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02-19-2020, 12:26 PM #1
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Short bed vs long bed for fifth wheel?
We just bought a Reflections237 fifth wheel. We’re going to buy a new truck and we were going to order a long bed which might be easier to back up in tight turns. But long beds seem extremely uncommon in the rv parks we’ve been in. Is there a reason why everyone has short beds?
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02-19-2020, 12:40 PM #2
Because they do not know any better? Just guessing.....
You need just over 4 feet of space from pin center to edge of cab. Trailer is over 8 feet across. No way to get the needed clearance with a short bed truck. Technology
in hitches has made it possible to tow with a short bed truck, but not optimal, at all....
all my opinion...
And a long bed tows better, hands down...More weight in front of the rear axle, keeps the load balanced better...2017 F350 Lariat, Dual rear wheels
2017 GD 311BHS
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02-19-2020, 01:14 PM #3
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Well not everyone has a short bed, and long beds do not necessarily turn sharper than short beds, depends on the truck. Some Ford trucks I hear have a better turning radius than Ram or GM.
Most full time RVers that we hang around with have long beds. Most that go full time, and did not already have a short bed truck they had used for combined purposes, opted for purchasing the long bed truck for full time RV hauling. For us going full time, we had to buy a new truck and we were only going to buy a new truck once! Cotton picking things are expensive! We wanted a long bed because we do not want to mess with a slider hitch and we have a big in bed tool box which might get switched out to an aux fuel tank. No room in a short bed for that, eventually all our truck will do is haul the RV across country. Just my observation but in the full time RV community that we hang with the main difference is SRW Vs DRW in the long bed variety.
Some people use their truck for daily commute driving or other things so they opt for the short bed, more practical for their combined needs.
I will add this, parking a long bed beast can end up being a pain. We went to the Austin RV show last weekend and the gravel parking lot wasn't very crowded when we went in. We came back to our truck several hours later and the lot was jammed full parking way too close to other vehicles. Took me forever to back and maneuver our long bed DRW beast out of the space we were in, but I would rather have it than not.Last edited by Steven@147; 02-19-2020 at 01:26 PM.
Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel
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02-19-2020, 01:18 PM #4
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The long bed will make turning a no-brainer (no worries about hitting the cab) with any hitch you like. Secondly, for Ford, the long-beds get a bigger fuel tank. If I was buying primarily for towing, I'd get a long bed. It's the mixed-use folks (daily driver plus towing) that struggle the most with this decision.
2017 F-350 CCSB 6.7L
2021 Micro Minnie 2100BH
previously - Reflection 28BH, Intech Pursue
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02-19-2020, 01:22 PM #5
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Welcome to the forum Kerryscottsdale! Lots of good info here.
We tow a Reflection 303RLS with a Silverado 3500 short bed with a fixed (non-sliding) B&W Companion hitch. I have never had an issue where I can’t get into or out of a spot. I cannot turn 90 degrees but so far I haven’t needed to. Just need to be very aware when turning tight.
Given a choice, I would have preferred a long bed truck but it wouldn’t fit in my garage.
MarkMark & Megan & Levi (our floppy eared four legged furry friend)
2019 Reflection 303RLS
2019 Chevy Silverado 3500HD Duramax
B & W Companion
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02-19-2020, 01:55 PM #6
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Another vote for long bed. Better towing experience. No need for slider hitch or constantly watching the cab-to-trailer clearance while backing. It also leaves more room if you buy a tool box or extra fuel tank. I used to tow with a short bed. Short beds are popular because they are easier to drive around when not towing.
2019 Momentum 351M, Disc Brakes, Roadmaster Slipper Springs/shocks
2018 F-450 Ruby Red
B&W 25K Hitch
2015 H-D Road Glide CVO / B&W Biker Bar
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02-19-2020, 02:09 PM #7
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One of the biggest complaints about a long bed is the difficulty in parking. We have a long bed crew cab dually, about as big a pick-up as you can get. We have found it's far easier to park and leave a parking space if we just back in instead of pulling in frontward. Just the voice of experience. Oh, and BTW... The truck is my wife's daily driver, not mine, and she handles it like a pro!
John2018 Silverado LTZ 3500HD CC LB 4X4 DRW Duramax/Allison
2019 Momentum 381M w/Full Body Paint
2016 Can Am Spyder F3 Limited Special Series
2017 Can Am Outlander 1000 XT-P
2016 Wrangler Hard Rock Unlimited
1997 Bayliner Capri 1950 affectionately named Skinnydipper
MSgt, USAF (Ret)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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02-19-2020, 02:15 PM #8
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Brian & Kellie
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, FBP, 1,460w solar, 540ah BBGC3, MORryde IS w/disc brakes
2020 F-350 Platinum SRW Powerstroke Tremor, 60g TF fuel tank, Hensley BD3-F air bag hitch
Previous setups:
2019 Solitude 373FB-R, 2019 F-350 Platinum DRW Powerstroke, Hensley BD5 air bag hitch
2016 Reflection 318RST, 2016 GMC 3500 Denali SRW Duramax, Hensley BD3 air bag hitch
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02-19-2020, 02:40 PM #9
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2018 Silverado LTZ 3500HD CC LB 4X4 DRW Duramax/Allison
2019 Momentum 381M w/Full Body Paint
2016 Can Am Spyder F3 Limited Special Series
2017 Can Am Outlander 1000 XT-P
2016 Wrangler Hard Rock Unlimited
1997 Bayliner Capri 1950 affectionately named Skinnydipper
MSgt, USAF (Ret)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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02-19-2020, 02:43 PM #10
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Brian & Kellie
2020 Solitude 310GK-R, FBP, 1,460w solar, 540ah BBGC3, MORryde IS w/disc brakes
2020 F-350 Platinum SRW Powerstroke Tremor, 60g TF fuel tank, Hensley BD3-F air bag hitch
Previous setups:
2019 Solitude 373FB-R, 2019 F-350 Platinum DRW Powerstroke, Hensley BD5 air bag hitch
2016 Reflection 318RST, 2016 GMC 3500 Denali SRW Duramax, Hensley BD3 air bag hitch
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