6.4' bed vs 8' bed

**sourdough** · 03-19-2017, 04:39 PM

I'm in the market for a new TV. I have a 2014 HD 6.4 gas which I really like. Thought I might move to a 3500 diesel; and I've said for many years I did not want a diesel and would not have one. Well.......

Went to the Ram dealer Friday and against my better judgement I drove a new Laramie 2500 diesel; they did not a 3500 handy. Wow! It's not a dragster off the line but at speed it just pulls....and the low rpm without screaming (which I used to like

). I nor my wife have ever liked diesels and their clattering scares the snot out of my pup. So they've never been on my radar screen. The last one I drove a lot was the old Dodge 5.9, which was a great engine, but it belonged in some sort of commercial vehicle - just didn't seem civilized to me. Anyway, I was impressed and it was so much quieter than I had figured.

Long story to ask; when I told them I wanted a 3500 with a short bed. He just said I was out of luck more or less in this area. Everything they had was 8' and those he found were 8'. He said they were considered "work" trucks and that's how most were ordered. I don't want an 8' and have found some 6.4 beds many hundreds of miles away from me which I guess I will go look at BUT....I know there are many on here that love the long bed....why? I've had them and at the time it was inconsequential. Now, a long bed crew cab will not fit in my garage. I already had the concrete lip cut out of the front of the garage so the 2500 would pull in, I don't want to tear out the front of the garage and rebuild to just to get an 8' bed. I'm just wondering if I'm missing something with the 8' bed. I have a bumper pull and DW says I won't be getting a 5vr (that could change

). Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated. I've gone from saying I would NEVER have a diesel to looking at purchasing one; now it's an 8' bed......can't say I'm not open minded....or, stupid??

ctbruce · 03-19-2017, 04:46 PM

My Chevy had the standard bed and there were several on the lot. If I had the long bed I don't think I could park it in the garage at both home and work. That would have been a deal killer for me.

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2017 3500HD Silverado LTZ

swanson · 03-19-2017, 04:55 PM

I love my 6.4' bed! But I will throw this at you, look into the Ram Boxes. They are the only way to go.

66joej · 03-19-2017, 05:09 PM

Nice to have your problem sourdough! If I had the choice I would travel to get the 6.4 bed truck. Those long beds look SSOO long when you see them in a parking lot. And are a bit harder to maneuver. JMO

Javi · 03-19-2017, 05:14 PM

I tried one of them stunted beds once... always was having to leave the tailgate down to haul stuff. never again...

Javi

**chuckster57** · 03-19-2017, 05:27 PM

Let's see: long bed means no slider hitch, or even worrying about it. Ability to carry full sheets of building material without it hanging out. I've never had a short bed so I can't say the ride is better in a long bed, just what I've heard. I wouldn't even look at shorties if I was in the market, JMO.

**sourdough** · 03-19-2017, 05:48 PM

I hear you guys! As far as hauling full sheets, I do all the time on various projects that I do - I just leave the tailgate down. They don't slide out, they always slide to the front so no issue. The problems I have are with lumber. 8' & 10' are OK but when it gets to 12' or longer I have to be creative. I just put the tailgate up (it's a sprayed liner) and angle then across the bed.

The slider issue, which I am absolutely unfamiliar with, IS a consideration to me. DW says no 5vr but gets feeling confined after 3 mos. in the TT. A 5vr, with the increased height, makes that a lot less to me. I'm taking her to look at a Montana front living room next week. I think she will see what I'm talking about. Slider/non slider? I don't really know the ins and outs of that. I was looking on the web at different solutions but don't know that I know what they were talking about. I DO KNOW that I do not want to wrestle a 200 lb. anything in and out of my bed.....that ain't gonna happen.

SummitPond · 03-19-2017, 06:08 PM

We bought our truck used; it has the 8 foot bed. It's great for storing stuff during the trip (outdoor chairs, BBQ grill, leveling & stability lumber, cat cage, ramps) but it's a royal pain in the you-know-what to find a place to park at times. We travel back and forth to Maine every year, so if there's a piece of furniture the DW wants that is in one place (or another) it's not difficult to accommodate along with all the other stuff we throw back there (as long as I can make it fit under the cover).

Would I do it if I was ordering a truck to my specs? I'd have to think long and hard about it. Having such a long truck has its advantages when traveling down the highway - we rarely ever feel an 18 wheeler pass or gusty winds; we don't have anti-sway or load EQ bars. But then again, the truck is longer than the living space of our trailer (21' vs 19') and way over-sized for what we pull.

CaptnJohn · 03-19-2017, 06:25 PM

Have had trucks since 1976 ~~ all 4X4. Have decided never again a dually. Too much a PIA no matter where you go. Have decided never again an 8' bed too. The Ford 6 3/4' is all I need. I have the same slider hitch in the 3rd truck,,, never used it but should have once~~ dimpled the truck. I'm partial to Ford but would consider GM and Dodge. Ford is the most expensive but I still find the most value there now with the 6.7. Since the 2017 came out with all the new stuff the other 2 will take a couple years to catch up,,, sadly I bought new last year ~~

the sodfather · 03-19-2017, 06:28 PM

I guess with a 5th wheel, I'd consider an 8 ft bed. But with a bumper pull TT...nope.

**chuckster57** · 03-19-2017, 06:31 PM

I see your talking about maybe a Montana. FWIW, I wouldn't tow a fiver without a DRW any more. Got a flat on D/S rear outside tire with old fiver on board, probably 2300 lbs of king pin. Easy to pull over and deal with it. What would have happened in a SRW? Don't know but a Montana is not a lightweight by any means.

If your serious about a new TV and possibly a fiver and a Montana, be done with it..get a DRW, they are NOT that hard to park!

Desert185 · 03-19-2017, 06:35 PM

Its a pickup. Pickups haul stuff, ergo, 8' bed.

It isn't the truck's fault you have a small garage.

Steve S · 03-19-2017, 06:54 PM

With the short bed the wife liked to put groceries, a few bags of new shoes and makeup in the back and it was pretty much full. Anything else and it would require a few more trips. We bought it because on the test drive she liked how easy it was to park. After a few months she really noticed that the ride was rough and how useless it was to me as I never used it cept when we had the camper on it.
A yr later I bought a real truck with a bed that I could use on my construction sites. She actually told me that parking was just as simple and the ride was much better.
Now she drives the F-350 dually and just loves it. I guess that it's true what women say about size and length huh?

**JRTJH** · 03-19-2017, 06:56 PM

If your current truck is a short bed and you're "OK" with it both towing and hauling "stuff", then I'd think you'll be OK with a new truck with a short bed, both towing and hauling "stuff"... That said, if you're considering a diesel, you might want to at least stop by a Ford dealership and test drive one of the new diesels. I've owned diesels from 1983 to current (with a few gas trucks thrown in there) and my biggest "dislike" about diesels is the noise (now that the smoke is controlled). It was (note past tense) almost impossible to start any of my diesels in the garage with the truck windows open and the garage door closed. The clatter was deafening.... Not any more !!! Ford completely redesigned the intake/exhaust on their 6.7L diesel. The exhaust is on top of the engine and the turbo is "right there" to take advantage of the faster response. But the biggest "noticeable feat" is that the noise is almost completely gone.... Honestly, standing beside the truck, it's difficult to tell if it's a diesel or a gas engine under the hood....

As for the bed, Ford's "short bed" (they call it standard bed) is 6'9" long. That little extra makes a world of difference in whether you'll need a sliding hitch or can get by without one (depends more on the fifth wheel front cap). No matter which truck you buy, opt for the "underbed fifth wheel option". Those pucks make it so nice. Gone are the in-bed rails that scratch the bottom sheet of anything you haul and it's so easy to get all the dirt or gravel out of the truck. That was nearly impossible with the rails in the bed. They seemed to catch everything, especially shovels and rakes.

From what you've said, I wouldn't think an early, "Welcome to the world of diesel towing" would be too premature

rcmike · 03-19-2017, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

I'm in the market for a new TV. I have a 2014 HD 6.4 gas which I really like. Thought I might move to a 3500 diesel; and I've said for many years I did not want a diesel and would not have one. Well.......

Went to the Ram dealer Friday and against my better judgement I drove a new Laramie 2500 diesel; they did not a 3500 handy. Wow! It's not a dragster off the line but at speed it just pulls....and the low rpm without screaming (which I used to like

). I nor my wife have ever liked diesels and their clattering scares the snot out of my pup. So they've never been on my radar screen. The last one I drove a lot was the old Dodge 5.9, which was a great engine, but it belonged in some sort of commercial vehicle - just didn't seem civilized to me. Anyway, I was impressed and it was so much quieter than I had figured.

Long story to ask; when I told them I wanted a 3500 with a short bed. He just said I was out of luck more or less in this area. Everything they had was 8' and those he found were 8'. He said they were considered "work" trucks and that's how most were ordered. I don't want an 8' and have found some 6.4 beds many hundreds of miles away from me which I guess I will go look at BUT....I know there are many on here that love the long bed....why? I've had them and at the time it was inconsequential. Now, a long bed crew cab will not fit in my garage. I already had the concrete lip cut out of the front of the garage so the 2500 would pull in, I don't want to tear out the front of the garage and rebuild to just to get an 8' bed. I'm just wondering if I'm missing something with the 8' bed. I have a bumper pull and DW says I won't be getting a 5vr (that could change

). Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated. I've gone from saying I would NEVER have a diesel to looking at purchasing one; now it's an 8' bed......can't say I'm not open minded....or, stupid??

Id go with a 8 foot bed only because , if you EVER get a 5th wheel. You will need it. If your NEVER going to get a 5th wheel, stay with a shorter bed, but if you change your mind in the future. You might have some negative equity on that short bed truck. To keep it short for me, I just should of bought my dually on my first TH trailer less than 16 months ago and two previous TH units. Its better to have something than to want or need something you don't have, short bed, long bed. have fun either way.

larry337 · 03-19-2017, 07:53 PM

Lots to consider. Some questions you almost can't answer without experimenting. For me a long bed is a no brainer. I need/want the extra room in the bed, they ride nicer (and I've had both), and i have the room to park it inside. I tend to agree with JRHT if you're okay now with a short bed you may want to stay with one, especially to park inside. Plus you gain a couple hundred pounds of payload. But the slider hitch is a deal killer for me. My hitch is 145 pounds and splits into 2 pieces, I have to be able to remove it. FWIW I had a fixed hitch in my short bed too and I managed. But as noted the Ford shorted is 6'10". Longbed for me but to each his own.

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**sourdough** · 03-19-2017, 07:56 PM

I'm on the edge of buying a diesel despite all of my years of not wanting one. I did/do have a real concern about the long bed because I don't think I need it. The caveat is that I've not towed a 5th wheel with one. We only used goose neck trailers when I was on the farm and all we had was long bed trucks. I like a short bed due to all the issues that a long bed brings...IMO. I don't do construction (unless I'm building something for us or the kids) and 90% of the time it's just "there".

I looked at the Montana and as Chuckster mentioned, I think it is a DRW trailer as well. What I wanted to look at was the front living area and I think the High Country has that as well. I have to look into those things. What I want to do is make sure I have room to grow to a 5vr with this truck. A DRW will be completely out of the question; after 50 years I would have to get a divorce so..............but, I do want the be able to have a hitch that works nicely with a fifth wheel without issues or compromise.

Alpine · 03-19-2017, 07:59 PM

Oh sure the short beds are a bit harder to come by as they are usually first to go because they look more sexy I guess!? I for sure wanted a long bed as we knew we would be fulltiming with a larger 5vr. We have the regular solid/straight forward Lippert kingpin box and Reese 20K hitch. We have very few times complained about the ride in about 70,000 miles pulling. Have a feeling the "long box" makes a difference.

larry337 · 03-19-2017, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

I'm on the edge of buying a diesel despite all of my years of not wanting one. I did/do have a real concern about the long bed because I don't think I need it. The caveat is that I've not towed a 5th wheel with one. We only used goose neck trailers when I was on the farm and all we had was long bed trucks. I like a short bed due to all the issues that a long bed brings...IMO. I don't do construction (unless I'm building something for us or the kids) and 90% of the time it's just "there".

I looked at the Montana and as Chuckster mentioned, I think it is a DRW trailer as well. What I wanted to look at was the front living area and I think the High Country has that as well. I have to look into those things. What I want to do is make sure I have room to grow to a 5vr with this truck. A DRW will be completely out of the question; after 50 years I would have to get a divorce so..............but, I do want the be able to have a hitch that works nicely with a fifth wheel without issues or compromise.

The front living room models have the heaviest pin weights due to the dual front slides. I have one but it's a Cougar, in a Montana you just may wish you had a dually for that. I would try to keep the dry pin weight closer to 2000 if considering a short bed srw.

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larry337 · 03-19-2017, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry337

The front living room models have the heaviest pin weights due to the dual front slides. I have one but it's a Cougar, in a Montana you just may wish you had a dually for that. I would try to keep the dry pin weight closer to 2000 if considering a short bed srw.

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Wow just checked the Montana lineup and they're all up there in pin weight. Not sure if i'd want to try that with a short bed srw, though I'm sure some do.

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