anyone got a reg cab & 8' bed

[abdiver]

I would like your pro's and cons of a reg cab & 8' bed.



I stopped by a local dealer ship today not a manual trans or reg cab on the lot.



It's just me and the wife, I plan to pull a camping trailer aprox 26' in length as any bigger and I would not be able to use my favorite state park (27' limit). With a non 5th whl I would haveuse of my 8' bed with shell for storage of my diving gear and other camp gear or whatever. Anyway that's how I see it.



Please I would really appreciate your thoughts and its all new to me know as I have been away from camping for about 10 years because of work But know I am retired.



Thanks all

Bill

 

[Bill Stockard]

We've been RVing over 30 years towing travel trailers, 5th wheel trailers, and hauling slide in truck campers. I bought a regular cab truck about 30 years ago and couldn't wait to trade it for the new club cab/super cab type trucks coming on the market. We don't have any kids and at that time no pet.



The lack of interior room is the biggest objection we have to a regular cab. There's no place to carry maps, campground guides, point of interest brochures, and a camera except on the front seat between the driver and passenger or on the dash. It's a hassle when going to the grocery store and to the laundry when on a trip. The more time spent traveling, the more the lack of interior room "grated" on us.



The only positive is the shorter wheelbase for a better turning radius, but the trade off in our opinoin, isn't worth it. A longer wheelbase truck usually gives better control and ride when towing a trailer.



Bill

 

[ladyjaine]

I have an '03 regular cab and there is a space behind the seats to store things. There are also 2 middle seat storage areas in my truck along with the glove compartment and two large pockets on each door. It is possible to store things under the driver's or passenger's seat, but not anything big. The jack is under the passenger seat and there are wires for the seat controls under the driver's seat. The space behind the seats does not go away if you have the seats pushed all the way back, but you lose some usable area if you recline. The stuff Bill lists, I could easily store in my cab. Camera, maps, guides, and groceries.



Here's what I carry in the cab on a daily basis. Fire extinguisher, two flashlights, TDR road guide, chemical hand warmers, bottle of sunscreen, sunglasses and case, GPS, MP3 player, FM converter for MP3 player, 110 converter, truck cleaning supplies including whisk broom and Windex, terrycloth towels, a roll of paper towels, windshield sunshade, footstool, 2 pair of work gloves, 1 pair of driving gloves, charging cords for FM converter, and cell phone, headset for cell phone, CD case, golf umbrella, spare wiper blades, garbage bags, wastebasket, key for hitch pin, plug convertor for trailer, owner's manual, change for tolls in a coinholder, fuel/maintanance logbook, pens, discount store membership cards and a bottle of ink for my fountain pen. Oh! my purse, too. I add more stuff if I'm on a road trip, but it all goes in a storage area or the cupholders, leaving footwells, seats and dash clear except for the GPS. Spare parts and my tools go in the box in the bed of the truck.



Despite the length of this list, I don't think I carry a lot of stuff in the cab. If needed, I could easily move some of this stuff to the box in the bed of the truck. This is the summer list, BTW. I'll add winter survival stuff soon. I do not store anything in the pockets on the doors. So, there's plenty of space in the regular cab to store things.



Jean

 

[LesStallings]

My regular cab, long bed makes it MUCH easier to turn and park. A quad cab long bed is usually assigned two zip codes...

 

[Don-T]

I have no storage problems in my regular cab. I have all kinds of small things plus a subwoofer, tool bag and a laptop behind the seats. The truck fits in the garage and into standard parking spaces at the shopping centers. I also like the turning radius.

 

[CPG]

abdiver,



My wife and I purchased a new Reg. cab H/D 04 CTD in March. It was delivered to us in May. It has the 8' bed, 48RE trans, 373 Pos. RE, & the 600 engine. We previously had a 93 first gen. extended cab.

There is a world of difference in these trucks. The old one was great, but this one is fantastic. There is ample room behind the seats for average things one needs and with the center storage between the seats along with door pockets for maps etz. I used the old truck's "Truck Trunk" on this new one for extra cargo.

As this has a 140. 5 WB & its slightly shorter than the old one we had at 149" WB.

Its usually the fact that the longer the WB the better the truck rides. This 04 has a great turning radius and much easier to park our 26' Alpenlite 5th wheel trailer than with the old truck. Yes! sometimes new is improved of which this one is to our needs. As We usually go alone we decided on this as I have a cervicle fuze of my neck from my past trade. The single rear window gives me excellant vision and My Wife likes to drive this one much better. Needless to say, the trailer towing mirrors are a real improvement over the "93" truck. This was worth the change alone. Incidently this is a 2WD and they usually get some improved mileage over the 4WD's. This might cause some flack here. The mileage so far is 20-22 MT on the hwy and with the trailer 13-15.

I would like to add if the RPM's are kept under 2000, its a big difference. As this truck is just a few miles under 5000 miles, it remains to be seen if it will improve. It was extremly tight at the time of delivery and as a former Cummins mechanic for 36 years, these engine's take quite some time to break in. Have a Draw/Tite 5th. wheel mounted 1. 5" inches foreward of the axle. If one has a heavy throttle foot, be prepared that you have to feed the increased team of horses in these engines. This is a fine set-up. Not meaning to draw this out.



Chuck

 

[sfritts]

I also have a regular cab and 8' box 90% of the time its fine. I also have a 850 shadowcruiser slide-in and a 25' starcraft 5th wheel. the 5th wheel has been to Yellowstone and Glacier parks on different trips I have found that it is much easier to get around with. I have been into places that a quad with 8' box was just too hard to park and have watched other people try with their's.

 

[NVR FNSH]

I have to have a QC - the 75lb lab requires her own seat... ... .



Brian

 

[SBall]

When my wife and I had a dog, our old 92 W250 Club Cab Cummins with the 8' bed came in handy, but it was a challenge to maneuver in parking lots and tight situations. When the dog died, the space in the back became a "catch-all" for all kinds of junk like old maps, used McDonalds coffee cups and yard sale items. We found the back seats unsuitable for adult accommodations as well. Today we drive a regular cab, long-bed 2wd 3500 and absolutely love it. It has a better turning radius, carries our Lance camper better than the longer frame of the Club Cab, and allows us to sneak through the toll gates on the Pa. turnpike as a class I vehicle, (<7000 lbs. ).

 

[fox]

I have a std cab also and love it. Never have to take time to clean out the rear seat like the older truck.

Bought it so it would fit in the garage easier.

Most miles are me alone but soon the lab will ride most the time. When the wife goes it gets tighter but we 3 are fine.

 

[GBaines]

Abdiver I bought a regular cab 01 chassis cab. I got the shortest wheel base because I use it off pavement alot and wanted the shortest turning radius I could get. We tow a toys trailer with dune buggy, boat and kayaks and it follows almost in the truck tracks. It rides great now that I put on the T-rex suspension system. We have used it we have used it extensively in Baja and used it to go to Alaska this summer. It is very comfortable. The new trucks ride a lot better than the old style trucks with leaf springs in the front. With a handle like Abdiver are you near me in Northern Ca? We are near Monterey if you would like to try a short bed version.

 

[RBrunson]

96 Reg Cab

I have gotten good fuel milage out of my 2-wheel drive regular cab while pulling a 29ft tow trailer. I handled it real well, and was easy to park it. The wifey likes to take alot of things with us so this gave me a good excuse to get the quad cab that I now have.

Still have the 96 but it is for sale. See the classifieds for picture and info.

 

[abdiver]

Yes, I agree with most of the posts regarding this subject and I want to again thank you all for your input. I am sorry that I have so busy as to answer each of you personally. But I have been quite busy trying to finish up my new house as I KNOW my wife would sure like to move in before this winters cold weather arrives. My electrician and I have been burning the midnight oil trying to button up all the loose ends.



I realize a Quad cab and a short bed has it's advantages or should I say is a perfect rig for some of us. For myself I feel I need a 8' bed and I don't want the turning radius of a Quad w/an 8' bed



I have an open mind and can see benefits of a Quad cab. I look forward to more of your input



Thanks again

Still gathering information for my purchase.



Bill

 

[abdiver]

GBaines



"Abdiver are you near me in Northern Ca? We are near Monterey if you would like to try a short bed version"



I am a bit aprox 20 miles north of San Francisco. Thanks for the offer to try a short bed version. I love diving around the Fort Bragg area. My 84 F 250 w/ 6. 9 diesel 4x4 has made that trip many times I have a four wheel camper its light, but looking forward to the Cummins power to climb the climb from Cloverdale to the coast. This time I am going to just get a 2 wheel drive and just keep a winch handy just in case.

 

[McCRam]

Its real nice to be able to keep all my luggage inside, dry and secure. Once i bought a xtended cab I can't go back.

 

[NMOYER]

Thank goodness you get the same millage I get. I have a 96 extended cab 2 wheel drive and have seen even better millage driving the interstates allowing speeds higher than 65. The last time I posted this was mentioned and not belived. Keep up the good work TDR. - and thank you!

 

[klenger]

While the QC LWB isn't as nimble as the shorter wheel base, I don't have any problems with it and would not want to give up either the QC or the 8' box. The turning radius of the Dodge is bettter than most and make up for some of the extra length.

 

[abdiver]

While the QC LWB isn't as nimble as the shorter wheel base, I don't have any problems with it and would not want to give up either the QC or the 8' box. The turning radius of the Dodge is bettter than most and make up for some of the extra length.

-------------------------------------------------------------------



Thanks, I will rethink my choice and test drive a Quad Cab with a 8' Box as I really don't think I could do with out an 8' box.



And I do agree the extra inside storage space would sure be handy, Plus I could take a coupe extra buddies along on a trip up the coast for a dive trip and pull a trailer and I could have the 8 bed with camper full of beer for the trip. Now that would be a heck of a road trip rig.



Hope this comes out ok first time using the Quote and a smiley Oo.

 

[apkole]

We tow a 26' TT with a slider. Our '99 CTD is a regular cab, 8' box. It is a 4WD, and the Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks are set toward the stiff side to control sway and cornering. That said, with the weight transfer set up on the hitch and an anti-sway bar attached, we get along pretty well. If we were retired or full time RVers, I would probably br looking for a larger cab. Most of our camping is in West Michigan and in the U. P. We do make a trip to Pensacola, FL in the spring (probably not for a while though, given the recent damage from weather. )



We have had some handling issues, some caused by driver error, some caused by equipment issues. It takes some time to "tune" the rig for optimum ride and handling. I do like the maneuverability of the std cab truck for my snowplowing and roofing business. Haven't found a campsite yet that I wasn't able to get into. (A Stihl chainsaw works wonders on obnoxious trees. ) :-laf

 

[Udaloy]

abdiver,



I'll be able to give you my opinion next week. I liked having my regular cab and 8' bed, as that's all I ever had. When the wife and I took our 5 year old on a trip to D. C. , I figured out real quick, we didn't have enough room. I now have the QC with 8' bed. I'll be pulling a 40 foot 5th wheel to Martinsville Raceway tomorrow. I do have to say, the turning radius isn't quite what the old truck had, but I don't have issues in a parking lot. I always back into a parking space anyhow.