Short Bed or Long Bed?

mines fits in my garage with at least two feet to spare!

 

I have an access cab and could use the extra 1ft of space of the crewcab long bed. The 5ft bed isn't an option with the cap - need 6 ft length to store some of the gear. I'm considering a tundra access cab, BUT do I really want to jump up to a full sized truck - I'll test drive one.

So the question is, I know the maneuverability of the longer wheelbase and length of the lb makes parking in tighter places more challenging than the access cab / short be crew, compared to a full sized (Tundra) can it be as bad? I have to park in some tight spaces at times. Thanks for your input.

 

The Long Wheel base DCLB will be trickier but this is still an exaggeration IMO. Yes, it has a wider turning circle than a DCSB/ACLB but these are still mid-size commuter trucks. They have no tail swing like big commercial trucks and are still much narrower than a full-size.

 

I went from an access cab Suzuki Equator to Double Cab Long Bed. Biggest loss is payload. That extra foot of cab is pretty heavy. My payload is 950 pounds for everybody and everything . DCLB is close to Tundra length with a slightly shorter wheelbase...much more narrow is good for parking.

 

I like the 6' bed on the Access cab or regular cabs. But if considering the 6' bed on a Double Cab, just buy a 1/2 ton. The overall length and wheelbase is within 3-4" of being the same. In other words a 1/2 ton will have almost exactly the same length and be no harder to maneuver than a DCLB Tacoma. Cost and fuel mileage are virtually the same too, but you get a MUCH larger more comfortable cab and much greater payload and towing capability.

Most of the Crew Cab 1/2 half tons have 5 1/2' beds, but they are wider and deeper. An extended cab 1/2 ton is the same length, but with a 6 1/2' bed and the rear seat on those has more room than a DC Tacoma has in the rear seat. I've had trucks with 5', 5.5', 6', 6.5' and 8' beds. If I can't fit something in the 5 or 5.5' beds 6' or 6.5 aren't enough to help. It is time to buy an 8' bed or use a trailer.

You buy a Tacoma to get a smaller truck. That size is it's biggest advantage as well as it's biggest disadvantage. The DCLB Tacomas have all of the disadvantages and none of the advantages of a small truck.

 

To me this is a long bed Toyota, which we haven't had in the U.S. since 1992. I have a regular bed (6') Tacoma, but I also realize I'm a retro-grouch curmudgeon.

 

I am on my second DCLB, 07 now an 18’. I really wanted an access cab this time around but in the end the space just wasn’t practical for me. Regularly have a large dog with me, and a child on the way. I almost pulled the the trigger on a short bed, but in the end I just didn’t really care for the look of them and as stated before 1’ of bedspace isn’t a whole lot but it does make a difference in a lot of situations. I drive an extended cab chev half ton for work and I find it much harder to park and manuvour in tight spots. It’s about the same length as my Taco. I would sooner drive my truck any day over a half ton. Also I don’t always haul heavy things but things that take up a lot of room in the bed, and I didn’t find a noticeable difference between the ride quality between a short bed sport and the long bed sport. Long bed floated right along while the shortbed seem a little harsh. I don’t off-road very much other than woods roads which my truck is more than capable of with the long wheelbase.

 

Shortbed,cause I park mine in the garage.That little extra you get with a long bed is not going to make much if any difference.

 

If only I could find one of those, I would be a happy dude.

 

I'm always keeping an eye out for a 3rd gen (89-92) long bed 4wd but they are pretty unusual. I've seen a few 2nd gens for sale but nothing 1/10th as nice as the one in that photo. The unicorn would be a 1985 SR5 long bed 4wd, which would have bucket seats and EFI.

 

If I was a single guy, the ACLB would be the way to go. Shorter wheelbase, bigger bed. That's the sweet spot. But I'm hauling kids and what not. But the other day I was hauling some 8 foot boards and I was like, "That longer bed would be nice right about now." But yesterday I was offroading and I negotiated some obstacles a DCLB would have really struggled with.

 

If I hadn't have gotten such an incredible deal on a DCLB, I was never even considering one, now I can't imagine not having one. Especially now that I'm getting it set up for camping too. Parking is a non-issue after you get used to it.

 

Parking would be the smallest consideration to take into account when considering a LB I think. Unless your garage is not deep enough to fit one, then obviously that doesn’t work. You get used to it very quickly otherwise.

 

Finally a thread about beds. I like adjustable beds with clean sheets. The pillow top is nice but it is hard to manage the fluff. Sometimes it is nice to dangle your feet over the end but when the monster under the bed is active this can be nerve racking. All in all we must sleep in the bed we make.

Hope that helps your decisions.

 

I like my DCSB , I have 5x10 drag behind flat trailer that takes 5 minutes to hook up if i need to haul something big . I really like the trailer , one reason is I don't have to worry about someone scratching the truck when loading and unloading .

 

Long bed because I haul more shit with the truck vs navigate tight off road trails.

 

Too me i know people need a LB, so I understand but Toyota LB's need a lift and oversized wheels and tires to look proportionally correct IMO.

 

I agree with this 100%, I’m not a big fan of mine right now, but with a slight lift and bumped up a tire size. They look great. Wheels and tires are on the way now

 

Not having my feet hang off the end of the bed is pretty much why I have the 6' long one.

 

I prefer the looks of the short bed. And it is easier to park.

If I ever need to haul anything longer, I can lean it against the tailgate rail, leave the tailgate open or use an extender.