Heavy truck not for me....

[Brian B-P]

Donna's "BAT" is interesting, and I do like the look of some extreme trucks (although that F650 pickup is an example of looking stupid because the builder was too lazy for make rear fenders to suit the wheels), but here's the funny thing: they often have less towing capacity than a more normal truck because they are extra heavy and have no additional drivetrain capacity. In this extreme case, style really is valued far beyond function.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

It took a brief moment to figure out BAT. I like it.

I thought it referred to the "BATwing" way the doors open on some of those gussied-up F650's:

[MC1]

Here is another vehicle that has more style than function.

My sis owns this beast. To tell you the truth I feel more in control of our car towing the trailer on the highway then driving the Beast solo. Even with big LT, E rated tires it does not have good road feel and all that weight of the wheels and tires really plays negativily on the braking and stopping distances.

One good thing about it though. It was rear ended by a pick up not to long ago. The pick up was a right off and the Hummer had hardly a scratch.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I thought it referred to the "BATwing" way the doors open on some of those gussied-up F650's:

LOL, those are "Lambo doors".

[Francesca Knowles]

Hey, Dubya!

Not tryin' to ruin your small-tow street cred or anything, but I just have to ask:

Does your sister own the Airstream behind that Hummer, or is it the one in your avatar sig?

Francesca

[Don'n'Deb]

Must F650 do not have a bed or rear fenders; 5th wheel or high cube box are the norm.

[papa-t]

Hey, everyone has their own personal preference on vehicles. Oh by the way. The truck above is 1 BA truck; WOW. Yea I'd drive it. On the serious side. I have owned mostly Chevrolet trucks; but have also owned a few Fords. I have owned four 1500's and three 2500's. They had their purpose. Each with it's good and bad points. I now own my second Chevrolet Colorado. Since I've joined the FG family I will from now on have a Colorado. Mainly because of MPG. Yea I miss the roomy big trucks, but just can't see trading that in for gas mileage.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Don'n'Deb

Must F650 do not have a bed or rear fenders; 5th wheel or high cube box are the norm.

No F-650 as sold by Ford has a box - they are all cab-and-chassis (same for F-550 and F-750). These trucks are bought as a cab-and-chassis, and have various bodies added. Some of the pickup-style boxes used in these look-at-me rigs are just straight off a regular pickup truck, so they don't fit the F-650/750 at all, with lots of wasted space, and a bed floor which is far higher than necessary. They are just for looks.

The versions with more useful decks and bodies can be very effective as tugs for recreational or light commercial trailers.

Freightliner Business Class (now M2) trucks are the more common basis for these "RV haulers" and "super pickup trucks", but similar rigs are built on other medium-duty trucks.

It's interesting that a post about not wanting a "big" Dodge 2500 has so much discussion of much bigger trucks...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by MC1

Even with big LT, E rated tires it does not have good road feel...

I would say because of the big LT, E rated tires (and the suspension, and the highly boosted steering required by the mass and the big tires) it does not have good road feel.

Originally Posted by MC1

It was rear ended by a pick up not to long ago. The pick up was a right off and the Hummer had hardly a scratch.

Interesting, given that the Hummer H2 is just a GM SUV with Hummer body styling. The rear of a front-engine truck is much less vulnerable to damage than the front, and the H2 usually has a pretty substantial rear bumper, so I guess the one in front wins.

[Rene]

I love my Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9l cummins diesel. The Hemi Sucks (fuel that is) and it doesn't have low end torque like a diesel. I agree there is a big difference between 1500 half tons and 3/4 tons in terms of weight and agility on the road. If I did not need a pickup for general cargo hauling purposes I would be tempted to go with a smaller SUV instead. People have different needs and some vehicles are better at meeting them than others.