Do they make trucks big enough these days?

[VanLifeCrisis]

I was looking at the dealership near my work and thinking, every single pickup they had seemed to have the 6 foot bed in them. Did they stop making 8 foot beds now, and if so will a normal slide in fit a newer truck?

 

[Patrick46]

uhhhhh.....did you ASK anyone there???


of course they still make full size beds for trucks. Look at what all the contracctors drive. What brand was the lot you were at?? Couldn't have been the big 3. (Dodge, Ford, Chevy)

 

[Willy]

Yup, still lotsa 8' beds around, but not as popular. AFAIC, a person getting one with a 6' bed or, heaven forbid, a 4' one, might as well get a car. You have to watch it with the newer trucks and older campers, since the sides are higher and, so I've read, narrower too. ..Willy.

 

[psytechguy]

Check this out:

http://www.truckaddons.com/tonneau-bed-measurements-guide.html

 

[akrvbob]

The main reason that is happening is the crew cabs and super cabs have become so popular. An 8 foot bed behind a crew cab is a VERY long truck with a very wide turning radius! Most people are willing to give up some bed for the 4 door option. It's just a matter of priorities. My supercab F150 had a 7 foot bed and that seemed like a good compromise.
Bob

 

[GotSmart]

Is this big enough?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=652415448127569&set=gm.637545326314910&type=1

 

[highdesertranger]

yes a crew cab with a 8' bed is a long truck and they still make them. my truck has a 8'+ bed and my truck is 23' overall. yes this really hurts your turning radius add a trailer and you need a whole state to make a uturn. highdesertranger

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Nope, didn't talk to anyone just looking at the huge lot at the chevy dealer full of the littlins, i suppose you have to order one or maybe they keep them elsewhere. Just a troubling observation :d but i guess it was a false one.

 

[GotSmart]

Where I live, they have them sorted by size. One section is filled with the "work trucks" and another has the "pretend trucks."

 

[MattK]

There is a lot of commercial construction going on in my area and most of the laborers drive beat up Civics and ancient Toyota pick ups. the tradesmen (electricians, plumbers, HACV, and etc...) show up in full size cargo vans w/ ladder racks. The only guys I see in pick ups are the superintendents and there is never anything in them. The Pretend trucks ($35K-$55k) are in the office parking lots next door, shiny and new with perfectly matched bed covers so that not so much as a leaf could soil the beautiful unscathed bed of the office guy in his slacks/blazer and shiny dress loafers. I say real men drive vans but I might be a little bias

 

[LeeRevell]

I've always said, "If I could afford a Harley I'd have a nice truck!" ;-)
My hunting buddy has two PU trucks, his "Baby Truck" is the 2001 Tacoma, still smallish at that time. His big truck (aka "The Starship Enterprise") is a 2006 Ford F350 4X4 dual cab with 8' bed - it's LONG! Both are 'work trucks' and don't get babied - though he does take good care of them. When he rolled his baby truck in a ditch, he couldn't bear the thought of losing it, so paid $5,000 to have the damaged cab literally rebuilt. It looks like new. I kid that he'll be buried in Baby Truck.
We notice the one-time 'small' trucks are now getting larger. Soccermom and Softball Dad want ever more luxo-crap and cushier rides, so the trucks grew. And now, Ford and Dodge have dropped their small trucks, as they were cutting into full size truck sales. The newer Tacoma is a good deal bigger than Baby Truck. And people love the smaller Toys so much it is hard to find a good one for sale.

 

[akrvbob]

I'm pretty sure Toyota put something in the water to make us all love the Tacoma. Of course the fact that it is one of the best motor vehicles ever made may have something to do with it too!

They are getting bigger, does anyone know if it's just the sheet metal or are they actually bigger?

I'd love to live in one but they are just too small for me. Telcobilly live in his and loves it, but I need more space.

I take tow rating with a grain of salt and plan to cut them at least in half. I wouldn't tow my cargo trailer with the Taco no matter how much I love and admire it.
Bob

 

[sushidog]

I have an 08 F-250 Supercab with an 8+ft bed. I will use it to tow a 30ft+ TT when I get one to FT in and I thought the longer wheelbase would be a more stable towing platform for a long trailer. For now, I tow my little Aliner with it. I wanted plenty of room in the back for a couple little motorbikes too. I plan on building a tall, aerodynamic 1/4" plywood topper (coated with bed liner) to house these bikes and a few other goodies, such as a generator, spare fuel, camping chairs, ladder, fishing poles, etc. that will be difficult to carry in the TT. I plan on building it to flare out in the rear, with fold-out wind skirts extending in the rear to ease the airflow around the TT, improving fuel economy. I will fold these flaps in to make it more aerodynamic when unfettered too.

Chip

 

[masterplumber]

Thought I'd weigh in as I drive a big truck. I've also owned everything from an '86 Toyota, a full size Ford van, and some many different trucks in between I've almost lost count. My current truck is a '12 Ram 2500 4 door long bed with a diesel. It's a rarity as it has rubber floor covering and a 8 speed manual transmission. The only comfort items are a decent stereo and cloth seats. I have this large of a truck for very specific reasons. I need to haul about 2000 lbs of tools on a full time basis. I also regularly need to haul 3 to 4 people although that is tapering off somewhat. I also tow on average 6 - 12 times per month and the trailers weigh 3000 - 14,000 lbs. Some might say I could do all or most of that in a van and it would be significantly shorter and have a better turn radius. That would be true except one important consideration - I need 4 wheel drive and by the time you convert a van it would cost significantly more than what I paid for my truck. And yes I need a 4wd, especially in the winter. I live at 7500 feet in Colorado and regularly travel up to 10,000 plus feet. I'm the type of person who can't stand to stay home just because of the weather, so I put several thousand miles per year on in 4 high and a few hundred in low range. In short my truck is a work truck that gets used for work. Among truck owners these days I acknowledge that I'm probably more of an exception than the rule however.

 

[LeeRevell]

The older smaller Tacoma and the current Tacoma are different sizes! Another buddy just bought the new Tacoma, and having it sit next to Bob's Baby Truck, they look like different classes! Bob uses his little truck for Dog Hunting, which involves running through the forest roads and trails - the little truck makes it look easy while the bigger trucks struggle. The little 4X4 Tacoma scoots over the soft Florida sugar sand easily too, while the bigger trucks dig in.

 

[highdesertranger]

yea sushidog a longer wheel base tow vehicle handles towing better. especially once you start getting in the 20' plus and when you get above 25' it is almost a necessity imho. highdesertranger