Pickup Truck - Bed size question

[Nathanaf8388]

I’d be Leary buying a 15 year old vehicle from anywhere that gets more snow than us.
I love the ford trucks but if you aren’t super handy with a wrench I’d be careful getting involved with a 5.4l unless they had paperwork showing a very recent tune up.

The gm ls series engines are pretty reliable but gm doesn’t make a great transmission so watch out if you find a vehicle that’s done much towing (this really goes for most brands) and the frames are pretty notorious for rotting

Dodges never seem to haul a load in the bed very well lots of squat light in steering and the 4.7l has its issues and even the “awesome” hemis are prone to expensive repairs (they have sorted some of those issues out but not in the trucks in the 6,000$ range)

That being said I’ve owned and still own some of these platforms and I would own them all again if I found a well taken care of example of them in a good price.
But if I had to choose it would be a gm with 6.0 and 4l80 trans 2500 4x4 just for a rugged work truck with powerful engine and a decent trans to back it up.


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[CampingJosh]

My work truck is a 2008 F150 4x4 crew cab with the 5.5 foot bed. It gets done everything I need to do with it, but I am much more likely to haul a trailer than I am to actually fill the bed. I have never put a load of stone or dirt in the bed; it's just a pain to unload, and I have a good friend with a dump trailer.

There are a lot of times that I am happier with my (personal) Toyota 4runner V8 with a trailer than I am using a pickup.

 

[KJQ6945]

As a general rule, a 1/2 ton truck with a crew cab will be a 5.5’ bed. Extended cab, 6.5’ bed. To get an 8’ bed in a 1/2 ton truck it will be a regular cab, or a special order.

My last two trucks have been chevy 1/2 ton crew cabs. I was very reluctant to go to a 1/2 ton with a tiny bed, but I have no regrets. The two previous trucks were Ford 1 ton crew cabs with 8’ beds and diesels. Keep in mind, an 8’ bed and crew cab is the size of a bus. They can be a challenge to park, compared to the 1/2 ton.

1/2 ton crew cab and a trailer has worked out well for me. My truck is my daily driver, and the modern 1/2 tons get excellent fuel economy, and have plenty of power to haul a trailer.

 

[boogieman]

As KJQ6945 said if you want a half ton crew cab then you will more than likely be getting a 5.5' bed. You can get the 6.5' in an extended (double) cab. If you want crew cab and 6.5' you will have to go to a 3/4 ton. Some of the double cabs have quite a bit of room in the back. As long as it is not a very large person you should be fine. Something else to consider is with a half ton you can only safely put about 1 yard of soil in the bed, any more needs to be in a trailer. I have a half ton GMC double cab with 6.5' bed and 1 Yard of topsoil fills about half my bed but squats the suspension enough that I look upwards when i drive. Any more would probably do some damage.

A good way to do a search is to go to carfax and use their used car search. I just entered pickup trucks under $10k and within 50 miles of me and got 151 results.

 

[femurphy77]

I mean if you get one without a tow package you can buy all the stuff you need down the road to tow. But if used truck you can at least know it wasn’t used to tow anything. Also I wouldn’t get anything with plow hookups already.


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Putting a brake controller and a trailer plug on a vehicle doesn't give you a tow package and a tow package has greater value beyond just towing. I've owned a series of 3/4 and one ton SRW's and duallies throughout my childhood including 4wd's and diesels and have towed racecars thousands of miles. I've always been a believer in optioning heavy up front because there are several pluses to it; you don't have to worry about it later, you get to take advantage of that heavy duty cooling system, suspension, electrical system, etc. every day. It's factory installed!! It helps the resale value if that's a consideration.

Two years ago I found myself in the same boat as the OP looking for the same truck but I knew for sure that I wanted the 4 door with the shorter bed. Yes it requires rethinking loads in that 65" bed but for the stuff I just can't safely haul back there I have a couple of trailers that can handle that issue. Trust me when I say you don't want to deal with a 4 door truck with an 8 foot bed in daily driving, the extended cab with an 8' bed isn't different enough to make a difference in that assessment. I do love that 4 door 65" bed GMC with tow, 4wd, etc that I bought two years ago though.

Be honest about your needs and true to you and you can't go wrong.

YMMV.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

You don't need a long bed for a refrigerator. If you're doing house framing or the like and are loading up a lot of plywood and precuts, the 8' bed is handy. For smaller projects, just leave the tail gate up or use tie downs. Little more bother, but I'm guessing you aren't going to use it for that routinely.

If you aren't going to pull a trailer, the 'tow package' is mostly meaningless. A 4th Gen Ram has a 8500-10k towing capacity out the gate. That's a lot of dirt and refrigerators. Towing capacity =/= payload capacity, though. If you're putting everything in the bed, you'll need to look at payload capacity. Any truck will haul more then it will stop and steer, so keep in mind that rating isn't what breaks your truck, it's what overwhelms the brakes and suspension.

Depending on how many people and how big, don't rule out a quad cab. Dodge's quad cabs are roomier then Ford's and the doors open the right way vs the little suicide doors. I don't know about GM. I can easily and comfortably get 6 in my quad cab, but it's got the split bench front seat that many don't offer any longer. Most trucks you're stuck with 5 seats and the differences between quad and crew are how much leg room and how far the seats recline.

 

[patience0830]

1/2 ton cab and a 1/2. 8' bed and a tow package. 2011 truck. It was a search to find it. The cap allows me to haul 8' sheet goods and keep them dry. When I buy my next one I'll prolly have to go 3/4 ton to get the bed, but for me, It's worth it.

Doing my best to keep the wheel wells, frame and rockers solid by keeping them clean.

 

[schmart]

As many others have suggested, what you are asking for is pretty rare. Ford doesn't even make that cab/bed combination in a 1/2 ton model.
I've got a 2012 F150 crewcab w/ 6/5' bed. I had to perform quite a search to find that bed length.

Several items... most pickups have a hitch on them. When the mfg specifies a tow package, that means extra transmission cooling, possible larger radiator, and usually a higher axle ratio. This is to be able to pull the 13K+ lb ratings that are shown on TV. My pickup doesn't have the tow package, but still has a class 5 hitch and is rated to tow over 8K lb. That's a pretty big mower if it weighs more than that.

The standard bed length on crew cab pickups is 5.5'. This is chosen by most people as it can fit in a standard 20' garage. The 6.5' bed versions don't unless you have a extended length garage. If you move to an 8' bed it gets even worse to garage it. The extra bed length is made by lengthening the wheel base. This gives a smoother highway ride, but makes it considerably less manuverable with a larger turning radius. It is just about impossible to pull directly into a parking space without hanging out the sides. I've gotten pretty good at backing in though. Supercab versions are standard w/ the 6.5' bed, but you give up passenger space for bed space. These will handle like the crew cab with 5.5' bed.

As far as hauling things, a refrigerator or other appliances fit in the standard bed w/o issues. For hauling dirt, sand, stone, firewood, etc. you will overload the vehicle way before you fill up the bed. I have loaded my 6.5' bed with heaped mulch, but it is overloaded when I've done that. With a 6.5' bed, standard 8' lumber hangs to the end of the tailgate, so is easy to carry. As far as rail road ties, at 200lb each, you will only get 8 of them in the pickup before being at weight limit, and that doesn't give any allowance for passengers. For any significant projects, you are going to want to carry those on a trailer to keep the number of trips down. I'm sure whatever trailer you are planning on with your mower would equal the load capacity as the truck bed.

Assuming you already have a trailer for the mower, I'd suggest worrying less about the bed length and more about the passenger space and creature comforts. Even the short 5.5' beds are adequate for the majority of hauling and you have the trailer for oversize/overweight loads.

 

[rvb]

If you want to use it at all as a daily driver, know that a full 4-door crew cab with an 8’ bed is a LONG truck. You will stick out of regular parking spaces by 6 feet, IF you have the turning radius to park it. Drive thrus will be a pain, etc. good for farm truck or something like that. Even a full crew cab with 6’ bed is quite long.

there’s probably very little you need a full 8’ bed for. With the tailgate down you can support full sheets of plywood even with a 6.5’ bed easily, and pretty well even with a 5’ bed, just tie down smartly.

my first truck was a regular cab with 8’ bed. Went to extended cab with 6.5’ bed when kids came along. Didn’t miss the capacity near as much as I thought I would.

-rvb

 

[Ingomike]

I am surprised by some of the misinformation about "tow packages". While they may vary some from manufacturer or model, a tow package often includes a larger radiator, transmission cooler and the like to handle the additional heat and stress of towing. There may be other items included to increase safety and durability for towing. The ironic part is often the hitches themselves in a tow package are lacking capacity.

That said you likely do not need a tow package to tow even a big mower. It is for vehicles towing closer the the GVCWR...

 

[Libertarian01]

So far I think most of you have changed my mind on the bed size. I still won't go with a short bed as I don't have a trailer yet. There is just something about the idea of a pickup truck without much of a "truck" part to it that bothers me. It feels kind of like hunting with a carbine. Yes, you can do it but a rifle is so much more effective.

It's funny that there is so much to learn about yourself and your own needs when trying to choose a pickup. I was called "pickey" up thread and he was right! What do I truly "need" it for? How many times will it be used for that need? How often will I have more than two (2) people in it? Does that matter if, when it's being used, you need more than two (2)? So trying to fit the right variables together becomes a puzzle to figure out. I guess it's like the guys that build AR's from scratch. What do they want it for?

Ingomike,

It was my understanding that the tow package on many pickups had additional cooling and stuff for the transmission. I thought it would be nice to have a bit of overkill for the times that I do use it, but not critical. Extra icing on the cake. I am a firm believer in overkill. Except for collateral damage, it's better to have too much most of the time than not enough when you truly need it. But that's just me.

Regards,

Doug

 

[BehindBlueI's]

. I thought it would be nice to have a bit of overkill for the times that I do use it, but not critical. Extra icing on the cake.

Just keep in mind 'overkill' isn't free in this context. It's fun to have all that extra capacity on tap. It's less fun to pay the maintenance costs on extra capacity you never use. Which is why I ditched my F-250 Super Duty. Heavy duty parts have heavy duty prices.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I had an F-150 with the 5.5" bed and it was practically useless as a truck. I would not recommend. The short bed doesn't get you anything, IMO. It's still a ***** to park and gets just as bad fuel economy.

I will 2nd getting a trailer. A full sized trailer with sides and a ramp will pay for itself in no time. It's easier to load/unload and you don't care wtf happens to it so long as the wheels keep rolling.

Get the tow package, especially if it's used. They are more durable, and will come with trailer brake adjustment and all kinds of wonderful things that will help with towing. If a truck was used as a truck without a tow package then most of the bits in the rear suspension will be nearly worn out (bushings, bearings, shocks, axles...)

 

[drillsgt]

I’d be Leary buying a 15 year old vehicle from anywhere that gets more snow than us.
I love the ford trucks but if you aren’t super handy with a wrench I’d be careful getting involved with a 5.4l unless they had paperwork showing a very recent tune up.

The gm ls series engines are pretty reliable but gm doesn’t make a great transmission so watch out if you find a vehicle that’s done much towing (this really goes for most brands) and the frames are pretty notorious for rotting

Dodges never seem to haul a load in the bed very well lots of squat light in steering and the 4.7l has its issues and even the “awesome” hemis are prone to expensive repairs (they have sorted some of those issues out but not in the trucks in the 6,000$ range)

That being said I’ve owned and still own some of these platforms and I would own them all again if I found a well taken care of example of them in a good price.
But if I had to choose it would be a gm with 6.0 and 4l80 trans 2500 4x4 just for a rugged work truck with powerful engine and a decent trans to back it up.


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So there's basically no good trucks?

 

[HoughMade]

Here's my experience, YMMV

I have a 2007 Silverado ext. cab with 6.5' bed.

- 8' long stuff such as studs or trim fit completely within the bed, tailgate closed, angled.
- 4'x8' sheets of anything do not extend past the tailgate.
- 12' lumber is safely carried, gate up or down (I prefer up if only a few boards), with my bed bar (bed accessory ever, see below) towards the front.
- 16' lumber can work....but you're on your own.
- I have carried up to 6 bales of hay, but I could do 10-12 if I had to.

Saturday, I cut down some trees to thin our a woodsy area and all of the non-firewood sized branches and brush from 5 tree from 20-30 feet tall fit in...and towering above, the bed.

In the 10+ years I've owned this truck, I have never had a situation where I thought an 8' bed would have been significantly better for anything.

Keep in mind, if a guy does want a crew cab and an 8' bed, that is 3/4-1 ton stuff. They may have made 1/2 tons like this at one time, but I don't remember the last time I saw one. If a person needs a heavy duty truck for the towing or payload, that's fine, but if you don't, getting it for 18" of bed will just cost you money and a better ride.

Even 6.5' beds on crew cabs in half tons are somewhat difficult to find, but at least they are out there. I've seen more F-150s of this type than any other, but I've seen Rams, but can't I recall finding a Chevy (or GMC). I am looking at trucks and would like that exact configuration, 6.5' bed with crew cab, so I've been looking for them.

Bed bar:

https://www.mfrexpress.com/cargo-ba...L_cniokxEEDxBNuO9-eLK7Ch6Yu276KxoCI6EQAvD_BwE

I've had this exact model for almost 10 years and it has been out in the weather almost the whole time. Still works great. I lust lube the mechanism every once in a while with silicone spray or motorcycle chain lube.

My truck being trucky:

Oh, and I have what was, at the time, the "standard" towing package in that there is a receiver hitch, lighting hook-ups, a PS cooler. There is no integrated trailer brake, but I don't know if they were doing them in 2007 for half tons. I tow the horse trailer with a mini horse you see in the background. I towned about 4,500# to Kentucky for my son and got about 13 mpg.

 

[drillsgt]

Good discussion as i've been slowly kicking around the idea of a truck but have never owned one.

 

[JettaKnight]

I've thrown out the "must have" for the tow package. I want it, but in thinking about it I won't tow too much so while I'd get a truck with over without, I'm not sticking to it.

I'm now waffling on the requirement for a long bed. It is a royal pain to find a truck that is both crew cab AND long bed. When I am talking about a long bed I mean 8'. From my reading a "regular" size bed is 6'5".

I guess what truck can't tow? Maybe I'm ignorant, but what does a tow package give you?


And eight bed is regular. You sound like a democrat talking about high capacity magazines when you say 6'6" is regular.


I much prefer a regular bed over a crew cab. And having both leads to one hella long vehicle, more than I want in a daily driver.

 

[Nathanaf8388]

So there's basically no good trucks?

No that’s not true they just all have their issues. I don’t know about the toyota tundras but I haven’t heard a lot of negatives about them.


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[JettaKnight]

Here's my experience, YMMV

I have a 2007 Silverado ext. cab with 6.5" bed.

I had an F-150 with the 5.5" bed

Tonka trucks?

 

[HoughMade]

Tonka truck?

Dude, c'mon...it's a shift key difference.