What do GM, Ford, Ram do to improve their 2500/3500 models

Cummins12V98 wrote:
" Both were in the mid $30,000 range. I just don't see how anyone could spend $70,000 for a truck."

How about a little truth in lending!

What year were the 30k trucks? Were they FULLY loaded top of the line?

I paid $65,755 for my 15 LongHorn DRW fully loaded. Rebates came off that, can't remember somewhere around 4k.

I am sure I can get the same truck for 70k or less net.

No they weren't fully loaded, that's the point. One was a 2005, the other a 2007. A company I worked for bought a brand new 2015 Chevy 4 door 4wd long bed for about $38,000The The options you can put on a truck pretty much double the price. You could buy a second truck for the cost of the options.
Also, many of these things are no longer optional. You can no longer get:
manual transmission, manual hubs, manual windows, manual door locks.
You are required, in many cases to have: traction control, tire pressure monitoring,
Chevy no longer offers a regular cab 2wd, you have to get a crew cab to have 2wd. Even the base WT model comes with a color touch screen and a back-up camera.
When you're just buying a truck to have your employees drive around and pump out port-a-johns or carry cinder blocks or whatever having these things on the truck is silly. When you're buying a truck to spend most of it's life on the same 100 acre farm hauling hay and cow poop you don't need nor want this stuff. For a farm truck a long trip is going 15 miles into town to pick up some sacks of feed.
I once walked onto a Chevy dealer's lot looking for a new work truck. They are a very large dealer in our agricultural county. They probably had 50 trucks on the lot. Not one of them was an 8' bed, not one. They said they could order me one.
If the fancy expensive options were truly options then fine but they are increasingly forced up those who don't need them. This hurts the bottom line of people who need trucks to make a living.

GordonThree wrote:
I've never seen a custom order truck offering incentives anywhere close to what's offered on dealer stock. Especially with mega dealers now that operate dozens of locations.

So I would argue that yes, technically you can order a strip down truck and pay nearly full price for it, or you can buy something with bells and whistles and negotiate down the price.

Even around here the snow plow work trucks have a lot of options, but there's tactics to get a better price on them.

Well when I bought my 18 it was what you describe as "a strip down truck". And it is, but it has what I want and need or the job which I bought it to do. And I bought it for less than the one sitting on the lot.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

1320Fastback wrote:
Lower price, lower body and bed, less amenities, less gizmos, less plastics, less electronics.

This meets every requirement LOL

That is good!!

1320Fastback wrote:
Lower price, lower body and bed, less amenities, less gizmos, less plastics, less electronics.

This meets every requirement LOL

Auto steering. I think it's crazy that I still have to herd my truck down the highway.

ppine wrote:
Trucks continue to get better. They are all pretty similar.
I agree that they are too fancy. No need for leather seats, back up cameras, MP3 gizmo video games. and a lot of other stuff. NO King Ranch, Eddie Bauer, Patauguchi crapola.

The market has attracted a lot of car people that want 4 doors and car like ammenities. They are willing to buy a truck with a 5 foot bed. This has created a lot of trucks that are not really suited for truck like work.

UH, NOT a "car person" as the last "car" I have owned was a 1972 240Z in the 70/80's.

Worked my AZZ off in Construction for 35 years driving at least a 1,000,000 miles commuting with 400k of it with a stick and no AC. So when it came time to retire I bought the nicest truck i could and 4 years later i bought another one. Now in 2020 I may buy another!

Do I "NEED" the upper trim level??? UH yea I do!

" Both were in the mid $30,000 range. I just don't see how anyone could spend $70,000 for a truck."

How about a little truth in lending!

What year were the 30k trucks? Were they FULLY loaded top of the line?

I paid $65,755 for my 15 LongHorn DRW fully loaded. Rebates came off that, can't remember somewhere around 4k.

I am sure I can get the same truck for 70k or less net.

I'll keep the heated leather seats, thanks. And the rear view camera. You marlboro men can have your tough guy trucks. Those vinyl seats are "plastic" by the way.

Drove my truck today after clearing snow from it without gloves. Sure would have like to have a heated steering wheel like our Challenger does.
I like the junk on them so that part is OK .
I know this is too much to ask but butter fuel economy would be great.

aaaa, but those heated and cooled seats and steering wheels sure are nice...
and then there are (fill in the blanks) that are also nice to have.