8 Facts about 2004-2014 F-150 SuperCab Extra Short Bed
Did you know that in 2004 Ford created a unique truck by combining a bigger cab, and a shorter bed, on a shorter frame? These SuperCab trucks were as easy to park and maneuver in urban areas as a regular cab, regular bed, and had a usable back seat.
1. Unique Wheelbase, Unique Frame
You might think that making these "Super Shorty" trucks was just a matter of dropping an extended cab on the regular cab frame, and bolting down the shorter SuperCrew bed to the back, but that is not the case. The way the shorter regular cab frame is bent the longer SuperCab doesn't fit, because the frame kicks up, plus it is still too short. The regular cab trucks use a 126-inch wheelbase and are 212-inches long overall, while the new configuration makes a truck with a 133-inch wheelbase and 218-inch overall length.
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2. Suicide Doors and Seats for Six
The SuperCab shorty may not have quite the interior space of a Crown Victoria or a SuperCrew but it does have plenty of interior room, especially compared to the regular cab. Most trim levels featured split bench seats, front and rear, and are plenty wide for three across. The rear seat lacks legroom, as all extended cab trucks do, but the rear hinged door makes it easy to get into. If the person in the front seat is less than 6 feet tall, most adults can fit well enough back there too.
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3. Hitting the Sweet Spot
Trucks have been getting much more luxurious inside over the years, with all the features of a high-end car. Meanwhile, one of the best selling body styles for all brands is the crew cab with the abbreviated bed. Ford reasoned, there might be a guy looking for some more interior room, who was willing to sacrifice bed size for less weight and easier parking. Perhaps this was a sweet spot for sales success? Ford certainly was the only company selling this configuration.
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4. Your Aren't Seeing Things
The first time you see one of these trucks in the wild you may think you are hallucinating, but you are okay. As you can see in the above picture, the Super Shorty is easy to tell from the SuperCrew and the regular SuperCab. The SuperCab with the 6'6" bed has almost as much room between the cab and the rear wheel as it does between the rear of the cab and the rear edge of the front door. SuperCrew trucks often have the same 5'5" bed, but the rear door of the cab is hinged at the front and there is an external handle. Looking at the three trucks pictured, though, it is easy to see Ford used a longer front door on the SuperCab, which makes it only slightly shorter (6 inches) than the SuperCrew.
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5. Ford Further Confuses Things
The 11th generation of Ford F-series truck had some strange features, for instance, all of the trucks had 4 doors, even the regular cabs. As you can see in the picture, regular cab trucks used the short front door from the SuperCrew, with a tiny rear hinged door behind it to access the storage behind the seat. These can also be mistaken for extended cab trucks, but none of them have back seats or room for them. In 2009, when the similarly designed 12th generation was introduced they wisely went back to regular cab trucks with just 2 doors. Regular cab trucks are 6 inches shorter in length overall, no matter the generation.
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6. Stillen Builds a Muscle Truck
When Stillen started looking for a new project truck to show off their aftermarket parts in 2006, they choose the Super Shorty. It makes sense since the truck wouldn't ever be used to haul gravel in the bed but might need to haul more than 2 passengers. The SuperCab with the 5'5" bed is about 200 lbs less than the SuperCrew, and only about 200 lbs more than the regular cab, with more weight over the rear wheels than a regular cab too. You can read all about their trick truck right here.
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7. 2nd Generation Super Shorty
Ford made these trucks in pretty much all trim levels, with all motor options, and in 2 and 4 wheel drive from 2004 to 2008. Most of the trucks you see are from the first two years of production, and it may have only been a special order option from 2006 to 2008. In 2009 when the F-150 was freshened up and the 12th generation premiered, the SuperCab with the extra short bed was still in the order book. But from 2010 onward, it vanished...
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8. Raptor is Born
...only to be reborn. The 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor when it premiered was only offered in the SuperCab, short short bed configuration. Ford did this for several reasons: 1) the bed on the raptor is different from all the rest of the trucks, with flared sides to cover the big wheels 2) the shorter wheelbase and lower weight make it faster and quicker turning off-road. All the money in truck sales is in the crew cab and extended cab styles, so Ford made the Raptor in both a Super Shorty and a regular SuperCrew. Even the new 2017 Raptor is offered in both of these configurations.
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In order to keep your F150, or heavier payload F-series, in top running order, click into the how-to sections of Ford-Trucks.com