Short bed or long bed?

[DelCamper]

I'm looking at a 2014 Dodge Ram 3500 non dully with a 6.4 ft bed to tow a 2013 5th wheel Keystone cougar 327 RES.

Do I need the long bed? What do I loose if I have the short bed?

My previous experience was with a TT and a 5th wheel is a new world for me.

[Dave_H_M]

I am with Bama. i ordered an F250 short box but my wife just had to have the crew cab. so I shut my trap ond ordered the crew cab. Now she "just does not like to drive it" cus you cannot just pull into parking spaces at the malls. :h

however, give me a 5 acre field and I can put that thing almost anywhere. :B

[is_it_friday_ye]

I have an '07 Ram with a short bed and never use my slider, you just have to think ahead when you're parking, etc. One thing to consider though, will it fit in your garage? My quad cab just fits in my garage, 20'x20'. The door will hit the bumper hitch if I leave it on.

[jalichty]

Years ago I had an extended cab with a long bed when we first started towing our FW. Didn't have a slider and didn't need it. However, when we traded out of that truck, we got a crew cab with a short bed and it actually was not as long as the extended cab with a long bed. The first two crew cabs with short beds I had did have small, 26 gallon, tanks, but the last three, two GMCs and one Ram have all had 34-36 gallon tanks so I think all of them now have larger fuel tanks to accommodate those of us who don't like to fill up very often. When we bought our first short-bed truck, we put a Reese manual slider on it and have used it a few times and it's not really much of a pain, just takes a little more time, but what's the hurry in putting your FW up, one or two minutes sure as heck isn't a big deal. Also, with most of the newer FWs, their front ends are manufactured so that they will generally not make contact with your cab under normal circumstances. As far as hauling is concerned, when I had the long bed truck, I didn't haul anything in it that I don't haul in my short bed, but then, the extra thing I take along with a Crestliner SuperHawk 1900 and it wouldn't fit in the bed of a long bed anyway. Having said that, I would suggest you get any length bed you wish, it's your truck and you need what you want, not what the rest of us think you should need.

[stetwood]

Did I miss something, the OP did not say what size cab. This would also influence a decision about a long bed or short bed. Length has some influence on ride.

[Mile_High]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
A truck is supposed to be used as a truck as in hauling things when not towing.

Not my pretty short bed tow motor, I use my neighbors junk Dodge for hauling things 🙂

[Cummins12V98]

Get the STANDARD 8' bed. A truck is supposed to be used as a truck as in hauling things when not towing.

Had a SHORT bed once, never again!

[rhagfo]

Bamaman1 wrote:
The problem with a long bed truck is if it's mounted on a crew cab chassis. At 22' long, maneuvering such a long wheelbase vehicle is very slow and awkward.

I tow with a F250 crew cab with 6.5' box, and it's certainly long enough of a vehicle for me. I had my 24' boat in my driveway this weekend, and the whole rig was about 50' long.

Most of the time, I still take up two parking places as I'm too lazy to go forward and reverse 5-6 times to get it straight.

My SWB crew cab is long enough for me. Trick is buying a fifth wheel trailer that is designed for SWB vehicles. Most of the new designs will turn 77 degrees.

Try backing into the parking spot in lots!! Works wonders. Much easier!!!

[Bamaman11]

The problem with a long bed truck is if it's mounted on a crew cab chassis. At 22' long, maneuvering such a long wheelbase vehicle is very slow and awkward.

I tow with a F250 crew cab with 6.5' box, and it's certainly long enough of a vehicle for me. I had my 24' boat in my driveway this weekend, and the whole rig was about 50' long.

Most of the time, I still take up two parking places as I'm too lazy to go forward and reverse 5-6 times to get it straight.

My SWB crew cab is long enough for me. Trick is buying a fifth wheel trailer that is designed for SWB vehicles. Most of the new designs will turn 77 degrees.

[dave17352]

I have had many a short bed. 1983 1996 2001 2003 2005 2008 My 2011 is a long bed. I hauled my 05 33 foot cardinal with 2 different short beds with a manual slider. I hauled for 6 years with a short bed and only used the slider a couple times to get into really tight camping spots. You can easily get by with a short bed. All that being said I greatly prefer my long bed and can not see the day when I would buy another short bed. I used a aux fuel tank in the short beds and use the same in my long bed when towing the Cardinal. I was crammed in tight with the short bed and have what seems to be tons of extra room in the long bed. Also the fuel tank holds 36 gallons compared to 26 gallons on the short beds. The long bed rides better also. Where I am at parking is almost never a issue and I have a very deep wide garage and shop to park in. Also when I became interested in getting a truck camper I was really happy I had the 8 foot bed. So now I have a 5th wheel and a very large Lance Truck Camper. I would not have had the option for a large truck camper without the long bed. JMHO

[C_Schomer]

I've had 3 LB and 1 SB and I like the LB so much better for the space ahead of the hitch and for hauling long materials. The ride is also better and I don't have to worry about banging the cab with the 5er or needing a slider. I can put a lot of firewood up there for the camping trips. Even with the SB, it was easier to back into tight parking spots. My SB had a tiny gas tank. I really saw too many disadvantages to a SB. Craig

[DelCamper]

Yes with a 6ft 4" bed

[Mile_High]

poncho62 wrote:
There are the 6 1/2 ft beds and then there are the 5ft beds that many of the crew cab trucks have.......With the 5ft bed, a slider would be a good idea

Are we interjecting 1/2 ton truck options just to totally confuse the guy? :h

I believe he said he was looking at a Dodge 3500

[Dayle1]

Going forward, you are limited by the steering wheel cut, not the bed length. Almost all cars and light trucks have a steering wheel cut of about 35-37 degrees. With a 90 degree turn, the maximum angle between the truck and fiver will be in the range of 45 degrees.

I've used short beds for 25 years and never had contact. Started before sliding hitches existed and did fine for 14 years. Then 11 years with a manual slider that I never used. Recently switched back to the fixed legs. With the notched front caps on today's fivers, there is almost no need for a slider. What I learned long ago is that most tight maneuvers can be solved with a little more jockeying back and forth. I did have one of those situations, tried several times w/o using the slider, then nothing better with the slider, finally went back to the towing position and completed the maneuver.

Or you can get an 8ft bed or an auto slider or the Sidewinder and have no worries, but you still have to pay attention while backing, jack-knife past 90 degrees and there will still be truck to fiver contact. Finally, sharper angles result in more stress on the fiver suspension and tires. I wonder how many blow-outs are related to earlier stress on the tires. BTW, that short bed with a flat front fiver will still jack-knife sharper than is possible with any TT setup.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Trackrig wrote:
How many long bed trucks have you seen w/dinged cabs hauling a 5ver?
How many short bed trucks have you seen w/dinged cabs hauling a 5ver?

After seeing several at Quartzsite this year I started taking pictures of them for my brother who keeps thinking about a short bed when he buys a new truck.

Bill

Now that's funny!..:B

Do you take pictures of short bed p/ups with *NO* dinged cabs?.:R.:S

Manual or Automatic slider = *NO* problem with a short bed.

Short bed or long bed?..:?

Whatever rings *YOUR* chimes!.;)

Had both - didn't need or use the long bed, so it's been short bed SRW (non-dually) for a lot of years.

Be glad to pose for a *NO* dings, *NO* broken windows (EVER) photo..:C

BTW - been to Q lots of times (and other campgrounds free or fee), and never seen those dinged short-bed pickups.

Must be folks that just *KNOW* they don't need a slider (don't know "Murphy" either) - and/or too cheap to buy one, ROTFL.

But good luck with your photo essay anyway..:W


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[FlatBroke]

Get the whole truck, a long bed. Anything less is....... less.