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 Expert
Posts: 3534
   
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | What are your thoughts?
Right now I have an F350 extended cab with a long bed. The truck is at the point where we need to put some money in New tires, brakes n maybe even some body work.
OR we could trade it in. I'm pretty particular on what I want for trade in. We'd like a crew cab but would be happy with another extended cab. We can't afford new. It seems all of the used trucks we find that meet our criteria is a short bed. Do you think we'd be that unhappy with a short bed? |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
 
Location: Oklahoma | with a short bed you can't make as tight of a turn with a gooseneck trailer without crunching the corners. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | Personally I'd think it depends how often you use the actual truck bed to haul things when not pulling a trailer? If you use the truck bed a lot, you may not like it.
We have a short bed and we like it. Rarely do we find ourselves picking up something (usually from lowes...lol) that won't fit in the back. The few times we have we've just hooked it up to our little 10 ft trailer we use to haul hubby's zero turn.
I also don't have a gooseneck horse trailer, just a BP so I can't say whether I personally find it a total pain in the rear to haul one with a short bed. |
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Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | I do have a Gooseneck. My mom pulls her Gooseneck with a short bed n she never complains. we really like a used truck we found but haven't even test drove it cuz it's a short bed. |
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Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| Don't cheat yourself. Get a long bed. Smoother ride for horses, better resale value, more room, and the list goes on and on..... |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | My SO just traded our long bed in on a short bed. We have not pulled anything with it yet but I am not very happy about it. I guess we will see.... |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: Idaho | I have a shortbed and pull a gooseneck trailer...love mine! I think depending on if the nose of your trailer is more square vs. rounded is when you have to worry about knocking out the back window..but have had no problems with mine! |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Personally, a long bed. We don't pull a goosneck, but we do haul hay ourselves and there is no way you can fit a ton of hay in a short bed truck. Long bed all the way for me. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 148
| I would go with long bed. I have had both but prefer the long bed. We have looked at trucks there doesn't seem to be any long beds in the new dealership Tho just looked at chev dealership ? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| Ive always had a short bed. I have a friend that has a gooseneck she pulls with her short bed, and has never had a problem with hitting the back window/corners. But her truck doesn't have the turning radius to get close enough to knocking them out anyway.
To the poster that said short beds hurt resale value - I'd be curious how many people actually have long vs short beds, because I specifically would NOT buy a long bed. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 275
| We purchased a mega cab short box (so it is 3 inches shorter than a regular short box) a few months ago. Our last four trucks have been long boxes and we pull a gooseneck. I have to say I really love the short box. Our truck is a daily driver and I much prefer driving it. Yes, a few loads have stuck out the back, but we use the trailer if it's too long.
As far as turning radius, it all depends on your trailer. This truck turns sharper than our old one and I can get it to just about a 90 degree angle. Our trailer has an angled nose, if it were flat it would be a problem. But we love it, I wouldn't rule it out if you like the truck! |
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Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | my truck is my daily driving vehicle n my hubby has a suv so I am worried about driving a crew cab long bed around to do errands and run to get my lunches.
maybe I can take my Gooseneck with me n hook it to this other truck during our test drive |
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Veteran
Posts: 197
| Used to pull with a short bed, it was fine, but we did bust the back window out once when we had a water barrel in the front corner of the bed and turned a corner. Had to remember to be careful in turns with it. I prefer a long bed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2036
Location: Montana | My husband was a commercial driver for over 25yrs. He swears that for hauling you should have a long bed because it adds stability. |
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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | I wont go with a short bed. I need all of the extra room I can get. Short bed vs Long bed mean the difference in a few extra bales of hay for a long week on the road or no with my gooseneck. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Bandit94 - 2015-05-26 4:09 PM My husband was a commercial driver for over 25yrs. He swears that for hauling you should have a long bed because it adds stability.
It does make a difference. I had a short bed for 5 years and chose to go back to a long bed. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | We always haul with a short bed. I don't like the look of a long bed, so it's just for vanity reasons really. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | Have to say this is my first long bed and while its a pain to park (daily driver and its a dually, so i just park further away) i do like it. We are fixing up the house to sell and the stuff from lowes/home depot fits perfect. nothing sticks out and never have to worry. I currently pull a BP for now so cant say anything about trailering |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Long bed. Better stability and you can put 2 large round bales in the bed. Sheet rock fits without over hanging lays right in the bed. Can load 20 more small bales compared to short bed and when you load it up the truck stays level with out blinding other drivers with low beams while your front end is in the air. Ask the dealers to find a long bed for you ...they still make them. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1150
Location: LaCygne, KS | Long. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | We've always had a long bed and I just don't see how the short beds are convenient. Like, what's the point? I wouldn't settle. Fixing up the trick is probably going to be cheaper than buying another truck. |
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Veteran
Posts: 171
| In the last 10 years I have only driven short beds and I pull a large living quarters trailer.
I love my short beds, never had any problems.
I had a mega cab, short bed Dodge and loved it, now I have crew cab short bed and love it.
The think with the one ton dually a person should be mindful of that once you go over a certain towing weight a CDL is required. It has been rumored they are starting to enforce these guidelines. That I was I went to a 3/4 ton and i don't regret it.
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | canchaserdelux - 2015-05-26 7:45 PM In the last 10 years I have only driven short beds and I pull a large living quarters trailer. I love my short beds, never had any problems. I had a mega cab, short bed Dodge and loved it, now I have crew cab short bed and love it. The think with the one ton dually a person should be mindful of that once you go over a certain towing weight a CDL is required. It has been rumored they are starting to enforce these guidelines. That I was I went to a 3/4 ton and i don't regret it.
Wait, large LQ trailer...so you had rather be under-trucked than risk a ticket by driving something safer? That makes sense. |
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 Semper Fi
Location: North Texas | A long bed whether single or dual wheels provides more stability and more room to maneuver under a gooseneck. I have many a back window knocked out of short bed trying to jackknife a gn into a tight hole................
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | We have both a short box and a long box and I don't mind hauling with either of them. I got an extender ball for my short bed and liked it that wAy. I don't have to be as careful with the long bed on tight turns but once you know how far your can cut turn radius you just learn to deal with it. I do like the short bed better for running errands though |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | OutlawsLastDance - 2015-05-26 1:51 PM Ive always had a short bed. I have a friend that has a gooseneck she pulls with her short bed, and has never had a problem with hitting the back window/corners. But her truck doesn't have the turning radius to get close enough to knocking them out anyway. To the poster that said short beds hurt resale value - I'd be curious how many people actually have long vs short beds, because I specifically would NOT buy a long bed.
I can kind of answer this...where I'm from (in Montana) you can practically not sell a short box truck if it is a 3/4 or 1 ton sized. But if it is a long bed, it will sell. Mostly it is because we are in a farming/ranching community, as I'm sure a lot of you are, and we need the long box trucks, plain and simple.
However, on the other end, on a 1/2 ton truck, you can pretty much not sell it with a long box unless it is a single cab truck. But the short bed trucks are really popular on 1/2 tons. However, 1/2 tons don't have as much utilitarian usage in general, IMO. |
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 Certified Snake Wrangler
Posts: 1672
Location: North MS | I find it much easier to back around corners with a long bed- I know it is not a dealbreaker or anything but it makes things simpler. Saying that- I currently have a Dodge 3500 Quad Cab with a western hauler bed that is gorgeous and back in the shop after a miserable 10 hour trip. My "borrow" truck is an 89 Ford F350 4 door long bed. It is Sooooo much easier to back and park my trailer in my crazy parking places. As far as worrying about breaking the back glass out- I have never gotten that close except when I was stuck pulling my bigger trailer and truck started sliding sideways. I just stopped there and got a pull out. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I've had both, I have a long bed now but I used to have a short bed and if it was my daily driver, I would have a short bed as it's easier to park (in city spots) and get around in. I never had a lick of trouble pulling a gooseneck with a short bed. |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | Three 4 Luck - 2015-05-26 8:35 PM canchaserdelux - 2015-05-26 7:45 PM In the last 10 years I have only driven short beds and I pull a large living quarters trailer. I love my short beds, never had any problems. I had a mega cab, short bed Dodge and loved it, now I have crew cab short bed and love it. The think with the one ton dually a person should be mindful of that once you go over a certain towing weight a CDL is required. It has been rumored they are starting to enforce these guidelines. That I was I went to a 3/4 ton and i don't regret it. Wait, large LQ trailer...so you had rather be under-trucked than risk a ticket by driving something safer? That makes sense.
LOL.....^^^^^ THIS  |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | mtcanchazer - 2015-05-26 9:53 PM OutlawsLastDance - 2015-05-26 1:51 PM Ive always had a short bed. I have a friend that has a gooseneck she pulls with her short bed, and has never had a problem with hitting the back window/corners. But her truck doesn't have the turning radius to get close enough to knocking them out anyway. To the poster that said short beds hurt resale value - I'd be curious how many people actually have long vs short beds, because I specifically would NOT buy a long bed. I can kind of answer this...where I'm from (in Montana) you can practically not sell a short box truck if it is a 3/4 or 1 ton sized. But if it is a long bed, it will sell. Mostly it is because we are in a farming/ranching community, as I'm sure a lot of you are, and we need the long box trucks, plain and simple.
However, on the other end, on a 1/2 ton truck, you can pretty much not sell it with a long box unless it is a single cab truck. But the short bed trucks are really popular on 1/2 tons. However, 1/2 tons don't have as much utilitarian usage in general, IMO.
That's because 1/2 tons are really "city boy" TOYS ! ! ! |
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | Our crew cab dually long bed is a daily driver. It's not that bad... We also have an SUV. I don't mind driving the truck daily. As far as pulling goes... long bed is easier for turning, etc. Duallys are best for stability. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | I drove my husband's 1/2 ton pickup with a SHORT box for 2 years. We had a 6" extendor on the ball to help move the trailer back a bit. And my Exiss has a square nose. I never had an issue with not being able to turn tight when backing up.but I did always keep an eye on that back window.
Finally was able to purchase a 3/4 ton pickup this year. Simply going to a "larger pickup" gives you more room. It's not a long box but I have TONS of room compared to the 1/2 ton. And obviously, tows better because it is better matched to the trailer. So I don't think a long box is absolutely necessary because a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup is automatically going to have a larger frame. But of course, if you want a long box, then get a long box!
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | NJJ - 2015-05-27 7:20 AM mtcanchazer - 2015-05-26 9:53 PM OutlawsLastDance - 2015-05-26 1:51 PM Ive always had a short bed. I have a friend that has a gooseneck she pulls with her short bed, and has never had a problem with hitting the back window/corners. But her truck doesn't have the turning radius to get close enough to knocking them out anyway. To the poster that said short beds hurt resale value - I'd be curious how many people actually have long vs short beds, because I specifically would NOT buy a long bed. I can kind of answer this...where I'm from (in Montana) you can practically not sell a short box truck if it is a 3/4 or 1 ton sized. But if it is a long bed, it will sell. Mostly it is because we are in a farming/ranching community, as I'm sure a lot of you are, and we need the long box trucks, plain and simple.
However, on the other end, on a 1/2 ton truck, you can pretty much not sell it with a long box unless it is a single cab truck. But the short bed trucks are really popular on 1/2 tons. However, 1/2 tons don't have as much utilitarian usage in general, IMO.
I know! We call 1/2 ton pickups "toy trucks." LOL.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I guess it's all just preference and what your needs are. I had a 1991 1/2 ton Chevy for 9 years that pulled my 2H bumper pull. It was a short bed and it drove me all over North Carolina. It was a daily driver, so I drove it to school, work functions, horse shows, vacations at the beach, the mountains, everywhere. I definitely got a lot of use out of it. The only thing I hated about it was it was a regular cab. It worked when I bought it when I was 18, but as I got older and doing more things, a back seat for more passengers or stowing groceries out of the rain would have been nice, but grocery shopping isn't what pickups are for, so I bought a car.
When we decided to get a bigger truck so that I can move up from my BP to a GN in the future, we got something big and tough enough to haul as much as I need to, but convenient enough to drive every day, and that was our crew cab, short bed. I've put 30 bales of hay in the back of that truck and that is more than enough for me. I don't "farm", but we do have land. I don't have to buy a lot of hay at a time because I have a lot of pasture and only feed hay in the winter, but 30 bales will get me by for a month or more.
I can see the use of a long bed for people that make a living in their trucks. I agree with the other poster that said, I don't prefer the way they look either. They remind of a Dachshund! And I guess that's why I also don't have Dachshunds! |
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long bed vs short bed truck