Short Bed vs. Long Bed
- Thread starter Flys Lo
- Start date
Kaisen
Explorer
Please consider the responses you see here based on where they live.....daily driving a crew cab long box in Montana is going to be quite different than the OP in Los Angeles.
Also consider breakover angle.... it's possible to bottom out the center of the frame or TC on with such a long wheelbase
I could park my Super Duty Crew Short in the garage (barely) where a longbox would not. Another consideration.
With a full camper, I'd pick the long box on weight distribution alone. But in the end, it's up to personal preference.
Also consider breakover angle.... it's possible to bottom out the center of the frame or TC on with such a long wheelbase
I could park my Super Duty Crew Short in the garage (barely) where a longbox would not. Another consideration.
With a full camper, I'd pick the long box on weight distribution alone. But in the end, it's up to personal preference.
Acetylene
Explorer
I have had several of both types and prefer the long bed. The difference in turning radius etc is minimal, but the difference in hauling and towing is not. A short bed is more attractive possibly, but if you ever need to haul a bike etc, you need the tailgate down as Buliwyf pointed out. The difference in capacity, towing stability, and even the size of a camper far outweigh a little longer turning radius - for me. As Kaisen pointed out, it depends on how your going to use it. I live in Florida where everything is flat and boats to be towed are large. When we go to Tennessee, I take the CJ-7 because I could not even imagine taking a long bed CC into some of those switchback areas.
Jr_Explorer
Explorer
Yeah... this is an endless debate. But if by L.A. you mean you live IN Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc. I personally would never own a CCLB. I have an extended cab SB and will take my other vehicle when going to any of those areas. How often do you take 4-5 tall adults in the truck? The extended cab trucks are pretty nice these days.
The other thing only you can evaluate is what percentage of time is daily driving (and do you need a LB for DD activities) vs what percentage ir recreating. OBVIOUSLY a camper that is roughly 25% (or more like 6' vs 9') longer is going to be a HUGE difference in utility and comfort. But if you only drop the camper on the truck for three to five 3-day weekend trips is it worth it the other 47-49 weekends and all those dreadful weekdays commuting and parking a lengthy beast.
ALL vehicles are a compromise. Try getting ten 4X8 sheets of plywood home with a Corvette. The best solution is a small daily driver and the weekend beast. But this is not always practical.
I bought a crew cab short bed with the intention of getting a new popup camper. I decided to save some serious money and go with a used camper. The number of campers that will go in a short bed is like 1 in 4, at least what I have seen listed on Craigslist ect here in New England.
Thanks for all the responses. I had responded, but it said my post got flagged for review?
My primary concerns for the Long Bed are off-road, with the worse break over angle/turning circle.
I live in Santa Monica. I do ok now with my super cab/long bed, and its turning circle is bigger than the current CC/LB coil sprung front trucks. After having a Super Cab, I definitely want a Crew Cab. I have done a number of longer distance trips with friends, and it gets uncomfortable for them in the back.
My primary concerns for the Long Bed are off-road, with the worse break over angle/turning circle.
Last edited:
Regcabguy
Oil eater.
The load on a longbed will be better balanced. Less of the load will be aft of the rear axle. Typically a qcsb's rear axle will be a couple thousand#'s over the front axle. Conversely,the qclb axles will read much closer on a scale with a slide in camper. East/west or north/south/north setup would affect the numbers.
My standard cab weighs 4400# in the front and 4000# rear for a pretty balanced load. I love the maneuverability off highway but sure wish I'd ordered a qclb.
My standard cab weighs 4400# in the front and 4000# rear for a pretty balanced load. I love the maneuverability off highway but sure wish I'd ordered a qclb.
truck mechanic
Adventurer
i went looking for a new to me truck back in dec. it had to be 7.3 and sc, i found an 01 shortbed and 97 long bed. i went with the 97 because i wanted the longbed, very happy with my coice so far, and i live just out side of boston, so parking can be a hassel. but havent had any major parking problems yet.
mkitchen
Explorer
I hope you ran over the curb and not the car that parked behind you. Though the mental picture of the latter is great and something we have all thought about.
Mikey
my1stcummins
Adventurer
I don't know if I would be able to do that, but it sure would be fun.
