3rd Gen, Long bed vs. Short bed

For my usage (hauling building materials/mulch mostly), any bed shorter than 8' is "too short". So I just got a 5x8 high side utility trailer; I'd rather just pay $1k for the trailer that does exactly what I need than deal with a monstrous gas-guzzling truck all the time just to get a big enough bed.

I consider the truck bed to just be a big, easier-to-clean trunk. For camping, even 5' is sufficient if you get one of those cool tailgate tent things.

 

I have a short bed. I also fish, hunt, camp mtn bike a lot. It is also my daily driver. No regrets here.

 

Had an 05 short bed. And Now I have 16 long bed. Much MUCH better. I constantly haul stuff in the bed that make a 5' bed ridiculous. Plus the truck looks more balanced with the long bed. The turning radius is a non-issue, don't even notice it. I have always preferred to back into parking spaces though... U turns are no problem. For crying out loud, it's 12" on a 220" truck... (208" truck if you get the short bed). Not exactly a big difference.

 

I decided to go short bed TRD Sport, in Canada that means I get to have a manual transmission, and it also saves me about $3k on the price. This is my first truck so I can't imagine I'm going to have any regrets not getting the long bed. Plus short beds are pretty rare up here, so I guess I get uniqueness too?

 

You won't notice the difference between the long bed and short bed while commuting. You might notice it some while parking, but I'm guessing that's a small part of your commute. Being able to sleep in the bed is a big deal for me and was the primary reason I went for it. However, after having the long bed, I am so glad I did. I have a topper and my 29" hardtail fits in the bed so I don't have to leave it out on a rack. Also is nice to be able to haul a bunch of skis without placing them diagonal which leaves more room for other gear and coolers.

A lot of those fun things require a lot of gear and it's nice to not worry about space!

 

DCLB isn't that bad at all. Like another post said..its 12" difference... U turns are not a problem. I prefer to back into parking spaces but haven't noticed any huge disadvantages..

I needed lb for kayaks, mtn bikes, plywood, eventually dirtbikes so weight isn't sitting on the tailgate (look up 2nd gen tailgate bending) ..

 

If my girlfriend can handle the DCLB every day, so can you. We love it!!

 

I am just shy of 6 feet, which means I can sleep in a 6ft bed just fine with a topper when I am camping. That is why I prefer the 6 foot bed.

 

I owned both short and long beds and I recommend the long bed for the same reasons as stated above. Yes it does have a wider turning radius and you will find yourself making a few more three point turns but it's totally worth it. What you gain by having the extra bed length (over 20%) will more than justify the cost, length, and turning radius. I really wish the dealer had a 2016 long bed but there were none around my area. This is also why I'm having to get a RTT since I can't sleep in the back of a short bed.

 

Short bed is the way to go I have had 7 of them all short beds, unless you use it for construction work you will be fine.

 

Everyone has their own opinions - Mine is that the long bed looks too long. Short bed looks just right. BUT.... that's just looks. Obviously a long bed offers more functional options. I have the short bed DC. Before that I had a AC with the 6' bed. Can't say I miss the longer bed at all. I occasionally haul 4x8 sheets from Home Depot which is fine with the 5' bed and tailgate down. Once in a blue moon will I have to put a 12 or 16' object in the bed and I have a hitch mounted bed extender for that purpose. 7 year old truck and maybe used the extender 3-4 times. Fork mounted bikes mount on the front bed rail with tailgate closed - couple inches to spare. Ski's mounted over the tonneau on thule cross bars. Leaves a lot more space in the bed without 4 pairs of ski's under the tonneau. Also on the turning radius issue, something else to think about.... If you tow a boat or camper, the shorter wheelbase makes backing a trailer that much easier.

 

My dealer had zero long beds in stock out of about 10 Tacomas. I was on the fence but got the short bed because it would fit in my garage and I've had my dirt bikes and ATV in a 5 foot bed before. I may yet go full size and get a longer bed. Even the 5.5 foot bed would be enough to make hauling a motorcycle more secure.

 

I have a DCLB and we off road almost every weekend. The only time it has been too long is when I tried to turn around on a trail. It was longer than the trail was wide and I had to stuff it in a bush. It didn't scratch anything but it was scary.

 

Long bed for me. I do contruction work and need the extra bed space. No problem with fitting into my gaurage. To each his own but short beds are useless to me. Like the gentelmen said above when you go camping you can sleep in the bed without lowering the tailgate GO LONG BED

 

Still can't decide. Hopefully, I'll find one in stock somewhere to look at.

 

That's exactly what you need to do. I was going to get a DCSB just because that's what you see mostly and that's all that was on the lot. The dealer happened to have a DCLB in the show room (only one they had) and it was the Inferno color and I fell in love with it but the point is I wasn't even considering a LB until I saw one and figured it has to ride a tad better with the longer wheelbase...

 

To everyone sleeping in the bed of the truck with the tailgate up, what's it matter if the tailgate is up or not?

 

x2

 

I like how the long bed is finished on the sides to match the cab (among other things mentioned already)



The double cab short bed looks "off" that I've been staring at them for 2 years, I like access cab since its a 6ft bed for looks too

 

To me the DCLB looks like its been stretched. Like its been cut in half and a section was added to make it longer like a limo.