2011 Ford Ranger XL regular cab 4.0 v6 2wd 6ft vs 7ft?

[SlugStang8997]

Wondering if there are issues with lifting the long bed truck vs the short bed for off Roading? Are there more lift kits for 6ft or 7ft? Or if i do an exhaust will it cost more money on 7ft vs the 6ft?

What are the major differences between the 6ft vs 7ft? Besides the obvious foot?

Would there be any major issues with the 7ft vs the 6ft?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I think youre thinking to much.

The shortbed would do better on rocks and tight trails, long bed for climbing and mud....but i doubt youd notice a difference.

Being 2wd im guessing youre going after desert stuff...id look for a longbox.

But a short would be fine.

Lifts dont care if its 6 or 7 ft, both use the same suspension.

 

[SlugStang8997]

I am going to be looking into buying a ranger today just wanted to make sure there are no issues with the long bed vs the short

 

[2011Supercab]

I think 09 was the last year with the 7' bed.

 

[SlugStang8997]

I think 09 was the last year with the 7' bed.

thanks for your reply
Are you certain of that? The truck i was going to see today is suppost to be 7ft 2011 unless there lying or something. Its at a dealership

 

[racsan]

I see wrong ads all the time, biggest tell from a picture for a 6’ vs 7’ bed is the distance from front of the fuel door, a shortbed (6’) has very little distance between the front of bed to the fuel door, a longbed (7’) has about 9” of space. Sometimes its hard to see this in advertising photos. Heres a longbed (7’) :

 

[SlugStang8997]

I see wrong ads all the time, biggest tell from a picture for a 6’ vs 7’ bed is the distance from front of the fuel door, a shortbed (6’) has very little distance between the front of bed to the fuel door, a longbed (7’) has about 9” of space. Sometimes its hard to see this in advertising photos. Heres a longbed (7’) :

View attachment 114124

Thanks for your reply
I will measure it when i get there to see the truck. So if they stopped making them in 2009 then this truck has to be 6ft

 

[2011Supercab]

If it's this one here, it does have a 7" bed,

Guessing 7' beds were fleet only

2011 Ford Ranger XL for sale in Brea, CA - CARFAX

Make a more informed buying decision at CARFAX by first viewing vehicle history on this 2011 Ford Ranger XL.

www.carfax.com

 

[JoshT]

I haven't heard about them stopping the long beds, but I didn;t stay on top of all the options and news. IIRC they did stop the flareside beds at some point before end of production. I'd be surprised if they stopped the 7 foot before they stopped the regular cab, it seemed to be popular option for fleet trucks.

Obviously you have an additional foot of bed space, unfotunately that doesn't make much difference when you are only talking 7 foot. Still not long enough to hold a sheet of plywood with the tailgate up. Functionally the only place I would see a use for 7 foot over 6 foot would be if I were going to get a shell and camp in the bed, 6' isn't quite long enough for me.

Short wheelbase (regular cab 6' bed) is going to have a shorter turning radius, and sharper handling as a result. That said it's only about 6" difference in wheel base so not a hole lot of difference. As mentioned 6' will be slightly more manuverable in the woods, but only a foot difference overall. Longer wheelbase can be an advantage offroad in some situations.

From my experience in general, the longer wheelbase will be a more comfortable ride on the road.

If I were going for a regular cab truck, I liked the truck overall, and I didn't have a particular need for a certain bed length, I wouldn't let short bed vs long bed stop me from buying it. That said, I generally prefer the looks of a regular cab long bed, or a extended cab short bed for proportions, regardless of the make or model.

 

[sgtsandman]

Wondering if there are issues with lifting the long bed truck vs the short bed for off Roading? Are there more lift kits for 6ft or 7ft? Or if i do an exhaust will it cost more money on 7ft vs the 6ft?

What are the major differences between the 6ft vs 7ft? Besides the obvious foot?

Would there be any major issues with the 7ft vs the 6ft?

The shorter the vehicle, the more plcaes it can go as far as off road driving is concerned. A 7 foot bed isn't going to make a huge difference but there is a difference. The same goes with a regular cab vs a Supercab (extended cab). Since 7 foot bed Rangers only came with a regular cab, the areas it can get into will be about the same as a Supercab with a 6 foot bed.

Lift kits are normally based on the suspension type rather than what cab or bed size you have. So, there should be no difference there. Now, body lifts may be different. I never worked on a 7 foot bed Ranger. So, I don't know if they have more body mounts or not.

Otherwise, they are the same truck, the bed length is different. Getting bed related accessories for a 7 foot bed can be a chanllenge. Most Rangers have a 6 foot bed. So the market is geared toward that. Bed mats, bed caps, and other things directly related to the bed can be hard to find for the 7 foot bed. At this point, it probably going to just be the used market.

The longer wheel base of the 7 foot bed and Supercab Rangers will ride a bit more smoothly but the steering radius won't be as tight as a regular cab short bed.

So, what is more important to you? More interior storage space (Supercab), more bed space (7 foot bed), or as small of a vehicle as possible (regular cab short bed)?