20 years ago was 1997. A full-size truck was the same size as now. The F150, or Silverado, or RAM 1500 were still the same size as now. The 1940's trucks were a bit smaller. The S10 was a short, light-duty pickup, then a small truck, and yes, was replaced by the Colorado, but it's nowhere near as big as my Avalanche. Back in the '80's, I had a 1-ton pickup with dualies, 8-foot bed and a crew cab. It was physically wider than the lane, and couldn't be driven in the city, but it was great for pulling a gooseneck livestock trailer. That truck was still in use, as of a few years ago.
It used to be common to put a few million miles on a vehicle. I've been selling my vehicles between 300,000 and 500,000 miles. I changed the tires, fluids, belts, brakes, the alternator, battery, and the fuel pump. My Impala was hit, and broke a side mirror. I live in the rust belt, so the exhaust eventually has issues. My '95 S10 from up North had a brake line rust through. One of the biggest problems I have is that the seat belts no longer retract properly. I buy my vehicles with 100,000 miles on them, then put a few hundred thousand more miles on them, and sell them. My goal is to buy the trucks for $6K or less, and spend less than $6K on them over 5-7 years. Tires alone are $1,200 with an alignment. My current truck will be the most expensive vehicle, because I had to replace the fuel pump and the rear main seal. I guess I didn't have to replace the seal, but there were occasionally a few oil drips in my driveway, which is unacceptable. So yes, this truck has cost me $12K, or will, when I change the tires in 55,000 miles or so. My truck in an '03, so has to keep up with emissions.
As for the Tundra, too many people have died because the brakes fail. Shortly after a batch of deaths caused by failing brakes, the Toy company started commercials about brakes with those big weights coming down. Unfortunately, some of those who died were friends of mine. 3 died in the same incident. Toy insisted that it was driver failure. As part of the requirements, they got a professional driver and a new Tundra, and had to attempt the same drive. The professional driver and 3 Toy execs died in the same spot, also due to brake failure, but it was also ruled that there were other design flaws. The Toy company settled, but my friends are still dead. The Toy Tundra has since had multiple upgrades, but there has been no recall, and people keep dying, due to the poor design of sad Toys. The Toy company actually encourages this, with marketing stating that it was a 3/4-ton, but performed as a 1-ton. The accidents proved they couldn't even perform as a 1/2-ton truck. To me, there are 2 types of Toy trucks: those that have cost lives, and those that will cost lives.
I've made that drive many times, even with an old Ford with a granny first, with a 1940's Ford, with a 1960's Ford 3-speed, with my 1-ton, with a '72 Dodge, with a '77 GMC V6, with a '78 Chevy, and with a '97 Silverado. My dad made it in his Sonoma, and said he had his hands full. I think a light truck has no business making that run. The road used to be an old logging road, and the Sonoma just doesn't have enough mass, resulting in a high COG, and the need for more braking. Heck, that V6 struggled, but was pulling a 20-foot trailer. The '60's Ford (cab and bed were one piece) I drove through in the Winter, on ice, with chains, and a load of hay stacked flat 2 bales high above the cab. The Dodge was 4 on the tree, and I was hauling a bull in the bed, as well as a trailer. Way worse than a later trip to West Plains, but after this drive I always tied the bulls stationary when in the back of the truck. The 1-ton I drove through pulling a long gooseneck trailer with pigs, then later with horses. The different trucks had very different behaviors.
Every year, they used to have a truck challenge, designed to educate the public. You had to bring a stock truck to participate. There were pulling, hauling, braking, etc portions. The Toy company lost every single one. They wanted to change the competition to TCO, mileage, features, and style. I guess the meaning of ”truck” was lost on them.
