Totally torn on short or long bed...

I've had the short bed for two years and came from a 7.5 foot Sierra bed before that. There are exactly two things I don't like about the short bed: The lady and I can't sleep in it comfortably when camping, and I wish my motorcycle wheels didn't rest on the tailgate. Other than those two minor annoyances... The short bed has been completely fine and well worth the maneuverability benefits.

 

If you bring a chainsaw or even a decent fixed blade k-bar you can get them into more manageable pieces. No need to be lifting a whole Elk all in one go.

 

This is my second long bed Tacoma. I love the long bed. I have covered the bed with a shell or topper. I do a lot of camping and I know I'm not going to buy a roof top tent. Sleep outside mostly but of the weather turns bad, I can jump in the bed of the truck and sleep very comfortably.

 

I went from LB to SB and have zero regrets. The SB is so much better to drive around town and on the trails. I only fill my bed with banking gear or runs to the garage dump tho

 

What kind of motorcycles? Heavy Harley’s or light motocross?

 

IT200s are so fun!!

 

My last 2 Tacos have been long beds. I prefer the ride and like the fact that more can generally fit in the bed. Then, reality sunk in. I never really put much in my bed and I think the short bed is easier to park in most places and maneuver in tight spaces. I think my next one will be a short bed. If I used my bed a lot and needed the extra space I’d stick with the long bed but I don’t.

I know it’ll never happen but a “tweener” bed would be a great solution. Just make one bed and split the length difference between the short and long and call it day. I doubt this would happen for fear of a competitor advertising a better departure angle (or more capabilityir whatever) but offering a 5’6” Bed would be nice.

 

Wow so many strong opinions around here. I guess I will give mine.

IMO, I think the long beg in double cab on the Tacoma is not a great option. The Tacomas are great because they are smaller than a full size and are known for great off road performance. A double cab long bed puts you at a slight disadvantage in those areas. Probably not by much, or maybe not even at all depending on what you use it for, but even then, they still look really weird.

Access cabs are great because you still get the long bed with the same overall footprint, but a double cab long bed just seems weird to me. The Tacoma's rear seats are pretty cramped anyway, so I feel like if you really need the seating room AND cargo space of the long bed, you might as well just get a full size pickup.

 

For me, it's a matter of what the purpose of the Tacoma is. Ultimately, it's a highly capable mid-size truck made to take you most anywhere, on or off pavement, in all kinds of weather conditions.

That said, the dcsb fits the bill for me. Highly maneuverable with plenty of payload/towing for most situations. Nice combination of interior and exterior storage, with the ability to carry more than one person for work/social as needed. 5 feet is not huge for a bed, but hauling is not the Tacoma's primary purpose; payload capacity is essentially identical between the two beds and the sb gets the job done for most needs. Aesthetically looks better to me (which is subjective of course) and a dclb enters into full-size truck territory, in terms of length; again, not a good thing for me, as I do not need or want a full-size. Shorter length and wheelbase allows for better experiences in cities and on trails.

My .02! Regardless of bed length, what we all are buying is a great truck with proven reliability.

 

Ive had zero limitations with my long bed OR. Its has the leather and sunroof, premium package and still came in close to $5 less than a pro (MSRP at least). I use the extra bed size, I also lifted the truck. Once you lift it the TRD OR is actually more capable than a PRO for less coin. Really depends on usage. FYI, Ive been able to go where all my buddies short boxes go albeit I did just get RCI skids due to some bottoming out on short steep berms and such. Never stuck though. My truck is far shorter than my 2017 short bed Tundra and much easier to maneuver as well. So, I'd get the long bed if you find you need the extra space.

 

Not sure why 3 pictures posted when I added 2, new to this. Sorry

 

My short bed just fits in my garage.... (No I am not talking dirty)

 

True, but if I can get to them in the truck, I much prefer getting them back to camp for skinning duties before breaking them down. Keeps the meat much cleaner. Have done it both ways. If I can get the truck to it, it's going in whole.

When I do go elk hunting, I have a 5' ramp I made out of 2x8's that I bring along in case I'm able to get the truck close enough for a vehicle recovery.



From the time I pulled up to this cow, it took me not 5 mins to get the ramp out, hook a come-a-long up to her, and pull her up into the bed. Easiest elk recovery ever.

Have also pulled one up into a tree with the winch, tied it off, back the truck under it, and lowered it back down into the bed via the winch. The ramp and come-a-long was much easier.

This buck....different story. The boy and I were grunting, sweating, cursing and having a bit of hell getting that bruiser up into the truck. Coulda used the ramp that time! Heavy, big boddied sumbitch that one...

 

One of the reasons I wanted an access can, long bed and fits in my garage.

 

Holy shit! I don't think the extra foot was really going to matter there.

Depends on the bike honestly. One of the main reasons I went long bed was so I could get my bike to fit w/o resting on the tailgate. I even did the math to make sure of it. What I didn't account for was the front wheel chock.



One idea that came out of the bike forum was to support the weight of the rear wheel with a sheet of plywood. To keep it from sliding around, you could screw a dowel across it, then flip it over and let the dowel sit in the gap between the tailgate and the bed. Would work well for a case like mine where the wheel was just barely off the bed, I'm not sure how it'd do with the wheel squarely on the tailgate like a short bed would've been.

I've also carried a queen size mattress in the back that almost fit in the bed. I ended up strapping it to a sheet of plywood that was strapped on top of the bed (like a redneck tonneau). That's definitely one case where the LB didn't make a difference.

All that said, I've had more cases than not where the extra foot came in handy. Some were picking up 8' 2x4's that I could lay the diagonally across the bed so I could leave the tonneau down, an extra 8 rolls of sod, or a christmas tree that barely fit. I can't say it's been a lifesaver, but it's been nice to have.

 

For anyone that doesn’t know, the access cab long bed and double cab short bed have the exact same wheel base 127.4” and are exactly the same length 212.3”

https://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/2016+toyota+tacoma+product+specs.download

 

I haul 8' lumber in my short bed, once or twice a week. I just lay one end up on top of the closed gate and the other down in the bed and hook a bungee cord around it. It sticks out only 3' feet, which is under 4', so no flag needed. The short bed is a lot easier to park in the city, when needed. I have not regretted it.

 

If you plan on lifting it or doing any suspension mods then get the OR, SB ofcourse. The long bed in these trucks doesnt offer much of anything either way.