Stepside bed, what is the advantage?

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:1154621456.466129.268810 @m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

One advantage is the step on the side allows you to climb up and access stuff in the bed easier.

They were also cheaper to manufacture, less metal in the bed, single wall construction instead of two. Back in the day they were utility vehicles built to work. But the 67-70 model years had to be about the best looking trucks ever built, in short bed, and the GMC won over the Chevy because of the quad head lights and nicer grill. I still kick myself for trading my '69 Chevy.

Whitelightning

Whitelightning.

A big advantage to the stepside, when hauling cattle...is when the cattle move around and crowd to one side, the center of gravity is contained, and the risk of laying the truck on it's side is minimized. (compared to a fleetside or wide bed....much safer) I've hauled 'em and it makes a big difference. Take care, Pete

Cattle? Crowd?

I'd expect that you might fit a single animal. How many head of cattle are you fitting in your pickup (glovebox excluded)?

I hadn't thought about the difference in expense. If there is less metal in the bed, it sounds like there would be more load carrying capacity in certain applications.

Looking at the beds on Chevy/GMC trucks from 1988-on I can't imagne they're too much cheaper to make though.

And I do see the appeal of the 67-70 trucks. It's a simple, clean, attractive design.

u can compare prices from 1984 on! some are only $6.00 difference

LOL! Actually nowadays people get the short bed step-side because they think it is "cool" to drive around with 1/2 of a truck and if they need to, they can fit their girl friend's golf clubs in the back.Anything bigger and they have to lean it against the cab or have it stick out over the tailgate and tie it down. Of course one of the mandatory "improvements" is to get it lowered so that it scapes the pavement and can't haul a bag of bear cans. But hey! It looks cool!

That depends on the size of the cattle....and you can put a bunch of mice in the glovebox....ha ha...I can tell you ain't hauled any cattle........... Pete

Check out this word.. "Evolution". Think about it, how long have there been pickups? Were there 'fleetside' beds back then?

I have heard moving animals in the step side bed prevented them from stumbling over the wheel wells.

No, I have never moved cattle, but how did they do it 60 years ago?

The older step side were much better looking than anything out there today.

my 2cents.

"none2u" wrote in news:msidnTKWkPWtY07ZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@centurytel.net:

IIRC, there is 4 feet between the sides, so the plywood would fit.

:)

No, never hauled cattle. I didn't think it showed.

I'd imagine you could if you had an 8' stepside bed.

LOL!

Stepsides were the only kind of pickup trucks originally. The rear wheels stuck out just like the front wheels did and needed fenders over them. Then in the 1950's the cabs were built without wheels sticking out with separate fenders but the rear ends remained the same. Then in the 1960's or so they started making both kinds of boxes and they both sold. Work trucks still had stepsides. People who wanted modern styling bought "fleetsides" or "sweptline" or whatever. By the 1970's the stepside was losing out. The stepside is not practical today and there is no advantage at all except the styling is a remnant of the past that a few people still prefer for whatever reason.

TL

This is true, especially if you substitute "cattle" with "piano"

Hi!

What are bear cans? :-D

Otherwise that's pretty much the case as far as I'm concerned.

William