Short Description of North American Full-Size Pickup Trucks
A full-size pickup truck is a big truck that is commonly used to haul heavy
loads and perform other related
functions. In general, full-size pickup trucks can carry a minimum load of
1000lbs (450kgs) in the rear bed.
Some full-size pickup trucks can carry 5000lbs or more. The rear bed of a
full-size pickup truck is typically
big enough to accommodate plywood sheets that are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.
Most full-size pickup
trucks are front-engine and rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is optional. The
rear of most full-size pickup
trucks uses a live axle with leaf springs. These axles are commonly found in
full-size pick up trucks that
have an I6, V6, V8, V10 or diesel engine. The largest full-size pickup trucks
have double rear tires, which
means each axle has two tires, and these dual-wheeled pickup trucks are
colloquially known as "duallies"
(pronounced as DOOL-eez). They are typically equipped with a fifth wheel for
towing heavy trailers.
In North America, full-size pickup trucks come in three size ranges: 1/2 ton,
3/4 ton and 1 ton. Originally, the
size ranges indicated a pickup truck's maximum payload. The modern pickup trucks
can carry more than
the size ranges now, though. For instance, the Ford F-150 (2006 model) is a 1/2
ton full-size pickup truck,
but it actually has a payload between 1400lbs and 3060lbs. The Ford F-350 (2006
model) is classified as
a 1 ton full-size pickup truck that can carry a payload between 4000lbs and
5800lbs depending on the
truck's configuration. |
