The truck I love vs. the truck my family needs...

Hi all,
This is my 1st post, so please pardon me if I ramble, or offend. My 05' 4x4 access cab is actually both my 2nd Tacoma, & my 2nd new car purchase. My 1st on both fronts was a 95 regular cab 4x2. In its time w/me I gave it a k&n filter, bilstein shocks, oversized tires, a modified stereo & an aluminum hurst shifter knob. To this day, I hang my head whenever I think of it, (I also grin fiendishly @ the memory of many miles on sandy desert "roads"). After 5 years of happy driving I foolishly sold it when my dad offered me his 97 Ranger as a way to thank me for the work I put in to his ranch property. My only happy memory of that GD ford is seeing parked in the lot next to my brand new 05 Tacoma 4x4 access cab! My only complaint about my current Tacoma is that I chose the 4 cylinder engine for the gas milage which has been completely nullified by the shell, Yak rack, & likely cargo. That aside, every time I turn the key the sadness of missing my first Tacoma fades just a bit, The frustration w/that G.D. p.o.s. ranger, (I practically had to make sweet love to the steering column just to change the frikin oil filter!!) loses some of its bite. For 5 years my truck has served me & my wife faithfully. But now I fear troubled times! You see, my wife & I are avid outdoor enthusiasts, & though the access cab provided all the room we needed, we now are blessed w/a beautiful 2 year old who loves to do all the things we love to do. (Go figure.) Oh, & my wife is 2" shorter than me @ 6'. Having spent 6 of the last 24 hours being the unwilling "referee while driving" in a Boise to SLC leg room battle between my 2 favorite ladies, I now realize that my beloved Lupe', (named after a cousin of mine who like my Tacoma has an uncanny ability to wind up w/wayward sunglasses), is going to be replaced soon. Which brings me to my questions: 1. How do the crew cab long bed Tacoma's stack up? 2. How fun are they to drive, really drive? 3. Whats the best way into one? New? Used? 4. Does anyone who DOESN'T travel light have advice to offer on the short bed vs. the long bed? 5. Does anyone have a good idea for how I can argue for not selling the truck I love?

 

I've got the double cab short bed and love it. I had a long bed one time for a loaner from the Toyota dealer and I do wish I had gone for the longer bed with mine sometimes but not a huge regret. I do not pack lightly when I travel and travel with a full grown lab and my girlfriend. The dog takes the back seat and we pack everything else in the bed including his crate and usually those large plastic bins with our clothes, camping stuff, tents, etc. I have a soft tonneau for now but would like to have a hard cap for some extra room in the bed. I occassionally haul a motorcycle also with the ramps and the dog crate with our stuff in the back seat with the dog. The back seats are roomy. My dad usually sits back there when him and my mom come to visit (he's nice and gives my mom the front seat). He's 6' 2" and although he's certainly not a whiner by any means, if it wasn't comfortable, he'd be sure to let me know.