Short box vs 8 foot box

[jimmyj]

I'm becoming convinced more towards my original inclination that I want to stick with the 8 foot box.

Love the comments from everyone though. Yarrrr! Men and trucks and engines, oh my!:cool2:

 

[Mike Costello]

I've owned a 2004 F350 crewcab diesel 4X4 with an 8' box since new and don't regret anything about it. Sure it's long, but you get used to it and that long wheel base sure gives you a nice ride, especially when towing a trailer. There's plenty of room for the family (3 daughters) no matter how much they grow. I've hauled a variety of things with it, from hay to bicycles to lumber without a problem. Bottom line-- a lot of versitility with a long bed. Mike.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been going through something similar in trying to decide what to buy. I currently have a 98 F250 4x4 regular cab, long bed. It's been a great truck and since it's paid for, I've held on to it a bit longer then I really wanted to. I'm a contractor and I haul tools and supplies to jobs all over the place. I've found that the 8ft bed is either too small, or too exposed.

What I really want is a place to keep all my tool boxes so I don't have to fear they will be stolen, or out in the elements. They also take up a huge amount of room in my bed when going to some jobs, and that's created issues with room to haul materials.

I also don't care for how stiff my ride is. I'm sure it's the 4x4 aspect of it, and maybe that it's a 3/4 ton.

For me, the crew cab solves my tool box issue. I can load up the back seats and have everything that I need with me in a secure location. That leaves the bed open for hauling stuff. With the tailgate down, I think I can haul most anything that I could haul with my 8 ft bed.

I'm currently looking at the newer F-150 crew cab, two wheel drive, short bed trucks. Nicer ride, more enclosed storage and enough room on the bed for most jobs.

I have a 16ft trailer that I use when I need it, and I get matterials delivered on bigger jobs, so for those times that I need more then the short bed will hold, I have plan B.

Since I'm not hauling heavy loads, I'm looking for the smallest gas V8 that I can get. I've thought about a V6, but they don't seem to be very common and Chevy is the only one that I've actualy seen with a V6. I like Ford, so that's pretty much what I'm limiting myself to buying, and that means the 4.6 V8 engine that is suppossed to get 15 city and 20 highway mpg. I get 14 right now with my F250 4x4, 4.6 V8, so those numbers are probably pretty close to being accurate.

I've found that my local dealers have trucks listed on Ebay for less then on their websites. I've aslo fond that for some reason, I can search out in Dallas, which is 100 miles away, and find a very similar truck in miles and features for about $2,000 less then my local dealers. I haven't gone in to negotiate, but for that much money, I'll give them the oportunity to match that price, or drive the two hours.

Good luck on what you decide to buy. I'm still on the fence, but think it's something that I need to do fairly soon.

Eddie

 

[Toyboy]

I was having the same thoughts before I got my '05 extended cab Silverado Z-71 off road. Being retired, I really don't haul a lot like some of the guys but I still like the option if I want to. Extended cab w/6.5 box works out fine for us. I can still get it in the garage and for times that I need a longer box (canoes, lumber, etc.) I bought a truck bed extender that fits in the trailer hitch and gives me 3-4 more feet of support.

 

[jimmyj]

Eddie, have you ever considered a heavy van? My pal is a contractor and he uses F350 vans and all his tools and stuff are nicely secured. They use trailers too of course but the vans have been great for his needs.

 

[sld]

For me, the short bed has never kept me from hauling / carrying whatever I have needed like lumber, dirt, rocks, sand, etc.... The only towing I do is from the receiver hitch.

Mine really boiled down to parking in the garage. I have an F250 crew cab and it fits nicely in my garage. The long bed would not have fit. The trade off boiled down to cab space or bed space and like I mentioned above the "lack" of bed space has never been as issue. I'll use the trailer for anything over 10 feet.

Having said all that, if parking in the garage was not at the top of my list I would probably get a long bed. More is better. A week long camping vacation will fill the bed in a hurry.

Also, the F250 short bed is 80" long so it is a 6 3/4 foot bed.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, have you ever considered a heavy van? My pal is a contractor and he uses F350 vans and all his tools and stuff are nicely secured. They use trailers too of course but the vans have been great for his needs.

Yes, I was looking at them, but think they are too specialized and would force me to buy another vehicle for my personal life. I'm trying to live with one vehicle, and the van idea makes that dificult.

Eddie

 

[Mike Costello]

Eddie--When you check out the Ford Crew cabs, see if the rear seats fold up to reveal steel fold out platforms. Thats what my 04 F350 had in the rear cab area and it was great for tools and other rough stuff without doing damage to the seats. I don't see why the F150's wouldn't have that system too.

sld--Garage storage for a crew cab truck can be challenging. My F350 is about 22' long bumper to bumper, so it was never garaged for the first few years of its life. However, I treated it to a 30X60 shop/garage and solved that problem!

 

[k0ua]

Each to his own, but for me I will never go back to an 8 foot box, when I can have an extended cab. on my new silverado, the doors open all the way and fold nearly flat against the pickup box. this is wonderful in a parking lot loading groceries.. I use the truck to haul building materials/supplies and to use as a secondary vehicle when going to the store etc. the extended cab is just too useful to not have. And the length with an 8 foot box would be just too long to park. So I compromise with a 6 foot box.. sure it is a little trouble with lumber, but not much. certainly not enough to not have the extended cab.
Good luck
James K0UA

 

[sldva00]

The only time I see parking an issue is if you don't have a big enough garage to keep the truck in. Parking in public should not be a problem regardless of how long the truck is. I always back into every spot. I've never hit anything and it's easier to pull out of a spot driving forward than backwards. Maybe I'm more comfortable backing into spots because I was a package car delivery driver for one of the top package delivery companys for 10 years. Those trucks were long and that is how we were trained because it is easier, faster and creates less accidents.

Like the 8ft box because it's easier to move plywood around. Don't like hauling material with tailgate down much less strapping it down.