Hey guys...Yes I need to get to 25 posts but this is a truely curious question. I have been in the military for close to 15 years and moved all over the good old USA. Been a Ford guy all my life (by family) and never shopped at another dealership. Here is my question, When I am stationed out west 8 foot beds are easy to come by no matter what Ford model your shopping for. When I am out east (like now) the 6 3/4 are about all you can find unless you want a bench seat straight work truck. Anyone else encountered this or am I alone?????

 

It depends on where specifically in those areas you are talking about. Here in Ohio most dealers that are closer to urban areas stock mostly short beds. The dealer out where I work stocks mostly long beds with some DRW's, but they also stock a good selection of short beds. They are out in a rural farming town though.

Welcome to FTE by the way. Get the truck you want, if you have to order it to stay at the dealership you buy from then go that route. If you can bite the bullet and buy from other dealers then find the truck you want and go get it. That's what I did - and it took 1300 miles to drive it home. Enjoy!

 

Thanks and I'm already behind the 8 ball. I traded in my 08 6.4 8 foot bed for the 2011 6.7 with 6 3/4. I have ATV's and a travel trailer and when I load my atv I can barely fit a piece of notebook paper in the back let alone anything else. But i went with it and now I have to trade in our TT for a 5th wheel toy hauler (wink) and my fiance is not smiling... Beyond that I was just curious about bed size and location. In fact when I traded mine in dealer told me 8 footers are worth less east of the Mississippi. And we know salesman are always honest.......

 

I agree. Lot's of gentleman trucks in VA too. Only 1 F250 4x4 diesel long bed at my nearest dealers; there are a couple dozen short beds. I will just order when the time comes.

 

Maybe I am aside from the norm, which wouldn't be the first time, but I would prefer a short bed truck. Thats what my 2010 was and it was just the right size truck. I didn't expect to be getting a new truck less than a year later, but I lost the 2010 in an accident. The way Ford packages the navigation system starting in 2011 is it is mostly included in with the Lariat Ultimate package. Due to my roll-over accident the last thing I wanted was a moon roof. So I searched all over the US to find a truck that had navigation without a moon roof, as well as a few other requirements (no chrome package...). I just happened to find mine in Texas and it was a long bed. I sacrificed the long bed for the rest. I do like the range with the 37.5 gallon tank though. It hurts at the pump, but I can go over a week on a tank most of the time. I am also used to the length now.

My main issue with a long bed is it is a pain in the rear for daily driving. If I was pulling a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer all the time that wouldn't be an issue, but I drive my truck day in and day out. A cap on the bed (roof height or higher) would do me more good than a long bed. I am still going to get a cap (Leer 180 most likely), I just don't need the extra length.

After driving it for a few months I am used to it and I have to say the extra fuel capacity is GREAT.

 

I searched 3 states to find my long bed from western NY, yes I agree, there seems to be more SB's available than longbeds in the east.

Max

 

I agree. 6 3/4 looks better stock height but with a leveling kit or lift the 8 foot look much better. However, for functionality which is what i am after i should have held out for the 8 foot bed. I got every option I wanted and some I didnt...I LOVE my truck and in 44 years when I trade it in Ill go with the 8 footer!!!!

 

Here in the Phoenix market the short bed length is the norm, Since I wanted the long bed I had to special order it.
azkingranch
2011 F350 KR LB SRW FX4 Golden Bronze Metallic

 

It seems my salesman is a little less FOS than I thought. There is some truth to bed size and location...

 

My salesman tried to talk me into many short beds, especially if they were on his lot, I held out though.

I agree that the lifted 8' boxes look nice.

Max

 

I saw a guy today that had an 8' bed. But, he didn't have the full rear size seats and he had much smaller rear doors. I will sacrifice 1 1/4 feet of bed space for my full size rear seats and cab. Probably because I'm towing a toy hauler and a bass boat.

 

Here is the answer to your ATV challenge:



Check out Truck Bed Covers and Tonneau Covers : DiamondBack Truck Covers

 

You need to show that in action - with ramps and the ATV sitting on top Cool idea. I've seen something similar. It seems like it would be a bit top heavy, but maybe you can comment on the stability? Unless that is a stock picture off the 'net and not your truck?

 

It's my truck but it is not set up to haul ATVs. I have had 1200 lbs. of building materials on the top (rated for 1600) and felt no change in the truck's performance.

DiamondBack sells the necessary side rails and ramps to get 2 ATVs up on the short bed. On their site they actually show a number of the trucks carrying ATVs and I believe they also are affiliated with one of the ATV shows.

I'm in the process of going from a TT to a 5th and will need to remove it for the summer months.

 

Not all short beds are gentlemen's trucks. Some of us non-gentlemen just happen to not want trucks exceeding 21 feet in length. I've had short beds now for 6 years and won't go back to a long bed, except with a standard cab, but I won't go back to a standard cab either, so it looks like short beds from now on. However, in '05 when I downsized to my first short bed since high school, after having had long bed trucks for almost 40 years, it took a while to get used to the short bed.

Yeah, it's hard enough to fit and turn the short bed into a lot of places around Phoenix, let alone the long bed. For my '11 F350, I went back to the same rural dealer we've been buying Fords from for over 40 years and had to special order it because all he had in stock was white F250 CC short beds. Seems like his farming customers like lighter, whiter, and shorter.

Joe