Short Bed v. Long Bed

Short bed unless you want a trail limo.

 

Good Lord! When I lived there, I had a VW Beetle I housed in a commercial garage. I can't imagine trying to park either a SB or LB anywhere in the city...

 

I've owned both. My 2006 DC/SB was a foot short from the day I got it, loved the truck, but the bed was just too short every time I needed to haul something. I now have a 2013 DC/LB and soon to get a 2014 DC/LB and I really like the extra foot. LB is a lot harder to find and a little harder to get straight in a parking spot, but I'm not looking back. No more SB for me!

 

Let's get the terminology right... there is no long bed. There is a regular and a short. 6' is no long bed, you can't even fit a sheet of plywood in it!

Yeah exactly! Must not be a carpenter! I have to bring my trailer if I want to even pick up 8' sheets of sheetrock

 

I hope mods delete this thread. The other 500 threads that are the same as this one prove that it's a case by case basis. Mine is a DCLB because when I bought it I wanted the double cab and thought I needed the LB. Now, if I get a new one, I'll probably get a SB so I can get a 6-speed because I need the double cab and can give up the LB faster than the interior space.

 

While I agree that 6' is not a long bed in Chevy or Ford terminology, in Toyota-speak, long bed is correct.

 

I like the long bed. Making the truck nearly 19 ft long, it is a little more annoying to maneuver but you get used to that. I was actually starting to feel incompetent at the gas stations with pumps running perpendicular to the road until another DCLB pulled up after me and lined the truck up with the pump worse than I did.

Parking, though, is no issue.

 

So, when I buy another truck. I'll have to bring a 8' sheet of plywood or sheetrock just so I know if it's long or short or regular bed??

 

I picked up the CC long bed & threw a shell on it, as is sits I fill the bed up with tools quickly. If you plan on going off road a lot then see if the short bed will work for you because this thing is a bit longer with no rear locker.

 

"Long" bed is the way to go. And the bed inside dimension is closer to 6' 5" BTW.

I have found a million reasons in my personal life where the long bed made the difference.

I have tricks for making my "long" bed do all sorts of things...

- For drywall transport I trow a 1" thick plywood sheet in the back, laying at an angle up over the passenger bed rail. Then stack the drywall onto it. Minimal damage. Works for that, and for moving mattresses, etc.

- I use a couple 10' pieces of 2x4 fir laying out the back, bed down, to support long items, like furniture, that may be 8-9' long. Works perfect, with appropriate tie-downs of-course.

- Oh, did I mention you can sleep in the back. Yeah, camping was never so easy. Just an air mattress and you are all set for star gazing. Or, with a cap ready for rain, snow. Whatever.

- Dogs love a 6' bed. You can still pile all the gear back there with the dogs.

Anyway, I could go on and on. But for all one million of my tricks get my book, "Size DOES matter. One-million things you can do with a "Long" Bed Tacoma." Sure to become a best seller.

 

DCLB for the win. I had three requirements for a 2nd gen.

1. Double cab
2. Long bed
3. 4x4

I wouldn't own a short bed. You can't load crap in it. When I go camping the LB carries all the camping boxes and coolers, that wouldn't fit in a short bed. When lifted the SB looks like a matchbox truck. LB has a better stance lifted. I use a truck as a truck for hauling stuff so trail limo it is. Parking isn't an issue you just have to learn how to drive it. I've parallel parked and parked in parking garages without issue.

and….

DCLB FTMFW!

 

I've always been a fan of the long beds. Not only can you fit more in the back its I always find it to be a great thing when you can goto home depot and buy some wood or plywood and be able to close the tailgate. especially with plywood that way it doesn't warp. But that's my personal opinion.

 

Guess we should delete all the different threads on lifts too? Cause all lift threads are the same.

 

This ^

 

Amazingly, prior to this new-to-me Taco, I have used my Odyssey to transport 4x8 drywall -just fits by *millimiters* on sides, and you have to bring seats an inch forward from normal position!
(we run the Odyssey with only the front seats, and rear collapsed seats)

I guess the 6ft bed Taco fit for 4x8 sheets would be, slanted with a plywood support, as described above?

 

DCSB as it fits my needs and i wanted a locker.... cus we all know the sport is just a dumb ditsy blonde with plastic surgery.... and the OR is the sexy innocent girl next door that will go anywhere and do anything.

 

This whole talk of the short bed being more maneuverable and easier to park, not really buying it to be honest, we are only talking about a foot or so. If you can park a short bed you can park a long bed with zero issues. When it comes to true hardcore offroading, I guess I can see the need for a smaller bed, but how many people does that honestly apply to?

But when it comes to lugging crap around, that extra foot can come in handy no, really two ways around it. So, the reason I went LB is for two reasons, a touch more desirable on the resale market, and it holds more junk when need be.

 

This whole talk of the short bed being more maneuverable and easier to park, not really buying it to be honest, we are only talking about a foot or so. If you can park a short bed you can park a long bed with zero issues. When it comes to true hardcore offroading, I guess I can see the need for a smaller bed, but how many people does that honestly apply to?

But when it comes to lugging crap around, that extra foot can come in handy no, really two ways around it. So, the reason I went LB is for two reasons, a touch more desirable on the resale market, and it holds more junk when need be.

 

it just depends on personal preference. end of story.
i wanted a double cab, but didn't want to look like a limo with the long bed.
wanted the OR package, DCLB didn't come in OR.

I have a DCSB OR. Does everything I need it to do.