K3WE
Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 05/24/2005
View Profile
 Offline
|
Not too many weeks ago, there was doom and gloom that pickup trucks and SUV's were all but gone.
And there were some interesting truths that festered when gas was high:
It became clear that a big Hummer with four captain chairs existed mostly to look cool and burn gas.
It became clear that lots of folks drove pickup trucks and posh SUV's to look cool.
It became clear that the Suburban/Tahoe/Expedition/etc. with four captain chairs and the shrinking cabin size was an expensive way to get groceries and take your two kids to the soccer game.
And, even in recent years, it's been bemoaned on these boards how the guts had been removed those very SUV's and that while they advertise a shrunken towing capaicty, it's comes with hitches that break and transmissions that burn up, and engines that don't always get the job done etc, etc.!
Now, let's turn the clock back to the 1970's and 1980's. Trucks, Suburbans, IH Travelalls, existed because there was a need for vehicles to haul stuff and tow stuff.
And while RVing is an "elective" hobby, "the construction industry" and a few thousand other essential businesses need such vehicles.
So, while GM and Ford have made good money selling TOY* trucks and are now paying the price as demand for the toys* has crashed, the demand for "real trucks" probably hasn't fundamentally changed.
(*I mean toy in the sense of the buyers intent and use, not neccesarily a reflection on the actual vehicle)
So, what do we think will happen???
It's kind of interesting that we suddenly have full-sized Nissan and Toyota trucks......will this be another lost battle for our US automakers if the Japanese companies can keep making "work trucks" while our US guys ditch thier "toy" pickup lines?
Or, will our US guys adjust, albeit painfully, and still make tucks?
And, now for my personaly fantasy, will we start to see really strange SUVs that have "utility" instead of luxury and style?
|
JIMNLIN
Big Cabin, OK
Senior Member
Joined: 09/14/2003
View Profile
|
guess I haven't seen the full size T and N trucks that are any serious competition to our domestic LDT 2500/3500 size work trucks. SUV's are a different subject from a work truck for commerce but as you sugget they will probably be more spartan ie; a Caddy looking like a Tahoe or a Lincoln pickup/etc. These are more of a status symbol. Practicality may make these type of vehicles history. I don't see T and N gaining any on 2500/3500 size trucks and the big three domestics will continue to be the choice of serious truck operators. T and N have their spot and their smart enough to realize the 2500/3500 truck market is very popular with brand loyal Americans.
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
|
Lucky Mr H
Creston, IA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/29/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I don't believe Detroit will ever give up on the 'big' trucks. As you stated, there are too many businesses, farmers, ranchers, who make their living relying on the 2500/3500 series. As for the Japanese makers, I think they are learning the truck market is a serious and tough market.
|
Tvov
CT
Senior Member
Joined: 07/19/2003
View Profile
|
I see even more 4 door crewcabs being on the road. Once you own a pickup truck, you can never not have one again. So everyone with families needs a crewcab!
I WISH Ford would LOWER the sides of the pickup beds!!!! I am not a short person (over 6'), but I can barely reach into the bed of my truck from the side. I also wish Ford would stop cutting corners... the little things that my 2000 had that my 2008 doesn't have (fender liners, for example). They might be saving a few pennies per truck by doing this but...
When Toyota and Nissan come out with 3/4 ton pickup trucks, they will probably be loaded. They will probaby have lower bed sides. They will probably have some other features that Ford (and Chevy and Dodge) dropped years ago to "save money". People will gush over the new trucks, and wonder why F, C and D trucks don't have those little details, how T and N are so progressive to have those options.
As to brand loyalty, I hope F, C and D don't bank on that. Read all the internet talk about problems with trucks, especially the diesels. Most all the contractors I know need trucks that are capable of doing what they need, and are dependable. Many, many people are switching to medium duty cab forwards, usually built by Japanese companies. When T and N come out with dependable 3/4 ton pickup trucks (with full size beds), F, C, and D are going to be in real trouble, compared to just heavily bleeding now.
1. Ford, Chevy and Dodge need to build dependable trucks.
2. F,C, and D need to back up their trucks, and not give people grief when and if they come in with problems.
I know many, many people who have had Toyota and Nissan trucks (and cars!) that have had many, many problems, but the difference seemingly always comes down to how they are treated. Almost every time people gush about their T or N vehicle, I ask if they've had problems. They usually say no... then I ask if they've ever it worked on, and they say "Oh, yes! a few times!"... then they describe the great treatment they've received from the dealer / repair shop.
Don't know if all this rambing will mean much, I have to get to work!
_________________________________________________________
2008 F-250 CrewCab 5.4L,
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor
|
DutchmenSport
Indiana
Senior Member
Joined: 10/10/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
Well, someone will continue to make BIG trucks! Semi's are still needed. When the average non-commercial consumer can no longer purchase a real truck, for either work or play, I'll break down and get a CDL license and buy a big rig! I'm still gonna tow my trailer!
DutchmenSport
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo
Century Truck Cap Commercial /Toolboxes
Northeast Outfitters Canoe
2006 Keystone Springdale Model 263DBL
Weight 4985, Carrying Capacity 2575, Hitch 560, Length 30'
Width 8', Height 10' 6"
|
|
|
outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
Senior Member
Joined: 04/12/2007
View Profile
|
K3WE wrote:Not too many weeks ago, there was doom and gloom that pickup trucks and SUV's were all but gone.
And there were some interesting truths that festered when gas was high:
Gas is still high. It's amazing to me that when gas was $2.50 per gal we would have thought that anything over $3.00 was outrageous, but now that we have experienced over $4.00 per gal $3.60 is not referred to as high. In my opinion $2.50 per gal is high.
I don't believe the LDT or SUV market will suffer as much as everyone likes to predict. Folks who can afford more expensive vehicles can afford to put fuel in them.
|
Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
Senior Member
Joined: 05/14/2004
View Profile
|
The full size pickup market will stabilize with probably the same sales truck to car ratio that was the norm back in the 70's and 80's. That is, people had a sedan, station wagon(true name for Crossovers/minivans)and if the family had a real need, than a pickup truck, too. I think hopefully the days of the Soccer Mom's driving the 5,000+lb SUVs to run errands at 12mpg are soon over. We have a commuter, a minivan and a pickup. Use the pickup for hauling the boat and rv, also runs to the gravel pit, lumbar yard and Home Depot/Lowes, etc.. We do not use it to run for groceries or take the kids to activities. I grew up with a GrandPa that had a Ford Country Squire station wagon and a F-100 6-cylinder, three on the tree pickup, even had the gas tank behind the seat. Often wondered about GrandPa smoking his pipe(loved the smell of that pipe) driving the truck with us bouncing around in the bed on the way to the dump.
Capt Skup
AD-1(AW)USN Ret.
Wonderful Wife, 3 beautiful Daughters
"Never get in a battle of wits with an unarmed man"
2008 F-450 Lariat 4x4
2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
SunlineF281SR
SeaRay215EC
http://community.webshots.com/user/CaptSkup?vhost=community
|
Nascarcruzin
Home is where the RV is parked.
Senior Member
Joined: 01/06/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
We paid $6, once, in Canada, so $4 seems cheap to us, right now. LOL
Rebecca
Ronnie & Rebecca
Check out our journal: North to Alaska
Another website to view our trip to Alaska:
Adventure to Alaska
FMCA #388387
Full-time RVer's since 2004
Monaco LaPalma Workhorse chassis 37' 2-slides
 (Custom) (Custom) (Custom).JPG)
|
skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
Quote:Or, will our US guys adjust, albeit painfully, and still make tucks?
Adjust by keeping on doing just what they're doing? 
2004 F-150 HD 3,050 lb. payload
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
|
K3WE
Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 05/24/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Capt Skup wrote:I think hopefully the days of the Soccer Mom's driving the 5,000+lb SUVs to run errands at 12mpg are soon over.
Yeah, but be careful of over-generalizing here. Some of the newer "SUVs" get mileage awfully close to that of a mini-van and if "properly equipped" have similar utility, so it isn't always a huge difference.
Of course a Hummer with four seats vs a 7-seat mini-van.....
|
|
|
|
