Short vs. Long Bed F350 SRW

Thanks for all the opinions, I think I will get the trailer home with my 7.3 and then start looking for a newer pickup! Really would like to get a 17 but man they are pricey!! Next is to purchase the hitch that will be a whole other adventure, I like the B&W but seems most are running the Reese so I will have to do my homework.

I will never go back to a short bed, had one once! I daily drive my long bed drw 5 months out of the year and have yet to have a parking issue, it fits between the lines just fine in the garage at work.

As for turning I would be willing to bet my drw turns as tight as a similar truck in srw shortbed form.

Your best bet is drive them and buy the one your comfortable with, we aren't driving it.

brooks379 wrote:
Why would anyone want a short bed truck when they make 8 foot beds ? Never could understand that. Long bed looks better !! Hauls 8' loads, rides better. My wife has been driving long bed F 350's for 20 years..... Come on you can do it.....lol

SB is fine but there are always compromises. I daily drive DRW LB no issues. No sliding hitch to worry about and have a nice BIG toolbox.

Moomba2002 wrote:
Wadcutter very interesting about your 7.3 that is what I own now. F350 7.3 dually and it has been a great truck just wanted a little more options. I like the idea of a newer short bed just that they turn so much quicker. Thanks for the replies looking forward to hearing more.

Check the specs. A lot of people compare trucks of different years and different bed sizes and assume it's the bed size. The biggest thing controlling turning radius is typically how far the front wheels will angle over. The extra 2' for a long bed typically has a small impact. 4x4 usually is worse than 4x2.

Unless the long bed won't fit into a garage, there really isn't much reason in my mind to go with the short bed. Not that a short bed can't work but long tows better and you have more space in the bed.

I would rather drive around in a short bed SRW than an 8' DRW! Ours tows and rides comfortably.

Had 3 8' boxes in my younger days. Since '97, it's been nothing but short boxes. Never used the 8 footers to their full capacity and really like the 6.5' box. If I'm not mistaken, the wheelbase of a CCSB is the same as a reg cab 8' box.

Like a couple others have posted towing similar rigs, we recently bought a Big Country 3560 SS and truck in sig towed it quite well even w/ wind.

In the end, it boils down to personal preference. Either way you go tho, aim for a 1 ton truck.

I towed a Fuzion 322 Toy Hauler with my 2011 F350 CCSB. No issues, I took it over Mt Rose summit one day and it was fine.
When I put Bilstiens on I also did a Hellwig rear sway bar. On the first trip afterward I noticed that passing semis going the opposite direction was a total non event.
I'm in Windsor so pm me if you want to try towing something firsthand.
I also had a Reese slider but never needed to use it.
Oh forgot the 2011 rides noticeably better than my 2001.

Mark

brooks379 wrote:
Why would anyone want a short bed truck when they make 8 foot beds ? Never could understand that. Long bed looks better !! Hauls 8' loads, rides better. My wife has been driving long bed F 350's for 20 years..... Come on you can do it.....lol

You can't be serious.... Looks are an opinion. IMO a short bed looks better unless is a regular cab truck. Then a long bed looks better. The other funny thing about your post is I've hauled 16' materials in my short bed. I'd be willing to bet my Mega Cab rides as good or better than your long bed and still turn a tighter radius too.

Another short bed user here with no issues... Pro's for me - - fits in garage, 10 times easier to plow snow in residential driveways with short bed...

My short bed fits in the garage, something I couldn't do with a long bed. That probably saves me from a yearly hail damage claim here in South Dakota. Lots of hail here.

Tows our 38' Sabre just fine, including through the Black Hills, to Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks. Headed over the Rockies to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Moab starting this weekend, with no concerns. With the cutaway corners on the Sabre, I don't even need a slider hitch. And the short bed gets around easier in parking ramps and tight parking lots. I had a dually a few years back, and the length caused me more parking issues than the big hips ever did, at least in the parking lots I see frequently.

The extra room in a long bed is nice. I miss that occasionally. But sometimes other considerations carry more weight. All depends on your circumstances.

Stick within your weights and either can work just fine. Comes down to personal preference.