Why do manufacturers raise the dang truck bed so high on new trucks? It's not conducive to towing or loading or unloading the bed. Are looks more important then function? Is there another reason besides vanity that they do this? I could understand if they needed to do so for larger brake rotors and wheels. Years ago GM took pride in the fact there truck had more ground clearance with less truck height.

That's a good question.....And it's not just in the past couple years either. I bought my 07 dually in August 2006. I grumbled about the same thing. And my 03 before it. Seems to me it was either 54 or 57 inches to the top of the box sides. Why?Never understood the need to have it so high off the ground that you could fly a small airplane through the enormous gap under the truck.I actually looked in to having the whole truck lowered but the logistics of it made me decide not to. The design is such that lowering it would cause all kinds of issues.Getting older now and with an ugly back injury and a really messed up shoulder, I now keep a 3 foot stepladder in the back so I can get in and out of the back without blowing a vein or something.Yeah, good question you posed here....

They may be a pain to get into and out of, towing, and loading stuff in the bed, but they sure do look manly. I would think a guy would grow chest hair just being around those things. :)Apparently the truck companies are just following the fad. Look how many guys spend a ton of dough to lift their trucks and be rewarded with worse handling, and a higher center of gravity. All in the name of vanity. Extremely popular here in the midwest, and has been for many years. Still confounds me. :h

I complained when I had to install my 'grampa step' just to get in and out of the bed but I was thankful for the clearance when back dragging 13" of heavy wet snow this winter. I've hung up trucks on the frame while plowing before, it's no fun.

Driven by the fashion statement crowd, who 'think' taller has more capacity/rating/etc...several locals 'think' their half ton is more truck than my 3/4 ton truck. Mine has higher GVWR/RGAWR/payload/etc and can enter local parking garages with a 6'4" entry height limit...while they can not...Ditto the latest 'larger, blunted nose' for pickups, etc. Ditto the larger dia wheels where they were considered low rider stuff and laughable to the TV crowd just a decade agoMarketing to the herd stuff and of course it works so well in selling. Toss in "Kind of the Hill" stuff...

I've seen people posting they have to flip axles to get to level. That added height to the centre of gravity must be hurt handling significantly, especially in an emergency turn. Victims to style.

New truck height's | Good Sam Community

Dayle1
Explorer II
Mar 03, 2017
4x4ord wrote:

Seems to me a forklift lifts a pallet of concrete 62" about as easy as it does 48".

True, but unless you have a forklift at home, unloading is still worse with taller bed floors.

4x4ord wrote:

For towing an RV a tow body would work the best .... orflat bed but most rv'ers seem to want what everybody else has.

Well, I'm the odd rv'er, ditched the factory bed for a lowered utility bed. Still have a tailgate, but it is never in the way. Bed rail height is 50" so no need for a step stool when hooking up. Tool boxes are on the sides, not inside the bed. It is now almost 14 yrs old and on the second truck, will last the rest of my towing life. Fancy, no, practical, yes.
Sport45
Explorer II
Mar 03, 2017
fj12ryder wrote:
They may be a pain to get into and out of, towing, and loading stuff in the bed, but they sure do look manly. I would think a guy would grow chest hair just being around those things. :)

But then he'd have to spend more time getting his chest waxed. Ouch! :)
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Mar 03, 2017
But it would also explain why you don't see many women driving these very "manly" trucks: unwanted side effects. :)
colliehauler
Explorer III
Mar 04, 2017
fj12ryder wrote:
But it would also explain why you don't see many women driving these very "manly" trucks: unwanted side effects. :)
Actually my sister in her 70's just bought a new GMC truck this year, she did have nerf bars put on to help climb in. Her husband bought a new Mustang GT.
Camper_G
Explorer
Mar 04, 2017
I personally like the ride height of my 17 Dodge 2500HD. The tailgate and rear bumper heights are tall however, so I could see how that would bother some, but it does not bother me. Different strokes for different folks. It's all personal preference.
Bedlam
Moderator
Mar 04, 2017
My last two trucks have had cab steps for the passengers. I'm tall and would not have had any if it was just me driving them - I find I have a harder time with low slung vehicles.
Groover
Explorer II
Mar 04, 2017
Being too tall is my main complaint on my 2016 F150. When I think about how much I paid for steps it seems to me that air suspension would not have cost much more and would have worked a lot better.

Does anyone here have a Ram with air suspension and are you happy with it?

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