Chevy aims to demonstrate F-150's aluminum bed is pathetic

[hclarkx]

I considered the aluminum bed F-150 for a 5th wheel tow vehicle in January 2015. I had bought an ultralight 5th wheel that was designed to be towed by a 150/1500 pickup and I thought the 700# savings from aluminum would translate into added payload capability and make the F-150 sufficient for this purpose (all then current 150/1500 trucks were just too marginal for my tastes even with tow and payload upgrades). But, five Ford dealers could not tell me what the payload was even though Ford had been producing and stockpiling the F-150 for over four months. Two did come up with numbers (one after calling Dearborn) but those numbers were obviously wrong. All agreed the brochure wasn't right either. In the end I got a 2500 HD and could not be happier. I did raise the trailer 3 inches to match the higher 2500 bed. So, did going to aluminum result in higher payload and tow numbers or did it allow Ford to build weaker underpinnings?

[rvsixer]

My own opinion Instead of these infomercials, GM should have put engineering resources towards figuring out how the aluminum F-150 fares much so better in crash tests then the steel bodied (sans hood) Silverado. After all, broken beds can be replaced.

[rdnkcpa]

Ford has the right idea. Make the trucks/vehicles lighter. 800-900 pounds saved in the body translates to higher payloads, towing etc. Aluminum is tough enough for a pick up. That jet airliner that you get on flies at 36,000 feet at 530MPH carrying 150+ people and their luggage is made primarily of aluminum not high strength steel. With the 787 mostly composite....

 

The only thing that I do not care for in the new F150's is the Ecoboost. The naturally aspirated 5.0 V8 they have is much more appealing to me as a truck owner. And as I've gotten older, the GM push rod V8's have gotten even more appealing. Rugged, simple, long lasting, and able to make lots of power. In a truck, 1 cam is much better than 4.

 

That being said, I own a 2014 Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel, I hope the turbo lasts a good long time....

[Nargg]

 

Thank you. Correct.

So what's the point of this expensive commercial "test" ?

 

Does GM plan on stronger aluminum in the next generation of full size trucks?

 

A hogwash "test" to me.

 

GM said they are looking into it last I heard. That doesn't mean it will happen. I could see them use more aluminum and still come out better, just not in the bed.

[Nargg]

Ford has the right idea. Make the trucks/vehicles lighter. 800-900 pounds saved in the body translates to higher payloads, towing etc. Aluminum is tough enough for a pick up. That jet airliner that you get on flies at 36,000 feet at 530MPH carrying 150+ people and their luggage is made primarily of aluminum not high strength steel. With the 787 mostly composite....

 

Keep in mind the new F150 is only 80lbs lighter than the Chevy. Not 800lbs...

[Nargg]

Do people really abuse their truck beds like this?

 

Nobody want's to abuse their truck. But if you USE a truck, damage is inevitable. The tool box drop is very typical for those that use a truck. Stuff gets dropped in a bed eventually. Even with a coated bed, I'm not sure that a drop of a sharp corner is going to be stopped easily with an aluminum base.

[DanMan_S]

 

Keep in mind the new F150 is only 80lbs lighter than the Chevy. Not 800lbs...

 

 

He means relative to the previous generation fords which were significantly heavier than the GM's. That lost weight translates into increased payload/carrying capacity. The truck chassis improved and it now has less body weight to drag around.

[unit731]

GM's stronger steel is great and all, but my last 2 GM's trucks have rusted to shit, both on the body and in the bed. I'm looking forward to aluminum just so I can stop having to repair rust bubbles in my paint.

 

Just a friendly note.

Here in northern hill and mountain country - most have their vehicles oil undercoated. About US $110.00 per year.

But this is messy if you have a nice paved driveway.

Others use a product called Fluid Film. Again, professionally applied. About US $150.00. Fluid Film is a lanolin product and does not drip as oil undercoating does. Both hinder rust dramatically.

 

We use extensive salt in my area. And my 2002 Silverado still looks virtually new both on top and bottom.

[truckofwinandawesome]

I just found out something very sad while trying to compare the cost of replacing an F150 bed versus a GMT900 Silverado bed; a 6.5 foot bed at GM costs $4,183, my 2010 Aveo's Blue book value (in good condition) is $4,162; a pickup bed (with no wiring or trim, just the painted empty shell) is worth $21 more than A COMPLETE AND RUNNING SUBCOMPACT CAR.

[DanMan_S]

 

Just a friendly note.

Here in northern hill and mountain country - most have their vehicles oil undercoated. About US $110.00 per year.

But this is messy if you have a nice paved driveway.

Others use a product called Fluid Film. Again, professionally applied. About US $150.00. Fluid Film is a lanolin product and does not drip as oil undercoating does. Both hinder rust dramatically.

 

We use extensive salt in my area. And my 2002 Silverado still looks virtually new both on top and bottom.

 

 

I'm not referring to the underside of the vehicle. My actual body panels are rusting, roof, doors, bed sides. The roofs on both of my trucks look like a junkyard special as I have so many primer spots from grinding out the rust and temporarily patching the holes.

[Dodgersfan]

even if your not dumping concrete blocks into your bed from 5 feet high, I think the point of the demonstration was to show the steel is stronger than aluminum. So while some may have a plywood liner in their aluminum bed, what's under the plywood is not as strong as steel. That same aluminum is covering the rest of the truck. So when your in parking lot and some jackass parks his 1980 celica next to you and throws his door open into your fender or door panel, the steel seems like it would hold up better than the aluminum. Unless you plan on wrapping your whole truck in plywood. If im wrong please correct me, because i was being wooed by the new fords a little, and felt guilty about considering the switch (until I saw this).

[Chevy Joe]

what about the tool box knocking a hole in the bed? That IS a real world test that many people will experience.

 

I couldn't agree more, that was SHOCKING to see...

 

AND No matter how the damage was done (pavers dropped too hard in bed) Did anyone hear the sound that was being made when the dudes were stepping on the cracked spots? I've heard that sound before.... NO THANKS...

[Chevy Joe]

I considered the aluminum bed F-150 for a 5th wheel tow vehicle in January 2015. I had bought an ultralight 5th wheel that was designed to be towed by a 150/1500 pickup and I thought the 700# savings from aluminum would translate into added payload capability and make the F-150 sufficient for this purpose (all then current 150/1500 trucks were just too marginal for my tastes even with tow and payload upgrades). But, five Ford dealers could not tell me what the payload was even though Ford had been producing and stockpiling the F-150 for over four months. Two did come up with numbers (one after calling Dearborn) but those numbers were obviously wrong. All agreed the brochure wasn't right either. In the end I got a 2500 HD and could not be happier. I did raise the trailer 3 inches to match the higher 2500 bed. So, did going to aluminum result in higher payload and tow numbers or did it allow Ford to build weaker underpinnings?

 

I think it would be weaker and agree totally

 

 

 

Keep in mind the new F150 is only 80lbs lighter than the Chevy. Not 800lbs...

 

Not sure about compared to Chevy, but Fords site says "Vehicle weight up to 700 pounds lighter than the previous generation"

 

http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/?gclid=CjwKEAjwp-S6BRDj4Z7z2IWUhG8SJAAbqbF3CinZwbOu2KxnaVyi0PiiTI5_vPOzsm49bRO8OAtLZxoCygTw_wcB&searchid=235019826|14364937386|24774993711|&s_kwcid=AL!2519!3!107785875066!b!!g!!%2Bchevy%20%2Btruck&ef_id=VYcgxQAAACh4oI5l:20160609090740:s

[Nargg]

Not sure about compared to Chevy, but Fords site says "Vehicle weight up to 700 pounds lighter than the previous generation"

 

http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/?gclid=CjwKEAjwp-S6BRDj4Z7z2IWUhG8SJAAbqbF3CinZwbOu2KxnaVyi0PiiTI5_vPOzsm49bRO8OAtLZxoCygTw_wcB&searchid=235019826|14364937386|24774993711|&s_kwcid=AL!2519!3!107785875066!b!!g!!%2Bchevy%20%2Btruck&ef_id=VYcgxQAAACh4oI5l:20160609090740:s

 

It's around 80 lbs lighter than any GM of same class. Not that big of a difference. I recall Ford saying that towing did increase with Aluminum. But the thing that bothers me is that... A lightweight work vehicle just doesn't appeal to me. I use my truck, and try like crazy to take care of it as it is. If I had to apply more care, I'd probably not want to buy that version. Though I could see a little more aluminum used in some areas of any GM truck, the "work" part of it best stay as strong as possible. I've owned 4 GM trucks so far, and leased a Ford once. Driven them all well over 100K, and traded them in, mainly due to the enjoyment of a "new truck". One of the GMs to 250K. Wish I could have afforded to hold onto one of the older GMs, as I'm sure it'd still be a damn good truck today.

[gmyeah]

Do people really abuse their truck beds like this? I wouldn't. I'd have a sheet of 3/4 plywood or at least a bed liner. And I'd have the front-end loader drivers get a little close to the bed rail and dump more slowly. Yes, these things take time. But changing the bed liner or plywood every few years isn't that big of a deal. And how often does one dump this kind of load into a pickup. An extra 5 seconds to dump would not be a big penalty. Now, if the Ford bed was damaged more even with a bed liner or more careful dump, the promo would be much more convincing. With plywood, I'd guess there would be little damage to either truck.

 

My truck has the factory spray-in bed liner. It's amazingly tough, but I don't think it would help much in this test.

I would hope folks would use their pickups this nicely! If you need to put a 3/4" piece of plywood or a liner in to give yourself a truck you can use.......that's not right. I'm a huge advocate of LineX liners, but even with that said.....it's very wrong to make that a necessity to use your truck. yeeeesh!