I'm looking to get a used F150 with a long bed but I am having difficulty find one. Is there any way I can decode the VIN and determine the size of the bed?

Thanks,

Stuart.

 

OK, lets make this easy...take a step back from the side of the truck and look at the bed legnth vs. cab legnth. On a swb truck, the bed will be the approximate legnth of the cab, conversely the bed of a long truck will be a couple of feet longer. Typically the LWB truck has an 8' bed. IN addition, take a look at the door sticker on the drivers side. It should tell the wheelbase. A SWB truck will have something like 117" and an LWB will be around 130". If all else fails, ask the owner the size of the fuel tank...ford LD trucks had a 16.5 gal fuel tank for the SWB and a 19 gal tank for the LWB. Hope that helps


Captain Tim Bland
1986 F150 SWB 4WD
300 I6 1bbl
3.08's
NP 205
4speed

 

Take a tape measure with ya when you go looking. Measure inside the bed lengthwise.

6'5" = short bed
8'+ = Long bed.

 

Bed length does not show up in the VIN, nor does wheelbase.

 

Umm....I think you are correct about the VIN, but as far as I have seen there is a direct relationship between WB and bed legnth. A long bed pickup with 117" WB would look pretty odd. Anybody else disagree??


Captain Tim Bland
1986 F150 LWB 4WD
300 I6 1bbl
3.08s
NP205
4speed

 

The 139" WB used for the "new" F150 (and new light duty F-250) is used for both LB and SB applications. The RC/LB uses the 139" WB, as does the SC/SB. Additionally, this WB is the only one that was available for the short-lived new light-duty F-250, and it's the only one available when specifying the 7700 lb pkg on the later F-150's.

 

Let's make this easy. Step back and look as mentioned before. If you have more bed in front of the rear axle than behind it, you have a long bed. If there's less in front, then you have a shortened short-bed (like the super crew). If it's about the same front and back, then you are looking at a short bed.

'00 F-250 XLT CC SB V-10 3.73LS Silver\Graphite