Flare side Beds

[Champ]

What is the deal with these?  I saw one randomly this morning and wondered why anyone would buy one over a normal bed in a pickup.

I'm thinking of the pickups with the bed that is more narrow...

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Once upon a time it used to be cool or "Sporty".

I think they look like dog shit, and of course ruin your ability to carry loads.

[Champ]

Once upon a time it used to be cool or "Sporty".

I think they look like dog shit, and of course ruin your ability to carry loads.

So kind of like the new X6?

[ifcar]

I would imagine that the advantages are a regular bed shape (no wheel well intrusions) and a place to step on the side (aha!) to deal with what's in there.

[SVT666]

I would imagine that the advantages are a regular bed shape (no wheel well intrusions) and a place to step on the side (aha!) to deal with what's in there.

They are called step sides for a reason.  Flareside is a Ford trademark.

[93JC]

Of course, it wasn't a big deal to simply reach over the sides of a bed until the newer generations of trucks increased the bed height.

Stepsides have always looked silly to me. I'd never buy one.

[Champ]

Seems like a silly advantage to take over losing extra storage capacity...

[SVT666]

Of course, it wasn't a big deal to simply reach over the sides of a bed until the newer generations of trucks increased the bed height.

Stepsides have always looked silly to me. I'd never buy one.

True.  My Ram's bed rails were so high I couldn't take anything out of the back of my truck without standing on a tire or getting into the box, and it was only a 1/2 ton.

[Lebowski]

They used to look cool, but none of the current ones look decent.

My old truck was a flareside, I liked the way it looked at the time.  The loss of cargo area wasn't that great, and it left a more rectangular box and the step did come in handy at times.  The comparison to an X6 is just silly.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Does anyone produce stepside/flairside pickups besides Ford and Toyota.

[93JC]

GM did until the latest redesign. They were never very popular.

Didn't know Toyota made 'em. Never seen one.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

A flairside el camino would be awesome.

[ifcar]

GM did until the latest redesign. They were never very popular.

Didn't know Toyota made 'em. Never seen one.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The minimum is fifteen pieces of flair, but we want you to express yourself...

[Soup DeVille]

It loks like the rear track has been widened- like you would do for a dually, instead of what is normally called a stepside, where the bed is narrowed instead.

[ifcar]

It loks like the rear track has been widened- like you would do for a dually, instead of what is normally called a stepside, where the bed is narrowed instead.

Optical illusion. It's not widened.

[Soup DeVille]

Optical illusion. It's not widened.

Well, its a good illusion then.

[93JC]

I don't think they ever sold that in Canada.

[Catman]

Back lights ruined it for me.

[The Pirate]

Toyota also had one on the last gen Tacoma.  It was pretty rare, I've only ever seen two.

[S204STi]

Toyota also had one on the last gen Tacoma.  It was pretty rare, I've only ever seen two.

No wonder, it looks like ass.

[The Pirate]

No wonder, it looks like ass.

Yeah, it was tough to find a good shot of it.  I think it looks better on the 4WD models, but I don't think I would every buy one.

[Cookie Monster]

The minimum is fifteen pieces of flair, but we want you to express yourself...

Didn't think I'd see an Office Space reference in here.

[giant_mtb]

I think they look decent on 2002-ish Rangers.  This is a bad pic, but...

[Cookie Monster]

They looks so odd... the Tundra is the weirdest of them all.

A regular bed looks so much cleaner.

[ChrisV]

Hmm. I liked my Splash with the stepside:



It hauled everything I asked it to, so I wouldn't say it's ability to carry loads was ruined. I'd have another one in a heartbeat. Great little truck.

And of course, the stepside my stepson and I am restoring right now:



Also has no problems hauling what it needs to haul. And while I like the more expensive short-wide box, the stepside is cool, too. And of course, most pickups used to be stepsides...

[Rupert]

I wish I had steps on my side...

0_o

[Laconian]

Like this?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Like this?

Ur supposed to put the junk IN the trunk, not on top of it. 

[Rupert]

Hahahaha!