one day, with a warning that it was really hard to park, so find a spot way out in the parking lot where there was lots of room.

Man, he was right about that! Hard to keep between the dotted white lines too! I haven't driven anything that big for a long time, and really had to pay attention. St. Louis, being an old city, has some pretty narrow roads, so I really had to be careful.

It was a nice enough truck, and he likes it. But I think I'll stick to my Honda Ridgeline. I know, I know, it's "not a real truck," as all the Tacoma drivers like to say, but it's about the perfect size for me.

[zuzu]

On the EV front, I recently heard talk of or read somewhere that the EV makers are considering a different type of infrastructure plan for EVs. What is proposed is to have battery charging stations, along the lines of the little oil change garages, and have the EV pull in, drop the battery, then remount a charged one, customer drives away, they put the depleted battery on charge for later use, and hopefully it takes not much longer than it takes to fill a gas tank. Some suggest you may not even own the battery from the start, but pay sort of lease to use the service. Sounds plausible if they can figure a way for the batteries to be quickly mounted and dismounted, and if it can be made profitable.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Gitfiddlemann

That's an interesting comment, but contradictory to what I've heard.
I was talking to my mechanic yesterday. He was commenting on how many more newer vehicles and trucks are coming in every day with parts related problems. Parts that used to last much longer in older trucks like mine. Especially the Fords, GMCs and Chevies.
Not only that, but these vehicles are more complex and expensive to fix these days. Customers need to fork over much more to get them back running.
Both my trucks are pretty old, 185K + 200+K, but he still advised me to hang on to them as long as I can. Needed parts for them are also cheaper, and less labor to fix.
So, I'm in a stuck pattern. EV's aren't a viable solution for me yet. I'm thinking a used Tundra would be a good one to find in the interim to replace mine. Everyone I've talked to that owns one raves about them.

My whole life has shown gaps between what people perceive and what well-supported data shows. In our enterprise this is annual audit time. That is not showing any red flags with vehicle purchases we've had to make recently and in past few years.

One of those old Chevy pickups I mentioned - the bought new and cared for - needed a short block for its long life. That used to be common but not now. The fleet vehicles we often keep beyond a lease or warranty usually get 250,000 or more miles of decent service.

The auto industry has had two major recent wrinkles with price jumps already reversing, and a lot of labor related manufacturing challenges. Otherwise we're still in the trend where the fleet age keeps growing and where the vehicles have a much longer life expectancy. Not all brands have had some of the same challenges.

It is hard for some that we have new competitors and change but those things are good overall. Innovation comes out of it too.

Maybe we are in a similar pattern? One vehicle is still under new car warranty, some are aging, and "some" occurred because we kept or got older cars to aid the kids who are young and not fully done with school, internships 'n such. Mostly last year I was happy to do some fixes, but a bunch of new tires, and wait.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by zuzu

On the EV front, I recently heard talk of or read somewhere that the EV makers are considering a different type of infrastructure plan for EVs. What is proposed is to have battery charging stations, along the lines of the little oil change garages, and have the EV pull in, drop the battery, then remount a charged one, customer drives away, they put the depleted battery on charge for later use, and hopefully it takes not much longer than it takes to fill a gas tank. Some suggest you may not even own the battery from the start, but pay sort of lease to use the service. Sounds plausible if they can figure a way for the batteries to be quickly mounted and dismounted, and if it can be made profitable.

A couple of years ago, I’d read about this concept which was actually being contemplated by Musk/Tesla foreseeing a network of “superstations.” At any scale, let-alone the cost of creating such an infrastructure, personally I think that approach is fraught with potential problems (e.g. warranties, problems caused by a faulty swapped battery bank, etc.) such that I doubt it will ever happen.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by zuzu

On the EV front, I recently heard talk of or read somewhere that the EV makers are considering a different type of infrastructure plan for EVs. What is proposed is to have battery charging stations, along the lines of the little oil change garages, and have the EV pull in, drop the battery, then remount a charged one, customer drives away, they put the depleted battery on charge for later use, and hopefully it takes not much longer than it takes to fill a gas tank. Some suggest you may not even own the battery from the start, but pay sort of lease to use the service. Sounds plausible if they can figure a way for the batteries to be quickly mounted and dismounted, and if it can be made profitable.

Originally Posted by Acousticado

A couple of years ago, I’d read about this concept which was actually being contemplated by Musk/Tesla foreseeing a network of “superstations.” At any scale, let-alone the cost of creating such an infrastructure, personally I think that approach is fraught with potential problems (e.g. warranties, problems caused by a faulty swapped battery bank, etc.) such that I doubt it will ever happen.

My understanding is the module idea is mostly or alive with fleet and commercial vehicles if only for labor and how most people use their vehicles. A lot of it is just for the delays with current charging and new era batteries already here and coming. The other stuff is in @Acousticado reply.

One big delay in charge infrastructure is over most states having old laws on who can resell electricity. On top of that we still have an economy strong where a whole lot of construction is in queue for lack of resources to get it done. Just moving an existing one by one of our stores isn't done in more than a year mostly for getting the resources and mostly people in queue. I understand it to be a common problem.

GM is finalizing or working on new hybrid pickups, and I saw not at all disguised not shipping yet GM EVs recently.

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

A couple of years ago, I’d read about this concept which was actually being contemplated by Musk/Tesla foreseeing a network of “superstations.” At any scale, let-alone the cost of creating such an infrastructure, personally I think that approach is fraught with potential problems (e.g. warranties, problems caused by a faulty swapped battery bank, etc.) such that I doubt it will ever happen.

Too bad. I see that as the only thing that would make the whole EV idea palatable to the average guy.

[casualmusic]

My most enjoyable vehicle was a full size GMC Jimmy SUV.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Too bad. I see that as the only thing that would make the whole EV idea palatable to the average guy.

"the only thing" ? not really
Actually the battery swap in the US is conceived more as a possible concept purposed to address long distance driving---

The current EV reality is already becoming more and more "palatable" to the "average person" for commute to work situations
Not only is the charging infrastructure expanding for at home and at the workplace BUT

What is already alternatively quite "palatable" for the "average" american person is :

The average american household owns two or more vehicles 59 % (so one can be for work and one for long distance )
The average american commute to work is 41 miles round trip
The average american household owns their own home -66%
The average american home can facilitate a home charger either 110- 120 volt,,, or split from existing 220 circuit
The average EV single charge range is now 200 -250 miles

Right now the biggest deterrent to EV for the "average" person is still cost but that is also steadily coming down

But none of this is really what the OP is about and is more suited to something like "The current state of EV's " thread

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by KevWind

"the only thing" ? not really
Actually the battery swap in the US is conceived more as a possible concept purposed to address long distance driving---

The current EV reality is already becoming more and more "palatable" to the "average person" for commute to work situations
Not only is the charging infrastructure expanding for at home and at the workplace BUT

What is already alternatively quite "palatable" for the "average" american person is :

The average american household owns two or more vehicles 59 % (so one can be for work and one for long distance )
The average american commute to work is 41 miles round trip
The average american household owns their own home -66%
The average american home can facilitate a home charger either 110- 120 volt,,, or split from existing 220 circuit
The average EV single charge range is now 200 -250 miles

Right now the biggest deterrent to EV for the "average" person is still cost but that is also steadily coming down

But none of this is really what the OP is about and is more suited to something like "The current state of EV's " thread

How about this twist? At work the EV that replaced a Silverado HD has done absolutely great. It had one minor warranty issue which means it beat the GM. Beyond it doing 200-300 mile distances a lot, it saves labor and maintenance costs.

The Fords are van format but give me faith same stuff in a pickup shape would be just as good.

We see vendors with truck and commercial class EVs all doing well and happy with the decisions. My biggest smile there is I've spotted electric semis deliver now.

A big chuckle to me is seeing about everyone with a smart phone now and remembering earlier rejections to that and other technology. I can't imaging EVs having the total saturation but from what we see and experience I know it will.

The city of Madison, WI and a few surrounding communities are worth watching. The whole area is way ahead of the game with utilities, infrastructure and their fleets are watched. There are electric fire trucks and trash trucks plus dozens of electric buses. When budgets and news come up they have good data on how the stuff actually works and the total costs.

The area is also worth watching for related hot topics. There's more resiliency in the grid. One power plant in the region has a troubled nuclear reactor and the solar and wind next door and near are already generating same capacity.

For sure there are hiccups, none of it perfect, but none of it is the mess or what detractors often say.

As far as light trucks, our biggest business problem is same if they are ICE. The delivery and gig economy. Companies that are regional or smaller competing with ones not yet profitable and hammering on prices, plus little to no obligation to compensate staff as traditional business must.

[Don Lampson]

I've been "a pickup man" since the late '80s, 3 Toyotas, 2 Mazdas, a Nissan Frontier, & a Ford Ranger.... My most recent Tacoma is an '07, that I'll drive until Gabriel blows his horn for me....

Like folks who just have to have horses, dogs, or cats, I can't imagine life w/o having a reliable truck? My old rig may have a few dents, scrapes, & rattles, but what the heck, so does its' owner!

Don

[cyclistbrian]

Originally Posted by zuzu

The 1978 Ford F series is the best looking pickup ever made. Says I.

Ten year old me agreed and spent hours pouring over the brochure. Somehow I had it in my head a green XLT standard cab 4 x 4 with the 8ft. box, a panel outline pinstripe job, and some accessories from Dick Cepek would be just about perfect. The 78 - 79 grill headlight combo was perfect.

Nowadays I realize the Advance series of Chevys and any post war Ford through 56 were equally beautiful. But yea..with the possible exception of the late 50s Ford has never built an ugly truck. Even the jellybean 90s ones have grown on me but those are seldom seen these days.

[J Patrick]

.....i'll take a 48 F-1 please...

[1armbandit]

I have had multiple pickups in my life starting with a 1949 Chevy when I was 13, also a 1956 Ford, 1960 Studebaker, 1963 GMC, 1973 Ford and 1994 Ford Supercab. We have also had a few Ford Rangers and currently have a 2002 F150 Supercab and a 1978 F150. We bought the 2002 to replace the '78 but I haven't sold the '78 yet. Seems buyers on FB marketplace want a daily commute vehicle or it's their dream truck and they. Only have $500 to spend. I can wait for the right person to come along.

Jack