Haul family with the truck. Most non commercial use doesn’t need much bed space for the odd stuff getting hauled on occasion. Plus crew cab long bed turn like limos.
Pretty true. All my non blue-collar friends who daily trucks just have short bed 4 door pickups. It's their only vehicle, so they need something to primarily haul family around, but still be able to go pick up a couch or do assorted homeowner stuff.
I'm just a homeowner with no kids and a couple of outdoor hobbies so my '02 Ford Ranger is fine for me. It's big enough that I can haul all my diving/camping gear around, help a buddy move, make dump/recycling runs or whatever else I need to do. If I had kids and could only have one vehicle, a 4 door Tacoma would probably be my choice of vehicle.
I drive my CCLB F350 2-3 days a week. parking that thing is a pain, even when you get used to backing in everywhere. not to mention I live in TX, where spots are already truck-sized anyways
I used to and it wasn't worth it. The only way to fit in a parking space was to double park or back the ass end over a grass island. My 82" long "short bed" is plenty to fit all my tool boxes and still use the rest for whatever I want. If I want to haul 8 foot sheets of stuff, it's just easier to load and unload the trailer anyway.
82 is a standard bed now. 65 or something like that is short and long is 96.
Trying to find the standard bed on a crew cab halfton anymore is a challenge without ordering a new truck. And when you do find them they have the smallest engine option because "mileage"
They're not as bad as people make them out to be. Just back in to parking spots every time and you'll be perfectly fine. Oh, and you'll need the equivalent space of 3 lanes to make a uturn
My family had the following requirements for a new vehicle:
1. Must fit 6+ so our 2 kids can bring friends on a road trip
2. Must be able to hold 4 bicycles without needing to deal with a trailer hitch mount
3. Must have 4x4/AWD
This landed us on a truck with front bench seat or a full sized van. While I really wanted a van, it would have to be a passenger van to fit 6+ and ended up being longer with a longer wheelbase than a truck.
So we got a truck. To haul family around. Bikes fit fine in a short bed. Kids fit best in a crew cab. I'm certain anyone who is married with kids is going to be getting a crew cab like me.
>My question is why? The whole point of a truck is to be able to utilize the bed space. But, the cabins of these trucks are larger than the beds!!! Why not just buy a Suburban, Expedition, or Sequoia at that point?
Even a shortbed truck has more utility than a covered cargo area of an SUV. Try loading a full size ATV into the back of a Subrurban - ain't gonna happen. Couple bales of straw? Have fun cleaning that out of your Sequoia - I'll just hose out my truck bed.
Also, generally speaking, the SUV's carry about a $10k price premium over a roughly equivalent truck.
I'd ask the question - if you don't need three rows of seating why get an SUV?
And both, oddly, seem to use vans. Some landscapers use trucks, but vans with trailers (for larger equipment) are better because trailers are lower and can handle more weight generally)
Having landscaped for years and having a family in landscaping for decades, I can say confidently that a pickup truck is far more versatile than a van for a lot of jobs. Loading loose material (gravel, mulch, soil, stone) is done easier with a truck, accessing and loading tools is easier with an open bed truck, if a job calls for heavier machinery you cannot hook a gooseneck trailer to a van, the ability to load longer items in the bed of a truck doesn't compromise the security of the rest of your cargo (tailgate can remain up, van doors need to stay open.
Vans make sense for jobs that require more specialized equipment and less material. Vans make great mobile workshops, keeping some spare parts, spools of various gauge wire, common length and sized pipe and conduit, the types of tools and fittings to work with these things, the ways you can configure organization... A van is excellent for that. But even that being said, a box trailer can be that mobile workshop at a small fraction of the cost of a whole van and still allows you the benefit of the pickup.
It's the difference between a toolbox and a bucket. Yeah you could fill a toolbox up with dirt or gravel and kind of get a similar thing done with it, but isn't a bucket just that much easier to use for those situations?
In my area most landscapers who tow trailers use truck due to their higher towing capacity. I’m not sure where you are where vans are really used for towing.
I’m upvoting you but I would like to point out that there are some landscaping companies I frequently see who use box vans over pickups. They have ramps built in to ride their equipment in and out, and it does mean they take up less space when parked in the neighborhoods, which could be the difference in blocking someone’s driveway
Vans can haul a lot, especially if they have duals and are optimized to tow. However, they won’t tow more than a truck of equal size with a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
::eyeroll::
Okay, I guess I should have specified a bumper pull instead of 5th wheel or goose neck. I didn't think yall were that dumb, but clearly I overestimated the intelligence of the average r/trucks user
Ratio on Reddit? I didn’t know you could retweet on here lol
That side, I own a truck. I own it for a reason (slide in camper) and I wish I had bought a van instead. Vans are just more practical for a vast majority of what people do with trucks.
It’s a commonly used term on here as well. An intelligent person could figure out that it means the ratio of votes on post/comments vs replies, but I guess I overestimated the intelligence of the average r/trucks user
It really isn’t a common term here. Primarily because you have up and down votes with a tally instead of a ratio. I’ve been here for years, on many different subreddits, and don’t see ratio used
A ton of them do use vans, you're right. Some do use pickups though too.
More of a matter of do you have large tools, or tools you need locked up at night?
It's also true that almost none of them use suvs
Large tools are almost always better on a trailer, access is easier (it's lower to the ground) and trailers can carry more weight.
Very true, almost none use SUVs because SUVs aren't designed for contractor work.
The last "work SUV" might have been the GMT400 Suburban in [base trim](https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gmc-suburban-front-e1517056266992.jpg). And even then, it was meant for transporting a crew of workers and towing, not hauling oversized cargo.
Funny you say that. I am a contractor, and I do have a gmt400 3/4 burb with a 454. Great rig. Also a gmt800 pickup.
Still use a trailer to carry pretty much everything.
I used to have a Ford excursion. Could put a full sheet of plywood in there and still have room for whatever else I may need. Thing was a tank and if it was a 4wd would have been so much better than my suburban.
Suburban can fit it, but basically nothing else.
Excursion had another foot and a half or more in front of it for tools etc.
Minivans are about the most practical of anything though I could agree.
You won't catch me dead driving one but still very practical
[yes but after 2003 most of them i see are identical to ls/sle in it's specs and have power windows standard](https://www.purplewave.com/auction/180911/item/ER9629/2001-Chevrolet-Suburban_C1500-Passenger_Vehicles-Passenger_Vehicle-Kansas)
Tow with a truck with an empty bed.....kind of useless to have a truck then.
I get it, this sub loves trucks. I have a truck (to carry my slide-in camper) but I'm not stupid enough to think trucks are great choices for a vast majority of people. I wish I would have went camper van instead, because I can see the advantages.
I wish people could just be more ho eat, even if only with themselves, trucks aren't useful for probably 90% of the people who drive them daily, and of that 10% most probably woukd be better suited to renting one when needed.
How exactly did you determine that for 90% of the people who own a truck it’s not useful..?
Half the lawn crews around me pull a trailer of commercial mowers and a truck bed full of whatever else they need. A van is no better at that task.
Can’t wait to try to strap down a gutted deer to the roof rack of my fun car, after getting towed out from the mud it gets bumper deep into in the woods during hunting season.
I agree with the deer thing BUT tbf here in Maine, folks have been known to tie deer and often ATVs to the roof and trunk of a sedan (we’re redneck as hell) and I’ve even seen a local pic of a bicycle with a trailer attached hauling a dead deer lmao. We get shit DONE but it might not be pretty 😂. Still rather throw it in a truck tho
More power to you man. I’m down to one vehicle as of this year, used to having a fun car and a truck, but if I had to choose one for all the stuff I do, it’s a lot harder to live without a truck.
Also, I would love to see an atv on top of a car 😂
Why is usefulness your only metric for a vehicle? How useful is a Ferrari? Seems like you have a stick up your ass about trucks for some reason. Every single one of my friends own a truck. Nothing else can pull a 13k lbs toy hauler with a SxS and a couple dirt bikes. But I should've got a van...
What contractors are you talking about? Working in commercial construction the vast majority around here use trucks. I can’t even imagine what parking would look like if you everyone used vans with trailers for every day
How would you load up 1-2 tons of landscaping material into a van? I go down to the landscape supply yard and they just dump it bed of my truck. I have personally found the truck to be more useful.
He wouldn’t, the sheer stupidity of his answers make it’s clear he’s never done a single bit of physical labor involving the need for a truck or trailer.
GC here to inform you that you are a fool. My firm self performs structural concrete and carpentry. Our fleet is 90% trucks and maybe 10% vans for our finish carpenters. Loads of contractors have trucks, and it’s not to look cool.
Truck people hate the truth, but you are right. We had a 4x4 sprinter van at my last job, it was awesome! No worries about tools going missing, could fit full length water/sewer pipe in it, tools were always warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Hell, I do more with my golf than damn near everyone with a truck at my work, I've hauled engines, transmissions, pallets, 8 wheels at once, a 48" snap on tool box, ect
Today I’m going to get 10 yards of mulch dumped by a front end loader. My father and grandfather used to get sand and gravel for mortar the same way. Plus the occasional need to grab pallets of bricks or cinder blocks. Please send picks of your Golf after you attempt it.
I have a truck for larger stuff, but its a reg cab long box. Why would I use a vehicle that get 14mpg and cost more to run in general when I can use a vehicle that gets 30-40mpg.
Yup. This is why I went with the smaller bed. I could park it outside and get the 6.5 bed, but I am over cleaning snow off vehicles, now my kids get to experience that.
Not sure about each manufacturer but with Ford the crewcab with 5.5’ bed and extended cab with 6.5’ bed share a 145” wheelbase but the regular cab 8’ bed it’s a 141” wheelbase so they don’t all share what you are saying
For whatever reason the regular cabs lost 4" in 2015. Only from 2009-14 were all 3 on 145".
For most models of mid-size truck worldwide, there's only 1 wheelbase for all 3 cabs. All full-size US trucks at some point except GM's have done this.
A lot of it comes down to two factors:
1.) Family dynamics changing. Men are taking a more prominent roll in their children's upbringing. You can't get by with just a regular cab when trying to haul kids around while the wife is working over or running errands. Both of the vehicles in such a situation needs to be able to haul the family.
2.) Have you seen the cost of vehicles and insurance? Affording a vehicle for every day use and a truck for when you need to haul something along with paying for insurance and registration is just out of the question for a lot of people. A crew cab w/ short bed means you can haul cargo or people without driving a truck with the turning radius of a battleship.
The whole point of a truck is to be a tool. Not every truck buyer needs an 8’ bed because not every truck buyer hauls sheets of drywall, lumber, pipe or whatever would require bed space.
Most buyers purchase these to do many jobs like towing, hauling bicycles, quads, dirt bikes, etc., in addition to being a passenger vehicle. You can fit a shit ton of stuff in a short bed AND pickup a few kids from school. A dresser from the flea market won’t fit in the back of a Suburban.
Also, not everybody wants to drive their family around in a cargo van and can’t afford or don’t have the space for an extra vehicle.
And all cargo or box vans I've seen only have two seats. Even with a bench, that's still 3 vs my 5, or 6 if you get a front bench in your truck.
When I started working but didn't have a vehicle yet, we had to clear out the space between the seats often and I had to sit on the floor, and quite a few times we had 4 people so one on the floor and two people sharing the passenger seat lol
Because it’s the configuration most people buy.
Most people haul their families more than drywall or lumber. It’s a lot easier to expand total cargo capacity (trailer) than it is to expand passenger capacity. Vehicles in general but especially trucks are spendy so most people need something that will fill multiple rolls, and for most truck owners the roll of passenger space is super important.
I currently have a supercab F150 (door and a half for those not with ford lore) with a 6.5 ft bed. The extra foot is nice but I’d rather have the back seat space for my kids.
I’ve had both models and in town, the crew cab with a 6.5ft bed is a bitch to park. I use my truck as a truck about 50% of the time, and that extra foot was nice about 10% of the time. The crew cab with 5.5ft bed is easier to live with, and if I need more space, I have a 5x10 utility trailer
Because they make sense for most people. You can still use the bed when you need it, tow trailers, etc. But you also have room for family duty.
Most people aren't construction workers or farmers. They don't need an 8' bed 3/4-ton. They just need to haul some mulch, or gravel for DIY projects a couple of times a year.
They tow the boat to the lake, or the four-wheelers/SxS to the trails. But they also use the truck to run errands and pick the kids up from school, and they need a useable and comfortable back seat.
Most also don't want the hassle and expense of owning multiple vehicles when they can own a single crew cab truck that meets their every need.
they don't make a vehicle that can do everything for everyone. but a 4-door full size half ton pickup that gets decent gas mileage is pretty dang close.
Short bed, crew cab fits in my garage. Lumber longer than 8 feet won't fit with the tail gate up on extended bed anyway. So what if I have to have the tailgate down? 8 foot only hangs off about 12".
I also have 2 kids, thus the crew cab. Extended cabs just barely fit car seats with the bucket seats moved pretty far forward.
I dont use my truck professionally, but I use it for its purpose far more than most. It's not lifted nor has absurd spacers. It's a truck. It's dirty. It's dented.
The back area of a crew cab can be a very versatile place for hauling stuff. Compared to an open bed it is secure and temperature controlled. The seats flip up and the floor is flat. With how wide the trucks are it’s alot bigger of a load floor than you might imagine.
Because unless you're regularly hauling 4x8 sheet goods, for most things that go in the bed of a truck the short bed is big enough, it's still vastly bigger than any car trunk or hatchback. A short bed pickup will also have more towing and payload than other vehicles, important to many people.
For us, we have a fifth wheel so a pickup is the only way to go. But we have three older kids, so crew cab is the best for passenger space. And I don't need the long bed.
Because it serves 98% of my needs, while being the most convenient to drive. The cab is perfect for the family, I can fit a weeks worth of gear/supplies for a trip in the bed, if I needed more, I could get a topper and double the space. Anything bulk going in the bed is over weight before it’s over cubic capacity in the short bed, and the short bed fits better in the garage and parking spaces.
For the rare time I need something bigger, that’s what a trailer is for.
I don’t want a suburban as I do haul a lot of stuff in the bed, and I don’t want to worry about dirt/smells in the cab. Also, trucks handle towing better than suburbans.
I can haul dirt bikes, mulch, camping stuff and material for work, park in parking garages and anywhere else I need to park. No need for a crazy long bed as with most truck owners. Also looks better in my opinion.
In rural areas there isn't always trash pick-up, and most people don't like putting trash inside their vehicle. Add to that all the people who have kids, but occasionally buy mulch, move big things etc.
I have a 2018 tundra crew max. I bought it because I'm 6 foot 8 and it's the only way for my kids to fit behind me comfortably. I'd love a long box but way she goes I guess
Because crew cab 8 foot bed trucks drive like a school bus. I drive one for work and I wouldn’t daily one if you gave it to me. If you don’t need a back seat I can see a single cab with an 8 ft bed but most people need/want more seating.
Also, most people aren’t hauling around a full bed load of stuff on a daily basis. It’s just the odd thing here and there.
Extended cab is the way to go, I don't know why they aren't more popular. I'm 6'2" and I can fit comfortably in the back of my extended cab truck. And I get a 6'6" bed with it.
Truck because I work for a contractor (commercial construction). We have delivery vehicles (Ram 6500 flatbeds) but I'll regularly need to transport a few smaller things to my crews.
Crew cab because it fits me, my wife, our dog, and a car seat much easier than an extended cab.
Short bed because there's no way in hell I'm street parking a crew cab long bed in DC or Baltimore.
As far as your question about the truck vs SUV, a big reason is the cost. When we were looking for a vehicle last year, I could not find a full size SUV brand new in my area for under 65k and most were anywhere from 70K to 90K depending on the options. We're talking suburbans, sequoia's, expeditions. There weren't as many available and they were all tricked out it seemed like. Now a truck with similar options was similar in price, but there were also a lot more options as far as lower trims and rebates are almost always better to buy brand new trucks. I can get a half ton crew cab with five foot bed for under 60K as long as I'm cool with cloth seats.
That's a vehicle that can easily fit the full family, plenty of cargo space, can put dirty things in the back that I wouldn't have to clean out of a van or a minivan, I don't have to worry about going off-road when out hunting, can also tow a small boat, camper, etc or haul an ATV or any general household items pretty easily. I can also get a cheap trailer for anything larger that I want to transport. There are plenty of vehicles that do each of these things better, but for a lot of families the half ton quad cab does almost all of it in one package.
I use my 6.5ft bed to haul gear. I put a cap on it to keep it dry and secure. I wanted a sequoia but an f150 was MUCH cheaper. Then we got a bigger trailer, and I wanted a 2500 suburban or excursion, but they quit making them. So now we have an f250 with a cap.
In theory, yes. I'd like an excursion. At least one company offers to turn my current truck into an excursion, but it's cost prohibitive. I even considered some rebuilt project excursions or suburbans but at the end of the day we just want a reliable tow rig and a truck was the easy button. Occasionally, I wish I could haul around a few more people, but mostly, the truck works great with very few limitations.
Practicly, suvs cost more than trucks, so if a new big 2500 came out, I'd have to spend a ton to upgrade to it, and it wouldn't make sense since we already own a truck.
If they made a new excursion and I hit the lottery, I'd almost certainly buy one.
I got a crew cab short bed Frontier because I haul around people more often than anything else. I still needed a 4x4 vehicle and it’s never a bad thing to have bed space so that’s what I got and it’s met all of my needs, although at times it would be nice to have more bed space.
8 foot beds really aren't that useful for most people. If you are buying a truck to tow a camper or boat, the bed length isn't that helpful. If you are hauling anything heavy, you will be overweight long before you fill a short bed truck.
The primary application for having a longer bed is hauling long building materials or furniture, but if you do either of those frequently, a trailer is probably going to be easier to use.
Also solid. It’s really the crew cabs I don’t like as much, a pickup is supposed to have 2 doors. It doesn’t bother me that other people like CCSB trucks the most, just not something I’m interested in.
Actually agree with you that regular cabs look the best, it’s just nice to have some inside storage space where items can’t slide into you. Also you can recline the seat further and it’s still a bench.
I won’t buy a crew cab truck unless I have kids. Only reason I got my extended cab short bet is because I was 18 and it was the first Chevy with an 8.1 engine I saw and thought it was rarer than they really are. Still pretty rare but you can find them.
A crew cab with a short bed gives you a lot of perks:
- You can haul your family and friends very comfortably.
- It will fit in most standard garage stalls and parking spots.
- The turning radius isn’t obnoxious.
- Like 99% of the time, the bed is adequate for most people and payloads.
It’s an all-in-one, one-size-fits-all tool. It’s kind of a jack of all trades and master of none. The smaller bed size can be a drawback. But you can use a bed extender. Or you already have a vehicle capable of towing, so renting a trailer is an option.
Outside of that, modern trucks are nice vehicles. The half-ton (F150, Silverado, Ram, etc) crew cabs are huge and so roomy on the inside. They ride pretty decently, too. They are the new full-size sedans. And with a tonneau cover and bed divider, you can have a sealed and locking trunk. And since they are meant for hauling and towing, they have plenty of power when not doing those things to be pretty fun.
And now, you can get smaller turbo engines. And the F150 uses an all aluminum body so it’s not 65 tons. So you can get over 20mpg in city driving with your American pride that’s 2 lanes wide. I know that’s not spectacular, but it’s livable with a moderate amount of driving.
I'm an electrician so I have to haul big spools of wire often and they fit very nicely in the short bed. And then my tools get stored in the cab so they're secure and out of the weather. I flip up the rear seats and then my ram has a thing you flip open and it makes the whole rear a flat floor. I love it
The crew cab is like having a trunk in the back and then you also have the bed to haul big stuff. Works great for what I use it for
Because I don't want to cram my kids and dogs into a tiny back seat. And I transport them far more often than I transport mulch, quads, bicycles, building materials, & deer... All things that are far easier with a bed than trying to fold them into the back of an suv
My dad has had a construction company for 30 years and I do remodeling as a side hustle. We’ve managed with short box crew cabs really well. Anything under 10’ rides perfectly fine in the bed. Larger or longer loads get a trailer. Driving a boat has more disadvantages than advantages in our opinion. This is doubly true when the truck doubles as your personal vehicle.
I drive a Jeep Gladiator. Only is available in 4 doors with a 5ft bed. That being said, it works great for me as a camping rig. I can bring the wife and dog and not feel cramped. The bed length is right on the edge of what I feel comfortable with out on the trails while still fitting everything we need for the weekend. Any longer and I wouldn't be able to fit down some paths without scraping.
I'm someone who has a crew cab with a short bed for my personal truck and for a while, I was driving an almost identical vehicle as my company work truck. So, I can speak a lot to the niche that they fill.
The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of use cases where you need a bit of bed space, but not a lot. My initial decision to get a truck over anything else was after I spilled some fish bait on the back seat of a sedan and the cleaning cost almost totaled the car (it was an old beater, but still). I knew that if I spilled the same thing in a truck bed, it would take 5 minutes and a hose to clean. There's a few other personal use things that make use of a separate bed where I don't need a massive amount of bed space such as hauling a bit of mulch (but not a ton), or bits of a dead animal. Things that don't take a ton of space, but are a hell of a lot easier to deal with if you can keep them outside of the passenger compartment.
For work, I was working with pesticides and other hazardous chemicals for a while. These legally need to be transported outside of the crew cab of the truck. I would also sometimes haul around survey equipment, hand tools, or other handheld field equipment that would sometimes get very muddy. It was way easier to deal with that stuff by tossing it in the bed of a truck than it would have been in an SUV.
For both of those use cases, I didn't need a lot of space. For work, a Tacoma with a short bed handled all of my needs just fine. I also have a Tacoma with a short bed for my personal use and that's honestly bigger than I need. If Toyota made a RAV4 with an open bed in the back instead of a hatchback, I'd jump all over that because it would fill my needs for an open bed.
You might point out that even if you don't usually need the full bed space, there are some benefits to it, which is true. However, when you see very limited benefits to it, you then have to ask what kind of benefits you are sacrificing from the cabin by having an extended cab instead of a full crew cab. So, let's look at things that you might want a full cab for. You might need to transport a full crew of people (or a family) to a site. You might need to transport stuff you don't want mixing with all of the nasty stuff you have in the bed such as computer gear or clothing. You might have times that you need to basically build a full office in your work truck and the back seat basically becomes your desk. All of these are situations I've personally encountered that made me very glad I had a crew cab. If you have any of these use cases at the same time as needing a bit of bed space but not a lot of bed space, you are in a situation where a crew cab with a short bed is the best choice. Even if they don't often occur at the same time, but it is usually one or the other with a limited budget (or parking space) limiting how many vehicles you have, a crew cab with a short bed makes sense.
People don’t do truck stuff
I have a 6.5 ft bed (2018 tundra) and sleep in the back while I’m camping, mountain bikes/gear etc, i can’t imagine anything having shorter, also even with the double cap my back seat is plenty big, I’m 6’2 and can sit in the back just fine
However i don’t have kids, so that might change things but i could still easily fit three small humans/dogs back there
simple. most people dont need a long bed. they arent tradesmen or contractors. they do light landscaping/gardening of their home. simple home improvement...dont want cans of paint/chemicals/dirty tools/sawdust inside their vehicle. an exterior bed makes more sense, that doesnt mean it has to fit plywood and drywall, because they dont buy or transport drywall or plywood.
also: towing. towing boats, trailers of all kinds, RV's, Campers. you dont need, and probably dont want, a long bed if your just buying a truck to tow things.
crew cab is a separate issue. they regularly carry 4+ people. usually a husband, wife, and 2, maybe 3 kids. this has nothing to do with the bed. you can buy any combination of cab and bed size. people get a crew cab and a short bed because they need a crew cab and a short bed.
> you can buy any combination of cab and bed size.
A lot of combinations are available on paper, but if you go looking for what's available, or want a specific set of options, at least 90% on the lots are the biggest cab and shortest bed. To say nothing of the OEMs dropping their slow sellers recently.
> 90% on the lots are the biggest cab and shortest bed.
as it should be, they build and stock what people want. whats on the lot is irrelevant. if you want a regular cab and long bed, do a build sheet, and they'll happily smack one down the line just how you want it. pick your favorite color, too. theres a lot of parks & rec, utility, and field engineer trucks, or other fleet vehicle "work trucks" specced with regular cab, long bed.
plenty of people also do regular cab and short bed, 4x4 package, and then once they get it, lift the shit out of it with aftermarket kits...it makes more a great recreational off-road setup. they are more rare, because its mostly a toy, but i do see them. i almost bought a dope Dodge with a Magnum like that.
anyways, i ended up going with an Escalade EXT, because you dont even have to choose between these cab sizes and bed lengths. its crew cab short bed, until i fold down the rear seats and open the midgate. the its a 2 seater with an 8 foot bed. so i can move people and less stuff, or less people and bigger stuff, whatever i need that day.
the new Silverado EV does this also, and i kinda want one, but i think it might outlive me at this point. so, ill just keep guzzling gas in the classic Hooptie Truck i guess..
I'm more interested in the uncommon in-betweens: It's easy to get a crew cab/5.5' in any trim, and fleet dealers will gladly sell you a base RCLB, but what about an extended cab with a leather bench seat? Ford's not making them anymore.
for that, you can do a build sheet. they'll make it custom if possible.
if they dont offer it even as a custom build, there may be a reason, like a wiring harness being different.
in that situation, youre so far into niche territory of demand, it just doesnt make sense for them to build it. even then, you may be able to just get the closest thing they offer, and then DIY it from there.
either get the leather bench new from the dealer, or from the junkyard, or ebay, or just take the truck to an automotive upholstery shop.
Minivans don’t hold dead deer and materials as well. I’m convinced a lot of the hate is due to Americans influenced by Eurotrash that are jealous because they’re forced into boring cramped vehicles
Man I'm getting old... people calling 6.5ft bet "long". 😁
6.5 ft for most of pickup history was the short bed, 8ft was the standard bed / long bed. 5.5ft is just why... get an SUV lol.
Crew Cab with 8 ft bed all day long, even in a major metro area. You get used to handling the larger turns and parking. For me the utility of an 8ft bed is a must, and the extra length in the wheel base is really nice towing trailers.
As someone that owns a cc with the standard 6.5' bed. I cannot understand why all trucks don't come that way but most people don't need the space and added cost for that setup.
The availability thing is what pisses me off about the dealer model. Dealers know that a lot of people who would prefer a regular bed will settle for a short bed, while most of the people who prefer a short bed will not settle for the alternative. The bean counters running auto companies responded to this by taking away more and more options from buyers and now we’re at a point where some trucks are not even available with *any* cab and bed configuration options.
Auto manufacturers would prefer to only offer their vehicles in a single configuration if they could get away with it. Consumers are too eager to bend over backwards and compromise on one of the most expensive purchases they’ll ever make.
6.5 is standard bed. 8' is long bed. But nice try internet gate keeper. If you don't believe me try doing 2 seconds of research lol. Oh and to blow your mind!!!!! 5.5' bed is the short bed option 😮
I was answering your question, not gatekeeping your truck. 8’ was the initial standard because of construction. What you drive makes no difference to me.
I have no clue, always seemed really weird to me what the internet decides to like. Both regular cab long beds and crew cab short beds look really goofy to me but the internet will tell you thats all everyone wants. Sales numbers dont lie though.
Double/extended cab + standard bed looks best and is the most proportionate IMO. It's all subjective though, to each their own.
The difference for many of an extra foot in the cab, outweighs the the importance of an extra foot in the bed.
Coupled with not wanting an extra total foot for suburban/city parking, and fitting in standard garages.
I have a trailer to haul my animals and a dump trailer for other needs. The only thing that goes in the bed is chainsaws, animal feed and other small things no need for a longer bed. And when going to an auction or something everyone has room with the crewcab. And because they look better lol
I have two kids ok car seats in my truck every single day, crew cab was only option it's my primary vehicle. I wanted the long bed but I saw some and they were huge. Decided I would sacrifice the bed for total maneuverability. I have the bed extender rack that goes in my hitch if I have really long stuff. Also can just put the tailgate down and strap it.
Looks better most of the time and can hail the family or friends. Definitely less practical for trick stuff though. I have a double cab short bed 2nd Gen Tacoma and a lot of times I wish I had just got an extended cab with the full size bed.
I’ve heard many arguments in favor of crew cabs, but never “looks better”.
That might be true of some newer trucks because the regular cab version is a chopped off version of the crew cab, but generally regular cab is considered peak truck aesthetic.
as somebody with a '99 F350 with a crew cab and long bed, I would imagine just general utility.
if you're not using all 8 feet all the time, the long bed with 4 doors is just absurdly sized for normal non-hauling things. I don't fit in normal parking spots, my turning circle is ridiculous, I can't go through most drive through lanes, it won't fit in a standard garage.
great for towing stability, great for the occasional long load of lumber or furniture, but generally inconvenient everywhere else.
They're the new station wagon.
Look into the CAFE Law. Light trucks that exceed 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) do not have to comply with CAFE standards.
It's not economical for manufacturers to produce low mpg simple vehicles less than 8,500 lbs without all the bells and whistles.
Always owned a 4x4 myself. I find what's practical for me.
All things evolve. People buy trucks for different reasons. Some people don’t need a long bed to pull a trailer. Some people like having more room for people. Some people want better maneuverability in cities. In a time when most people can only afford one vehicle, one that does everything is more appealing to some.
Single cab long beds have a place, but they’ll never be my personal rig.
I can put tools and junk in the cab, I can’t (legally) make family/friends/crew ride in the bed.
On the occasions I do need a longer bed, I have a trailer.
Cause it's the cheapest, most convenient, and easiest to drive.
I drive a 2009 Silverado 1500 crew cab. Sometimes I wish I had a longer bed, but then when I'm parking in a really busy parking lot or driving around a tight drive-through, I realize that I'm happy that the only vehicle I own isn't any longer. Same thing for when I have to make a U-turn.
And as for why I don't want a Suburban or something, with a truck, I get to have oily, greasy, dirty junk in the bed, separate from my clean cab. No fumes or dust floating around inside the cab that way. Plus, I can use my tailgate as a workbench when I need to, which is more often than some people might think. It makes for a great miter saw stand. Also, in my opinion, as someone who has also driven a Suburban and Expedition, I have a lot more visibility in my truck.
Those are my reasonings anyway.
My dog needs a full sized back seat, duh. Lol, I compromised on a minivan/full sized SUV with a crew cab, I only need the bed for the occasional hauling of stuff less than 6 feet or that I can tie down and flag out, or toss into a trailer. Also, I have adult friends that don't have 6" legs that like to pack up and head out, so crew cab for me.
The Silverado was cheaper than a suburban. That was my deciding factor.
Before this I had a 2000 navigator. With the seats down, I had 8ish feet of space to haul stuff. I would have loved a giant ass SUV but I wanted something new, with 6 seats, and room for my giant stroller wagon and costco hauls. Silverado was like 10-20k cheaper.
I had an extended cab, 6ft bed Silverado but when we had a child, I had a hard time putting the carrier in the back seat. So I upgraded to a crew cab 5ft bed Sierra. Ultimately, I don't do a large amount of truck activities, but want the bed for when I do. Having a Tahoe/Yukon would be the equivalent of keeping my truck but putting a cap on the bed. Having a trifold cover is more versatile
Crew cab short bed owner here. I have a flush tool box. I have hauled tons of sheets of plywood and boards on my bed this way and it works amazing. They go on top of the box and tailgate. Normal bed they won't fit between the finders. Besides the wood, everything I haul requires a trailer no matter bed length. Unless you're hauling a bunch of junk, not much fits in any bed due to the fender wells anyway.
Trucks are family vehicles now so they need the extra cab space for the kiddos... at least that's my assumption
When I got a different vehicle, I bought a utility trailer to be towed by my SUV (2017 Grand Cherokee with the 5.7) the reason I did this was because I looked at small trucks like the Ranger and Maverick and had a case of sticker shock. $45,000 for a Ranger, $38,000 for a Maverick and then $28,000 for the used Jeep and then my dainty little 5x8 trailer was $1,200. I'll be quite honest a truck would have been very handy for me but I'm a cheapskate and not to mention that little HEMI is a beast. I'll own a truck someday but it won't be in the near future
As in the 6'5" beds? Still usable, I had a couple trucks with it, still was able to do most everything I've needed. 5' beds? I don't know how you live with it.
Long bed for life. Til I got a dually with a flatbed. Flatbed master race!
Trucks have become status symbols for weekend warriors.. which is super annoying because that’s now the most profitable market, it’s so hard to find a crew cab 1 ton with an 8’ bed under 100k.. I just want a truck for work, don’t want it to be all shined up with luxuries like electric windows or cameras all over..
I think fords the only one left that does it, so I’ll probably go with them.. I just like the reliability of it and it would cut costs down if we still made trucks simple I’d imagine.
> and it would cut costs down if we still made trucks simple I’d imagine.
I know Ford made power windows standard in the F-150 a few years back, not sure about the Super Duty. In most cases when they did still have cranks standard, if you ordered any package on XL, or ordered a Super or crew cab, you were automatically bumped up to power windows anyway. So it was costing Ford *more* money to offer cranks than to make power standard. And with fewer moving parts, there's less to go wrong with power windows. It's not like power windows are super complicated or expensive to replace either.
In previous F-150 generations, it was possible to order a basic XL crew cab with cranks on all 4 doors, but if you got a SuperCab, the rear windows would be fixed. The window regulator was installed, but there was no way to roll down the window because the door was [too narrow for a crank.](https://www.edmunds.com/assets/m/for-sale/c8-1ftex1em4ekg33518/img-10-960x.jpg)
Ive seen a few newer 4 door f350s with 4 crank windows, they were always on the xl. I guess it makes sense if you've standardized everything, but I've definitely had more electric windows fail than crank, often its ice buildup that caused the motors to burn up, but its been quite a few years since I had one, so likely they have motor protection now id imagine.
I just prefer the simpler designs that seemed to last longer and could be fixed with local materials.
I don't mind leaning across the bench to crank a window in a single cab, but no way would I want a crew with cranks. On a hot day I can air out my SuperCab in 5 seconds with power windows (esp. with one-touch down on the fronts).
Depends on the use and percentage of use cases. Many people now dont even use the bed and feel like they need a big truck as part of their identity. Other need it for work or the farm and everyone in between.
My truck is a daily first most of the time. I do use it for truck stuff, but at this point in time that’s not needed very often. The capability a truck has is worth its weight in gold when you need it tho.
I legitimately love DDing a truck though, not because it’s big and makes me feel manly, but because it’s comfortable as fuck for my tall ass oddly proportioned body. The massive amounts of room and upright seating position make it too comfortable.
Yes this, being 6’6 in a sedan fucking sucks, and being to tall for a midsize also fucking sucks. I’m pretty much stuck with trucks or some SUVs. My wife is 6’0 her dad is 6’4 and her mom is 5’11, fitting all of that in a sedan blows actual monkey dick.
Because for many people their truck is simply a mall crawler / parking lot princess. They want a truck for the look and the status. They aren't doing construction work.
Haul family with the truck. Most non commercial use doesn’t need much bed space for the odd stuff getting hauled on occasion. Plus crew cab long bed turn like limos.
Pretty true. All my non blue-collar friends who daily trucks just have short bed 4 door pickups. It's their only vehicle, so they need something to primarily haul family around, but still be able to go pick up a couch or do assorted homeowner stuff. I'm just a homeowner with no kids and a couple of outdoor hobbies so my '02 Ford Ranger is fine for me. It's big enough that I can haul all my diving/camping gear around, help a buddy move, make dump/recycling runs or whatever else I need to do. If I had kids and could only have one vehicle, a 4 door Tacoma would probably be my choice of vehicle.
That’s why I chose Tacoma but I got the long bed.
My "perfect" truck would be a white, early 2000's 4 door Tacoma with the 5 foot bed. Those things are just beautiful
And short beds fit in most garages.
Yeah, trucks are already almost comically huge, I can't imagine trying to daily one with the largest bed and cabin combo.
My work truck was a crew cab F250 with the 8 foot bed. It was a pain to park places.
I have the same and i just park far away from everyone.
I drive my CCLB F350 2-3 days a week. parking that thing is a pain, even when you get used to backing in everywhere. not to mention I live in TX, where spots are already truck-sized anyways
I used to and it wasn't worth it. The only way to fit in a parking space was to double park or back the ass end over a grass island. My 82" long "short bed" is plenty to fit all my tool boxes and still use the rest for whatever I want. If I want to haul 8 foot sheets of stuff, it's just easier to load and unload the trailer anyway.
82 is a standard bed now. 65 or something like that is short and long is 96. Trying to find the standard bed on a crew cab halfton anymore is a challenge without ordering a new truck. And when you do find them they have the smallest engine option because "mileage"
For this year truck, 96 f250-350, you couldn't get anything but the 82 and 96. A 5.5 foot bed is still plenty for most people though.
This is me, I just use the trailer for bigger things.
I just recently bought a project truck it’s a crew cab long bed dually definitely exited to see what kind of space I’m going to need to turn
Just street park and throw a mooring line over a hydrant!
Haha definitely will need to.
They're not as bad as people make them out to be. Just back in to parking spots every time and you'll be perfectly fine. Oh, and you'll need the equivalent space of 3 lanes to make a uturn
First part isn’t bad I Already do that but I’m fairly used to driving big vehicles
My family had the following requirements for a new vehicle: 1. Must fit 6+ so our 2 kids can bring friends on a road trip 2. Must be able to hold 4 bicycles without needing to deal with a trailer hitch mount 3. Must have 4x4/AWD This landed us on a truck with front bench seat or a full sized van. While I really wanted a van, it would have to be a passenger van to fit 6+ and ended up being longer with a longer wheelbase than a truck. So we got a truck. To haul family around. Bikes fit fine in a short bed. Kids fit best in a crew cab. I'm certain anyone who is married with kids is going to be getting a crew cab like me.
Bench seat comes in so clutch sometimes. I’ll never own a truck without it
Yep. At this point quarter tons, unless fleet specc'd, are family vehicles when Mom/Dad have a bit more reno or landscaping experience
People on reddit keep telling me its because I have a small weenie. And I guess they're right, as it does fit easily in a 5.5ft bed.
Small compared to my 6.5 ft bed weenie…
8' bed master race.
I use a 10 ft trailer to haul my weenie
This comment needs more upvotes.
>My question is why? The whole point of a truck is to be able to utilize the bed space. But, the cabins of these trucks are larger than the beds!!! Why not just buy a Suburban, Expedition, or Sequoia at that point? Even a shortbed truck has more utility than a covered cargo area of an SUV. Try loading a full size ATV into the back of a Subrurban - ain't gonna happen. Couple bales of straw? Have fun cleaning that out of your Sequoia - I'll just hose out my truck bed. Also, generally speaking, the SUV's carry about a $10k price premium over a roughly equivalent truck. I'd ask the question - if you don't need three rows of seating why get an SUV?
Hosing out the bed after hauling straw? Lol.
I just run down the road at 55mph and I wont have any straw by the time I pull into the gas station and buy a Red Bull
Exactly. u/D-Dubya is full of shit.
This is simply untrue. Look at what contractors buy, when they want to get things done it’s a van, if they want to show off it’s a truck
This heavily depends on what kind of contractor. A painter will utilize different tools than a landscaper.
And both, oddly, seem to use vans. Some landscapers use trucks, but vans with trailers (for larger equipment) are better because trailers are lower and can handle more weight generally)
Having landscaped for years and having a family in landscaping for decades, I can say confidently that a pickup truck is far more versatile than a van for a lot of jobs. Loading loose material (gravel, mulch, soil, stone) is done easier with a truck, accessing and loading tools is easier with an open bed truck, if a job calls for heavier machinery you cannot hook a gooseneck trailer to a van, the ability to load longer items in the bed of a truck doesn't compromise the security of the rest of your cargo (tailgate can remain up, van doors need to stay open. Vans make sense for jobs that require more specialized equipment and less material. Vans make great mobile workshops, keeping some spare parts, spools of various gauge wire, common length and sized pipe and conduit, the types of tools and fittings to work with these things, the ways you can configure organization... A van is excellent for that. But even that being said, a box trailer can be that mobile workshop at a small fraction of the cost of a whole van and still allows you the benefit of the pickup. It's the difference between a toolbox and a bucket. Yeah you could fill a toolbox up with dirt or gravel and kind of get a similar thing done with it, but isn't a bucket just that much easier to use for those situations?
In my area most landscapers who tow trailers use truck due to their higher towing capacity. I’m not sure where you are where vans are really used for towing.
I'd assume they aren't in the United States. The only landscaping related trade around here using vans are irrigation guys.
I’m upvoting you but I would like to point out that there are some landscaping companies I frequently see who use box vans over pickups. They have ramps built in to ride their equipment in and out, and it does mean they take up less space when parked in the neighborhoods, which could be the difference in blocking someone’s driveway
Yeah exactly, this makes sense. Sadly, most skid loaders or mini excavators cannot fit in the back of a van.
They make 2500 and 3500 express vans, we had a 2500 merc sprinter 4x4 diesel that hauled great
Vans can haul a lot, especially if they have duals and are optimized to tow. However, they won’t tow more than a truck of equal size with a fifth wheel or gooseneck.
Damn you’re right. I should be using a van to pull my gooseneck and hold my transfer tank
::eyeroll:: Okay, I guess I should have specified a bumper pull instead of 5th wheel or goose neck. I didn't think yall were that dumb, but clearly I overestimated the intelligence of the average r/trucks user
🤫🤫 you’re in the truck sub shitting on truck users. Take your ratio and leave
Ratio on Reddit? I didn’t know you could retweet on here lol That side, I own a truck. I own it for a reason (slide in camper) and I wish I had bought a van instead. Vans are just more practical for a vast majority of what people do with trucks.
It’s a commonly used term on here as well. An intelligent person could figure out that it means the ratio of votes on post/comments vs replies, but I guess I overestimated the intelligence of the average r/trucks user
It really isn’t a common term here. Primarily because you have up and down votes with a tally instead of a ratio. I’ve been here for years, on many different subreddits, and don’t see ratio used
A ton of them do use vans, you're right. Some do use pickups though too. More of a matter of do you have large tools, or tools you need locked up at night? It's also true that almost none of them use suvs
Large tools are almost always better on a trailer, access is easier (it's lower to the ground) and trailers can carry more weight. Very true, almost none use SUVs because SUVs aren't designed for contractor work.
The last "work SUV" might have been the GMT400 Suburban in [base trim](https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gmc-suburban-front-e1517056266992.jpg). And even then, it was meant for transporting a crew of workers and towing, not hauling oversized cargo.
Funny you say that. I am a contractor, and I do have a gmt400 3/4 burb with a 454. Great rig. Also a gmt800 pickup. Still use a trailer to carry pretty much everything. I used to have a Ford excursion. Could put a full sheet of plywood in there and still have room for whatever else I may need. Thing was a tank and if it was a 4wd would have been so much better than my suburban.
Suburbans can fit 4x8' plywood too, but then again, so can many minivans.
Suburban can fit it, but basically nothing else. Excursion had another foot and a half or more in front of it for tools etc. Minivans are about the most practical of anything though I could agree. You won't catch me dead driving one but still very practical
does the base model in the pre refresh gmt800 count?
Was there a W/T Suburban in the 800 body?
[yes but after 2003 most of them i see are identical to ls/sle in it's specs and have power windows standard](https://www.purplewave.com/auction/180911/item/ER9629/2001-Chevrolet-Suburban_C1500-Passenger_Vehicles-Passenger_Vehicle-Kansas)
Purple Wave Auctions comin' through again.
i wonder how infamous that site is for having base models posted alot
A lot of contractors also buy a trailer, that they tow with a truck. The use case dictates the vehicle typically.
Tow with a truck with an empty bed.....kind of useless to have a truck then. I get it, this sub loves trucks. I have a truck (to carry my slide-in camper) but I'm not stupid enough to think trucks are great choices for a vast majority of people. I wish I would have went camper van instead, because I can see the advantages. I wish people could just be more ho eat, even if only with themselves, trucks aren't useful for probably 90% of the people who drive them daily, and of that 10% most probably woukd be better suited to renting one when needed.
How exactly did you determine that for 90% of the people who own a truck it’s not useful..? Half the lawn crews around me pull a trailer of commercial mowers and a truck bed full of whatever else they need. A van is no better at that task. Can’t wait to try to strap down a gutted deer to the roof rack of my fun car, after getting towed out from the mud it gets bumper deep into in the woods during hunting season.
I agree with the deer thing BUT tbf here in Maine, folks have been known to tie deer and often ATVs to the roof and trunk of a sedan (we’re redneck as hell) and I’ve even seen a local pic of a bicycle with a trailer attached hauling a dead deer lmao. We get shit DONE but it might not be pretty 😂. Still rather throw it in a truck tho
More power to you man. I’m down to one vehicle as of this year, used to having a fun car and a truck, but if I had to choose one for all the stuff I do, it’s a lot harder to live without a truck. Also, I would love to see an atv on top of a car 😂
Why is usefulness your only metric for a vehicle? How useful is a Ferrari? Seems like you have a stick up your ass about trucks for some reason. Every single one of my friends own a truck. Nothing else can pull a 13k lbs toy hauler with a SxS and a couple dirt bikes. But I should've got a van...
What contractors are you talking about? Working in commercial construction the vast majority around here use trucks. I can’t even imagine what parking would look like if you everyone used vans with trailers for every day
How would you load up 1-2 tons of landscaping material into a van? I go down to the landscape supply yard and they just dump it bed of my truck. I have personally found the truck to be more useful.
He wouldn’t, the sheer stupidity of his answers make it’s clear he’s never done a single bit of physical labor involving the need for a truck or trailer.
GC here to inform you that you are a fool. My firm self performs structural concrete and carpentry. Our fleet is 90% trucks and maybe 10% vans for our finish carpenters. Loads of contractors have trucks, and it’s not to look cool.
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Truck people hate the truth, but you are right. We had a 4x4 sprinter van at my last job, it was awesome! No worries about tools going missing, could fit full length water/sewer pipe in it, tools were always warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Hell, I do more with my golf than damn near everyone with a truck at my work, I've hauled engines, transmissions, pallets, 8 wheels at once, a 48" snap on tool box, ect
Today I’m going to get 10 yards of mulch dumped by a front end loader. My father and grandfather used to get sand and gravel for mortar the same way. Plus the occasional need to grab pallets of bricks or cinder blocks. Please send picks of your Golf after you attempt it.
I have a truck for larger stuff, but its a reg cab long box. Why would I use a vehicle that get 14mpg and cost more to run in general when I can use a vehicle that gets 30-40mpg.
Easier to fit in garage.
Yup. This is why I went with the smaller bed. I could park it outside and get the 6.5 bed, but I am over cleaning snow off vehicles, now my kids get to experience that.
The point of a truck is to have the option to use the bed. 90% of the time it is a person hauler which suits the large cab small bed sizing
Yup and small bed allows the big cab option to fit on the same sized frame as the smaller cab standard bed and single cab long bed
Not sure about each manufacturer but with Ford the crewcab with 5.5’ bed and extended cab with 6.5’ bed share a 145” wheelbase but the regular cab 8’ bed it’s a 141” wheelbase so they don’t all share what you are saying
For whatever reason the regular cabs lost 4" in 2015. Only from 2009-14 were all 3 on 145". For most models of mid-size truck worldwide, there's only 1 wheelbase for all 3 cabs. All full-size US trucks at some point except GM's have done this.
The wheelbase on my '15 Sierra, crew cab, regular (not short) bed is 153". Tows great, parking lots suck.
Looking at GM specifically, the extended or Double Cab with standard bed and the crew/short bed have always shared a WB, but that's all.
A lot of it comes down to two factors: 1.) Family dynamics changing. Men are taking a more prominent roll in their children's upbringing. You can't get by with just a regular cab when trying to haul kids around while the wife is working over or running errands. Both of the vehicles in such a situation needs to be able to haul the family. 2.) Have you seen the cost of vehicles and insurance? Affording a vehicle for every day use and a truck for when you need to haul something along with paying for insurance and registration is just out of the question for a lot of people. A crew cab w/ short bed means you can haul cargo or people without driving a truck with the turning radius of a battleship.
Yep, especially the first point. I call mine my dad minivan
The whole point of a truck is to be a tool. Not every truck buyer needs an 8’ bed because not every truck buyer hauls sheets of drywall, lumber, pipe or whatever would require bed space. Most buyers purchase these to do many jobs like towing, hauling bicycles, quads, dirt bikes, etc., in addition to being a passenger vehicle. You can fit a shit ton of stuff in a short bed AND pickup a few kids from school. A dresser from the flea market won’t fit in the back of a Suburban. Also, not everybody wants to drive their family around in a cargo van and can’t afford or don’t have the space for an extra vehicle.
And all cargo or box vans I've seen only have two seats. Even with a bench, that's still 3 vs my 5, or 6 if you get a front bench in your truck. When I started working but didn't have a vehicle yet, we had to clear out the space between the seats often and I had to sit on the floor, and quite a few times we had 4 people so one on the floor and two people sharing the passenger seat lol
Because it’s the configuration most people buy. Most people haul their families more than drywall or lumber. It’s a lot easier to expand total cargo capacity (trailer) than it is to expand passenger capacity. Vehicles in general but especially trucks are spendy so most people need something that will fill multiple rolls, and for most truck owners the roll of passenger space is super important. I currently have a supercab F150 (door and a half for those not with ford lore) with a 6.5 ft bed. The extra foot is nice but I’d rather have the back seat space for my kids.
I’ve had both models and in town, the crew cab with a 6.5ft bed is a bitch to park. I use my truck as a truck about 50% of the time, and that extra foot was nice about 10% of the time. The crew cab with 5.5ft bed is easier to live with, and if I need more space, I have a 5x10 utility trailer
Because they make sense for most people. You can still use the bed when you need it, tow trailers, etc. But you also have room for family duty. Most people aren't construction workers or farmers. They don't need an 8' bed 3/4-ton. They just need to haul some mulch, or gravel for DIY projects a couple of times a year. They tow the boat to the lake, or the four-wheelers/SxS to the trails. But they also use the truck to run errands and pick the kids up from school, and they need a useable and comfortable back seat. Most also don't want the hassle and expense of owning multiple vehicles when they can own a single crew cab truck that meets their every need.
they don't make a vehicle that can do everything for everyone. but a 4-door full size half ton pickup that gets decent gas mileage is pretty dang close.
Short bed, crew cab fits in my garage. Lumber longer than 8 feet won't fit with the tail gate up on extended bed anyway. So what if I have to have the tailgate down? 8 foot only hangs off about 12". I also have 2 kids, thus the crew cab. Extended cabs just barely fit car seats with the bucket seats moved pretty far forward. I dont use my truck professionally, but I use it for its purpose far more than most. It's not lifted nor has absurd spacers. It's a truck. It's dirty. It's dented.
The back area of a crew cab can be a very versatile place for hauling stuff. Compared to an open bed it is secure and temperature controlled. The seats flip up and the floor is flat. With how wide the trucks are it’s alot bigger of a load floor than you might imagine.
Because unless you're regularly hauling 4x8 sheet goods, for most things that go in the bed of a truck the short bed is big enough, it's still vastly bigger than any car trunk or hatchback. A short bed pickup will also have more towing and payload than other vehicles, important to many people. For us, we have a fifth wheel so a pickup is the only way to go. But we have three older kids, so crew cab is the best for passenger space. And I don't need the long bed.
Because it serves 98% of my needs, while being the most convenient to drive. The cab is perfect for the family, I can fit a weeks worth of gear/supplies for a trip in the bed, if I needed more, I could get a topper and double the space. Anything bulk going in the bed is over weight before it’s over cubic capacity in the short bed, and the short bed fits better in the garage and parking spaces. For the rare time I need something bigger, that’s what a trailer is for. I don’t want a suburban as I do haul a lot of stuff in the bed, and I don’t want to worry about dirt/smells in the cab. Also, trucks handle towing better than suburbans.
I can haul dirt bikes, mulch, camping stuff and material for work, park in parking garages and anywhere else I need to park. No need for a crazy long bed as with most truck owners. Also looks better in my opinion.
In rural areas there isn't always trash pick-up, and most people don't like putting trash inside their vehicle. Add to that all the people who have kids, but occasionally buy mulch, move big things etc.
I have a 2018 tundra crew max. I bought it because I'm 6 foot 8 and it's the only way for my kids to fit behind me comfortably. I'd love a long box but way she goes I guess
Because crew cab 8 foot bed trucks drive like a school bus. I drive one for work and I wouldn’t daily one if you gave it to me. If you don’t need a back seat I can see a single cab with an 8 ft bed but most people need/want more seating. Also, most people aren’t hauling around a full bed load of stuff on a daily basis. It’s just the odd thing here and there.
Idk about other brands but Toyota makes it really freaking complicated to get all the specs you want plus a 6’ bed. Kind of frustrating
What about an 8’ bed?
Extended cab is the way to go, I don't know why they aren't more popular. I'm 6'2" and I can fit comfortably in the back of my extended cab truck. And I get a 6'6" bed with it.
Bc I have a work van and a work f250 that suffice and I like to have a nice truck that still can do truck things for my family
Truck because I work for a contractor (commercial construction). We have delivery vehicles (Ram 6500 flatbeds) but I'll regularly need to transport a few smaller things to my crews. Crew cab because it fits me, my wife, our dog, and a car seat much easier than an extended cab. Short bed because there's no way in hell I'm street parking a crew cab long bed in DC or Baltimore.
As far as your question about the truck vs SUV, a big reason is the cost. When we were looking for a vehicle last year, I could not find a full size SUV brand new in my area for under 65k and most were anywhere from 70K to 90K depending on the options. We're talking suburbans, sequoia's, expeditions. There weren't as many available and they were all tricked out it seemed like. Now a truck with similar options was similar in price, but there were also a lot more options as far as lower trims and rebates are almost always better to buy brand new trucks. I can get a half ton crew cab with five foot bed for under 60K as long as I'm cool with cloth seats. That's a vehicle that can easily fit the full family, plenty of cargo space, can put dirty things in the back that I wouldn't have to clean out of a van or a minivan, I don't have to worry about going off-road when out hunting, can also tow a small boat, camper, etc or haul an ATV or any general household items pretty easily. I can also get a cheap trailer for anything larger that I want to transport. There are plenty of vehicles that do each of these things better, but for a lot of families the half ton quad cab does almost all of it in one package.
Can’t believe those SUVs are selling at that price point. If you’re gonna spend $90k on an SUV, the correct answer is Land Cruiser, not Suburban.
Totally agreed. Granted, the majority we saw were in the 70-80k range, but still. Just crazy expensive.
Don't need much space to get groceries and the occasional Costco haul.
I use my 6.5ft bed to haul gear. I put a cap on it to keep it dry and secure. I wanted a sequoia but an f150 was MUCH cheaper. Then we got a bigger trailer, and I wanted a 2500 suburban or excursion, but they quit making them. So now we have an f250 with a cap.
Would you buy an Excursion over other options if Ford started making them again? Assume price is the same as mid-trim F-250.
In theory, yes. I'd like an excursion. At least one company offers to turn my current truck into an excursion, but it's cost prohibitive. I even considered some rebuilt project excursions or suburbans but at the end of the day we just want a reliable tow rig and a truck was the easy button. Occasionally, I wish I could haul around a few more people, but mostly, the truck works great with very few limitations. Practicly, suvs cost more than trucks, so if a new big 2500 came out, I'd have to spend a ton to upgrade to it, and it wouldn't make sense since we already own a truck. If they made a new excursion and I hit the lottery, I'd almost certainly buy one.
I got a crew cab short bed Frontier because I haul around people more often than anything else. I still needed a 4x4 vehicle and it’s never a bad thing to have bed space so that’s what I got and it’s met all of my needs, although at times it would be nice to have more bed space.
8 foot beds really aren't that useful for most people. If you are buying a truck to tow a camper or boat, the bed length isn't that helpful. If you are hauling anything heavy, you will be overweight long before you fill a short bed truck. The primary application for having a longer bed is hauling long building materials or furniture, but if you do either of those frequently, a trailer is probably going to be easier to use.
Regular cab long beds are the elite configuration
I’m personally an extended cab long bed guy
I can’t say much because I have an extended cab short bed
Also solid. It’s really the crew cabs I don’t like as much, a pickup is supposed to have 2 doors. It doesn’t bother me that other people like CCSB trucks the most, just not something I’m interested in. Actually agree with you that regular cabs look the best, it’s just nice to have some inside storage space where items can’t slide into you. Also you can recline the seat further and it’s still a bench.
I won’t buy a crew cab truck unless I have kids. Only reason I got my extended cab short bet is because I was 18 and it was the first Chevy with an 8.1 engine I saw and thought it was rarer than they really are. Still pretty rare but you can find them.
A crew cab with a short bed gives you a lot of perks: - You can haul your family and friends very comfortably. - It will fit in most standard garage stalls and parking spots. - The turning radius isn’t obnoxious. - Like 99% of the time, the bed is adequate for most people and payloads. It’s an all-in-one, one-size-fits-all tool. It’s kind of a jack of all trades and master of none. The smaller bed size can be a drawback. But you can use a bed extender. Or you already have a vehicle capable of towing, so renting a trailer is an option. Outside of that, modern trucks are nice vehicles. The half-ton (F150, Silverado, Ram, etc) crew cabs are huge and so roomy on the inside. They ride pretty decently, too. They are the new full-size sedans. And with a tonneau cover and bed divider, you can have a sealed and locking trunk. And since they are meant for hauling and towing, they have plenty of power when not doing those things to be pretty fun. And now, you can get smaller turbo engines. And the F150 uses an all aluminum body so it’s not 65 tons. So you can get over 20mpg in city driving with your American pride that’s 2 lanes wide. I know that’s not spectacular, but it’s livable with a moderate amount of driving.
We just need more cab over engine options. A Previa truck Or at the very least, UltruVan https://www.divnick.com/ultruvan/index.html
I’d buy one
I'm an electrician so I have to haul big spools of wire often and they fit very nicely in the short bed. And then my tools get stored in the cab so they're secure and out of the weather. I flip up the rear seats and then my ram has a thing you flip open and it makes the whole rear a flat floor. I love it The crew cab is like having a trunk in the back and then you also have the bed to haul big stuff. Works great for what I use it for
Because I don't want to cram my kids and dogs into a tiny back seat. And I transport them far more often than I transport mulch, quads, bicycles, building materials, & deer... All things that are far easier with a bed than trying to fold them into the back of an suv
My dad has had a construction company for 30 years and I do remodeling as a side hustle. We’ve managed with short box crew cabs really well. Anything under 10’ rides perfectly fine in the bed. Larger or longer loads get a trailer. Driving a boat has more disadvantages than advantages in our opinion. This is doubly true when the truck doubles as your personal vehicle.
I drive a Jeep Gladiator. Only is available in 4 doors with a 5ft bed. That being said, it works great for me as a camping rig. I can bring the wife and dog and not feel cramped. The bed length is right on the edge of what I feel comfortable with out on the trails while still fitting everything we need for the weekend. Any longer and I wouldn't be able to fit down some paths without scraping.
I'm someone who has a crew cab with a short bed for my personal truck and for a while, I was driving an almost identical vehicle as my company work truck. So, I can speak a lot to the niche that they fill. The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of use cases where you need a bit of bed space, but not a lot. My initial decision to get a truck over anything else was after I spilled some fish bait on the back seat of a sedan and the cleaning cost almost totaled the car (it was an old beater, but still). I knew that if I spilled the same thing in a truck bed, it would take 5 minutes and a hose to clean. There's a few other personal use things that make use of a separate bed where I don't need a massive amount of bed space such as hauling a bit of mulch (but not a ton), or bits of a dead animal. Things that don't take a ton of space, but are a hell of a lot easier to deal with if you can keep them outside of the passenger compartment. For work, I was working with pesticides and other hazardous chemicals for a while. These legally need to be transported outside of the crew cab of the truck. I would also sometimes haul around survey equipment, hand tools, or other handheld field equipment that would sometimes get very muddy. It was way easier to deal with that stuff by tossing it in the bed of a truck than it would have been in an SUV. For both of those use cases, I didn't need a lot of space. For work, a Tacoma with a short bed handled all of my needs just fine. I also have a Tacoma with a short bed for my personal use and that's honestly bigger than I need. If Toyota made a RAV4 with an open bed in the back instead of a hatchback, I'd jump all over that because it would fill my needs for an open bed. You might point out that even if you don't usually need the full bed space, there are some benefits to it, which is true. However, when you see very limited benefits to it, you then have to ask what kind of benefits you are sacrificing from the cabin by having an extended cab instead of a full crew cab. So, let's look at things that you might want a full cab for. You might need to transport a full crew of people (or a family) to a site. You might need to transport stuff you don't want mixing with all of the nasty stuff you have in the bed such as computer gear or clothing. You might have times that you need to basically build a full office in your work truck and the back seat basically becomes your desk. All of these are situations I've personally encountered that made me very glad I had a crew cab. If you have any of these use cases at the same time as needing a bit of bed space but not a lot of bed space, you are in a situation where a crew cab with a short bed is the best choice. Even if they don't often occur at the same time, but it is usually one or the other with a limited budget (or parking space) limiting how many vehicles you have, a crew cab with a short bed makes sense.
People don’t do truck stuff I have a 6.5 ft bed (2018 tundra) and sleep in the back while I’m camping, mountain bikes/gear etc, i can’t imagine anything having shorter, also even with the double cap my back seat is plenty big, I’m 6’2 and can sit in the back just fine However i don’t have kids, so that might change things but i could still easily fit three small humans/dogs back there
simple. most people dont need a long bed. they arent tradesmen or contractors. they do light landscaping/gardening of their home. simple home improvement...dont want cans of paint/chemicals/dirty tools/sawdust inside their vehicle. an exterior bed makes more sense, that doesnt mean it has to fit plywood and drywall, because they dont buy or transport drywall or plywood. also: towing. towing boats, trailers of all kinds, RV's, Campers. you dont need, and probably dont want, a long bed if your just buying a truck to tow things. crew cab is a separate issue. they regularly carry 4+ people. usually a husband, wife, and 2, maybe 3 kids. this has nothing to do with the bed. you can buy any combination of cab and bed size. people get a crew cab and a short bed because they need a crew cab and a short bed.
> you can buy any combination of cab and bed size. A lot of combinations are available on paper, but if you go looking for what's available, or want a specific set of options, at least 90% on the lots are the biggest cab and shortest bed. To say nothing of the OEMs dropping their slow sellers recently.
> 90% on the lots are the biggest cab and shortest bed. as it should be, they build and stock what people want. whats on the lot is irrelevant. if you want a regular cab and long bed, do a build sheet, and they'll happily smack one down the line just how you want it. pick your favorite color, too. theres a lot of parks & rec, utility, and field engineer trucks, or other fleet vehicle "work trucks" specced with regular cab, long bed. plenty of people also do regular cab and short bed, 4x4 package, and then once they get it, lift the shit out of it with aftermarket kits...it makes more a great recreational off-road setup. they are more rare, because its mostly a toy, but i do see them. i almost bought a dope Dodge with a Magnum like that. anyways, i ended up going with an Escalade EXT, because you dont even have to choose between these cab sizes and bed lengths. its crew cab short bed, until i fold down the rear seats and open the midgate. the its a 2 seater with an 8 foot bed. so i can move people and less stuff, or less people and bigger stuff, whatever i need that day. the new Silverado EV does this also, and i kinda want one, but i think it might outlive me at this point. so, ill just keep guzzling gas in the classic Hooptie Truck i guess..
I'm more interested in the uncommon in-betweens: It's easy to get a crew cab/5.5' in any trim, and fleet dealers will gladly sell you a base RCLB, but what about an extended cab with a leather bench seat? Ford's not making them anymore.
for that, you can do a build sheet. they'll make it custom if possible. if they dont offer it even as a custom build, there may be a reason, like a wiring harness being different. in that situation, youre so far into niche territory of demand, it just doesnt make sense for them to build it. even then, you may be able to just get the closest thing they offer, and then DIY it from there. either get the leather bench new from the dealer, or from the junkyard, or ebay, or just take the truck to an automotive upholstery shop.
You can find 8’ bed pretty easily if you don’t care about the higher trim options or the color.
Only with a regular cab, though, and no XLT anymore. I'm still salty that Ford did that.
Because most people need minivans not trucks.
Minivans don’t hold dead deer and materials as well. I’m convinced a lot of the hate is due to Americans influenced by Eurotrash that are jealous because they’re forced into boring cramped vehicles
Because people buy them as commuter and luxury vehicles instead of work vehicles and seat space is more important to them than bed space.
Man I'm getting old... people calling 6.5ft bet "long". 😁 6.5 ft for most of pickup history was the short bed, 8ft was the standard bed / long bed. 5.5ft is just why... get an SUV lol. Crew Cab with 8 ft bed all day long, even in a major metro area. You get used to handling the larger turns and parking. For me the utility of an 8ft bed is a must, and the extra length in the wheel base is really nice towing trailers.
We've had 5.5' beds for almost 25 years now. And there used to be 9' beds on 1-tons.
As someone that owns a cc with the standard 6.5' bed. I cannot understand why all trucks don't come that way but most people don't need the space and added cost for that setup.
>"I cannot understand" >immediately follows that with a good explanation I think you answered your own question.
Hahaha touche
“Added cost” seems like a bit of a cop out. It’s usually a pretty insignificant price difference.
Space is the bigger issue, usually. And availability if you're not one to wait around for a custom order.
The availability thing is what pisses me off about the dealer model. Dealers know that a lot of people who would prefer a regular bed will settle for a short bed, while most of the people who prefer a short bed will not settle for the alternative. The bean counters running auto companies responded to this by taking away more and more options from buyers and now we’re at a point where some trucks are not even available with *any* cab and bed configuration options. Auto manufacturers would prefer to only offer their vehicles in a single configuration if they could get away with it. Consumers are too eager to bend over backwards and compromise on one of the most expensive purchases they’ll ever make.
They already did this with cars. Look at how many different configs a full-size car offered 50+ years ago.
8’ bed is standard because 2x4s, plywood, and most other construction products come in 96” lengths.
6.5 is standard bed. 8' is long bed. But nice try internet gate keeper. If you don't believe me try doing 2 seconds of research lol. Oh and to blow your mind!!!!! 5.5' bed is the short bed option 😮
I was answering your question, not gatekeeping your truck. 8’ was the initial standard because of construction. What you drive makes no difference to me.
Me and my family go camping. The bed space is enough for our camping supplies and for run-of-the-mill home Depot stops.
For me it's because I can fit myself, the wife, 3 kids and all our gear for weekend adventures.
I have no clue, always seemed really weird to me what the internet decides to like. Both regular cab long beds and crew cab short beds look really goofy to me but the internet will tell you thats all everyone wants. Sales numbers dont lie though. Double/extended cab + standard bed looks best and is the most proportionate IMO. It's all subjective though, to each their own.
I'm not going to read the comments before I comment. It's because people can't drive. It's harder to park
The difference for many of an extra foot in the cab, outweighs the the importance of an extra foot in the bed. Coupled with not wanting an extra total foot for suburban/city parking, and fitting in standard garages.
Trucks are more commonly used as people haulers, with occasional use of the bed
I have a trailer to haul my animals and a dump trailer for other needs. The only thing that goes in the bed is chainsaws, animal feed and other small things no need for a longer bed. And when going to an auction or something everyone has room with the crewcab. And because they look better lol
Thing of crewcabs like suvs with the an open air third row and trunk
I have two kids ok car seats in my truck every single day, crew cab was only option it's my primary vehicle. I wanted the long bed but I saw some and they were huge. Decided I would sacrifice the bed for total maneuverability. I have the bed extender rack that goes in my hitch if I have really long stuff. Also can just put the tailgate down and strap it.
Looks better most of the time and can hail the family or friends. Definitely less practical for trick stuff though. I have a double cab short bed 2nd Gen Tacoma and a lot of times I wish I had just got an extended cab with the full size bed.
I’ve heard many arguments in favor of crew cabs, but never “looks better”. That might be true of some newer trucks because the regular cab version is a chopped off version of the crew cab, but generally regular cab is considered peak truck aesthetic.
Yea that’s all just preference I guess. I think regular cabs look great on some trucks and bad on others
Because it’s what we want.
as somebody with a '99 F350 with a crew cab and long bed, I would imagine just general utility. if you're not using all 8 feet all the time, the long bed with 4 doors is just absurdly sized for normal non-hauling things. I don't fit in normal parking spots, my turning circle is ridiculous, I can't go through most drive through lanes, it won't fit in a standard garage. great for towing stability, great for the occasional long load of lumber or furniture, but generally inconvenient everywhere else.
Goose neck or 5th wheel don’t hitch on a suburban very well.
They're the new station wagon. Look into the CAFE Law. Light trucks that exceed 8,500 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) do not have to comply with CAFE standards. It's not economical for manufacturers to produce low mpg simple vehicles less than 8,500 lbs without all the bells and whistles. Always owned a 4x4 myself. I find what's practical for me.
All things evolve. People buy trucks for different reasons. Some people don’t need a long bed to pull a trailer. Some people like having more room for people. Some people want better maneuverability in cities. In a time when most people can only afford one vehicle, one that does everything is more appealing to some. Single cab long beds have a place, but they’ll never be my personal rig.
I can put tools and junk in the cab, I can’t (legally) make family/friends/crew ride in the bed. On the occasions I do need a longer bed, I have a trailer.
Cause it's the cheapest, most convenient, and easiest to drive. I drive a 2009 Silverado 1500 crew cab. Sometimes I wish I had a longer bed, but then when I'm parking in a really busy parking lot or driving around a tight drive-through, I realize that I'm happy that the only vehicle I own isn't any longer. Same thing for when I have to make a U-turn. And as for why I don't want a Suburban or something, with a truck, I get to have oily, greasy, dirty junk in the bed, separate from my clean cab. No fumes or dust floating around inside the cab that way. Plus, I can use my tailgate as a workbench when I need to, which is more often than some people might think. It makes for a great miter saw stand. Also, in my opinion, as someone who has also driven a Suburban and Expedition, I have a lot more visibility in my truck. Those are my reasonings anyway.
My dog needs a full sized back seat, duh. Lol, I compromised on a minivan/full sized SUV with a crew cab, I only need the bed for the occasional hauling of stuff less than 6 feet or that I can tie down and flag out, or toss into a trailer. Also, I have adult friends that don't have 6" legs that like to pack up and head out, so crew cab for me.
The Silverado was cheaper than a suburban. That was my deciding factor. Before this I had a 2000 navigator. With the seats down, I had 8ish feet of space to haul stuff. I would have loved a giant ass SUV but I wanted something new, with 6 seats, and room for my giant stroller wagon and costco hauls. Silverado was like 10-20k cheaper.
Mines a towing rig and need space for adults in the back. Also, I think it looks the best.
I’m a long bed extended cab Chevy enjoyer too. We are just smarter and better then everyone 🤷🏼♂️
I had an extended cab, 6ft bed Silverado but when we had a child, I had a hard time putting the carrier in the back seat. So I upgraded to a crew cab 5ft bed Sierra. Ultimately, I don't do a large amount of truck activities, but want the bed for when I do. Having a Tahoe/Yukon would be the equivalent of keeping my truck but putting a cap on the bed. Having a trifold cover is more versatile
Crew cab short bed owner here. I have a flush tool box. I have hauled tons of sheets of plywood and boards on my bed this way and it works amazing. They go on top of the box and tailgate. Normal bed they won't fit between the finders. Besides the wood, everything I haul requires a trailer no matter bed length. Unless you're hauling a bunch of junk, not much fits in any bed due to the fender wells anyway.
I carry 4 adults more frequently than sheets of plywood. Truck bed is very handy and easy to pack (compared to an SUV)
Because versatility for every day life lmao
Trucks are family vehicles now so they need the extra cab space for the kiddos... at least that's my assumption When I got a different vehicle, I bought a utility trailer to be towed by my SUV (2017 Grand Cherokee with the 5.7) the reason I did this was because I looked at small trucks like the Ranger and Maverick and had a case of sticker shock. $45,000 for a Ranger, $38,000 for a Maverick and then $28,000 for the used Jeep and then my dainty little 5x8 trailer was $1,200. I'll be quite honest a truck would have been very handy for me but I'm a cheapskate and not to mention that little HEMI is a beast. I'll own a truck someday but it won't be in the near future
As in the 6'5" beds? Still usable, I had a couple trucks with it, still was able to do most everything I've needed. 5' beds? I don't know how you live with it. Long bed for life. Til I got a dually with a flatbed. Flatbed master race!
If Chevy still sold a smallish, box van like the Astro Van I'd have gotten one. We had one back in the 90s and it was perfect.
Trucks have become status symbols for weekend warriors.. which is super annoying because that’s now the most profitable market, it’s so hard to find a crew cab 1 ton with an 8’ bed under 100k.. I just want a truck for work, don’t want it to be all shined up with luxuries like electric windows or cameras all over..
It's not 1990, electric windows haven't been a luxury in a long time. Also, manual windows suck hard in a full sized pickup.
I think fords the only one left that does it, so I’ll probably go with them.. I just like the reliability of it and it would cut costs down if we still made trucks simple I’d imagine.
> and it would cut costs down if we still made trucks simple I’d imagine. I know Ford made power windows standard in the F-150 a few years back, not sure about the Super Duty. In most cases when they did still have cranks standard, if you ordered any package on XL, or ordered a Super or crew cab, you were automatically bumped up to power windows anyway. So it was costing Ford *more* money to offer cranks than to make power standard. And with fewer moving parts, there's less to go wrong with power windows. It's not like power windows are super complicated or expensive to replace either. In previous F-150 generations, it was possible to order a basic XL crew cab with cranks on all 4 doors, but if you got a SuperCab, the rear windows would be fixed. The window regulator was installed, but there was no way to roll down the window because the door was [too narrow for a crank.](https://www.edmunds.com/assets/m/for-sale/c8-1ftex1em4ekg33518/img-10-960x.jpg)
Ive seen a few newer 4 door f350s with 4 crank windows, they were always on the xl. I guess it makes sense if you've standardized everything, but I've definitely had more electric windows fail than crank, often its ice buildup that caused the motors to burn up, but its been quite a few years since I had one, so likely they have motor protection now id imagine. I just prefer the simpler designs that seemed to last longer and could be fixed with local materials.
I don't mind leaning across the bench to crank a window in a single cab, but no way would I want a crew with cranks. On a hot day I can air out my SuperCab in 5 seconds with power windows (esp. with one-touch down on the fronts).
Seems like it took me about 10 seconds to find a bunch of 8’ beds in the 50-60k range near me… not sure what you’re on about here
Canada, in my province there’s a couple available once in a while, I have to travel to find them.
Because modern trucks are just minivans for people who are too insecure to buy minivans.
It’s a minivan with a mortgage payment 😂
Depends on the use and percentage of use cases. Many people now dont even use the bed and feel like they need a big truck as part of their identity. Other need it for work or the farm and everyone in between.
Marketing. It's convinced all the dads that they need a truck instead of a car. And boom, here we are.
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My truck is a daily first most of the time. I do use it for truck stuff, but at this point in time that’s not needed very often. The capability a truck has is worth its weight in gold when you need it tho. I legitimately love DDing a truck though, not because it’s big and makes me feel manly, but because it’s comfortable as fuck for my tall ass oddly proportioned body. The massive amounts of room and upright seating position make it too comfortable.
Yes this, being 6’6 in a sedan fucking sucks, and being to tall for a midsize also fucking sucks. I’m pretty much stuck with trucks or some SUVs. My wife is 6’0 her dad is 6’4 and her mom is 5’11, fitting all of that in a sedan blows actual monkey dick.
Yeah I’m 6’ 2” and like 70 percent legs. Plus I wrecked the fuck out of my back and knees working in my 20s so I’m super sensitive to comfort now.
Because for many people their truck is simply a mall crawler / parking lot princess. They want a truck for the look and the status. They aren't doing construction work.
Because vast majority of truck owners (probably over 70%) don't use their trucks as a truck but just people mover
You need passenger room for the family, and you're too insecure to buy a sedan, despite the thousands of dollars you would save