I have the 6.5 bed my buddy has the 5.5 bed both have 6" lift and 35" tires and he always is saying I wish I got the 6.5 bed I like the looks better. And can fit more stuff in the bed.

 

I have the 6.5 foot and my brother has the 5.5 foot bed. The only difference I saw was when loading stuff and needing the tailgate up. When we loaded some bailed straw, I was able to fit more with the 6.5 foot bed. Other than the straw, he can do anyting I can. Anything else and you either need straps or a trailer.

Another consideration is the maneuverability. I thought it was negligable until I drove our trucks back to back. His turns much easier and in a much tighter area. Not by much, but it is noticable.

Looks is purely subjective. I like the look of the 6.5 footer. YMMV

 

I'm with the 6.5 crowd as well...

I've had my Screw for almost 6 months now, and I've never had a problem with maneuvering it. As stated before, it IS too long for many parking spots, so you almost always are sticking out, but this has never bothered me too much.

One big reason that has not been mentioned is the ability to control a tow. The extra wheel base goes a long way to control sway in some large trailers. Also, it handles high tongue weights better because there is more leverage holding the front end down, meaning you retain more steering control while towing.

I've towed about 7,000 lbs with mine, and that was on a 500 mile trip, and it handled it like a champ.

 

Parking in a garage becomes more of an issue with the 6.5'.

That being said I would opt for the 6.5' bed. After owning both I found the 6.5' more functional when carrying skis and /or bikes. I could put five mtn bikes without taking off the wheels in my 01 supercab. More than two fit better with the wheels off in my 06 w/ 5.5'. As for skis I could carry 3-5 pair laying down one side of the 6.5' bed. The 5.5' requires the skis lay diagonally- which usually covers stuff- and can be an issue at the end of the day when the skis are covered with snow.

Tim

It all depends on how you'll use the bed.

 

Are there any plans to offer a crew cab with an 8' bed?

 

That's a very good question. I believe the Titan is offering a long bed option, albeit it's not going to be an 8'er.

-rockstate

 

i agree, modular building materials means anything short of 8' is a compromise, and with the tailgate down on the 5.5' bed, it's only just shy of 8' anyway

another thing to consider is that for the payload linear space you gain with the 6.5' bed, you lose rated weight capacity, ie the 5.5' bed has a higher payload rating

that being said, i probably should have bought a 6.5' so i could sleep in the back without lying diagonally! and to more readily fit a slide-in camper

...but i digress, lessons learned: from here on out for me, it's 3/4-1 ton and 8' bed! although i'm quite impressed with the rear suspension of my pickup, there are occasions when i could save time and $$ hauling stuff with a long bed 1 ton--like making 3 60-mile roundtrip runs to the landfill to dump 2.5 tons of brick...i had one load weigh in at 2400lbs, filled to the top of my bed and it handle it fantastic (didn't realize until i got to the scales how overloaded i was because the rear sagged so little)

 

Has anyone checked re-sale of the 5.5 vs the 6.5? Not sure if NADA would be up on this or not but I think it may be easier to get rid of the 6.5 later down the road?

 

I had a 05 screw with the 5.5 bed. I liked the way it handled and drove. I couldnt put my king quad in it but that is what I have the trailer for. I traded it in on a 04 F350 srw withthe 8' bed. Now that can be a pain to park and takes 2 acres to turn around. I love my superduty tho. It pulls my travel trailer much better than my screw did. I did like my F150 also. It was just time to upgrade to a diesel.

 

I've got a 07 SC Lariat wtih the 6.5 bed. Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I think it really boils down to choosing between functionality verses looks.

Here in Oklahoma your not suppost to have anything sticking out of the back of the bed more than 4 feet. I had to ask a friend to haul some lumber for me a few days ago. He has an extended cab '06 F150 with an 8' bed on it. It sure is ugly but I didn't say anything while he was doing me a favor.

 

I have a SCAB with the 6.5' bed and love it. I have a tool box and can still fit a quad or dirt bike with the tailgate down. As far as looks I think I like the 5.5' better but its not a huge deal to me.

 

HI,
I have a 6.6 and not sure if i could adjust to a 5.5. But seems like the 5.5 is sure popular.

 

When I went in to the dealer the 5.5' wasn't even an option. I figured I was getting a truck and I wanted the bigger size bed. Parking can be tough for me though.

 

When ever someone gives me crap about my parking I just look right at them and tell them... Yea ! I could get into one spot if I wasn't so f-in Drunk! They always seem to leave me alone after that.
I love my long bed I have a retrax cover on it and still have plenty of room for my family of four's extra camping essentials ie: bikes, bbq, coolers etc...