What do you want out of your rig?

Make sure the things the driver needs while driving are within reach....i.e. switches for lights, jakes, etc.

Reliability, durability, ease of maintenance, parts availability....in other words, I want a truck that won't be in the shop very often, and when it DOES need to go in for work, it doesn't take long to get fixed. You aren't making money sitting in the shop waiting on parts or repairs to be made.

They don't. Weather happens...it's weathered before, and it'll weather again....nothing to worry about. If you're drowsy, take a nap. I've never had any "health issues" to worry about.

Put a safer & better trained driver behind the wheel. You could put all the "safety" features you want to on a truck....ABS, air bags, stability control, etc. etc. etc., and the idiots are still going to find ways to wreck 'em. Trucks made their way up & down the roads for decades before all this "safety" crap was mandated just fine....I really don't see the need for any of it, ESPECIALLY if I have to pay for those features.

Shorter skirts on the women in the cars next to me. Either that or truck-only lanes so I don't have to fight with 4-wheelers to keep my space cushion around my truck....or perhaps a ban on vehicles incapable of achieving the speed limit from driving on any road....

Gauges do a good enough job...oil temp, oil pressure, water temp, trans oil temp, front drive axle temp, rear drive axle temp, boost, exhaust temp, volts, pri/sec air, air application, etc., etc., etc...

 

All trucks should be standard with tire pressure monitoring system TPMS (and eventually a standard for trailer to tractor communication and implementation ... perhaps use a technology similar to X-10 to communicate through a trailer wire)

All trucks should be pre-wired (antenna and satellite ready radio) for satellite radio (not an option but standard ... at least antenna and ant wire lead)

A wiper blade de-ice system THAT WORKS (probably have to be a factory implementation)

A brake arm travel length and drum heat monitoring system to signal out-of-adjustment or defective brake system (and trailer to communicate via same technology as TPMS)

A high quality universal truck radio with integrated CB from the factory (high quality radio, wiring, and antennas) that would serve as basic CB & radio. Would cut out radio signal when cb communication came through ... similar to onstar integration. Driver could still implement his own cb system if wanted as he presently does.

 

All of that is just fine as OPTIONAL equipment....but NONE of it is necessary, I wouldn't want ANY of it on my truck, and I sure as hell don't want to have to pay for a bunch of crap I don't want or need.

Seriously. It isn't that hard to check tire pressure as part of your pretrip, and thump the tires at each stop. I have NEVER had satellite radio, have no use for it, and wouldn't listen to it if you paid me to. I've always preferred local broadcast stations, because that's the only place you'll get local traffic, weather, and news reports. Heated wiper blades are available if you want them. Washer fluid that is good to sub-freezing temps (I've seen -32....only slightly more expensive than the -20 stuff) is also available.

If your CB and stereo are both hooked up correctly, you won't have any issues with electrical interference....and not all CB communication is important enough to warrant whatever I am listening to on the stereo to cut out. If you have a problem hearing the CB, try adjusting the volume knobs on both the stereo (down) and the CB (up).

Like I said before....trucks made it up and down the road just fine without all the "extra" crap tacked on, jacking up the purchase price. If you want the extras, feel free to buy the extras...but those of us who don't want or need them ought to be able to buy a truck without having to pay for all that crap. The more unnecessary junk a truck is cluttered up with, the more unnecessary junk there is to break. When that unnecessary junk gets tied into the ECU, and then that unnecessary junk malfunctions, it throws a code...which costs money because now you've got to figure out what the code means and get it taken care of.

Keep It Simple, Stupid! If a truck buyer wants a lot of extras spec'd, he can pay for those extras. The basic truck shouldn't have anything more than the essentials as "standard" features.

 

I want power with 11 MPG. Work station, wifi, solar panels and wind turbine to charge batteries in place of an apu, heated and cooled seat, cameras on each side for blind spots, I GRILL GUARD WITH DOT LOVER ENGRAVED ON IT, a gauge for everything I need (every temp. Reading/pressure) , carbon monoxide detector, dash Cam, quite ride (now my ears ring for :30 or more post driving), at least some regards for me in a wreck (roll bars of some sort above my head, airbags, maybe ejection seat...lol) , on board scales, tire pressure reading, wheel balanceing and centering already installed, SOME KIND OF REAL WARRANTY, CB that has a great ground, and last but not least some really hot young girl to drive it while I sit by the pool!

Just to name a few!

 

He asked what we wanted dude WE, if you want an old stripped down truck get a glider. This is the world we life in now. I'm building one right now, but if they could make one with this stuff I would want it......maybe not buy it but want it none the less

 

I agree with bulldog if they could build one that ran I would love it.....and buy it but they are mostly junk now. Strip all the computer stuff off and just build it strong

 

Here's something I want, for the Class 8 truck manufacturers to come into the 21st century and install digital climate control. My wife's Audi has it, the pickup I looked at today has it, why can't a class 8 vehicle have it? Set the temp. guage to 70 deg. and let the computer control whether to activate the heat, A/C or a mix of both.

 

I need a cab that won't sway in the wind. Mirrors that don't vibrate like an old knucklehead. A dependable and simple engine & trans- and driveline that's rugged and won't need maintenance often.

I need a heavy duty, WATERPROOF wiring harness, brake dust covers and the frame needs paint that won't start rusting in two years. I need THICK cab insulation to keep me cool in the Texas sun, a longer visor for the windshield and visors for the side windows. I need flat black paint on the hood so that I'm not blinded by the sunset AND it's reflection. I need a THICK plexiglass windshield like luxury cars have so that it doesn't have to be replaced once a year because of cracks and rock chips.

I need side windows that are so thick and sturdy that thieves can't break them to open the door and take my stuff. 110V outlets and a DEPENDABLE 110Volt diesel generator to power it. Door seals that stay sealed. A windshield wash system that dumps a quart of fluid at a time on the whole windshield and wipers that don't lift off the glass in high winds.

I need a driver's seat that I really want to sit in for eleven hours. Shocks that actually WORK longer than thirty days before they wear out. A THICK, SOFT bed and soundproofing. An aluminum toolbox for my tools, straps and accessories with a sturdy lock.

I need the best fuel mileage possible and I want all this to look low keyed and modest so it doesn't attract the ire or the jealousy of the enforcement officials that see it drive by.

Oh- I want a HOOTER's waitress for a co driver. (I know- you can't build EVERYTHING)....