Short box vs 8 foot box

[scoutcub]

Won't that smart car fit in the back of your (future) truck?!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Won't that smart car fit in the back of your (future) truck?!

Could use it as a spare. :laughing:

I just parked next to one today at Lowes in my Titan. With a 2" lift and 35" tires that Smart Car would not stand a chance in a crash.

Chris

 

[brain55]

Could use it as a spare. :laughing:

I just parked next to one today at Lowes in my Titan. With a 2" lift and 35" tires that Smart Car would not stand a chance in a crash.

Chris

I'm not sure that smart car would stand a chance against a motorcycle.

Brian

 

[ManAtArms]

Skip the 3/4 ton and go for a 1 ton SRW. On a Ford you will gain about 1,500# of payload. Its not that much on a GM, only 700#. Not sure about Dodge.

Chris

I agree with Diamondpilot (nice name BTW, my buddy has a DA42)...you can never have enough truck. Get the 1 ton!!!

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with Diamondpilot (nice name BTW, my buddy has a DA42)...you can never have enough truck. Get the 1 ton!!!

Never flown the DA 42 but do have about 3,000 hours in MU-300 Diamond Jet.

Chris

 

[EddieWalker]

Where I live, they have been putting barriers in the middle of the roads. To get anywhere, you have to make a U turn to get there. While playing the U turn game, I got to wondering about longer trucks and what it would be like to have to drive one around town.

For a daily driver with storage for tools, 4 doors and a short cab sounds just about perfect.

Eddie

 

[Willl]

With a 2" lift and 35" tires that Smart Car would not stand a chance in a crash.

""BUMP"" Did you feel something ?

 

[mjncad]

Hi all

I have always been a die hard "you gotta have an 8 foot box' guy. My reasoning is that the sole purpose I have a truck is as a hauler and lessening the hauling capacity seems counter to that purpose. (I don't use my truck as a daily driver).

Nowadays though it seems just about everyone is using a short box. My truck is getting long in the tooth and i want to replace it, likely next year. I have a question for the group in this regard:

Will I be happy with a 6' box base on your similar opinions?

A few notes:
- I haven't ever had an extended cab. Never really needed it but it has looked awfully handy from the sidelines.
- I will be towning from time to time
- I mostly use the box to haul. Hay (rounds), firewood, construction materials, snowmobiles, ATV's, farm supplies, trips to the dump, that sort of stuff.
- This is not a commercial use vehicle
- Don't really care about driving a larger truck

I see so many deals on used low mileage heavy trucks but practically all of them are short boxes. I've been hoping to find a diesel (not dually) 3500 with an 8' box and extended cab but it's proving a bit of a chore.

Any comments?

I have a '99 F-250 4x4 extended cab long box. I've only owned two pickups in my life and both have been long beds as it's a truck and hauling is its primary mission.

Besides reduced cargo volume, my big gripe with short box pickups is that the fuel tank is smaller, meaning more frequent stops at the gas station. My truck has a 38-gallon tank, the equivalent short bed Ford has a 29-gallon tank. An aftermarket RV oriented company makes a 57-gallon tank for long bed Ford's; but at about a grand as I recall, that's not in the budget.

I would love to have a 10-foot box as pipe, Unistrut, etc generally come in 10-foot sticks.

The only real advantage I see to having a short bed pickup is maneuverability.

Based on your usage patterns, I think you'll be disappointed with a short bed.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Eddie - yeah, big back seat plus toolbox plus racks works pretty nicely.

Though its stil 20 feet, and not so good at u-turns...

 

[Renze]

You could use a roof rack (a stand behind the cab, and a stand at the back of the truck) to throw long stuff on top of it, over the cab. Stuff too heavy to put up that high (center of gravity, driving stability) isnt fun to lift into a truck bed either, so you'd probably take your trailer for the heavy stuff anyways.