6' Box vs 5' Box

Hi all,

I will be purchasing a Tacoma in the coming months and was wondering with those of you who have experience with both options.. do you find there is any major difference between the 6' box and the 5' box, truck performance? aside from turn radius..

A big part of me loves the look of the 5' box cause it looks like it's made to just go rippin around in the bush and drive over stuff...

Thank you for any responses!

 

Long bed is better platform for towing. Less tippy up inclines and downhill offroad.

Long bed has long wheelbase which means worse break over angle offroad.

In test drives, on road I didn’t notice a difference other than bigger turning radius vs short bed.

 

I have a new 2020 access cab 6ft box or so. Thought the turning radius would be shit, turns great! I test drove a frontier and the Tacoma turns like heaven compared to that truck.

 

I believe the ACLB and DCSB have the exact same wheelbase.

 

get an access cab. same short wheelbase and benefits of a longer bed. for me a long bed is required when loading up the quads and sleds.

havent went back to back with a 4door long bed and short bed tacoma but i have with a frontier. the shorter wheelbase was much preferred offroad in out tight trails

 

What do you want to do with the truck? Are you planning to use it offroad, or 99% pavement? Nothing wrong with either, we just need to know your use case before we can say which to get. And we are also probably assuming you will be getting crew cab with 5 or 6 foot, not access cab with 6 foot. Right?

 

They do.

Also OP minimal differences but they are key and have been talked about here briefly.

Trail limo is the nickname. They both do just fine. In terms of hauling, put the tailgate down and you gain that extra foot. Manuals only available in ACLB or DCSB if you are going manual. Auto is in everything

 

1 ft is hardly going too make any difference either way you decide to go.

 

I will be using it mostly for camping and back country access, forestry roads and tighter with some more aggressive 4x4 outings.
I will be getting the crew cab.

My ideal is the offroad, crew cab, short box, but If I opt not to buy new, this is very limiting, so i want to explore all my options. Regardless the truck is going to be excellent, it's a Tacoma, I just don't want to have the notion of this sweet little bush basher in my head, but not quite get what i am looking for with the long box.

 

If you are camping, being able to sleep in the bed was a big deal for me. So, LB all day long with all the options of a soft topper, canopy, or wedge camper. No more wet tents airing out in the living room was a win.

 

Always had toyota 4x4 trucks with a 6' bed or there abouts. They've served me well whether fishing out in the quebec bush or grocery getting. Latest 2020 4wd ac 6 cyl auto has been great so far.

 

Plus, for sleeping, the topper provides so much more wind protection, which is great for stormy weather.

 

Very true.




Everytime I went tent camping before the topper, a good storm would rip through. Even had it rain only as I was starting to pull the tent down. I can't for sure say that the weather was aimed at me, but it felt like it.

The tents always held up well and never leaked, but packing it up sopping wet, hanging the fly in the garage, and annoying the fam with the tent was just done.

 

Seems pretty standard across the board that it really doesn't make a difference. Just the turning radius.

Thank you all, I appreciate it!

 

Given the number of times I've stuffed my 6' box full, I'd go nuts with a 5' box.

Do you need to carry people? How tall are they?

 

I use mine in a similar way. For camping I use either a ground tent or hammock. Personally, I don't love the proportions of the DCLB, but I do recognize it's utility. Do you plan on sleeping in the truck bed?

 

Turning Radius
DCSB or ACLB 40.6
DCLB 44.1


Approach/departure/breakover angle (degrees)
DCSB 32.0/23.5/21.0
DCLB 32.0/23.1/21.0
ACLB 32.0/23.0/24.0




I'm not sure why the breakover angle for the ACLB is better than the DCSB as they are the same wheelbase? Must be more clearance under the bed than the cab lets the exhaust route up quicker?

DCLB fits great at the parking lot of Whole Foods!

 

Are you deciding between a double cab short bed and an access cab long bed? Or are you only looking at double cabs? I have an access cab 2020 with a long bed and my dad has a double cab long bed. I can tell you that they are two very different trucks. The DCLB is much more stable on the road. It holds its line a lot easier and cruising is overall more comfortable. But that being said, it’s a boat. My ACLB is the perfect truck for me, I use the bed more than I use the back seats so I don’t need a double cab. I’ve never had a 5 foot bed and don’t see the appeal to them. The only advantage would be on an single cab with a 5ft bed for off-roading. That would be a dream truck.

 

I want the crew cab so that I have the option to bring friends and family, and ultimately when I have children I want to be able to bring them in my vehicle.

 

Go with the short bed and get a bed extender for the times you need the extra foot