Long or Short Bed for 5er

Some friends bought a longbed truck to tow their new 2004 Weekend Warrior. They had wanted a shortbed, but after seeing one with a small dent in the back window area, they decided that inviting the trailer in the back window was a bad idea.

I also had been sold on the idea of longbed, for the increased comfort. However I did own a F-350 supercab longbed, and it was a bit long to turn around. Yes it can be done, but planning was required.

I would consider a shortbed IF I had a automatic adjusting hitch, there are several brands that move forward when the trailer is in a tight turn. There are some difficulties if you try to un-hitch while turned more than 30 degrees from straight, and hitching up while turned seems really difficult. So there might be rare campsites where hitching up will be a pain.

However even if you are required to back in with the truck at a sharp angle, usually you can pull forward, straighten out the truck and trailer, back in somewhat straight, and then unhitch easy. So yes I might consider a crewcab shortbed sometime.

Fred.

2oldman wrote:
Long short post in TV

Long or short II in TV

Thanks for these links! Lots of info. Lots of opinions. Might just wait to pick my 5er before I decide on the LB or SB. It looks like if I get a newer rounded front 5er, I may not have to worry about hitting my cab with the trailer and therefore would have no need for the sliding hitch. I would just as soon keep the truck as short as possible since it's going to be our daily driver while parked. Hate to buy a dually given that this will be our driver, but I'm going to. I want the stability for putting a beautiful heavy rig like a DRV behind it.

old guy wrote:
now I do not have a 5th wheel and from reading the above posts, why do you need carrying room in the bed of a truck when 5th wheels have so much storage room in them. do you really haul all that stuff or even need that much stuff?

There is "dirty" stuff I probably won't want in my 5er. I may install a tool box near the cab in front of the 5th wheel hitch if I buy long bed. Don't really want tools taking up living space. Probably can't do that with a short I don't suppose. I may also create a mount to hold a pressure washer so I can wash my own rig. Maybe I need a gasoline can for that pressure washer too. Just a couple of ideas that may push me to the long bed.

I suppose I could give up the "crew cab" and just buy an "extended cab" long bed too. It looks like the big 3 have discontinued the "extended cab". That's a shame. I don't really need full back seats and taking the extended cab could save me a foot. That's ok. I plan to buy used anyway.

now I do not have a 5th wheel and from reading the above posts, why do you need carrying room in the bed of a truck when 5th wheels have so much storage room in them. do you really haul all that stuff or even need that much stuff?

Long bed Pros:
Tows a bit better
Higher allowable pin weight
No need for slider hitch
Bed can haul cargo while towing

Long bed Cons:
More expensive
Longer bed makes parking more difficult
If Duelly then won't fit most car washes
Slightly worse mpg

Short bed pros:
Lower cost
Easier parking when not towing
Slightly better mpg

Short bed cons:
May need more expensive slider hitch
Little room for cargo in bed

I chose a short bed with slider hitch. I use the truck when not towing and its much easier to drive, park etc.

1999 4 door freightliner, 22' long. park it like a boss at the stores

My 80 gal aux tank turned my long bed into a short bed.

Personally, I like the long bed. I like being able to put stuff like tool boxes, dog kennels, coolers and possibly a aux fuel tank, between the cab and the hitch. I also like the ride of a longer wheel base. Yes, its harder to back with and maybe turn around but I'd rather ride for hours in comfort and "work at it" an extra 5 minutes to get the trailer in the hole.

Down side: it won't fit in my garage and had to add a new driveway. That's my story and I'm sticking too it :)

It partially depends on the 5er. Some models have a reshaped nose that allows additional clearance for tight turns, and that might be adequate for some short beds.