(Soon to be) a Taco owner! But before that...

My husband and I’ve been saving up for a Taco for a while and have decided that now is the right time to finally pull the trigger on it.

We’ve been pretty set on getting a TRD off-road however I can’t make my mind up on the options... would love y’all’s opinions on it! Here are some reasons why I though each option is better.

DC:
1. We want to be able to bring friends along on trips
2. Thought the extra covered space would be nice to use a storage.

AC:
1. Husband and I are DINKs, and honestly do most activities on our own.
2. the shorter body would make it easier to drive.

LB:
1. Want to be able to camp in the bed
2. Want to be able to haul ski/snowboard gear without trouble.
3. Planning on moving this summer so the extra bed space would be very helpful moving furniture.

SB:
1. We plan on off-roading, which I’ve heard is better with a SB.
2. Again, the shorter body would make it easier to drive.

I think some of these definitely have alternatives, like I could get a RTT instead of sleeping in the bed, but I would love some anecdotes from y’all. We’re first time truck owners so all of this is very new to us.

Thanks again folks!

 

I went with a DCLBOR due to looks (just looks more like a truck to me) as well as a bit more hauling capacity due to the longer bed. While it is apparently true that a shorter wheel base is better for off roading, I believe that is more so true with regards to moderate to extreme off roading. If your intent is just getting to a distant camp site using logging roads or well maintained trails for example, then you will be fine with the DCLB. Quite honestly the only downside I’ve found is that some of the shopping plazas have small parking spots that don’t accommodate the length of the DCLB well. That doesn’t bother me though. Take them for a test drive and see what feels right to both you and your spouse.

Welcome to TW. Glad you are here!

 

DC so if you take anyone with you they'll fit more comfortably.

LB so you can fit in the back for camping.

Unless you're both under 5 feet tall, then the SB will suffice.

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Speaking from experience my ECLB with Cap, Teardrop and 6x8 cargo trailers has proven to be the best solution. My wants and needs mirror yours.

 

AC long bed.

IIRC it's the same overall length as a DC short bed.

 

Welcome to TW!

I get your concerns and it can be a tricky decision. I chose the DCSB because I think it looks better than the LB and the DC was a no brainer because we have two kids. I didn’t expect to do so much hauling that warranted a LB and packing snowboards, gear and with Prinsu racks, hauling our canoe is a breeze. We do have a RTT which is awesome but we also don’t keep it up there year round and a couple times, in a pinch, we’ve slept in the bed. Then again it wasn’t an issue since we are both 5’6”. Maybe the DC SB is a happy medium between the DCLB and the ACLB? Depends on how you look at it but think about what vehicle fits the majority of your needs.

 

I like what Bill says here, along with what I said about the DCSB. Between the two, it comes down to whether you want the extra interior or the extra exterior space.

 

Welcome!

Keep in mind that the ACLB and the DCSB are the same overall dimensions and ACSB is not available.

I got the DC because, like you, I do most of my stuff on my own (with my significant other). However the space is nice for other people when needed or things I don't want to put in my bed, such as my dog or certain camping equipment. I also have the SB. At first I thought I'd hate it since I came from a 6' bed on my GMC. However, I have a bed extender that came with the truck and it actually makes the bed 7' long so now I have more room than my old truck when needed.

Also, my GMC was an extended cab (or what Toyota calls access cab) and I was happy to upgrade to a full crew cab even though I don't haul people back there, regularly.

Also, I love having a RTT. The only down side is having to collapse camp every time you want to go somewhere, but you'd have to do that camping in the box too. Plus, if you camp in the box, you can't really store anything in there without some sort of storage system. Then you aren't truly camping out of the bed anyway. Given the wheel wells, I wouldn't recommend camping from the bed without some sort of loft or storage system anyway. But, I digress.

 

True. At the time when we slept in our bed, we had a platform that kept us above the wheel wells.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but all AC Tacomas have 6' beds so if you want to sleep in the back with another person with the tailgate up you will definitely want either AC or DCLB. You can however get a bed tent for pretty cheap and sleep in the back of a DCSB so a RTT is not the only option for camping with a small bed. If you don't have a large dog and you don't plan on driving around with additional passengers I think AC is a good choice. You can sleep in the bed with the tailgate up, don't have the long wheelbase of a DCLB and you have some additional storage space in the cab.

Also I am assuming that both you and your husband are not 5' tall...

 

Welcome to TW!

 

OP, use the first 3 responses as your reference.
The more you read, the more mixed up in your decision you'll be.

 

I just bought an SR5, and was originally going to get the access cab....but when I looked at it for real...it is reeeeeaaaaal small. I went with the dual cab 6 foot bed, and am very glad. The access cab space would have been pretty tough to use. It was also only accesable from the passenger side...that was the deal breaker for me. Driving the longer truck is not as bad as I thought it would be either

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Girlfriend and I are DINK too. I went with a DCLB for my second truck. Lets be honest with ourselves, there's only so much technical 4 wheeling you're going to be doing in a stock pickup truck anyways. Yah, a short bed single cab will technically get you around the corners easier, and give you a bit better breakover angle.

Even a stock jeep isn't that great out of the box. There's tons of aftermarket available for the Tacoma's, and it's not ridiculously expensive to get yourself some armor and a bit of a lift should you need it.

DCLB will suit you guys well for what you want to do I would think.

 

Thanks for all the replies y'all! I read every single one

Some more context, I'm 5'4" and hubby is 5'10" so we'd definitely not be able to fit in the SB with the tailgate down, but most likely can with it up. We don't have any large dogs, although we're planning on adopting a medium sized dog this summer.

Some interesting things happened over the last few days-- I called around a lot of the dealerships in town, and it seems like almost none have DCLB! I think one of the dealers even told me that they they don't carry many LBs because they aren't too popular. It is potentially due to the fact we want the premium upgrade (I'm pretty die hard on leather seats lol). So that got us slightly worried that LBs might not have as good resale value.

At the start of this search we were pretty set on getting DCLB but then I read more, the less sure I've become haha. At this point the only spec I don't want is ACSB, which leaves 75% of the other options XD

We're going for test drives this weekend, probably will try as many combinations as we can to see which we like better.

 

If you're going automatic, I'd do Double Cab Long Bed. Much more space for your activities/gear. I'd opt for the long bed but I wanted the manual double cab which isn't offered w/ a long bed unfortunately.

My only complaint w/ my truck is the short bed, so it'll be nice to actually have that! Also the double cab is great for space all around. I drive friends every now and then but even for equipment and groceries, the extra space is so nice.

 

That's so ugly though for one more foot. I'll manage w/ my 5ft wheelbarrow

 

From what I've seen, if anything, DCLB is MORE desirable, but just less available. The good news for you is that ACSB is not an option Toyota offers so there's no way you can accidentally select it.

Like I said before, I thought I'd miss my 6' bed more than I do. But with the bed extender, I have more room than my previous 6' bed had and with our RTT, camping in the bed isn't even a concern. I say go for the double cab, no matter which bed you want.