Does bed length matter?
 

Looking for newer F-250 or Chevy 2500 diesel tow vehicle that will be a everyday driver. I need 4 door super cab. I would like to go with the shorter bed. I know the longer the wheelbase the more stable to towing platform is but will the short bed work ok on a 10k boat. I like the looks of the short bed and would prefer the rear of the truck to only hang out 2 ft intead of 3 1/2 ft in the average parking lot.

Short bed is fine on those trucks towing that weight.

10K lbs. total towed load...
or
...just a 10K lbs. boat?
(10K lbs. boat is probably 13-14K lbs. on the trailer with fuel, gear, etc. etc.)
BIG difference!!

You will DEFINITELY notice a difference in towing this kind of load with different wheelbase trucks. Longer is definitely better, but look in the Fountain session and you will see a 47' being towed with the a short-bed/cc/SRW.

A Weight Distributing hitch potentially could be beneficial for your future setup, but it needs to be configured properly. There is no substitute for wheelbase though.

Personally, now having a Long-Bed after having a Short-Bed; I'll never own a Short-Bed for my primary tow vehicle again. When I gear up for a long weekend/road trip I usually have an extra tire or two in the bed, 2 tool boxes, coolers, luggage, maybe a mountain bike, five-gallon buckets for washing, etc. etc. I can pack my 8' bed extremely tight (assuming no cap, just a tonneau cover).

For a daily driver get the short box!!!!!!

I tow 8500 with my short bed Chevy Duramax crew cab. Stable as can be with tons of power.

I`ll agree with Longwayz, until you go from a short wheel base to a long wheel base you can`t really appreciate the difference.
My wife drives our long bed dually , she don`t find the extra length bothersome at all, as a matter of fact she loves my extra length:drink:

Knew you would go down that road good job, rock on Beavis

I drive a single cab long bed dually (short wheel base dually), goosenecks up to 20k (trailer and load) are heavy but within the limit of being safe. A 15k+ tag on the otherhand that starts to yank the truck around more than I like and often wish I hade some extra wheelbase

This one is for you Voododo ROB!
 

So what you`re saying is you wish you had some extra length??

I have had both and they both tow fine, my biggest reason for getting the long bed is on a ford it has a larger fuel tank

only when Im in a Fountain!

Or on my little boat! :lolhit:

I have to agree with Sydwayz- Go with a long box. I also used to drive 4-door short boxes. I also used to drive gas engines. I even used to drive 1/2 tons. I will never rely on ANY of these for a tow vehicle again.

I remember going from the '06 5.7 Chevy to a 6.0, nice difference when towing but still nothing compared to the Duramax. I will never go back.

1500 vs 2500- not even a question. I will never go back.

Finally short vs long box. You probably guessed it- I will never go back.

Like most people a prefer the look of the short box truck. But I have been driving long boxes for over 4 yrs now. Yes they have been not only my tow vehicles but also my daily drivers. OK I admit that pulling into a parking spot at the local grocery store or even Lowe's for that matter takes a little more consideration. Good news is that I never have any trouble finding my truck- it's the one sticking out half way across the isle! The occasional u-turn can also be a challenge.

Other than those two times the long box has been nothing but a plus. Besides being or more stable towing platform (that alone makes it worth it for me) you also get the larger fuel tank, a definite plus on any road trip. More cargo room. Even a little better ride.

You may also have to consider the length available in your garage for parking.

Finally I will give you a short story. I will never take towing any size load for granted. I had 4 friends towing a trailer. The tow vehicle was rated to tow the load, but not much more. Now add some rain and little downhill grade. Drive made a small mistake- just a little wiggle (we've all been there). Trailer pushes truck off the road. Two dead, two severely injured- as in airlift. Driver was one of the survivors- kind of. Left side crushed. Walks short distances with a cane. Left arm is about 30%. Injuries forced him to retire from his practice. Physical pain everyday, all day. But he will tell you the worst of it all is the fact that he feels responsible for the deaths of his wife and his best friend. His friends wife was the other survivor.

Now I can't say a bigger truck with more towing capacity would have saved them but it might have. I also know for sure it wouldn't have hurt.

Go with the long box I'm sure you'll never look back.

Wow thats quite a story NotKrazy! Damn

Long bed 4 door dually for my dd. I like the long box and don't mind just parking a few spaces further away when I go to lowes or the liquor store. I did have a hell of a time in a tight parking garage the other day but that was more because of the saddle bags that the bed length

Short-beds look better at stock height.

Long-beds look better with a couple inches of lift and some bigger wheels/tires.

I like the look of a long bed 4 door over the short bed myself. I think the short bed looks weird when you have 4 doors,

I also like the long bed becuase I do use the extra length hauling stuff and like to be able to close the tailgate.

As for parking, I always park out away from everyone anyway, no door dings and the walk is not going to kill me.

I have a shortbed. I have nothing against long beds. Easy to park, easy to drive. I personally don't generally have a need for the long bed. Rarely enough cargo or anything else. It's a 2007 4dr 4wd gasser. Everything I've asked it to tow has been great. Pulled a 30 scarab sport loaded to the gills from cabin all the way back gunwale high during a move. I know without a doubt it was overweight. Towed great. I'm not upgrading until I put something on it I feel uncomfortable with.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]511202[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]511203[/ATTACH)

Usually use the Long bed, but somebody told me " hey my Pontiac can do it"

short bed will be fine. When I had diesels they were extended cab long beds and I really cant compare towing to a short bed because I only have a short bed in my half ton. But I can tell you the 8ft bed was nice for putting stuff in, everything fit. Only problem is with long beds is parking, and they can look goofy,

I have a DD short bed crew cab Ford F250 6.7. I can relate to and understand the points of why some suggest the full length bed. However, for myself, I often have to navigate within the city and parking garages suck as they are. Wouldn't even want to take them on with a DRW full length bed.

That said, I've pulled up to 10k with mine and had no issues. Newer trucks have features and options that help mitigate or assist some of the older truck problems/concerns. Ie, anti sway.

I also agree that it's better to have too much truck than too little. At the same time, I will not be hauling a 5th wheel and the boats I'll own or be hauling likely will never exceed the capacity of my truck.

Set your budget and go from there. Buy what you can afford and always keep the safety of your family, yourself, and others at the top of that list.

Most admit that for towing the long bed is better so I would say don't let cosmetics over rule practicality.

Hey now!!!:)http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/v...3/DSC01255.jpg

Looks like a long bed! :D (Especially when you see the rear driveshaft!)

http://forum.chaparralboats.com/uplo..._494_50673.jpg
I think a new 32' Active Thunder would look good hooked up!!:)

Hey Monkeysea hows the boating over there on Wallenpaupack....is it performance boat friendly? I have been to the area but never on the Lake itself...

It's small and crowded on the weekends. The largest boat I've seen is a 30' Scarab Panther. They also have a speed limit of 45 on wknds and holidays, although I don't even obey that and my boat isn't fast by any stretch. That being said, it's a nice lake and we spend a lot of time on the hook, tied up with friends. The lake is only 13 miles long so that's one reason why I haven't stepped up to something bigger. When my kids grow up, I'll be able to travel to bigger water. For now, I am on stuck a small lake pulling tubes and wakeboards. But I'm on the water!:) There is a group of performance guys who tie up together every weekend. Fountain, couple Checkmates & Bajas, an old Powerquest.... All 25-28' Tough to go fast other than during the week because of all the knuckleheads in pontoons!

I plow snow so i went with the short bed. and it tows 10k+ just fine[ATTACH=CONFIG]511255[/ATTACH]

i just need a longer driveway before i upgrade boats.

Does bed length matter?
 

Absolutely......

http://th09.deviantart.net/fs71/200H...bj-d6ngr9d.png

I don't find the extra 18" of a long bed that challenging 99.5% of the time.
Tight parking garages in urban and snow condo settings are the exception. Parking there is not difficult, just somewhat limited on the spaces that are not a shoe horn to get into.
I think more people have trouble with the turning radius coming from an SUV or 1500 to an HD than once they are in an HD.
SUV Yukon turning radius is 39';
1500 CC, SB is 47'
HD CC, SB is 51' Notice even though they are both CC, SB, the HD is 4' greater.
HD CC, LB is 55'

Learn to use your side mirrors and know when its easier to back in than pull in.
You are going to have to make a 3 pt turn on either entry or exit, might as well practice what the professionals know, its safer to back in while parking and you are fully aware of your surroundings than back out into the unknown.
Finally in tight parking lots or sporting events; a CC, LB will get cut some slack for taking up two spots since you are the biggest thing out there or they wont say anything when you ask to break from the lemming line for an end spot.

As stated, Either will tow that load.
AquaForce hit it though, are you for Tow or Show?
Long box is smoother, more controlled, with greater bed capacity.
I could not imagine trading my Truck bed in for an oversized trunk when it is time to load up.