Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Dear Truck designer

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I write this letter in hopes that I ca change your mind about how you design your pickup trucks. I know your marketing dept. associates want a design that will appeal to deek swingin real men and testoranounally jealous females. But really, what ever happened to "form follows function"?
For instance, my 2002 Ford F150 was a handy truck in every way. You could step right into the cab and the box was at a handy height. Now, my 2002 Ford, as well as every newer model I see today, is a jacked up giant tired behemoth, that will actually carry less load and is in nearly every way less handy to use as a TRUCK! My wife practically needs a ladder to get into the passenger side, running boards are absolutely necessary unless you are built with a six foot four leg anatomy. My 2002 has work boxes on the side with side doors. Heaven help me if they had top doors as the side door are nearly eyeball height! There is also a ladder rack, which, because of the the height of the truck, usually demands that I step up on the bumper to reach any ladder strapped to it!
All this jacked up glory so that I can drive it across the swamps and bogs of the North American Midwest on the weekends? Or is the height intended to impress female buyers , who can then watch from a "big and manly" perspective, looking down on the "leetle" people driving cars and motorcycles?
If nothing else, I suspect that you designers own stock in the after market tire companies. How else to explain the two foot of clearance in the wheel wells? Is this so the owners of these jacked up monsters can fit humongo tires on the rims to the tune of $200 apiece?
Gawd, I wish for the return of truck models from the 60s thru 80s. Functional beasts, with accessible cabs and boxes that could be unloaded in a convenient manner.
I don't need a truck that screams "machismo" to every bystander! I don't need a truck that will plow through and run over giant fallen logs and waist deep sinkholes! and my wife doesn't think I need a truck that displays my giant ego and manhood! I just need a truck that I can use to work. You know, haulin plywood, sheetrock, boards, bricks and the occasional happy dog!

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100% right Rich!.You should see them in Thailand, where two out of three vehicles is a monster SUV or 4 door pickup driven by some penile challenged sucker.At traffic lights next to them you're eye level with their wheel nuts.They must carry ladders to get into them and sit on a couple of phone books to see over the steering wheel.I exaggerate as usual but not by much!
The driving is atrocious here and skills none existent.Instead of the "Child in car" stickers I see, they should have "Drunk child driving car"
I'll be back in OZ in a week on my Triumph and laid back! YAHOOO!
I always say when I arrive home,I will NEVER complain about Australian driving again[but unfortunately it doesn't last]

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But ya know, my critcism is not of "customized" trucks, rather I just hate these stock from the factory, stoopid jacked up, impractical cadilacs that are out there! I want a truck to use as a TOOL, not as an extension of my virility! Another wrinkle for me to btch about....do you know how hard it is to find a truck with a standard ole 8 FT. BED?! Everything out there is a king cab, extra seat in the back, short bed. Great is you're gonna parade around with your friends and family but WORTHLESS if you actually want to haul anything!

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Yes these are factory SUVs and Pickups I'm talking about Rich.My exaggerations may have thrown you.I didn't mean literally looking at the wheel nuts like a monster truck but a lot of thais are small guys and would need a leg up from someone to get into them Yes 4 door,king cab etc.They're big enough to completely cover a lane here and as the thais are crap drivers a LOT of times they're using MORE than a full lane.
But all stuff gets bigger. My Mum had a 1969 Toyota Corolla.I saw one the other day.It looked like a matchbox.The Corolla today is almost family sedan sized.
My America next to a '69-'70 Bonnie dwarfs it.Bigger is better syndrome???