Pickup question, long bed vs short bed

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"the dog goes to the local doggie motel'</font color=blue>

AWWW!!! /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

 

[Gatorboy]

I've got a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pbase.com/image/3803751>Chevy K3500 Crew Cab</A> - Long Bed. It seats 6 adults comfortably. I suspect you will have your truck a while -- so while a 6 year old seems small, how about in 4-6 years?

95% of the time, there is no problem parking -- I back into most spaces, or park far away and take up two spots (end-to-end). The downside, for me anyway, is that my current garage is too small for this beast.

I think if you are thinking of an extended cab, you might as well look into the Crew Cab -- you will be happy you did.

 

[hazmat]

Danny,

I've got an'01 F150 Supercrew. Crew cab plus 5.5' bed (extra short). Same WB. as extended cab w/ short bed or reg cab plus 8' bed. I love it.

I don't have a top on it. I've picked up a couple of 8' sheets of plywood at the depot. You've got to rest it on the tailgate or drop the gate down & tie down the load. A utility trailer is your best bet for hauling bigger loads. They can be had pretty cheap.

Seems to me they keep making the parking lines smaller, so it can be a pain to park.

I don't have any kids yet, but they aren't too far off in the future. I wanted the real doors to be able to put the little ones in their car seats. The back seat is very roomy. The truck easily caries 6 adults.

There is a relatively large supply of used supercrews available due to their popularity & the rental fleets. I picked mine up with 19K miles on it for $23,100. This is for a 4X4 XLT with optional 5.4 V8. I think I did well considering the sticker on that truck would have been $33K.

One thing about the supercrew that makes shopping for a used one simpler is that they are all XLT or Lariat packages (power windows & doors etc.) & all have auto trans and either 4.8 or 5.4 V8's. You don't have to search to find one with "all the goodies"

 

[Jag]

Mosey, the best advice I can give are the great words of JOE DIFFIE's in song Pick Up Man """"it's got an eight foot bed that never has ta be made"""

over and out

 

[mikim]

I have an F150 extended - kids are grown and gone - but still considered the crew cab til the wife talked me out of it. Shouldn't have listened - one of my techs has the crew cab and I like it a lot better. If I were to do it over - I'd get the crew with long bed - makes for a long wheelbase I know - but I find the extended still doesn't have the room. Grandkids carseats just barely fit. Vehicles seem to be like barns - never enough room. HEY - there's the ticket - buy the bigger truck and guess what honey - I need a barn for it! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif(and the tractor too of course)
mike

 

[Mosey]

OK, let's invent a new truck concept! It'll be as bold as the Avalanche, but I think more useful. An extended cab pickup that expands to a crew cab. The back panel of the cab would slide back into the bed of the pickup so there's as much leg room as a crew cab. The seats would fold down (somehow) and some panels would pop into place where the gaps are, or have a flexible type material, like on a Jeep or convertible top, that folds out like an accordion. Now the pickup is a short bed with a crew cab. When it's time to haul something, fold the seats up, take out the panels and store them (somewhere) or just let the flexible material fold back up again. Now you have a standard cab long bed pickup. What do you think, should I patent this idea? Obviously, some details need to be worked out.

 

[mikim]

other way - extend the roof line to crew cab size (permanent) and simply let the back panel slide forward when you need to haul 8' material. The seats fold per normal to allow it. --- that avalanche was an idea - but needs major improvement -- on it's looks too (imho) -- quick - call ford /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Mosey]

mikim - Your idea is better. That would still leave plenty of room in the bed to haul taller items, like refrigerators, but it's a much simpler thing to implement. It would have to be a one piece body too, like the Suburban or Excursion. By the way, why did it take Ford Soooooooo loooooooong to come out with something to compete with the Suburban!?

 

[cstocks]

Danny,

All of my pickups have had the short bed becasue I like the way they look (vanity type thing) and for the most part the bed is long enough for me. The biggest downside for me with a short bed is that I haul my fourwheeler around from time to time, which is not a problem. It fits with room to spare. The problem is I also have a lot of stuff that would go nicely in a toolbox but I cannot have a toolbox and still have room for my fourwheeler.

Bottom line, a pickup was designed for hauling stuff so stick with the long wheel base and get the extended cab if that is what you want. The extended cab does not really make a truck any harder to maneuver once you get used to it. My wife handles our crew cab F250 just like a perfeshional truk driver!

 

[Mosey]

mikim - How long have you lived in Angleton? I knew a gal from there, last name Oberhelmon (not sure of the spelling). We were part of a bunch that used to go kicker dancing all the time when I lived in Houston from 90 to 92. We went to all kinds of places, Wild West, The Rose, Eddies, ...