Long bed or short bed?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 889
Likes: 38
Sounds like if you tow a lot and heavy then LB dually is the way to go. But if you are like me and daily drive it, in the city and have to park it, anywhere, then a short bed is easier.
Put in a slider and a aux or an aftermarket under belly tank and your fuel issues are solved.
Put in a slider and a aux or an aftermarket under belly tank and your fuel issues are solved.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Thank y'all for the info. I currently have a 99 1/2 ton ext can long bed. I love having the extra space but have been thinking about a short bed for ease of parking and turning. I have never owned a 5th wheel/gooseneck so was unsure if the bed length made any difference.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 889
Likes: 38
Ouch!
I have a SB with a slider just so I don't have the same fate. My 5er has the rounded nose so turning sharply even in tow position hasn't been an issue.
RDS 33 gal aux tank in the bed has cured the small tank blues.
The LB Dually is just too long and wide,
, for a daily driver, in rush hour traffic with parking in a parking garage.
I have a SB with a slider just so I don't have the same fate. My 5er has the rounded nose so turning sharply even in tow position hasn't been an issue.
RDS 33 gal aux tank in the bed has cured the small tank blues.
The LB Dually is just too long and wide,
, for a daily driver, in rush hour traffic with parking in a parking garage.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 27,350
Likes: 5,945
From: Lake Hartwell, GA
I now own a 2011 Montana High Country 313RE with a 45 gallon below the bed rails fuel tank giving me 75 gallons of fuel. I get 12 MPG with the trailer and 18.5 MPG without the trailer hand calculated.
We are capable of making nearly 90 degree turns with the 5th wheel on our 2000 F-250 short bed single wheel truck.
Get the truck that fits your situation, that is all I can say. No two scenarios will be the same because of truck, hitch, height, trailer and fuel capacity differences.
The best advice I can offer you is to take your time and just remember that the truck will not always be connected to the trailer. Can you get to the destinations you traveled to in the truck you are planning to purchase?
My truck is a 2000 F-250 short bed with a 45 gallon tank in the bed that sits below the rails with an Andersen hitch. Fuel is not an issue, turning is not an issue and I can tell you when you go to downtown Charleston to see the sites, it is a hell of a lot easier to park a short bed truck than a long bed dually.
We are capable of making nearly 90 degree turns with the 5th wheel on our 2000 F-250 short bed single wheel truck.
Get the truck that fits your situation, that is all I can say. No two scenarios will be the same because of truck, hitch, height, trailer and fuel capacity differences.
The best advice I can offer you is to take your time and just remember that the truck will not always be connected to the trailer. Can you get to the destinations you traveled to in the truck you are planning to purchase?
My truck is a 2000 F-250 short bed with a 45 gallon tank in the bed that sits below the rails with an Andersen hitch. Fuel is not an issue, turning is not an issue and I can tell you when you go to downtown Charleston to see the sites, it is a hell of a lot easier to park a short bed truck than a long bed dually.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 618
Likes: 6
The best advice I can offer you is to take your time and just remember that the truck will not always be connected to the trailer. Can you get to the destinations you traveled to in the truck you are planning to purchase?
My truck is a 2000 F-250 short bed with a 45 gallon tank in the bed that sits below the rails with an Andersen hitch. Fuel is not an issue, turning is not an issue and I can tell you when you go to downtown Charleston to see the sites, it is a hell of a lot easier to park a short bed truck than a long bed dually.
We fulltime, and typically move once or twice a month. The rest of the time the truck is running around unhitched doing grocery runs, touristy stuff, National Parts etc or the occasional 4WD fire road - the short bed is far superior for this kind of thing. We solved the range thing with a 50 gallon titan tank ( best $1400 ever) - still trying to convince her to get a auto sliding hitch after the window incident..
Point is you can do it in a shortbed, but it will cost you. Figure $1500 for a tank and $1500 for a auto sliding hitch like a superglide to just come up to par on the long bed's native abilities. That said you gain the maneuverability, ease of driving, and parking of the SB.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,644
Likes: 4,733
From: Itinerant
This is why we went that route - the lady can and likes driving the SB (all 5'0" of her haha). She didn't seem nearly as comfortable when test driving the duallys, but you get used to everything.
We fulltime, and typically move once or twice a month. The rest of the time the truck is running around unhitched doing grocery runs, touristy stuff, National Parts etc or the occasional 4WD fire road - the short bed is far superior for this kind of thing. We solved the range thing with a 50 gallon titan tank ( best $1400 ever) - still trying to convince her to get a auto sliding hitch after the window incident..
Point is you can do it in a shortbed, but it will cost you. Figure $1500 for a tank and $1500 for a auto sliding hitch like a superglide to just come up to par on the long bed's native abilities. That said you gain the maneuverability, ease of driving, and parking of the SB.
We fulltime, and typically move once or twice a month. The rest of the time the truck is running around unhitched doing grocery runs, touristy stuff, National Parts etc or the occasional 4WD fire road - the short bed is far superior for this kind of thing. We solved the range thing with a 50 gallon titan tank ( best $1400 ever) - still trying to convince her to get a auto sliding hitch after the window incident..
Point is you can do it in a shortbed, but it will cost you. Figure $1500 for a tank and $1500 for a auto sliding hitch like a superglide to just come up to par on the long bed's native abilities. That said you gain the maneuverability, ease of driving, and parking of the SB.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 27,350
Likes: 5,945
From: Lake Hartwell, GA
Each situation is different and you can damage the cab/window of a long bed truck with a 5th wheel trailer too if you are not paying attention. Hell, you can damage the cab of a tractor trailer too and they were literally designed to pull large trailers. It is not fair to assume that just because someone tows a 5th wheel with a short bed truck that they will have to buy the "occasional rear window".
OP, buy what suits your needs the best because it is your money, time and life.
OP, buy what suits your needs the best because it is your money, time and life.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,399
Likes: 12
The 2016 f350 lwb I rest drove was WAY smoother than the 2016 f350 swb. I know will be a little harder to park, but if the ride difference is the same, I'll get a lwb 2017 f350.
I figure on average, I drive 45 minutes each trip and spend less than 30 seconds parking. 1% parking, 99% driving. I think I'll optimize the 99%
I figure on average, I drive 45 minutes each trip and spend less than 30 seconds parking. 1% parking, 99% driving. I think I'll optimize the 99%
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,644
Likes: 4,733
From: Itinerant
Each situation is different and you can damage the cab/window of a long bed truck with a 5th wheel trailer too if you are not paying attention. Hell, you can damage the cab of a tractor trailer too and they were literally designed to pull large trailers. It is not fair to assume that just because someone tows a 5th wheel with a short bed truck that they will have to buy the "occasional rear window".
OP, buy what suits your needs the best because it is your money, time and life.
OP, buy what suits your needs the best because it is your money, time and life.
mrgrayaz caught the humor. Yes, sheet can happen to all.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 27,350
Likes: 5,945
From: Lake Hartwell, GA
Humor is not always conveyed properly in text format and perhaps I took it the wrong way. I understood it as if you have a short bed and pull a 5th wheel, prepare to buy rear windows occasionally. This is simply not true and any vehicle towing a 5th wheel has the possibility to be damaged based on the skill and attention span of the driver.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Come on guys, short versus long is a multi-faceted personal choice just like gas vs diesel. We tow with a dually diesel long bed and had our reasons for our choice. But, any time we are not towing it is a cumbersome pig that half the time makes parking a challenge. Everyone has their priorities.
My two cents worth,
Steve
My two cents worth,
Steve
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,671
Likes: 372
We use a long bed to pull our fiver. If I didn't have other uses for our pickup, we'd have a class C and tow a small car behind it for sight seeing trips and such. Sometimes parking a full size pickup is just a pain.
