Long-bed vs Short-bed

I went outside my comfort zone today and traded in my 2018 TRD with a 5 foot bed for this truck today. Took a lot of soul searching but it had the premium package with low milage. It was not an easy decision, I hope I don't regret it...

 

Short box for offroad, but a 6' box would be nice. I got the double cab OR for the locker and the dog likes the space. That 5' box is tiny though and makes for some creative yard waste stacking

 

A long bed Tacoma isn’t for everyone. It takes away from the motor (mpg) and mobility by a small margin in favor of space while being marginally smaller than a true full size. I really love my LB aside from the sluggishness, you can sleep in the back with tailgate closed and if you opt for bed drawers you get a lot more storage (same goes for racks on a topper). I haven’t found myself anywhere on a trail where a short bed excelled over my long bed but I’m usually out with jeeps doing blue/black trails. If you know how to back up it’s no harder to park than any other passenger vehicle, it may take you an hour or more find a spot to parallel park in NYC. It sucks merging through traffic because of the length and it takes a little longer to stop and go by a small margin as well.

 

The difference is only 12-13 inches what is the big deal. I have it on my Taco cause it came with the premium package. I had the short box on my other 2nd gen and don't really see or feel the difference. just saying.

 

LOL!

Where's that Weenie Dog?

I got the short bed as my first new Tacoma. Love my Taco!



Ed

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I dunno… These folks are talking like it’s 6’ vs 10’ boxes, the actual long vs short. 1 foot makes no difference whatsoever, unless you plan on sleeping in your truck.

 

No they are talking 5 SB and 6 LB. not 10 LB

 

I sold my F150 so that I could get a DCSB so it would fit in the garage with the car. If I wanted a longer bed I would get a full size.


I need MORE GARAGE

 

Access cab, longbed... I have much more need for cargo capacity then I do for passenger capacity these days.

 

I have the big garage but wanted small truck

 

ACLB, I carry oars and paddles all the time which fit on the diagonal, sleep in the back (I've a cap as well.) Managed to find a sport with a MT. Just wish it didn't have the fake intake scoop, but I guess lots of folks like them.

 

I love having space in my garage and I have plenty of room to park the truck outside but I hate how dirty it gets instantly and then I have to wash it. You're lucky

 

My kids are grown and out of the house. Except for my wife almost no one ever gets in my truck anymore. No one has ever sat in my back seat in the two years+ I've owned this one. I tried a 2011 Taco standard cab, 4 cyl, MTM, LB, work truck for a couple of years. The cab was just too small for me and I eventually decided I'd had enough of 3 pedals. Now I'm in a 2017 TRD sport, AC, LB with the V6 and ATM. I use my bed for hauling stuff back and forth to my cabin in northern Michigan for hunting and fishing. This year I'm going to remove my hard tonneau cover and replace it with a new ARE topper with windoors for more carrying capacity in the rear.

 

The younger guys say the scoops are panty droppers but I am old I wouldn't know. Maybe Granny panty dropper is more my style.

 

Both are cool, but I'd rather go with a 4runner and have more room with the seats down than the 5 foot bed. Figured if I was getting a truck I might as well get one with more space.

 

I rarely have need for added interior space but always have use for the bed space. It's rare that anyone is even in my passenger seat and in 18 months only once has someone been in the rear seats. The long bed has been filled up fairly often.

 

You need a Limited then, all that chrome will get em' lol.

 

Granny panties! lol

I'm contemplating putting a lightbar in my Sport.

Wife and I are empty nesters so no one sits in the back seat...except groceries and other stuff I don't wanna leave in the bed space.

I previously had an '03 Honda Pilot and '10 Mazda CX-9...both of which I was able to fill with long boards when I was refurbishing/replacing our wood deck. I had 12ft lengths sticking out the passenger window in the CX-9 but it was a 2 mile drive from Lowe's.

Been hauling garden stuff...fertilizer and pea gravel...for firepit and firewood in my 5' bed...I haven't had a need to put my motorcycle in my Sport...I'd use the HF trailer for that.

Everyone has their own needs. I enjoyed looking at all the pics of Tacos in the world! Thanks.

Ed

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Wow, that's a cool truck!

 

A long bed is just 3.4 sq/ft bigger. Not an earth shattering amount. I do "truck things" with my short bed as well. I've never been in a situation where I wish I had a long bed, but plenty of times on the trail where I was glad I had a short bed.