Thoughts: 6.5' bed v. 8' bed

twodownzero wrote:

schlep1967 wrote:
For me, I like a four door truck. Add an 8 foot box to that and you are taking up a lot of real-estate. I commonly hear the argument of the long beds are better for towing due to the longer wheel base. But a short bed with a 4 door cab is the same length as a long bed with a two door cab. So virtually no difference in towing. Also the short bed fits in my garage.
As for hauling plywood or drywall, if it's only a few sheets I leave the tailgate up. If it is going to be a heavy load, put the tailgate down and use ratchet straps to tie it in. Actually, I tie it in either way.

When's the last time you saw a two door long bed pickup on the lot? Nobody is buying them. Seems like a pointless comparison to me.

A crew cab short box, and a 2 door ext cab with an 8' bed are about the same length. A reg cab long bed is 4' shorter than an 8' bed crew cab!
I've been thinking myself of a 6.5' dual cab GM 1500, get rid of the 8' be reg cab I am driving. I can get what I need into a 6.5' bed, generally speaking, if not, I guess I'll drive the 14' Navistar dump with a 188" wheel base, that would out turn my 88 ext cab 8' bed truck with a 155" wb. Yes, the 128" C2500 reg cab with 8' bed with out turn the navistar. Not to mention the 96 or 05 crw cabs with 8' beds!

IMHO, its a blinken truck, a tool, like a hammer! nothing more, nothing less. So get what works, after that, it may be too big, or too small.

HP and Torque is not it is cracked up to be, have had high powered rigs gets stuck on steeper local hills, meanwhile a properly geared rig with 1/2 the power, goes up the hill at a higher total GVW! Get the truck with the proper drive train in how you will use the truck too!

marty