Chevy steel bed vs. Ford aluminum bed

[herm0016]

Seems to me Chevy can switch to Al body panels but if I was the engineer I wouldn't sacrifice strength in the bed.

maybe they will just weld a steel tub into the aluminum structure.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...8/gm-says-first-weld-steel-aluminum/84558702/

 

[sttubs]

Living in the rust belt I'll be all over the aluminum body Fords. My Suburban prematurely rusted IMO. I see a lot of fairly newish Chevy trucks with rust on them already. Very disappointing considering 40K price ranges.

 

[Zivic]

Uh... just because you live in suburbia hell with soccer moms and dads, please don't assume that means the rest of the country has forgotten how to do real work with real trucks. M'kay?

I guess the fact that I am actual farmer might mean I've seen a couple dents and scratches in my truck bed... I know there are people out there that are using their trucks like trucks. Those people know those ads are bs and keep on buying their preferred brand... an ad like that is trying persuade the suburban warrior you are referring to.

Me, I'm sticking with my Toyota pickups. My dad and brothers like their Fords... steal, aluminum, or unuptanium beds are secondary to the badge.

 

[natto fire]

I guess the fact that I am actual farmer might mean I've seen a couple dents and scratches in my truck bed... I know there are people out there that are using their trucks like trucks. Those people know those ads are bs and keep on buying their preferred brand... an ad like that is trying persuade the suburban warrior you are referring to.

Me, I'm sticking with my Toyota pickups. My dad and brothers like their Fords... steal, aluminum, or unuptanium beds are secondary to the badge.

Doesn't that directly contradict what you posted before? I get what you are saying, as there are lots of mall-cruising trucks and SUVs around here as well. I was raised on GM trucks, and my family and I never owned trucks for cruising, they were strictly workhorses. We even ended up getting a Ford van for the catering business, and my dad would gripe about it compared to the G20 he had before.

My uncle has an Express 2500 that just hit 400k, with lots of towing trailers and being fully loaded with electrical gear. I can assure you there are plenty of people rolling around in crank window, manual door lock rigs hauling stuff.

 

[herm0016]

Doesn't that directly contradict what you posted before? I get what you are saying, as there are lots of mall-cruising trucks and SUVs around here as well. I was raised on GM trucks, and my family and I never owned trucks for cruising, they were strictly workhorses. We even ended up getting a Ford van for the catering business, and my dad would gripe about it compared to the G20 he had before.

My uncle has an Express 2500 that just hit 400k, with lots of towing trailers and being fully loaded with electrical gear. I can assure you there are plenty of people rolling around in crank window, manual door lock rigs hauling stuff.

Hauled 400 lbs of yard wast and about 500 of mulch today. Couple big rocks in the mulch dumped in by a loader hit pretty good. (Free city mulch)

 

[Pacfanweb]

As a Chevy guy...

I don't see anyone in their right mind dumping a bobcat load of concrete blocks into the bed from 4+ feet above.

Probably not, but the part with the toolbox is legit. That can happen for sure in "real life".

 

[gorcorps]

Living in the rust belt I'll be all over the aluminum body Fords. My Suburban prematurely rusted IMO. I see a lot of fairly newish Chevy trucks with rust on them already. Very disappointing considering 40K price ranges.

Keep in mind that only the exposed panels are aluminum. Inside those panels are still steel structure, so rust is still a possibility just not immediately apparent.

I'm also holding off in seeing how the F150s do with galvanic corrosion. Ford has used aluminum hoods and trunks in a lot of their models for years now, and my buddy is having a lot of issues with his Mustang hood because the aluminum is corroding and bubbling under the paint. They didn't do a good job of isolating the hood panel from the steel frame which causes quick corrosion issues. I'm waiting to see if they've learned how to solve that in the F150 or if 3 years down the road we're going to see the same problem on these new trucks.

 

[Zivic]

Doesn't that directly contradict what you posted before? I get what you are saying, as there are lots of mall-cruising trucks and SUVs around here as well. I was raised on GM trucks, and my family and I never owned trucks for cruising, they were strictly workhorses. We even ended up getting a Ford van for the catering business, and my dad would gripe about it compared to the G20 he had before.

My uncle has an Express 2500 that just hit 400k, with lots of towing trailers and being fully loaded with electrical gear. I can assure you there are plenty of people rolling around in crank window, manual door lock rigs hauling stuff.

what I am saying is that the people who buy 1/2 trucks aren't likely using them as trucks... the ad is complete BS. people that would use a truck like shown in the ad are contractors/farmers and will have a 3/4-1 ton truck and likely have an appropriate trailer to haul their block in. Obviously 'some one' out there is beating on his 1/2 ton daily, but that guy is like me and will be buying his preferred brand regardless of what the truck is made out of... For example, I cannot fathom a scenario that would lead me into a chevy dealer to look at a truck... maybe if ford, toyota, nissan, and dodge all suddenly went out of the truck business..

 

[SparkyJJO]

I get what you're saying. I'm pretty much a GM guy so odds of me looking at any of the others too seriously are pretty slim. Aside from my first car (which was a hand me down from my Dad at the time) all I've ever purchased have been Chevys.

You get your favorite and tend to stick with it, for the most part.

 

[sttubs]

Keep in mind that only the exposed panels are aluminum. Inside those panels are still steel structure, so rust is still a possibility just not immediately apparent.

I'm also holding off in seeing how the F150s do with galvanic corrosion. Ford has used aluminum hoods and trunks in a lot of their models for years now, and my buddy is having a lot of issues with his Mustang hood because the aluminum is corroding and bubbling under the paint. They didn't do a good job of isolating the hood panel from the steel frame which causes quick corrosion issues. I'm waiting to see if they've learned how to solve that in the F150 or if 3 years down the road we're going to see the same problem on these new trucks.

Good to know, I was not aware of this.

 

[ultimatebob]

So Honda has a built in bed liner? What's the big deal?

It's a good point, though. If that Ford had a bed liner (which any truck that does real work for a living should), it probably would have been fine.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Yeah, no one would do what they're doing. In addition - anyone doing that sort of work is likely going to have a bed liner. Those fractures don't hurt the integrity of the bed either - it's aluminum so it's not going to rust. You can weld them and be done. The Chevy bed is going to start rusting inside a year from that damage.
.

Who's going to weld that aluminum for you? You can't just fix it with your handy MIG welder in your garage. You have to TIG aluminum. Not many people have those....that'd mean taking it to a shop.

And with the steel bed, it's not going to rust if you just put some touch up paint on it. Much easier.

 

[Yuriman]

Keep in mind that only the exposed panels are aluminum. Inside those panels are still steel structure, so rust is still a possibility just not immediately apparent.

I'm also holding off in seeing how the F150s do with galvanic corrosion. Ford has used aluminum hoods and trunks in a lot of their models for years now, and my buddy is having a lot of issues with his Mustang hood because the aluminum is corroding and bubbling under the paint. They didn't do a good job of isolating the hood panel from the steel frame which causes quick corrosion issues. I'm waiting to see if they've learned how to solve that in the F150 or if 3 years down the road we're going to see the same problem on these new trucks.

I drive an aluminum car which has some steel bits on it, and I'm not shy around salt. All of the steel bits are properly isolated, and even at 16 years old, everything except for the paint job (where rocks and such have chipped it) looks like the day it rolled out of the factory. Meanwhile, you can put your hand through the rocker and quarter panels on most other similarly-aged cars around here.

If it's done right, it's a vast improvement over steel.

16 years of salt damage:

 

[Meghan54]

It's not nobody but I'd figure ~80% of truck buyers don't need a truck. They sure as hell sell great though obviously.

You know, I see this sentiment over and over when anyone brings up trucks, and I always wonder why the "need" should take precedence over "want" in pickups and almost nowhere else. I rarely see anyone carping one shouldn't by, say, a Corvette or BMW or Miata or most any other vehicle because the person wants it instead of "needs" it.

The suggestion that no one should have a pickup because there's no need for it is ridiculous.

Well, maybe not ridiculous if you're going to pay for it for the person....then your opinion matters. Otherwise.....

 

[gorcorps]

I drive an aluminum car which has some steel bits on it, and I'm not shy around salt. All of the steel bits are properly isolated, and even at 16 years old, everything except for the paint job (where rocks and such have chipped it) looks like the day it rolled out of the factory. Meanwhile, you can put your hand through the rocker and quarter panels on most other similarly-aged cars around here.

If it's done right, it's a vast improvement over steel.

16 years of salt damage:

True... IF it's done right. That's why I'll be watching what happens with these early model F150s to see if they did it right. What I've seen on their hoods in the past doesn't give me confidence, but they may have learned. Only time will tell

 

[Pacfanweb]

You know, I see this sentiment over and over when anyone brings up trucks, and I always wonder why the "need" should take precedence over "want" in pickups and almost nowhere else. I rarely see anyone carping one shouldn't by, say, a Corvette or BMW or Miata or most any other vehicle because the person wants it instead of "needs" it.

The suggestion that no one should have a pickup because there's no need for it is ridiculous.

Well, maybe not ridiculous if you're going to pay for it for the person....then your opinion matters. Otherwise.....

Everyone who owns a house needs a truck. IMO.

 

[Torn Mind]

The gem is people thinking a truck is not used like a truck even though they can't see the contents in the bed. You know, it might have the contents unloaded and installed already and the dude is just going home.

 

[Tweak155]

True... IF it's done right. That's why I'll be watching what happens with these early model F150s to see if they did it right. What I've seen on their hoods in the past doesn't give me confidence, but they may have learned. Only time will tell

They had the same problem on their Expedition tailgates and hoods too.

I have an aluminum F150, but it's a lease. I'll probably never buy a new car outright again.

 

[cbrunny]

It's not nobody but I'd figure ~80% of truck buyers don't need a truck. They sure as hell sell great though obviously.

At least. Probably over 90%.

You know, I see this sentiment over and over when anyone brings up trucks, and I always wonder why the "need" should take precedence over "want" in pickups and almost nowhere else. I rarely see anyone carping one shouldn't by, say, a Corvette or BMW or Miata or most any other vehicle because the person wants it instead of "needs" it.

The suggestion that no one should have a pickup because there's no need for it is ridiculous.

Well, maybe not ridiculous if you're going to pay for it for the person....then your opinion matters. Otherwise.....

Valid point. Add in the typical truck owner douchbaggery on the road and truck nuts... lol i'm kidding, sort of. Point is valid.

 

[slag]

means nobody will use either truck, aluminum or steal bed, like they showed in the ad.

those that might do something like that will have a 1 ton and be pulling an appropriate trailer to haul the block... 1/2 ton owners don't use a truck like a truck. They put a spray in liner than put a tonneau cover on it. the bed never gets used

While I don't disagree that most people won't allow a load of cement blocks/bricks/whatever to be dumped into their bed, the idea that no one puts sharp objects in their bed or that everyone uses a spray in liner or cover is ridiculous. As an owner of several trucks, and having grown up in the midwest where there is a large abundance of trucks, and having travelled around where I see trucks regularly, I can tell you that you are 100% wrong.

 

[SparkyJJO]

The gem is people thinking a truck is not used like a truck even though they can't see the contents in the bed. You know, it might have the contents unloaded and installed already and the dude is just going home.

A lot of the time stuff I'm hauling fits down inside so my tonneau cover is over it so you won't see it.

 

[Squisher]

what I am saying is that the people who buy 1/2 trucks aren't likely using them as trucks... the ad is complete BS. people that would use a truck like shown in the ad are contractors/farmers and will have a 3/4-1 ton truck and likely have an appropriate trailer to haul their block in. Obviously 'some one' out there is beating on his 1/2 ton daily, but that guy is like me and will be buying his preferred brand regardless of what the truck is made out of... For example, I cannot fathom a scenario that would lead me into a chevy dealer to look at a truck... maybe if ford, toyota, nissan, and dodge all suddenly went out of the truck business..

I have seen S-10's and Rangers so filled with gravel their tires were flat. I pretty much did the same with my Dakota, but I remembered to take my rear tires up to 45 psi before I put a load of pavers in it. You need to get out from behind that monitor and see all us weekend bozos abusing our trucks.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Everyone who owns a house needs a truck. IMO.

Glad it's just an opinion. I'd hate to have to actually own one. I find trailers and vans far more useful. Single axle dump trailer is higher on the priority list than a pickup. Most any decent size suv or minivan can haul more in that trailer than a half ton can take in the bed. The trailers I've used also have a heavier gauge steel than most truck beds. I've wailed alot of demo debris into this trailer, some of it off the roof, and it hasn't been damaged like that commercial. Unless I miss and hit the tail lights or battery box.....

 

[Squisher]

I'd love to have a trailer too. Another advantage with a trailer is they're usually a lot closer to the ground. I always hold my breath loading my ZTR in my truck bed.

Problem is storing a trailer when not in use and relearning how to back one up.🙁

 

[Scarpozzi]

Get a plastic bed liner (which is standard on many of the F150 trims or $600ish) and you won't have to worry much. It will help soften impacts like that enough that it won't matter.

The other downside of steel over aluminum.....if you dent/scratch a steel bed, you're going to get rust within 10 years...