Long bed owners- what’s your experience with maneuverability and parking in urban places?

Just note the 3rd gen DCLB turning circle at 44.1' is slightly less than the 4th gen DCSB's 44.4' turning circle.

Go to a 4th gen DCLB and you've got a 48.2' turning circle.

 

I think the narrower truck makes them more easily maneuverable regardless of bed length. But I will also say when I had a Long Bed '22 Nissan Frontier, that truck drove like a much larger truck with its really heavy steering feel. Cranking that thing into tight parking spot was not as easy as it should have been for a truck that small in stature. On the flip side, I also had a 4G DCLB, and I felt it was nearly as wide as my 90s era Chevy 1500, but it had a very light steering feel, so it was easier to park IMO. The 3G DCLB I have now is more nimble than both of them, with a decent turning radius, narrower feel, and good power assist steering. I still end up backing into to tight parking spaces when I need to use a parking garage, but that's a habit born from owning full size trucks my entire life due to hauling and towing needs.

 

generational differences hadn’t even occurred to me. Doh! Thanks for pointing that out!

For clarity, the DCSB I was referring to was 2nd Gen. DCLB is 3rd.

B

 

I'll chime in here - my first was a '90 Xtra cab with the 6' bed, then I went to a '01 DC short bed (only option). Lived with that for 14 years, but when I got my '14 I opted for the long bed. Haven't regretted it. Will probably be moving to a 4th gen soon, and will definitely stick with the long bed.'
I could barely get my old mountain bike in the short bed, but I'm pretty sure my newer ones won't fit without removing the front wheel. Like to be able to fit more stuff in it.
The increased turning radius on the 4th gen is a bit concerning, but not enough to change my mind.

Another note - several people mentioned here that they thought the long bed looks weird -- I remember how weird the double cab short bed trucks looked when they first came out.

 

It is funny and maybe more for my age bracket and use to catch comments on long beds looking strange. It's the opposite. Most of time has been 8 ft bed pickups with even shorter cabs. Sure my Kenworth with a big sleeper and wheelbase didn't have a lot there without a trailer, but doing actual work balanced that. I tried to see if a modern Ranger, GM or Maverick could work, but those things could not cut it for traditional truck sorts of use.

On a visit to a Ford dealer I finally told the salesman trying to defend the Ranger, Lightning and 5.5 ft bed F150s to just take what was in the back of my van, fit it in them, and answer how he could not just carry it, but keep it dry or protected on a rain or snow day. It was comical.

 

Horses for courses. Choose the correct tool for the job.

Even with a topper on the truck, a work van is going to carry more stuff and keep it drier & more protected. There's a reason carpet installers around here use vans not trucks.

No surprises -- other than that the sales person didn't take you over to a Transit.

 

100%

Short beds don't look like trucks to me, they look like odd SUV-like things like the original Chevy Avalanche. Times change, and the Tacoma DC just disproportions an SB.

But times change and tastes change.