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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Trucks / August 2006Stepside bed, what is the advantage?
I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in thinking about this particular truck, I'm reminded of something I've never quite been able to figure out. What is the purpose of the stepside bed? Don't get mad - I'm really asking. Almost every manufacturer has produced them at one time or another, so there has to be an advantage. It seems like you get a pretty significant reduction in cargo area, and it seems to break the lines of the truck. I'm not sure about aerodynamics, but I'd guess they suffer slightly too. I feel like I'm missing something. Is having the step on the side of the truck so big an advantage as to outweigh the disadvantages? I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, but I couldn't find the why. shumacher@gmail.com wrote in news:1154621456.466129.268810 @m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com: > I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a > stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > asking. Almost every manufacturer has produced them at one time or > another, so there has to be an advantage. One advantage is the step on the side allows you to climb up and access stuff in the bed easier. > shumacher@gmail.com wrote in news:1154621456.466129.268810 > @m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > 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. > 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 [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Whitelightning 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. >> 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 [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Looking at the beds on Chevy/GMC trucks from 1988-on I can't imagne > they're too much cheaper to make though. u can compare prices from 1984 on! some are only $6.00 difference http://www.michigan.gov/sos/1,1607,7-127-1631_8849_8864-30109--,00.html > And I do see the appeal of the 67-70 trucks. It's a simple, clean, > attractive design.  SignatureIt Doesnot Take Brains To Get A High Paying Job! All You Need Is A College Degree 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 >I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a > stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, > but I couldn't find the why. > 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)? X-No archive:yes > > 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 [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I'd expect that you might fit a single animal. How many head of cattle > are you fitting in your pickup (glovebox excluded)? 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! Hi! > can't haul a bag of bear cans. But hey! It looks cool! What are bear cans? :-D Otherwise that's pretty much the case as far as I'm concerned. William 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 >> 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, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I'd expect that you might fit a single animal. How many head of cattle > are you fitting in your pickup (glovebox excluded)? > 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 :) No, never hauled cattle. I didn't think it showed. LOL! >> 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, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I'd expect that you might fit a single animal. How many head of cattle > are you fitting in your pickup (glovebox excluded)? >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 This is true, especially if you substitute "cattle" with "piano" I had a 82 Chevy stepside and I liked the looks of the bed, something about it, just made it a better looking truck then the fleetside, I still get misty eyed when I see one on the road once in a while, they were a clasic truck, hope the smithsonionan puts one in some time soon :) > I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a > stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, > but I couldn't find the why. 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. Signatureremove one of the @'s unless you are a spammer. >I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a > stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, > but I couldn't find the why. I think stepsides look very cool, But as far as practical, except for animals . Its not. I define Practical as being able to haul basic building materials. Such as a stack of 4by 8s laying flat. I do hate climbing over the side , though when I have a huge load to move. > Check out this word.. "Evolution". Think about it, how long have there > been pickups? Were there 'fleetside' beds back then? [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >> I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, >> but I couldn't find the why. > I think stepsides look very cool, But as far as practical, except for > animals . Its not. I define Practical as being able to haul basic > building materials. Such as a stack of 4by 8s laying flat. I do hate > climbing over the side , though when I have a huge load to move. IIRC, there is 4 feet between the sides, so the plywood would fit. Is there 4 feet between the wheel wells. ? And can I close the tailgate. >> I think stepsides look very cool, But as far as practical, except for >> animals . Its not. I define Practical as being able to haul basic >> building materials. Such as a stack of 4by 8s laying flat. I do hate >> climbing over the side , though when I have a huge load to move. > > IIRC, there is 4 feet between the sides, so the plywood would fit. > Is there 4 feet between the wheel wells. ? And can I close the tailgate. I'd imagine you could if you had an 8' stepside bed. 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 > Is there 4 feet between the wheel wells. ? And can I close the tailgate. >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >> >> IIRC, there is 4 feet between the sides, so the plywood would fit. 4 feet 1 inch to be exact. :) >> I think stepsides look very cool, But as far as practical, except for >> animals . Its not. I define Practical as being able to haul basic >> building materials. Such as a stack of 4by 8s laying flat. I do hate >> climbing over the side , though when I have a huge load to move. > >IIRC, there is 4 feet between the sides, so the plywood would fit. I drive a stepside truck. 1993 chevrolet Silverado I've had it for a couple years now and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I use this truck for hauling and moving furniture on a daily basis. With the straight sides on the inside of the bed, it allows for better storage of furniture items without having to deal with the wheel wells on a fleet side. It is 4'1" wide which allows a sheet of plywood to sit flat but with the bed only being 6'1" long I have to leave the tailgate down. My stepside: http://users.eastlink.ca/~mikemcneil/vehicle.htm It is basically a matter of preference on the newer models. I have an 04 with a 5.3 motor that is a great truck. The stepside is all plastic from the cab back and sis still 4 feet wide on the inside, you only lose the wheelwell cargo space. GMC & Chevy are built on the same assembly line with only cosmetic differences, both are great 18 to 20 MPG trucks. Jim >I recently found myself checking out a used Sierra pickup with a >stepside bed. I've been thinking about getting a pickup, and in [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >I searched the web and found lots of people talking about stepsides, >but I couldn't find the why. |
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