Why stepside pickups

And as far as the purpose EquinsuOcha , Jul 15, TacoNut , Jul 15, I'd drive it. Well, on this particular one I would replace the grille. They looked good on the 1st gen Tacomas in my opinion.

Some do look stupid and ugly though. I'd drive it with pride fo sho. Some trucks look horrendous with it though. GoBlueFan , Jul 16, VooDooTrip , Jul 16, Show Ignored Content. Prince Lionheart Car Seat Protector. Omega Black 40" Foldable Z Creeper. Pack of 2. Username or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Up until the early s, all manufacturers still sold the stepside truck.

Ford continued to make its flareside truck until around The main reason why manufacturers no longer make the stepside is that the overall style of trucks has evolved. You no longer have to have a bulky-looking truck bed for it to be practical and functional. Instead, truck manufacturers have incorporated the step on the rear bumper. With this new style, owners still have an easy way to access the bed of their truck while having a flat bed that help to give the truck a more sophisticated style.

In , many people spotted a GMC Sierra stepside truck out and about. Seeing this truck made many fans hopeful that GMC had decided to bring back the stepside truck. What are the different types of bed styles? One of the most popular vehicle types sold in the US, the trusty pickup truck has evolved over the years from a utilitarian workhorse into a thoroughly modern vehicle.

Refer to this table when you need a refresher on the definitions of the different pickup truck bed styles and configurations or are looking to purchase replacement pickup truck bed panels from our catalog:.

While none of the automakers have included Stepside or Flareside bed options on their newest generation of pickups, if you have a classic or late-model truck, you will benefit from knowing how to refer to your truck bed with the correct terminology.

Ford and GM have long been fierce rivals in the pickup truck market. Previous versions of these trucks may have carried different names, but there have always been comparable models from both manufacturers. They have grown today to include regular cab, extended cab and crew cab models with seating ranging from two to six passengers, as well as different available bed lengths. The similarities exist for the box designs as well. From the time they were introduced back at the start of the 20th century up until the early s, both Ford and GM offered two distinct types of full-size pickup truck beds.

Most other manufacturers including Dodge and Toyota use the same terminology as Chevrolet for their pickup truck boxes and refer to their flat-sided models as fleetside. Few other manufacturers have ever offered a true stepside or flareside option like Chevy and Ford, but often use the name stepside for similar styles. A lot has changed in nearly seven decades.

The original Ford F-Series trucks, introduced in , began with a flareside box style. This was because it was easier for manufacturers back then to build a rectangular bed and add the rounded fenders over the wheels afterward. Now in its thirteenth generation, the Ford F-Series is the best-selling vehicle in the U. Over the years, the popularity of the Flareside bed has given way to the standard Styleside bed.

The different bed configurations available over the years are:. Despite huge success with the flareside pickup box over the years, Ford saw that the market was shrinking, and it no longer made sense to invest in manufacturing the flareside option.