Keith Tanner wrote:
The chicken tax is driving up the size of trucks?
My 1966 Land Rover came with 31" tires 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
Basically it makes it economically infeasible to import the small trucks sold in most of the rest of the world into the US. You could in theory manufacture them here, but that's a bunch of capital required to start a new plant, plus higher production costs due to US auto unions, and by the time you've done that the small trucks don't have much of a price advantage over the big ones so nobody buys them.
I just thought it was funny my wife was using a ladder. I never thought about the manufacturer product planning and tax implications.
In reply to codrus:
That doesn't explain why full size trucks keep getting bigger, just why we don't get imported trucks. Since we are throwing out theories I think it's just a matter of scale. Cars have gotten bigger and you wouldn't want a truck smaller than a car would you?
In reply to codrus:
How does the chicken tax play into the disappearance of the GM S-Series trucks and the Ford Ranger, vehicles it essentially written to protect?
Before you come back with "the Colorado/Canyon has replaced the S-Series", measure one. I saw a brandy-new 2WD FLAPS delivery Colorado parked next to a '67-'72 GMC 4x4. The Colorado was damn near bigger than the GMC! 
Hey, bigger is better, right. Check out the size of a Civic, it's bigger than the old Accord. Cars are like people, they get bigger as they get older Heck, the Tacoma (nee Toyota pickup) has been imported all along, and it's getting bigger and bigger too. That's why I didn't buy one to replace my Toyota pickup.
In reply to Keith Tanner:
Check out the size of a MINI. It's bigger than an original Civic.
When its cold out, people always comment on how small our truck looks.
RealMiniParker wrote:
In reply to Keith Tanner:
Check out the size of a MINI. It's bigger than an original Civic.
Heck, I've got an original Mini. It's comedy to compare them.
To the OP. While no one else seems to have noticed that part of the post , I wanted to say well done on having a wife that changes her oil.
I think some of the driving force for vehicles getting larger is the fact that fuel economy standards are determined based on the vehicle footprint (track width x wheelbase) with larger vehicles having a less strenuous standard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_Average_Fuel_Economy#Agreed_standards_by_model_year.2C_2011-2025
The bigger they make it the better it is for their fleet as they have to trade "Credits" based on the EPA target for their fleet vs the tested actual.
There are also regulatory holes that involve certain weight breaks for softer collision safety standards, but I am not as familar with that.
If you look at the data, this year something like the S10 would have to meet 26mpg vs a fullsize like a F-150 meeting 19mpg. (vehicle models for this example are generalizations on older footprint sizes of certain models) So, if they make the F150 just a bit bigger, they dont mave to increase the engine efficiency as much.
I laugh when I compare my 87 4Runner to a new one. This evolved into that? No wonder people lust over the first gens so much.
My 87 S10 regularly got 30 mpg after the five speed swap. And desmogging. And computer tune.
I think part of the issue with how tall the trucks are getting is a combination of people wanting them to be comfortable, and the ever increasing payload ratings for a "half-ton" truck. Suspension needs to be soft enough to ride smoother than old trucks did, and there needs to be more suspension travel so it doesn't bottom out when it gets loaded up.
I was able to see over the bed side in my 2004 F-150 Heritage, and load and unload some things without having to climb into the bed. That does not seem to be possible on new trucks.
codrus wrote:
Keith Tanner wrote:
The chicken tax is driving up the size of trucks?
My 1966 Land Rover came with 31" tires
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
Basically it makes it economically infeasible to import the small trucks sold in most of the rest of the world into the US. You could in theory manufacture them here, but that's a bunch of capital required to start a new plant, plus higher production costs due to US auto unions, and by the time you've done that the small trucks don't have much of a price advantage over the big ones so nobody buys them.
The drama of the chicken tax was half a century ago. This wasn't and isn't a recent thing. For years on end Toyota shipped their little trucks here without beds in order to successfully get around it.
The chicken tax affects only small trucks, not large trucks.
EvanR wrote:
mad_machine wrote:
so exactly why are trucks getting so big?
I blame tires. My '79 Chevy C10 had something like 205/75R15, which is maybe 27" tall?
A 2016 Chevy 1500 comes with 255/70R17. Those are 31". There's 4" right there.
technically thats only 2" of lift
