Trade for a DCLB?

Yep, sounds like a 'you' problem.

Come on over for some columbian bam bam if you need it. It's great, I've completely given up coffee.

 

So there is always a danger of a bear attack when you are in their territory. As usual-this tragedy was avoidable if they did not have food in their tent. Changing vehicles due to this attack seems extreme to me. Been tenting for almost 40 years now in grizzly country. Clean camp and properly hung food is the key. Ovando is definitely a known grizzly area. I’m guessing you drive to your trailhead? You are at more risk doing that than from the bears.

 

Like I’ve said before on another thread on this topic “ Size Does Matter “

 

If camping is main reason for considering the long bed option, you might want to spend some more time future planning this. For some RTT’s work great, for others ground tents, and then you have your slide in campers. There are more companies like Scout and Kimbo producing light slide in campers for mid size trucks. If that is something of interest down the road, you may want to go long bed so it’s not sticking out the back. Otherwise, sticking with short bed seems to meet the needs of the other options unless you start carrying more gear.

 

A Lear may give a person more time to grab the spray or something compared to a tent though. But yeah a Lear might as well be a fancy chicken coop.

 

I had the same dilemma, but mine was due to already putting an order in for an Ovrlnd camper. I figured going from 5' to 6' isn't that big of a difference compared to going full size truck with a minimum 5.5 foot bed. This is because you're not only getting length, but also width in the truck bed.

I even played around with possibly getting a Nordweld tray flat bed as well for the taco, but at the end of the day I'll be trading this taco in for a 2022 6.5 foot crew max Tundra.

I know a full size might be a limiting factor for some people but to me that was worth the trade, vs going from a 5' to 6' taco with even less payload. It helps that the new tundra can be optioned with the off-road package on most trims, which includes the rear locker. Payload should be over 1500lbs as well, so I can stuff the Ovrlnd full of crap

 

Love my DCLB, but wish I'd gone SB. Was worried about more space, but that is mostly unutilized. The LB is a boat, small difference in length is definitely noticable.

 

It's really not that different than the short bed...at least for my needs, which includes more time in 4wd lo than the average bear. I got a long bed because I fill it with stuff, and settled with a mid size truck because the larger trucks can struggle going where I go.

 

With the long bed Tacoma I still find it a bit short at times, I am 5'8" and my sleeping pad is longer than the bed, no biggie but once I use a full size pillow my feet are pressed against the other end. When I spent 65 days living out of my F150 reg cab short bed the 6.5ft bed was actually comfortable. For a solo excursion with the short bed the platform and diagonal sleeping seems the best solution, a small backpacking sleeping pad with rounded ends makes a good fit from my test fit. I wanted a TRD off road so I went access cab to get the long bed and locker.