Long bed VS short bed debate

[Deleted member 995608]

For my entire life, I've only driven long box trucks with a chest style aluminum took box mounted inside. I weld on pegs to the bottom corners of the tool box so that it doesn't set flat and allows me to carry full sheet lumber, 2x4's etc and keep the tailgate closed.

The tool box is truly handy but in all honesty, 95% of the junk I stored in there, virtually never came out. The only tools that got used frequently are a hammer, 3lb sledge, screw drivers, shop towels and a few little odds and ends. The rest was mostly crap that I carried for those 'what if' scenarios.

We use roughly a ton of hay every 30 days or so. With the tool box, I can easily carry 16 bales in the bed and keep the DOT off my tail but I can stack many as 24 if I'm creative and a lil brave. I'm not sure how many will fit in a short box though. All the short box trucks here have flatbeds so they way more open bed space.

Anyway, for whatever reason, I'm zoned in on the Megacab's/short box trucks. My kids would be SO MUCH happier being able to tilt that back seat back for long trips. My eldest remembers being shoe horned in our old 2002 and the 04.5 was an improvement but not by much. She's headed away to college in less than a year (got accepted to her 1st choice last week) but we still have an lil one that just turned 8 that wil be stuck in the back seat for some time.

What do I do boys? I'm stuck on this decision. Do I make the kids life a little easier? Or do I tell them to suck it up?

 

[mfurrh55]

Go for the Mega cab and get rid of the tool box, like my mega cab , or buy the mega and do a longbed conversion, Good luck anyway on whatever you decide, Monte

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The crew cab rear seat area is a lot bigger than the third gen quad cab's. Another question to ask is how about wheelbase and turning circle...

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Ya, those crew cabs are a definite improvement over the 3rd gens. I did decide that if I give up my 8' ft bed, it would have to have a megacab in front of it. In realty, I need the heaviest duty truck in the shortest usable configuration. We're surrounded by oaks and gigantic boulders for a far as one could see. When I'm helping other ranchers feed etc, I have to be really careful because those VW sized rocks will jump out of no where.

 

[Simplysmn]

To be Honest unless your going to be riding in the back seat alot .Why get a Mega .Yes the extra space behind the seat in Nice and yes the seat's Lean back some .but If it's My truck then I won't be in the back seat. I am the driver . I don't drive a short bed and you won't catch me in a short bed truck . the Crewcab longbed truck's are Nice and handle really well. turning isn't any worse then a mega .plus it's a Real truck and has a 8 ft bed . I haul alot of different thing's and yes I know I have said this before but if you can't haul thing's and close the Gate then Why buy the truck in the first place . Plus you have to get a slider hitch to haul a 5th wheel trailer . YUK. stick with the longbed that's what you know Plus going from a 04 to newer truck will be Amazing . Just my 2 cent's Now if Dodge would get smart and Build a Mega longbed truck I think they would sell like Hot Cakes .

 

[RikDavis]

I have stayed with the long bed since I use both a 50 gallon fuel tank and a toolbox. The rear seat of the crew cab seems plenty big to me, but then we don't use it except for locked storage and I would have preferred the extended cab if it was still available.
The turning radius of the crew cab is at least 6 to 8 ft more than my 99 extended cab long bed, based on measuring tracks in the yard. It is not a city truck but it sure tows well.

 

[AnOldBiker]

Does the child ride every time you go somewhere ? And at 8, most kids can sit in anything just bigger than a shoe box. If it's just for the child, do your really need the Mega, or do you want the Megs ? If you want it, then that is your choice and get it. If it's for the child or passengers than do you really need the Mega. You have to justify the cost difference, but it's for you only since you have to pay for it. As for the 8 foot bed, sounds like you really need it, or at least a trailer for your hauling. I only want the 8 foot bed. If it's the shorty bed, it's for playing around and I can do that in a Toy or Nissan.

And for the storage box. My friend had them for decades and the last time he bought a truck, he bought the storage boxes that fit in the bed but in front and behind the wheel wells. He still can put in 4x8 ply and 8 foot long lumber. but has all his stuff off to the side. Most need stuff in the back two boxes and the lest need stuff in the front two.

Just a thought.

 

[Flash1034]

I'm going to buy the mega cab for 2 reasons. The floor lies flat so my German Sheherd buddy has a nice big area to hang out. Second, the flat area is big enough to sleep on. Nice to have.

Flash

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I'm mostly in the truck all by my lonesome but when we (as the whole family) drive to town (hour ride) or if we take vacations, the truck is typically what we travel in. My wife drives a Chevy Tahoe but I refuse to drive that tilt-ta-whirl SUV thing for longer than a trip to town and she doesn't like driving for hours on end......hence why we usually drive the trusty stead for longer trips.

75% of the time, I need a regular cab, 8' bed and a 6spd, the other 25% fit's better in a megacab. We took a month long vacation about 2.5 years ago, pulling our 5th wheel all the way to Yellowstone, S. Dakota etc etc. I tried to drive at least 6 hours when we were moving locations and I know the kids were totally miserable in that old 04.5 of mine. Dadgum that back seat was horrible! I guess that's why I feel I need to at least make it comfortable for them when I drag em' along on my adventures.

I've sat in the back seat of the new crew cabs. Yes, there's more room, but no, it's not quite as spacious as the other brands back seat; hate saying that.

I'm confused.

 

[S.Morris]

My sons DRW mega 13 has less room in the box than my 8' with a 90gal aux tank in it. On the other hand the amount of storage in the back seat area (floors, and behind seat, and underseat) is amazing. It actually feels like sitting in a limo for space. IMO , I would go for a new quad cab....get a little bigger box and still have way more room than my 04 QC.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I generally had long beds, but picked a short bed this time and am happy with it. Check the wheel bases. IIRC, they are 149.5, 159.5, 169.5" for short crew, short mega, long crew with ever increasing turning circles. My 8' bed quad cab 2004 had 159.5" WB and it was hard enough to turn around. I sure didn't want another 10" and couldn't see the point for me of the mega cab when the crew cab had so much rear seat room already. I have a shell on my short bed and a 75 gallon tank back there, and still manage to find enough room for stuff under the cap. It also tows well, even though in principle a longer wheelbase is more stable.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Donnelly- thanks for posting the WB on your 04. I was just trying to remember how long 04.5 quad cab was. If the new crew cab long boxes are an additional 10" longer than my old truck, I'll have to go to a short box. I had some really tough times getting around up here without body damage.

 

[Simplysmn]

WOW over 10 inches your going to step down to a shortbed ?Before you make a big mistake go test drive a Longbed they handle really nice your not going to notice a 10 inch difference .Maybe because that is all I have ever driven is Longbed crewcab's It doesn't bother me in any way .

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I've test driven plenty of them and I surely do like em.

Only if you knew the places I go. My foothill town goes from 500 to 1500 ft, full of live oaks and rocks....lots of rocks. We don't get to use hand shovels unless their attached to a backhoe. Sometimes when I'm digging, I'll be scraping the top of a 500lb rock. I'll dig all the way around it only to find its a 2000lb'r the size of a Yugo. 4 years ago, I was helping the ranch across the river build a road up to an old set of wooden corrals, we used a rock hammer on one rock for 6 days. We finally gave up and now that section is known as the squeeze.

I also volunteer for the county fire dept so that can be tricky parking on scene once in a while. Maybe I should just go crew cab short bed....like everyone else up here

 

[Simplysmn]

I just don't think you will notice 10 inches of difference that's all. I mean I love truck's but to me a shortbed is useless .you have to have a slider hitch just to tow a 5th wheel naaa I'll keep my longbed If I have to I'll back up just a little .But I do Respect what your saying and after all it is Your Choice .So what ever you choose I hope it work's well for you .

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I appreciate the honesty Simp. With these trucks so highly priced, I feel like I'm performing surgery when trying to decide on a new truck. One little slip and its all over!

 

[Simplysmn]

I didn't want to come off like a chump but I just don't understand shortbed anything's Maybe because I was raised around big vehicles had to be big enough to haul 7 people when we were younger . only short bed we had was Dad's 59 ford 1/2 crewcab 223 six cyl auto truck with a stepside bed and Diamond plated steel bed . Hope you find what suit's your need's and it all work's out .

Val

 

[RikDavis]

I can sure tell the difference in turning radius between my 99 extended cab long bed and my 13 crew cab long bed.

 

[AH64ID]

03-09 4x4 QCLB/MCSB had a 160.5" WB with a 50.6' turning diameter.
10-12 4x4 CCLB had a 168.5" WB with a 49.22' turning diameter.
10-12 4x4 MCSB had a 160.5" WB with a 46.86' turning diameter.
13+ 4x4 CCLB has a 169.5" WB with a 53.0' turning diameter.
13+ 4x4 MCSB has a 160.5" WB with a 50.6' turning diameter.

I left the SB out as the OP is asking about a CC or QC LB vs MCSB.

It looks like the 10-12 front end has the tightest steering and the changes for 13+ (14+ on 2500) improve ride but decreased steering... by quite a bit too.


My 0.02.. you won't catch me owing a shortbed.. heck 1/2 the time I want a 10' bed.

 

[Jim W]

I have always had short bed trucks and my oldest son has always gone with the long bed trucks.

To me it is not that much difference in the bed length as it is in the wheel base for stability and ride comfort. In fact it wasn't until the 2013.5 larger crew cab came on the scene that the wheel base was different between a long bed truck and the Mega Cab truck they had the same wheel base at least in 2008 they did.

I went with the Mega Cab for several reasons and still would. I do not like little children kicking the front seats when driving; I like the storage space behind the Mega cab seats for carrying towels and blankets. Another reason at least on my truck the rear seat reclines for the rear seat passengers therefore they can be more comfortable on longer trips. 50% of the travel time in my truck the bed is empty so why carry around an 8’ bed; when I haul an 8’ piece of plywood or wood 8’ or longer I drop the tailgate and the lumber fits.

Just my $0.02

Jim W.