Pickup bed lengths (and width)

[Chapap]

This is related to the Elantra/sonata thread I started. My ranger has a 4’ bed because I have a toolbox and a ladder rack (the rack scoots the toolbox back a couple inches so it can open). That is really not enough for the misc junk I’ve needed to haul. The bed isn’t even wide enough to accommodate a full size mattress. I had to strap it on top of the ladder rack. I have recently gained a garage so can probably ditch the toolbox.

Just for comparison to the sedans, I priced new F150s (adding cruise control, bed liner, center console, 2.7L turbo) and came out with:
Double cab, 6.5’ bed = $39.7
Double cab, 8’ bed = $39.8
Crew cab, 5.5’ bed = $42.5
Crew cab, 6.5’ bed = $42.0

The double cab 6.5’ and crew cab 5.5’ had the 2.7 as an option. 3.3 NA is standard and the upgrade was $1,200 and $2,000 respectively… some interesting pricing choices by Ford.

Anyway. How much more room is there with the added width of the half ton? The most popular truck they sell is the crew with 5.5’ bed. That seems too short to be practical… or does the width make up for it? How about bed length vs parking lot convenience?

Usually I’d look used, get the good deal, and make it work, but the market doesn’t seem to be making any type recovery.

 

[Curious Hound]

It all depends what you want to haul. Your Ranger should have either a 6ft or 7ft(less coomon) bed. I guess You're saying usable length is 4ft because of the toolbox.

On the fullsize trucks, you just need to measure the width and depth and calculate the volumes for comparison. Then decide if it fits your needs. I have a 97 F150. I think the stepside bed is somewhere around 6.5 or 7ft long. But I haven't measured it. It works well for me. If I need to haul more than that, I hook up a trailer.

As far as drive ability and maneuvering in parking lots, shorter is better. I had a 1990 F350 crew cab dually, 8ft bed years ago that was downright annoying at the grocery store.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So… here’s my thoughts… speaking as someone who did construction for a living for years. I started with an extended cab Ranger (6’ box). It was fine when I was working concrete construction as an employee and just doing some little side projects. As the side projects got bigger and more common, I hit a point where I could still do it with the Ranger, but it was difficult. Packing the bed became an exercise in Tetris. I wouldn’t want anything less than 6’ for all the stuff I get into. And as much as I like the look of the stepside beds, they are just too narrow for me, it’s bad enough that a sheet of plywood has to go over the wheel wells in the fleet side.

I can get my lawn tractors in the 6’ Ranger bed if I pull the mower deck and can close the tailgate. Not much extra room though. Usually I put them on the little trailer, but it’s nice to know it can fit in the truck. My F-150 with the 8‘ bed is way nicer even with the side boxes for hauling stuff. It’s nice to be able to slide a pile of plywood in flat and a bunch of 8’ 2x4 and just close the tailgate. Downside is that like the Ranger with plywood, 54” wide sheets of ply or drywall have to go over the wheel wells. Dump truck I have around 6’ wide and all flat, plus about 8’6” of length. So way nicer than even the F-150. But each step up in space and ease of use is a bigger hit to fuel economy and a little less maneuverable. I’ve also found cab space to be increasingly nice, and not just for passengers.

I kinda would like one of the new Rangers. The bed is a little wider and taller. But I’d want a crew cab and that’s only available with the 5’ box which is a few feet short of what I’d like and a foot shorter than what I consider bare minimum, so that just isn’t going to cut it. I’d have to leave the tailgate down for most things and if it was just a foot longer it would change that. A foot longer wouldn’t significantly change the footprint and handling either. I’d really kinda like a full size crew cab with an 8’ bed, but that becomes a little more complicated for parking and such. But it would be an ideal truck for me as long as I kept a Ranger around for when a smaller truck would be appropriate. But even with a full size, I think anything shorter than 6’ for a bed puts it in the “I bought a truck to just haul groceries and look cool because I have a truck” category. IMHO. Take it or leave it

 

[Roert42]

I find the added length and with is more useful then taller bed sides, unless I am just filling the bed up with loose stone or something. The 6' bed on the ranger is ok, but fills up fast. The 6.5' bed on my old F-150 was perfect size for day to day bs.

I plan on getting another full size truck, but I don't feel like there is enough of a benefit of a full size half ton over the ranger. For me, I am going to be looking for a 3/4 or 1 ton with a flat bed. Preferably 10' flat bed with a single cab.

At that point, It would be nice to convert the ranger to a utility body.

 

[superj]

I have the shortest bed length available on a full size truck, I believe. I have a crew cab Nissan Titan, not an XD.

With a tool box in the bed, I cannot put my bicycle in and close the tailgate.

I can carry wood and stuff with the tailgate down and bed extender in, or just tie it down.

I wish I had the 6 and a half foot bed versus the one I have. I wish it almost everytime I need to carry something.

But, the size of the truck makes parking suck. Really. I love the size of my ranger and of the previous 98 gmc Sonoma step side I had.

The full size is great for carrying people or traveling but not for actually doing work

 

[LearningStick]

The little car still does the heavy hauling with 800 pounds of people. I like pickups for mostly bikes and furniture.

 

[97RangerXLT]

With a tool box in the bed, I cannot put my bicycle in and close the tailgate.

with a 1 inch or 2 inch hitch receiver, you can put a bike rack on the back of your truck. I got one that holds 2 bikes at Harbor Freight for $42 bucks. if you want to hold more than 2 bikes, you will need to go elsewhere and pay about double that... but for the most part the 2 bike hitch from harbor freight has been awesome. it has a hinge on it so you can tilt it down and open hte tailgate as well, all you need to do is pull a cotter pin.

AJ

 

[superj]

i have a few racks that fit into the hitch, like that ones does. but i don't like my bike sitting out where a person on their phone can hit it because they are not paying attention. and i don't like the possibility of it falling off on the highway.

a buddy had his bike fall off a top mount on the highway because he thought he had set the wheel lock to 26" wheel but he accidentally put it on another wheel size. so he lost 2500 bucks driving to work that morning because it destroyed the bike. than he got a rear hitch mount and someone rear ended him and crushed his other 3k bike. insurance covered it but it doesn't replace it that day so he was without a bike for a few weeks.

and my bike is a 5500 dollar model that was only made for a limited time. the closest replacement is the model sold now days which is a 3500 and doesn't have all the ultegra and dura ace parts on it.

 

[Snoranger]

i have a few racks that fit into the hitch, like that ones does. but i don't like my bike sitting out where a person on their phone can hit it because they are not paying attention. and i don't like the possibility of it falling off on the highway.

a buddy had his bike fall off a top mount on the highway because he thought he had set the wheel lock to 26" wheel but he accidentally put it on another wheel size. so he lost 2500 bucks driving to work that morning because it destroyed the bike. than he got a rear hitch mount and someone rear ended him and crushed his other 3k bike. insurance covered it but it doesn't replace it that day so he was without a bike for a few weeks.

and my bike is a 5500 dollar model that was only made for a limited time. the closest replacement is the model sold now days which is a 3500 and doesn't have all the ultegra and dura ace parts on it.

I’ve got a 10 spd mountain bike from 1992... I ain’t scared.

 

[superj]

and these don't fit well on those racks anyways

 

[Snoranger]

View attachment 72741

and these don't fit well on those racks anyways

Did your bike not come with assembly instructions or did you just ignore them and wing it?? Because you definitely didn’t put it together right.

 

[superj]

i went for the comfortable ride approach. not the "going to have a sore butt after riding" approach

 

[sgtsandman]

View attachment 72741

and these don't fit well on those racks anyways

Just ratchet strap it to the roof.

 

[Blmpkn]

View attachment 72741

and these don't fit well on those racks anyways

I'm filing a motion for a ban unless you can provide video evidence of you taking that thing off a sweet jump.

 

[superj]

and that is the inexpensive touring bike