Forum Discussion

trcgolf's avatar
trcgolf
Explorer
Feb 26, 2015

Long bed vs. Regular Bed

I am switching from a 3/4 ton GMC 6.0L Crew cab standard bed, to a 1 ton GMC crew cab8ft bed diesel. My current fifth wheel hitch is a 15K rated slider unit. My max trailer weight is 11,200 lbs so the set up is plenty big enough.
Now that will have a 8 ft bed I shouldn't need the slider option for my set up.
Can I use what I have or do I need a need fifth wheel hitch.

15 Replies

  • drfife wrote:
    Water-Bug wrote:
    Actually, the 8' bed IS the regular bed and anything shorted is a short bed.

    Not according to GM literature.

    In the HD series (2500 & 3500) they refer to standard bed as 6.5' and long bed as 8.0'.

    The 5' 8" short bed is only available in the 1500's.




    Problem is all these four doors with short beds, have just about done away with 8' beds, so now they are considered LONG. Four door trucks have replaced the SUBURBAN as the family car. Soccer mom might want to stop on the way home from soccer practice and buy a bag of mulch or two---"I need a truck"---she needs the four doors for junior, sally & fido, but not the 8' bed.

    Just because they convinced you that a 6.5 bed is "regular" does not make it so. A regular truck bed should be able to hold a 4x8 sheet of WHATEVER, between the wheel wells with the tail gate closed. Anything less is a short bed.

    Then again...no one every asks me before they change the "norms".

    I remember when most trucks had 2 doors and an 8' bed. Four door trucks (used mostly by work crews)were not that common on dealer lots, unless they sold commercial trucks.

    I played hell to find a 2 door, 8' bed (RAM calls it long). Ended up with a stripped down "tradesmen" model.

    Yeah, I remember that too----when trucks were cheap, stripped down, tools for WORKING.
  • Water-Bug wrote:
    Actually, the 8' bed IS the regular bed and anything shorted is a short bed.

    Not according to GM literature.

    In the HD series (2500 & 3500) they refer to standard bed as 6.5' and long bed as 8.0'.

    The 5' 8" short bed is only available in the 1500's.
  • Actually, the 8' bed IS the regular bed and anything shorted is a short bed.
  • Just move your current hitch. If you decide to change to a different hitch later, it's a 5 minute job to swap'em out. No reason to spend more money unless you get a heavier trailer.
  • If you have no issues with current hitch keep it.Dont need a slider with a "REAL" truck bed:).Now on the other hand might be a good time to get a heavier rated non-slider hitch "just in case" you decide on a bigger 5er.