BUILT TO LAST. If you're in the market for a powerful pickup, then none of the Ford trucks will let you down. But even though aluminum is much lighter than steel, it doesn’t quite have the strength and resiliency of steel. Enter your registered email address to request a password reset link. Why Ford walked away from all-aluminum bodies for new 2020 Explorer "The Explorer is the most use of mixed materials ever by Ford." If this is your first look at a particular F-150 and you don’t know what year it is, there is another easy way to tell. They bashed an aluminum door panel with a sledgehammer, and all it got were a few dents. And considering both the F-150 and F-Series Super-Duty top their respective classes in terms of payload capacity, it paid off. Buyers have rewarded Ford, which has sold more F-series trucks at higher prices since the change. The Blue Oval's big aluminum gamble paid off in the form of cheaper repairs and no insurance cost increases for owners. However, the 2015 F-150, the very first year of the aluminum body, is the best model year to buy. Steel & Aluminum Truck Bodies by Reading. That’s because, to be fair, aluminum isn’t quite as strong As YouTuber Big Truck Big RV explained, lowering the F-Series’ body weight meant Ford could beef up the rest of the truck. Body panels use high-strength, (almost) military-grade aluminum alloy, including the bed, but the frame is still made of steel, increasing in … The all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickups trucks … Both were the first pickups in their class to get bodies made out of the lighter-weight material, according to The Drive. In addition, aluminum is more expensive than steel, which increases both the price of the truck and some repairs later on. AL RS All Aluminum Flat Deck. Workmanship lasting a lifetime is what Alum-Line all aluminum dump truck bodies are all about. The F-150 launched by Ford PH in mid-June marks the first time the F-Series is produced with an aluminum body instead of steel. Headache Rack. Paoli, PA 19301. However, all truck beds benefit from regular cleaning to prevent corrosion due to long-term exposure to salts. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. A more reliable truck body is well worth the additional cost it takes to make a truck body from aluminum rather than steel. The 2020 Ford Explorer. the truck industry? They’re not quite “military-grade”, as the ads proclaim, but they’re not too far off. ___________ More functionality: The CarbonPro bed features indentations specifically designed for tires of dirt and street bikes. For 2019, the Chevrolet Silverado did replace some steel body panels with aluminum ones, but not the bed. Lengths. And as the data has shown, the aluminum-bodied Ford trucks aren’t more expensive to fix than steel. pic.twitter.com/gAsP7mTVOs. A Silverado’s or Ram 1500’s door would probably be dented, too. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. The Alum-Line Flat Deck and Landscape Aluminum Dump Truck Bodies bring you the strength and low maintenance you have come to expect from Alum-Line.Flat Deck and Landscape Aluminum Dump Truck Bodies use a combination of extruded flooring and heavy duty mainframe to help meet your everyday needs. ________ Reduced weight: The CarbonPro bed weighs 25 percent less than a traditional steel bed, removing roughly 60 pounds of vehicle mass. And if you were really worried about the F-150’s panel strength, look no further than the recent Tesla Cybertruck reveal. Over the last few decades, Aluminum-bodied vehicles have been growing into a larger segment of the overall number of cars and trucks on the road. 2015 Ford F-150 Many truck manufacturers act like going full-aluminum is As Car and Driver reported, Ford spent over two decades researching aluminum manufacturing. But because Ford invested in proper technician training, and designed the pickup with a modular structure, the average aluminum truck repair cost $2000 less than a steel repair would. The widely popular, and best-selling vehicle in Canada for over 50 years, F-Series pickup moved to a high-strength, military-grade aluminum body in 2015 when it was completely redesigned. At the moment, the Ford F-150 and F-Series Super Duty are the only trucks that have both aluminum bodies and aluminum beds. The Ford F-150, F-250, and F-350 trucks all have high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy bodies that provides all the strength and muscle you need with a much lower weight. However, the F-Series still retains a frame made of high-strength steel. The automaker uses a blend of alloys that have been extensively used in many industries, including military and aerospace. –Ford/TNS SHARE TWEET By. Aluma Brand aluminum flatbed truck bodies, popular sizes in stock other sizes can be ordered. Aluminum truck bodies are among Readings most popular service body options due to the many benefits users enjoy. For most of that time, a car with an aluminum body was either a lightweight sports car or a high-tech luxury sedan. A lighter truck will get better mileage period. This is partially due to aluminum’s recyclable nature: Ford could melt down left-over metal for more parts. But several years later, and Ford’s competitors have started taking up aluminum, too. One is the corrosion above the rear wheels… they all do it, so it will be interesting to see these aluminum bodies … And although the GMC Sierra also has ‘mixed-material’ body panels, it skipped an aluminum bed for a carbon-fiber one. At the moment, the Ford F-150 and F-Series Super Duty are the only trucks that have both aluminum bodies and aluminum beds. Please provide your email address to begin receiving price alerts at home, at work, and on your phone! Need to see one to believe it? In fact, because of the ease of repair, the Highway Loss Data Institute reports The passenger ve… Ford's aluminum-bodied F-150 is cheaper to repair than steel, report says. But it’s a There have been a lot of videos put out demonstrating how the aluminum body panels and bed of the F-150 aren’t as strong as steel or cost more to fix. At the time, there were worries that Ford would lose sales and loyal customers. steel. Make the most of your shopping experience by creating an account. In some cases, you might choose an aluminum truck body over a steel truck body. The most popular are short bed full size pickup 81″ wide by 87″ long, and full size 8 ft bed trucks 81″ wide by 106″ long. Wilcox Bodies are built to last. Not unexpectedly, Ford's head of product development said yesterday that its next pickup line--the larger Super Duty trucks--will also have aluminum bodies. As a service truck manufacturer, we believe integrity and quality should be at the forefront. Put 700 pounds in the back of one and I guarantee you will lose efficiency. Steel is generally strong enough but only with the burden of heavy weight. We build hauler bodies for all applications. Edmunds actually bought and tested a 2015 F-150 to attempt to prove or disprove the notion. Ford has plenty of numbers to validate its path with aluminum. Lengths from 77″ long up to 192″ long. However, aluminum truck bodies don’t rust, which is why many custom body manufacturers have made the switch. Aluminum truck bodies and steel bodies are the two most common choices when upfitting your work truck. That means they are built to a higher standard – The Wilcox Standard. … Ram has also only used aluminum selectively. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. 84", 8’6", 9’4". Nearly 70 years after Peterbilt began producing aluminum truck cabs, company engineers have been surprised to learn how revolutionary Ford’s 2015 F-150 pickup is. Sizes range in widths from 66″, 81″,90″,and 96″. Designed from experience since 1962 and built to a higher standard of quality, each of our truck bodies is crafted to make sure your job is done smoothly, effectively and safely. believe aluminum to be this delicate, expensive material also doesn’t help. All models 2015 and newer have aluminum construction. After all, you can’t deliver on your promises if your truck doesn’t deliver for you. And although the GMC Sierra also has ‘mixed-material’ body panels, it skipped an aluminum bed for a carbon-fiber one. Since 2014, the F series' share of the full-size pickup market has grown 1.3 percentage points to 37.8 percent. Your truck body should work for you. To quote an old cyclist saying, “steel is real.” But actually? Two additional tie-down locations are installed at the front of the bed. STEEL & ALUMINUM TRUCK BODIES. It claims that aluminum can … Who does that, and without a bed liner? They did it for several reasons, one is $$$. According to Reuters, the high cost of this plant overhaul is due to the fact that pickups made there will soon use newer body construction methods, including aluminum and high strength steel. But as we and Automotive News have reported, aluminum isn’t expensive to fix or live with. The Ford F-150, F-250, and F-350 trucks all have high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy bodies that provides all the strength and muscle you need with a much lower weight. And there are countless YouTube clips of people smacking trucks with sledgehammers or saying the panels are made out of beer cans. For 2019, the Chevrolet Silverado did replace some steel body panels with aluminum ones, but not the bed. These lighter truck bodies entered the market in 2000, and they continue to gain popularity. You don’t cut corners in your work, and you need a truck body built to the same high standards. Make your way out to our Paoli, PA dealership at your earliest convenience, take a look around the new Ford pickup truck model lineup, and prepare to fall in love. They’re also, based on information from Reading Body, less susceptible to rust. aluminum body somehow discredits any of Ford’s trucks. 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