Long or Short box

[Show Heifer]

I have a tough decision.....I am looking into a 4 door truck....I have the option of a long box (8 ft) or short box (6 ft).

What are the "hidden" pros and cons of each from your experience?  I know a long bed is better for turning short with a gooseneck. I know it is harder to park a long box.
So what is everyones personal experience with each? What would YOU get?

 

[Steer Boy 101]

We dont have a gooseneck but when we hall our stuff to our county fair in advance with out the trailer we love our long box. my dad is looking at a new truck and just CANT get a short one. think about it, do you have a 6 foot shoot or a 8 foot one? (ok so 7 but wiht wheels and handles) and how long are your side pannals ours are 8 so a shortbox is a too small. and plus all the long feeders we carry orm farm to farm. The wway my dad sees it is if you gotta park a lil farther in the parking lot at farm and fleet then whts a lil more excersize. I agree

 

[LazyGLowlines]

8' long box, by the time you put a tool box, or a fuel tank you can't haul any cargo. I am always hauling something and the extra length comes in handy. I also have a couple of gooseneck trailers, a 24' and a 28' ft and have driven them all over (even through LA) without a problem.

 

[ShowmanQ]

Will not own anything with a short bed. Inpractical for us....think about it, a chute is 8' from tip of wheels to tip of handles, a standard board or sheet of plywood-8'. With the cost of pickup truck being what is is lately, why get something you HAVE to hook a trailer to all the time just to do a little hauling?

 

[Doc]

Nothing but a longbed for me. Even with a tool box in it , I can still get 55 bales of hay stacked on it without having to hook up the trailer.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Long box - enjoy the ride! RW

 

[justintime]

I have a one ton dually crew cab... with a short box. I was very skeptical when I purchased it as I thought I needed a long box. I was wrong. I really like the short box and I find it rides good and I can carry most of the things I would with a long box. If I need to carry more, I hook onto the trailer.  I used to have a crew cab long box and I found that it was hard to maneuver in cities and it took a few acres just to turn it around. Parking it in a town was a pain. My crew cab short box is much easier to do the town stuff in. After having this truck, I would not hesitate to get another one. I do not think GM is making one ton dually short box trucks anymore. I see some low mileage ones on eBay, and have been wondering if I should be buying another and saving it for when this one konks out.

 

[klintdog]

I had a 2004 crew cab short box as my previous pickup. All of my trucks have been shorties up to this point. In March I bought a crew cab long box, and I was skeptikal at first. I love the fact that I can throw a ton of feed in the back, and still have room for 10 bags of beet pulp if I want to.

My decision came down to two things - what are you going to be using the truck for, and how often do you really use your box? If you're truck is used 90% of the time as a daily driver and occaisionally pulls the trailer, then a short box is probably the way to go. If you are always hauling something, then a long box is the way to go. As for me, I haven't noticed a whole heck of a lot difference in ride quality or handling. My $.02, really you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

My decision came down to two things - what are you going to be using the truck for, and how often do you really use your box? If you're truck is used 90% of the time as a daily driver and occaisionally pulls the trailer, then a short box is probably the way to go. If you are always hauling something, then a long box is the way to go. As for me, I haven't noticed a whole heck of a lot difference in ride quality or handling. My $.02, really you can't go wrong either way.

Exactly.  I have a extended cab long bed and it can be a bear to park (especially on campus)  but when I do need the extra length it comes in real handy.  You just have to weigh the pros and cons of each and make up your own mind. 

 

[jason]

I have both, prefer the shortbox for everyday use and just driving around, but if you are going to get a fuel tank or toolbox get the long.

 

[kanshow]

We have a crew cab long bed and the only complaint I have is when it comes to parking in a busy or small parking lot.  

I agree with what was said about it being a daily driver.  The long pickup is not a daily driver at our place. 

 

[red]

hubby has a short bed (Avalanche) because he didn't build the garage big enough for a long bed. We have several long beds at farm that we use for the goose neck.

Red

 

[BCCC]

If I was looking at a crew cab I would be getting a shortbed. If the truck is a regular cab, or an extended cab, a long bed is great.  We only have 3 long beds, and only one of them is a 4 door Its a 06 Dodge mega cab that has had the long bed conversion done to it and its scary then shit to ride with my sisters or mom driving it......To say the least there is a line of cars behind them when they finally get into the parking space. They probally back up and pull foward at least 15 times!

 

[jason]

If I was looking at a crew cab I would be getting a shortbed. If the truck is a regular cab, or an extended cab, a long bed is great.  We only have 3 long beds, and only one of them is a 4 door Its a 06 Dodge mega cab that has had the long bed conversion done to it and its scary then  to ride with my sisters or mom driving it......To say the least there is a line of cars behind them when they finally get into the parking space. They probally back up and pull foward at least 15 times!

Got any pics of the mega cab, long bed conversion?  That would be a sweet setup.  I know a lot of people don't get mega cab because of the short bed.

 

[kanshow]

Has anyone ever noticed that most parking lots now have straight in parking spaces as opposed the the angled ones?  I think that going back to the angled slots would solve a lot of parking problems. 

 

[BCCC]

If I was looking at a crew cab I would be getting a shortbed. If the truck is a regular cab, or an extended cab, a long bed is great.  We only have 3 long beds, and only one of them is a 4 door Its a 06 Dodge mega cab that has had the long bed conversion done to it and its scary then  to ride with my sisters or mom driving it......To say the least there is a line of cars behind them when they finally get into the parking space. They probally back up and pull foward at least 15 times!

Got any pics of the mega cab, long bed conversion?  That would be a sweet setup.  I know a lot of people don't get mega cab because of the short bed.

As soon as it gets back from our ranch in Nebraska I will try to remeber to take some.

 

[klintdog]

We took the dually to Christmas eve mass tonight at church and the place was packed. That's one of those instances where a long box, crew cab doesn't park well, especially when the lot is slick and you have it in 4x4.

I test drove a Mega Cab when I bought this one and really didn't like the visibility out the back. The extra space in the cab seemed to really make it tough to try backing up. That and the lack of a decent box made me scared to hook the gooseneck on to it. I can't imagine one with a long box!

 

[BCCC]

We took the dually to Christmas eve mass tonight at church and the place was packed. That's one of those instances where a long box, crew cab doesn't park well, especially when the lot is slick and you have it in 4x4.

I test drove a Mega Cab when I bought this one and really didn't like the visibility out the back. The extra space in the cab seemed to really make it tough to try backing up. That and the lack of a decent box made me scared to hook the gooseneck on to it. I can't imagine one with a long box!

The mega cabs are amazing for trips, We have an 05 dodge 4 door and those back seats are HORIRBLE after a couple hours. The mega cab long bed isn't much worse to drive then a 4 door dually. However the truck and a 38 foot gooseneck is absolute hell.

 

[Steer Boy 101]

Wow i cant image it. I saw a Mega cab dully and it look stupid as can be. the cab is longer than the bed. now with the long box  that sounds nice, except for one thing, its still a dodge. but any how that sounds neat. would love some pictures.

 

[BCCC]

Wow i cant image it. I saw a Mega cab dully and it look stupid as can be. the cab is longer than the bed. now with the long box  that sounds nice, except for one thing, its still a dodge. but any how that sounds neat. would love some pictures.

It may be a dodge but in 400k miles it will also still be a cummins.