SOhappy

Just name one thing you can put in a long bed that can't be hauled in a short bed. Plywood, sheetrock, dirtbikes, ATVs, 5th wheels... they all fit just as well in the short bed, you just may have to leave the tailgate down is all.

Ok, so maybe a 12' 2X10 would look better going down the road in a long bed.

At least my short bed FITS IN MY GARAGE!

sdaly

I can name one thing: Hauling a street motorcycle in the bed while pulling a travel trailer. You can't do that with a shortbed because you can't leave the tailgate down while towing. That's one of the big reasons I got a long bed.

coontz0473

i've got a shorty, but like others wish for the long. when i first purchased (9/04) i didn't consider putting a gooseneck hitch in....now thats what i'm after...i also have a uws chest box in the bed....wish i would of went long....i don't want to spend your money, BUT get the LONG...you'll wish you had later!!

SOhappy

That's just WRONG to have a bike that big!

I can get 2 full sized dirtbikes in my shortbed (diagonally) with the tailgate UP.

Or I can get a Sportsman 500 and a full-sized KTM in with it down. But just barely...

FastZilla

I too pondered that decision for about 30 seconds. LB (160.5") = 20" more wheel base which = good luck driving it in the city. I've driven both. It's not near as bad as the LB fords at 172" wb. If you haul/tow all the time (4-5 times/week) or live in the country and the big city you drive to has a population of 20k then get the LB. If you live in the city (city's over 250k) and live in a neighborhood and have to back trailers down tight alleys/driveways then get the SB. I can u-turn my SB in 3 lanes - a LB takes a little over 4. That 140.5" wb of the SB is just a hair longer than the other's ext-cab SBs. I often catty 8'+ cargo - I just carry straps. Try driving a LB around one of those airport spiral parking garage ramps up 6 or so levels... If I remember it's only about a $300-$400 difference in price.

LJTyre

For me there was really no debating, although I'd always drove, and swore I always would drive a reg. cab lb, I got a deal I couldn't pass up on a truck I loved (see sig. or gallery) that said, with a tool box and 37" spare, I am a litte "short" of bed space, but I've always got the 73 F-100 to haul plywood

Long story short, get what you want.
b/c you're the one spending the money, and you're the one driving it.

my .02

moterhead

I have some friends in the Florida Keys who sold a crew cab, long bed Durmax and bought an '06 short bed QC Ram. So there is someone who had a long and went to short. They seldom haul, mostly tow a 26 foot Airstream. The pickup is their only vehicle so much more time is spent as daily driver than hauling or towing. I've never owned a long bed pickup. Never needed one & I like the SB looks. If I do ever need to do serious hauling I either hook up the 6.5 X 12 foot or 8.5 X 24 foot trailer. The SB is fine for trips to Lowe's, the nursery, haul a bike, etc. And my truck is a 2WD. I live in the south & don't go off road, so what do I need 4WD for?

TexasCTD

Wayne,

Thank goodness we all have that freedom of choice and the manufacturers make both bed lengths. I have nothing against short beds. They are nice and look great. I just don't recall hearing very many people with long beds wishing they had gone with a short. Your comment above is (imo) the exception and not the rule.

And, I love the wheels on your red 2500 with the red powdercoat wheels in your pic galery. I am about to do the same thing to my truck but with black.

Dieseljunkie

Go long bed. I looked at short beds, but decided to go long bed, and I love it. Yeah, its a bit more difficult to park, but you learn how to drive it quick.. those of you that give the excuse that you bought a short bed because you drive in city traffic, I do the same thing in my long bed, and guess what, I can parallel park it just as easily as a short bed truck, or a mini cooper for that matter.. You guys act like we're driving semi's here.. they are just trucks. Bottom line, buy what you like, or need, and don't make excuses for why you bought it, like you drive in the "city". I bought my LB because I wanted one.
Scott

elandon1201

I have a quad cab long bed brother in law has quad cab short bed. When we moved him into his new house he saw how much more room a long bed has.I have owned one shortbed ....never again.

welndmn

My ford was a long bed, my dodge a shot bed.
There is only about 1 time a month i wish i had a long bed, the other 29 days I love my short bed

JCStrasser

I've had a SB, then a LB, back to a SB, another SB, and our new CTD QC is a long bed.
We live (as our kids like to say) in the middle of nowhere. Can't remember the last time I had to parallel park- think it was 2 or 3 years ago.
Our 2 car garage is 26' deep, we frequently carry one of our tandem bicycles-a LB is definitely what works for us best.
IMHO, the ride is better too. (of course the CTD has nothing to do with that, right?)
John

DR3500

toolbox with a 4 wheeler! and even if mine was a SB it still wouldn't fit in the garage!

FastZilla

Not tryin to lock horns with anyone here but I must say if you can park a 160" wb LB truck in the same spot as easily as a 140" wb SB or a Mini Cooper for that matter, you are a WAY better driver than I. There are several parallel spots and parking lots in down town Dallas (Truck country mind you) that my SB has a bumper on both lines, front on the line as well at the same time the rear is on the line (parallel). I also have to make 5+ point turns to navigate some parking rows (u-turns in parking lots at the ends). Some times I feel it would be easier to bring wheel dollies and a floor jack and just push it into the spots.

However I can't agree with you more, buy what you want. I'm just glad i bought what I needed & wanted.

jeffahart

I went from shortbed to longbed. Lost money getting rid of the shortbed because I thought I could get away with shorter bed. The megacab, I wouldn't even concider in a short, it's way to short IMO.

Jeff