Another TV ?

[jimp]

Considering a FW, one of the smaller/lighter (??) HT models and looking at the F250/2500 trucks as the TV.

I prefer to park my vehicles inside the garage, so does anyone tow a FW with a 3/4 ton in the supercab/extend cab with short box configuration. I'm using the term supercab as that is what Ford calls them now which has the fold up/down jump seats with the suicide doors. A Full size crew cab (full 4 doors) and short bed won't fit in my garage so that's why I'm looking at the supercab models.

I'm not sure that a regular cab with 8' box would fit but a regular cab with short box probably would but want the extra space in the cab for daily driver duties and such.

Do the shorter configurations have less stability while towing than the long box versions??

[homer1959]

i would also take a look at the 3500/350 series they are not much more expensive and you will be done with truck shopping.

[TCNashville]

My F-250 crewcab/short box fits in my garage-barely. I have a mark on the garage floor that I line up with a point on the running board. I have 4'' to play with. If I get a little transmission roll after I put it in park, I have to re-position it. Sounds like a PITA but I haven't even replaced the windshield wipers yet in 5 years due to it being out of the sun a lot.

[RPreeb]

When we test drove the F-150 in my sig, we test drove it right into the garage. It fits with about a foot to spare lengthwise, and about 3 inches left and right without having to fold back the mirrors. I was thankful for the slightly oversize garage that fits the F-150 and our Edge, with a freezer and workbench in front of the Edge, and at least 6 feet between the two vehicles too.

The 2 car garage in our house in Denver would never have made it. Although that house was built in 1974, it would have been a tight fit for many of the cars of that era. I doubt that some of the big Caddys or Buicks would ever have fit.

[JFlightRisk]

We have a neighbor that tows a good size 5th with a '99 F250 diesel ext. cab short box. I never see him having any difficulty maneuvering it around his property. I do know he uses a goose neck ball in the bed, so no slider hitch. He has other trailers that use a goose neck ball set up, so his 5er got the same treatment. Maybe his set up moves the TT rearward a little???

[jimp]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Anyone else with 1st hand experience that has towed with a supercab/short box configuration and a long bed?

[repacs0103]

Originally Posted by jimp

Thanks for the replies so far.

Anyone else with 1st hand experience that has towed with a supercab/short box configuration and a long bed?

I have towed with just about every configuration and there is no measurable difference in terms of capability and stability between cab and box lengths. No matter what you get the same frame, axles, brakes, powertrain, etc. Theoretically the longer the wheelbase the more stable the tow vehicle, but we're not talking about big differences here.

I agree with the poster who recommended a 1-ton- not much price difference, and why not have the added capability for future. Also in regards to your first post, a regular cab short box is not available above a 1/2 ton from any manufacturer.

[bansai]

I run into this problem with every truck I've owned. My 250 with crew cab and 8 foot bed stuck about 3 feet out of my garage door. Very irritating, but it wasn't a showstopper.

My current F150 fits, but it's close. I attached a tennis ball to some fishing line and hung it off the ceiling at Exactly the right height and distance from the wall so the moment my windshield touches the ball, I'm less than an inch from the wall.

I doubt my next truck is going to fit, but I'm not too worried about it. Anyway, one other factor you *may* want to consider is with the 8 foot bed lengths, at least with the Ford's - they almost always put in a higher capacity fuel tank than what they can fit with the shorter beds.

Any truck with a longer wheel base is by default going to have better stability towing, it's just physics. On the flip side, your turning radius increases too, which I find to be a down-side. The differences in my opinion are so minor that I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor. I'd rather have a shorter bed, and more interior room inside the truck than a longer bed and a tiny cab. Having to fit a whole family in the truck makes cab size a much bigger factor for us. I say go for whatever you like that fits in your garage since that's a requirement. So, if you are curious, for the Fords, you can go here - 2017 Ford® Super Duty Truck | Models & Specs | Ford.com

Pick the truck you are considering, and click on the 'specifications' tab. The total length is given for each possible configuration. All you need to do is measure your garage

[jal0710]

We had an extended cab Chevy 3/4 ton with a long box that just fit in our garage, if I pulled it far enough so that the front bumper would rest against a set-up that I attached to the front wall. Couldn't leave the hitch in or the garage door wouldn't close. Bought a crew-cab GMC with a short bed and it fit in that same garage with about six inches to spare so it was a bit shorter than the extended cab. Maybe you ought to take a test drive with a crew cab and see if it would fit. Have had no problems towing with the short beds that I have owned after the long bed that we traded off.