Which pickup trucks have aluminum bodies?
What counts as an aluminum body
Notable aluminum-bodied pickups
- Ford F-150 — Since the 2015 model year, the F-150 has used an aluminum alloy body for most exterior panels, with a steel frame underneath. This shift helped slash weight across trims and powertrain options.
- Ford F-150 Lightning — The all‑electric variant of the F-150 shares the same aluminum‑body architecture as the conventional F-150, including many of the same exterior panels and bed design.
- — Ram’s full-size pickup employs an aluminum-intensive exterior in many panels (such as the hood, bed, and some body panels) while using a steel frame. This approach has been a hallmark of the Ram 1500 since its redesign in the late 2000s and into the 2010s/2020s.
- Rivian R1T — The electric Rivian R1T uses a largely aluminum alloy unibody with aluminum exterior panels, contributing to its weight management and efficiency as a modern pickup.
Summary
Are GMC trucks aluminum body?
No, not entirely; GMC trucks use a mixed-material strategy, combining steel and aluminum. The frames are steel, but many body panels, like the hood, doors, and tailgate, are aluminum to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency.
- Mixed materials: GMC uses a combination of both steel and aluminum to build its trucks.
- Aluminum parts: The hood, doors, and tailgate are made of aluminum.
- Steel parts: The frames and the truck bed are made of steel.
- Benefits: Using aluminum in certain parts makes the truck lighter, which improves performance and fuel economy without sacrificing the strength of the steel frame.
Does RAM use an aluminum body?
No, Ram does not use an all-aluminum body; instead, its trucks use a mix of materials, with steel making up the majority of the body, especially for the 2500 and 3500 series. Aluminum is used selectively for components like the hood and tailgate on certain models (e.g., the Ram 1500) to reduce weight, while heavy-duty trucks like the 2500 and 3500 rely more heavily on high-strength steel.
- Ram 1500: Uses a combination of high-strength steel (for the frame) and aluminum for specific parts like the hood, tailgate, and other components to save weight.
- Ram 2500 and 3500: Primarily use steel for the body, with aluminum being used for some parts such as the engine mounts.
- Service bodies: Some aftermarket service bodies designed to be mounted onto Ram trucks are made of all-aluminum to save weight and resist corrosion.
What truck brand rusts the most?
5 Trucks That Are Notoriously Prone To Rust
- 2000 to 2017 Toyota Tacoma. Hrach Hovhannisyan/Shutterstock.
- 1997 to 2021 Nissan Frontier/Navara. Sue Thatcher/Getty Images.
- 2007 to 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. Nikonysta/Shutterstock.
- 2004 to 2011 Chevrolet Colorado. Gestalt Imagery/Shutterstock.
- 2021 Ford F-150.
Is the F-150 body all aluminum?
Yes, Ford F-150s have used an aluminum-alloy body since the 2015 model year, but the frame is still made of high-strength steel. This shift to aluminum for the cab and bed provides benefits like weight savings, improved performance, and corrosion resistance, while using steel for the frame ensures durability.
- Body: The cab and bed are constructed from high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloys.
- Frame: The high-strength steel frame remains a key part of the truck's construction for structural integrity.
- Benefits: The aluminum body helps reduce the truck's overall weight, which can improve fuel efficiency and acceleration without sacrificing capability. It is also more resistant to rust than steel.
