Thoughts: 6.5' bed v. 8' bed

[PA12DRVR]

Looking to get a new pickup. Won't be hauling any fifth wheels, but will haul a variety of bumper hitch trailers, some possibly pretty heavy.

Main question is what everyone's thoughts are on the 6.5' bed vs. 8' bed? This truck will likely be a 3-day a week driver and a 5-6 times a month hauler of trailers, gear, stuff, etc.

Only real issue left to decide (other than finding a color combo the DW likes) is whether to go standard or long on the bed.

Pro's con's of either? preferences?

[4x4ord]

We use our trucks for towing pretty regular and haul plenty in the bed. If we can't fit what we're hauling in the bed we hook onto a trailer. I like the short bed.

[blt2ski]

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

[PA12DRVR]

Thanks for the input...much appreciated.

Couple of takeaways..

- "if it doesn't have a 16' bed, it's not a truck": We won't talk about the F550 Dump that I also have nor the KW Tractor nor the '47 GMC dump. 🙂 I guess the KW doesn't really have any bed....but I just sold it, so a moot point. :S

- Truck will be a non-hauling driver a good part of the time, and it will have 4 doors. Since my comparator is that F550 Dump, I'm not worried about parking, but I do need to be able to turn around at the boat launch with a 30' trailer behind me....that might turn out to be the decision-maker on the bed size although with the modern wheel cut angle, I'm sure anything will turn sharper than the '09 that the new truck is replacing.

- "Get the tow package": Early indicators are that I can get a beefy 350 / 3500 in either standard bed or long bed. If for some reason, I can't find a stout standard bed, that will be the decider: I won't get a "underpowered" truck...minimal benefit compared to the "when you need it, you need it" issue.

[2manytoyz]

My BIL had an 8' bed on his F250, I have a 6.5' on our F150. We've been on a few trips when we both had travel trailers. Both setups worked well. The difference was when we unhitched, and went into town. He did a fair amount of curb hopping to go places I could just fit.

The reason I didn't want a 5.5' bed was that it is too short to fit a golf cart. Here's pics of mine in use:





I had to remove the tailgate so it wouldn't hit the trailer in sharp turns. Consequently, the golf cart couldn't park on the tailgate. It "just fits" on a 6.5' bed.

If you plan on hauling toys, make sure you get the max tow package. Mine included longer leaf springs, a tighter turning radius, HD hitch, integrated brake controller, transmission cooler, etc. This is why my truck doesn't squat when it has a 1000 lb golf cart in the bed. My setup is rated for 1800 lbs payload, 11,100 towing. The TT weighs about 5000 lbs fully loaded. Really a nice setup... but recently moved up to a Class A to haul more toyz!

[ppine]

Long beds now and long beds forever.
Some people seem to think 5.5 feet is fine.
Less than 8 feet you only have part of a truck.

[Bedlam]

I had a 3/4t extended cab short bed which I used to tow my bumper toy pull toy hauler and later carry a truck camper while towing an enclosed trailer. Mine had heavier rated suspension and wheels basically making it spec out like a 1t SWR and it did well towing a toy hauler with 1200 lbs of tongue weight and 11,500 lbs GTW. This kept my truck under 20' overall length allowing me to fit on a short driveway or in the garage. Some people will argue that that a longer wheelbase will tow better, but I never had stability or sway issues.

I upgraded the suspension and wheels to a higher capacity to carry a 4000 lb truck camper and tow an 8000 lb enclosed trailer on a 28" double truss extension. With modifications, this did well but was too much for a stock truck.

In my year of truck the fuel tank was smaller in the short bed than the long bed - This was my biggest downside of choosing the shorter truck and didn't have sufficient space for additional fuel unless I gave up my spare tire location or use of a bed canopy or truck camper.

[twodownzero]

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.

[schlep1967]

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.

[Dadoffourgirls]

The real difference is parking and turning. I got used to the 8' box in 2017, had a 6.5' in 2018. Had to park the longer vehicle on ends of parking deck so that I could get out. In narrow parking structures, it was a 3 point turn to leave spot. I did not have that issue with the shorter.

So I say it depends on what you need, and where you park.

[Dadoffourgirls]

The real difference is parking and turning. I got used to the 8' box in 2017, had a 6.5' in 2018. Had to park the longer vehicle on ends of parking deck so that I could get out. In narrow parking structures, it was a 3 point turn to leave spot. I did not have that issue with the shorter.

So I say it depends on what you need, and where you park.

[ktmrfs]

I've gone with short bed. Yes, there are times when a long bed would be nice. But more times when for us it would be a PITA. I can still put one motorcycle in the bed with the tailgate up and pull the 35ft trailer.

When I want longer stuff in the box and not pulling a trailer I have a bed extender. Lets me haul two motorcycles easily and keep other stuff from falling out.

The short box fits into the garage with plenty of room to spare, Long box would mean rearranging woodworking tools on one side.

And the short box crew cab usually can fit into parking spaces, while there are many parking areas where a 8' box and crew cab would need two end to end spots or stick way into the traffic.

and there are many camping spots we go to where with the short box I can jockey the truck just enough to fit truck and trailer in the pad. 8' box nope.

But in the end it boils down to what you need the box for. Only you can decide.

Interesting that now usually the short box is listed or referred to as the standard box, while the 8' is referred to as long box. Growing up it was the opposite. Std box was 8' the 6.5' was short box.

[PNW_Steve]

KD4UPL wrote:
I'd buy a 10' bed if they made one. I can't fit everything I need in an 8' bed, I can't imagine trying to work with one shorter. If you're going to use the truck to haul, which is what they are for, I would get the longer bed. The longer wheel base will ride better. Usually long bed trucks have larger fuel tanks than their short bed counterpart.

Amen!

I have owned one 6.5' bed truck. After driving that for a couple of years I went back to an 8' bed. I will most likely never own another 6.5' bed truck.

I have had a number of occasions that a 10' or longer he'd would have been handy.

My TV is my daily driver/hauler. Tomorrow it may be hauling groceries or 3000lbs of railroad ties. Friday it will haul the 5er down to the river.

I was going to put a 10' flatbed on it until I talked to my insurance agent. If I put a flatbed on it they will only insure it as a commercial vehicle. Very expensive and to compound the issue, if I did switch to commercial insurance, I would loose my multi vehicle discount. Adding a flatbed would raise my monthly insurance bill by about $100 a month. I can't justify the cost but I sure would like to.

[KD4UPL]

I'd buy a 10' bed if they made one. I can't fit everything I need in an 8' bed, I can't imagine trying to work with one shorter. If you're going to use the truck to haul, which is what they are for, I would get the longer bed. The longer wheel base will ride better. Usually long bed trucks have larger fuel tanks than their short bed counterpart.

[Trackrig]

By the time I put in the 120 gal fuel tank and a Knak box, I don't know if there'd be anything left of 6.5' bed for me. On my new truck I'll probably put a 10' flat bed.

Bill