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Old 12-02-2020, 01:15 PM   #1
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Tow vehicle bed size

What’s better a 6’4” bed or an 8’ bed and why?
I’m towing a Jayco 336FBOK.
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Old 12-02-2020, 01:31 PM   #2
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I've always had a short bed until I bought my F350 Dually. After having a 8' bed I'd never go back to a shorter one. No worry about my 5th wheel getting into the back window. No need for a slider. Lots of room for my generator and tool box in front of the hitch. In general, its the added space.
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Old 12-02-2020, 01:58 PM   #3
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8' foot. If my wife kicks me out of the trailer I have someplace to stretch out and sleep .
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Old 12-02-2020, 02:23 PM   #4
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We wish we had gotten the long bed. Only downside is parking spaces need to be 1.5' longer. But with a long bed you don't need to mess with sliding hitches, and you have more storage.
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Old 12-02-2020, 02:31 PM   #5
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My 01 f250 xcab long bed is only 3" longer than my old 99 f250 crew cab short bed. I do have to slide in under the tonneau further to reach what slides forward.
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Old 12-02-2020, 02:53 PM   #6
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I'm in So CA so the shortbed was a necessity for us. Wanted a dually and went with the RAM Mega Cab. We had to fit in our driveway and the extra length of the 8' bed made it impossible to not hang over the sidewalk. Also where we store our unit is very tight. I believe with the 8' bed it would be impossible to park the rig as my turning radius is just slightly less. They cram us in like sardines here. I use the Superglide hitch which makes the shortbed a no brainer as far as turning ability. Wish I had the extra fuel capacity you can get with the longbed truck.
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Old 12-02-2020, 05:24 PM   #7
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8' long bed trucks is all I will buy. Plenty of room for the hitch and other stuff in the bed. No special hitches. No hitting the cab. You can haul lumber. Longer wheel base rides better. Looks better. Crew cab short bed trucks look odd. Cab is longer lol like a car truck.


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Old 12-02-2020, 06:31 PM   #8
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I think if you do a search (search bar at the top of the page in gold) you will find a plethora of threads on the advantages of one bed size or the other.



You will get the entire book on why you should not have a short bed, or why a short bed or long bed is better, or which hitch you should have if you have one or the other, or why you should buy this brand hitch over another if you have one bed or another.



There are topics that come up weekly on here, and this is one of them. The others include, which tires should I buy, which oil should I use, which truck should I buy to pull this. Basically, there are revolving topics.
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Old 12-02-2020, 08:18 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CAG View Post
I think if you do a search (search bar at the top of the page in gold) you will find a plethora of threads on the advantages of one bed size or the other.



You will get the entire book on why you should not have a short bed, or why a short bed or long bed is better, or which hitch you should have if you have one or the other, or why you should buy this brand hitch over another if you have one bed or another.



There are topics that come up weekly on here, and this is one of them. The others include, which tires should I buy, which oil should I use, which truck should I buy to pull this. Basically, there are revolving topics.

While it does seem that these topics come up often on JOF, we welcome our members to ask questions and seek feedback from others to help them make informed decisions on their potential RV and Tow Vehicle purchases. It is in this process that we can all, new RV owners or seasoned veterans, learn from each other.
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Old 12-02-2020, 08:44 PM   #10
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My very short bed pick m up. Cargo capacity 2 adult's, 2 sleeping bags, one tent, and one cooler.
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Old 12-02-2020, 09:10 PM   #11
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That looks like some serious fun! Got a VW mill under that short box?
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Old 12-02-2020, 09:59 PM   #12
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For towing a 5th wheel, long bed all day long. Longer wheelbase tows much better, and no worries of crunching the trailer into the back of the cab. Yes, they are big, long, dont turn tight, dont fit into parking spaces, etc... that's because everything nowadays is designed for them little death traps like prius and smart cars.
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:03 AM   #13
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Old 12-03-2020, 09:20 AM   #14
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Had a short bed, then went to a long bed-both crew cabs. Might have to walk a little farther at stores but would never go back. No clearance issues and frequently enjoy the extra bed space.
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Old 12-03-2020, 09:29 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by Mopar_Earl View Post
8' long bed trucks is all I will buy. Plenty of room for the hitch and other stuff in the bed. No special hitches. No hitting the cab. You can haul lumber. Longer wheel base rides better. Looks better. Crew cab short bed trucks look odd. Cab is longer lol like a car truck.


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x2 on the long bed, I have a TT not a 5th wheel but for carrying stuff while camping and for me carrying kayaks a long bed is all I want!
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Old 12-03-2020, 09:45 AM   #16
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Short or Long bed

Quote:
Originally Posted by masterarcher View Post
What’s better a 6’4” bed or an 8’ bed and why?
I’m towing a Jayco 336FBOK.
My old 1/2 ton had a short bed and my 3/4 ton has a long bed, so I can appreciate the differences but each has pro's and con's.

Short bed: OK for Travel Trailers because they're bumper pull, Fits in a garage and easier to park.

Long bed: Great for 5th wheels because longer wheel base, provides more clearance between cab and nose and you can throw a lot of stuff in the back - like 4x8 plywood/2x4's/Motorcycle/furniture/etc. and still close the gate.

Now that I've got a long bed super duty, I'll probably never go back to a smaller truck/bed. FWIW, we use Andersen Ultimate Hitch and love it!
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Old 12-03-2020, 09:54 AM   #17
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I think my biggest advantage for the 8' bed is plenty of room for our 60 gallon auxiliary fuel tank. Can't imagine traveling without it now.
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Old 12-03-2020, 10:51 AM   #18
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x2 on a long bed..........much better ride with a fifth wheel.
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Old 12-04-2020, 04:04 AM   #19
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Long bed = longer wheelbase, long wheelbase = greater stability while towing.

My truck is long bed, 4 door, trailer is 30 feet plus the hitch, bumper pull, combined weight with all camping gear, kayaks, full freshwater and fuel tanks is 16,750, I have a WDH, but I don’t have sway bars, never once felt sway even in wind and trucks passing, I drive 65-70 mph and it’s solid!

I will always have an 8’ bed!
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Old 12-04-2020, 06:56 AM   #20
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I agree with all the reasons previously posted to own a long bed. My Super Duty PSD is an extended cab short bed = fits in my garage!
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