If you plan to take it down trails, I'd surely pick a short bed. Around here there's a lot of tight trails that I can barely fit my Cherokee down. My 250 super cab long bed would never have a chance.

If you're just planning on hitting some mud or logging roads or something, the extra length really won't matter.

 

Thats whats nice about the 250/350 of this body style. No air bags so you can ram parked cars and not have to worry about it blowing up in your face.

 

I've got a short bed and dual tanks. Fits the 4 wheeler perfectly (When I had it.) Also fits a lot of stuff even with the gate up.

I think if I had a long bed, I would be seriously stuck with backing it in to every parking spot as I do now. Your steering radius would also suffer a little with the long bed.

 

If you are going to carry anything go for the long bed. That extra couple feet helps when you have a full load. IMHO the long beds look better. I've never had any problems driving in town, most of my off roading is on old logging roads. Usually cutting firewood, hunting or just just driving around the woods.

 

The long beds don't look bad, but it is no contest that the short beds look better, in 4x4 trim the short bed looks much much better. For being able to put bigger stuff in them, the long bed wins every time.

 

I far prefer the long bed for all the reasons mentioned. BUT, there is one gotcha to owning a longbed.

If you have a supercab, extended cab, or crew cab WITH a long bed, it will be hard to find a shop that can do a 4 wheel alignment. Most shops do not have a long enough machine to do it right and can only do a front end alignment. I had to call quite a few shops before I found one.

IF I recall, the rear end just needs a thrust angle alignment but it can make a difference in how your truck tracks and wears.

Just my experience with my F250 Supercab longbed.

Jim Henderson

 

I've owned an extended cab long bed and currently own an extended cab short bed. (Never have owned a standard cab). Now, in my opinion, I prefer the looks of a shortbed. However, I don't do much "work" with my truck. When I did use it for hauling it was usually scrap metal and I was handicaped a little by the loss of a few feet. I think the long boxes look a little funky to me and awkward to drive, but that's just my opinion, after all.

To the pro's and con's, though.

As aforementioned, long box pickup's haul a helluva lot more stuff. So if you're planning on using it for work, construction, ect, definitely go for a long box. But if you're like me and do donuts with your truck and barrell up ATV trails... go for a short box. They handle a little bit better offroad. Although, I probably prefer them because I use to own a Bronco. I love a short wheel base. Flip a bitch on a dime and lay some rubber down. Heh.

In the end, as mentioned previously, it all depends on what you like and how you're going to use it.

 

Is this true with all trucks of this body style because I thought my 97 F-250 had a driver side airbag.
I agree, my truck is 2WD so I don't do any wheeling. A toolbox doesn't go all the way down to the bed floor so you can still haul stuff under the toolbox like I do.
I work with my trucks too...wood hauling, scrap hauling, etc. You can always haul a trailer with a short bed but that can be a pain too. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without a long bed.

 

He wants a 4x4, so dual tanks wasn't an option on the 92-96 RC SB.

 

HAHAHA.....Its not the size, its how you use it!

Hmmmm....this is interesting because I work in an alignment/tire shop and we have NEVER done a 4wheel alignment on a truck (or any vehicle with a solid rear axle).......theres no adjustment in the rear, and you set the thrust angle with the front using the rear as a standard....they might be using a different alignment program, but you might want to check just to make sure

 

Long bed is the way to go...........someday you will need that extra space.
Even my Ranger has a 7ft bed!

 

i guess im an odd ball here lol cause i like the looks of a short bed better if its with the regular cab. i have a regular cab f150 w/short bed with a tool box in the bed, and i can tell ya i wont be hauling much..but my truck is going to be more for looks anyway though. the long bed does sound more appealing to you for hauling and theyre more common too. i believe you have it figured out by wanting to go with the long bed?

 

well it seems a though most have said pretty much what im going to :P i love the looks of a short box...much like a hot bodied blonde.....looks good till you need something other than play:P

love my long box ive hauled so much stuff with this thing its not even funny, i had a short box dodge and what i can tell you is this, yeah a short box can haul a sheet of plywood with the gate down, but when it comes to longer stuff, say you need to take a 16' ladder or a bunch of 16' boards or whatever, a 6 foot box just wont cut it, or if you gotta go get a load of sand or gravel, that extra 2 feet may be the difference in 2 trips or 1 trip

 

"Hmmmm....this is interesting because I work in an alignment/tire shop and we have NEVER done a 4wheel alignment on a truck (or any vehicle with a solid rear axle).......theres no adjustment in the rear, and you set the thrust angle with the front using the rear as a standard....they might be using a different alignment program, but you might want to check just to make sure "
__________________

I thought it was a little odd myself at the time since I had never heard that a RWD car needed a rear alignment. But when I started calling around, all the shops made a point to tell me they could only do a front alignment and that if I wanted it done right I should find a shop with the longer wheelbase equipment. I eventually found a shop that had one, but it was very difficult. At that time I was living in Portland Oregon. I think the shop that did have the gear was named something like Granatellis or something like that starting with a G in Hillboro. Might be a Les Schwab franchise.

Wild guess is that either the F250 4wd long bed has extra alignments required or maybe because the thrust angle is referenced from the rear axle, you need a long machine to use the reference points.

Don't know. But like I said all the reputable shops told me I had to find a shop with the right equipment to do a complete job.

Haven't needed to align my truck since then so I haven't tried to check around in the So Cal Area.

Just my experience,

Jim Henderson

 

AHA! Yeah, I see what you mean now....yeah, we have wireless heads with laser measuring, so its never been an issue for us..