Ok, finally found the truck and options I want with the dealer today. Vehicle is about 600mi away but at least we found one. Lariat 4X4 EB SCREW, only thing is it is a 5 1/2 bed vice a 6 1/2.

I wonder what you owners think about the 12" difference? Pro/Con? I tried to compare my 8ft bed with tool box & rod holder bracket, actually leaves me right now with about the same amount of cargo space. Is it really that much of a difference? Anybody wish they went with a 6 1/2 vice a 5 1/2? My choice is either go with the 5 1/2 2011 or order a 2012 and "hope" there are some incentives when it delivers. By the way, I don't plan on a tool box on the new truck.

 

My old 2002 SCrew was a 5.5 bed and I could barely fit my Quad with the tail gate down. I had to go with a SCab in 05 for the bigger bed until my 2010 crew. I guess it comes down to if you can live with the smaller bed, go for it.

 

I think the screw with the 6.5' bed is a very long truck and likely not parking lot friendly. I bought the scab so I could comfortably get the 6.5' bed. If I had bought an screw, it would have been a 5.5' bed. That's only my opinion.

 

It is very hard around here MN/SD to find a screw with a 6.5 bed
I am kinda thinking about the 6.5 just to store all my landscaping supplies in it.
The wife and I are going to the dealer on Saturday to test drive and talk prices on a F-250/350 MAYBE but if it dont work out for sure the F-150 will. We need the 250/350 6.7 for towing but the price difference is hard i guess we are still thinking about it and hopefully know more Saturday.

 

Tim,

I agree, comparing my regular cab 8' bed side by side, the SCREW with a 6.5 is about 2.5' longer. My truck now is bad enough in parking lots, imagining 2+feet in additional length is only worse.

Wheelbases between 5.5 and my regular cab are just about the same, the SCREW 5.5 at 145" is afew inches longer than my regular cab. I tow a boat and maneuvering in my yard is really tight, adding 2' in length and nealry that much in wheelbase to what I have now will be that much more of a pain.

THere are a few 6.5 beds here and I drove one, definately got the sense it was much longer especially just driving in and out of the dealer lot.

The SCREW cab is really the important part, I've got to have that additional backseat and all the room based on the traveling we do. This vehicle will take the place of my wife's SUV for trips so we need that space/comfort.



I'm leaning towards the 5.5 right now.

Just want to

 

If you do get the 6-1/2' bed, try to get the backup camera or at least the sensors.

I love my S. crew with the 6-1/2' bed (147" WB), but it can definitely be a challenge to park in 'smaller' areas.

 

Even with my Scab, parking lots like Lowes and Home Depot, (which should be truck friendly) are a challenge.

I find myself parking against a curb if possible and I have to walk a mile if my wife isn't with me as she has a permanent handicap tag.

 

I have a 2011 Screw with 5.5 bed mainly because it was already really long in this config and at this length just barely fits in my garage. I wouldn't be able to park a 6.5 Screw in my garage and parking owuld be a nightmare for me with added length IMO.

 

I'm going to chime in although I'm just in a lowly 2006
In 15 months of ownership, I've only found two instances when the extra foot would have been nice. The first being when I was hauling yard timbers...at 12 feet long each. With the gate down it was fine, but another foot would have given me some additional peace of mind that I wasn't going to lose any on the way home. The second when I was loaded to the gills with tree bits last week. We took down a 40' fruit tree in my front yard and the extra foot of box capacity might have lead me to make one trip, instead of two, to the dump.
Neither time would a 6.5' box been absolutely necessary, and honestly, daily living with the 5.5' box is much easier.

 

Heres my .02.

I will be going with a screw with the 5.5ft bed. First of the 5.5 looks much better than the 6.5 on a Screw truck.

The capacity of the bed is an issue for most. But for me its not due to the fact that i tow a trailer 90% of the time im using my truck for work. If i need to haul my atv's i have an enclosed trailer. If im hauling wood,dirt, rock i have a open flat trailer i use. So basically there isnt much that i would just put in the bed of the pickup. The ocasional motorcycle or tools is all really.

Something that people should consider when buying a truck, is how much they actually plan to haul, or if they will be towing more often.

 

Having owned both 5.5 and 6.5. I'll admit that 6.5 on supercrew is really long, making parking and turning U turn harder. More I practice, it gets better, just park all the way have tire contact curb.
The biggest dread on 5.5 was that I couldn't camp on it comfortable using fiberglass cap with my 6'4" height. I owned a 98 Supercab (needless to say, it has 6.5) with tall shell cap, and I sleep in it pretty often during my scouting trips and few times during hunting trips in warmer area such as Southern NM. I lost all that with 5.5 bed.
Now with 6.5 bed, I get to hold more gears while towing my travel trailer. Such as firewood, shovel, axe, gasolines, portable gas grill, additional propane tank, spare tire for travel trailer, portable water tank, etc comfortably. Oh, more importantly, fresh kill wildlife along all that traveling back home.
Ok ok.... each person have different needs. My need was greater with 6.5 bed.

 

I thought the screw with the 6.5' bed has a 157" WB. No? That's what I just recently ordered.

 

I agree with you on the looks, I also like the 5.5' bed looks better.
The 6.5' bed is better for towing though as well, simply because of the longer WB. That will make the rig much more stable and resistant to sway. So the longer truck is actually better for both towing & hauling.
But: I agree with what most have said about the better maneuverability of the 5.5' also.

I'll have to live with the disadvantages of the longer bed as I just ordered a screw with the 157" WB. But I am sure I'll also enjoy the advantages (better hauling & towing). To be honest: I mainly ordered the 6.5' bed because that's the only way I could get the HD payload package with the screw. And that again improves towing / hauling significantly. Most people who tow a TT should actually have that HD payload package, or step up to the F250.

 

food for thought

5.5 bed with tailgate down is a RCH from being exactly 8' long. that honestly is more than enough space for 90% of people out there. I was fine with it for >3 yrs

 

I don't carry a lot of mass often so for hauling stuff both 5.5 and 6.5 worked pretty well for me. But carry my snow skis or a bicycle and it's hands down 6.5. Sure in the 5.5 the skis fit diagonally and the bike can be made to fit but those items then consume most of the bed space. Throw in a second set of skis and a snowboard and the 5.5 becomes inadequate for my needs. At the end of the day I need to be able to keep the wet stuff and the dry stuff separated. In my 01 SC I could put 5 moutain bikes side by side with the tailgate closed. In my 06 screw two bikes required strategic placement. More than two bikes requires some disassembly(take the front wheels off). Really its a matter of convenience and I would take the convenience of the 6.5 bed over the additional parking/manuevering issues. Then again I don't have a garage so there would be no issue with not fitting in a garage. I have always parked as far away from the storefront as possible so parking wouldn't change much for me - i will drop the wife in front in bad weather(i even come to a complete stop when letting her out) As far as driving it I think you would adjust to the length quickly.

just my 0.2