Longbed or Standard bed - pros, cons?

[Markb777]

While hooked up, do you have any room to spare up against the bulkhead/front of the bed? For example, I'd like to roll with 2 5-gallon jerry cans, 1 fuel, 1 water. Good habits from back in the Army days. Will those fit while trailering?

I have a GMC 3500 with the standard 6' box. I ski all winter and carry one 5 gal jerry can of diesel and one 30lb propane cylinder, both against the bulkhead with plenty of room to spare. Both are lashed down and locked to the hitch. I use a B&W turnover ball/companion and can make about a 70 degree turn without taking out the rear window. When I first got the setup I did many trials to see just how much angle I could get away with. So far haven't had any issues getting into sites including State parks. I camp in the Western US so the parks may have a bit more room than other parts of the Country.

Mark

[bhop56]

Hi all,
I've zeroed in on a handful of listings for our new TV.
2020 or '21 GMC or Chevy 3500hd SRW.
Going with this for the recent upgraded transmission and subsequent bump in capacities.

Initially I was looking for standard 6'11" beds as this will also be my daily vehicle. I work at home most of the time so don't need to drive a lot.
But the difference in beds is only about 13".

My brother has a 2020 3500 Denali and went long bed so he can fit a toolbox and few other things.

In a standard bed 5th wheel config, is there any room at all for storage at the front of the bed?
Did anyone else here ask this question and what did you go with?

We are going PT this year to ease into things, with the possibility of more FT, work permitting, as the year progresses. So my assumption is buy and configure the whole setup with an eye to FT, but keep things reasonable for PT also - hence why SRW and not the DRW

Seems to me that extra 13" is helpful for storage and not that big of a deal, 1ft longer... But a good buddy (2500hd, 27' Airstream) swears that 13" is a big difference. My intuition is he is smoking something, but he has been known to be right on occasion!!!

I'm not worried about squeezing it in a garage - this is all about comfort vs convenience.

Thanks,
Colin

--Probable Solitude 310 GK
--GMC/Chevy 3500hd

Long bed due to strong points pointed out by the others.

[Kevin.lanes]

Also, is that a slide hitch or standard fixed hitch? Looks like you're sitting a little further back, so I'd guess slide hitch with the standard bed might give some room?

Hey Colin,

Yes I load up the front of the truck before I head over to the storage yard, you do not have to but it is the easiest way, my Tonneau is a BAKflip MX4.

I do not have a slider that is a curt in the factory pucks, the pucks in the 2020 and newer are placed a bit further back.

[JM0397]

Great info, all around- thanks again everyone, appreciate it!
Now the thinking goes to used loaded and pretty cajun red with standard bed. It's the siren song of the red!
or new LTZ with long bed...
or use '20 Denali with longbed...
Decisions decisions.

Solution: Win powerball, buy all 3!

[Wynn1427]

Cant comment on Solitude setup since we have a reflection, not sure how much difference there is in the front cap of 5th wheel you are looking at.

I wanted a standard bed, but believe GM stretched the beds in 2020 and the 5th wheel prep package is also pushed back a few inches from the center of the rear wheel wells. Probably out to about a 8"± for 5th wheel clearance then the previous years.

There is still room to tie stuff to the front of the bed. Link below is another setup which shows the room. From what I understand GM stretched the bed

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...eflection-31MB - Another member with additional photos showing space in front, with prep system you can see front puck behind the front of the back wheel well to give you an idea of how much space is still left in these.
https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...eflection-31MB - Additional clearance photos, figure there may be some situations where ground angle of truck/trailer may cause an issue, but should be far and few between.

[boyscout]

Great info, all around- thanks again everyone, appreciate it!
Now the thinking goes to used loaded and pretty cajun red with standard bed. It's the siren song of the red!
or new LTZ with long bed...
or use '20 Denali with longbed...
Decisions decisions.

Solution: Win powerball, buy all 3!

Colin, I bought my truck knowing too little about towing RVs and I listened to a salesman who talked me out of the Ford F-450 I went in to buy. He talked me into an F-350 SRW with a short box. In the several years since I have cursed that guy so much that his life must be in the crapper.

The Ford bed is 6' 9 3/4". It's not even CLOSE to long enough for towing our trailer - note that we have the 310GK that you are considering. We have been in countless situations in which we would have had a tortuous time navigating into small spaces or navigating around crowded gas stations where sharp turning is required. Your friend is correct - he's not on drugs. The bed is just too short and the Solitude too wide - the front of the trailer will punch in the back of your cab in a forgetful moment that will cost you thousands. I know someone who has done it twice!

So we got an auto-sliding hitch put in the truck. It automatically moves the trailer back (up to 14") as the truck turns so I never have to think about crushing the trailer into the cab. However the thing is huge (takes up almost half of the bed of the truck) and heavy (well past 300lbs) and filthy dirty and it's in the truck 100% of the time when we're only towing about 20% of the time.

I would hands-down get the long bed unless you're only going to be towing very occasionally, and very carefully, with really careful planning about where you're going to be fueling up and camping.

I would also get the DRW. Our F-350 is in the same class as the GM trucks you're considering. It is JUST enough truck for the 310GK in terms of payload and other considerations. It bucks like a bronco over rough bridge transitions and rough roads, gets nudged around a bit in high winds, and I can sometimes feel the trailer wanting to go straight as we head into curves. I would hands-down buy a DRW.

In fact I would hands-down buy a Ford F-450. It too has had some upgrades, including the most powerful motor in a pickup truck and a TEN-speed transmission. It is much stronger underneath than its payload rating suggests and has other features that make it a towers dream. It is a semi tractor made for towing that's disguised to look like a pickup truck so you don't have to go through weigh scales.

I dream about owning one. You could own one.

Good luck with your choices.

[frank4711]

Only long bed for me, I park it where it fits not really a problem. No slider needed and never worry about turns.

[Dawgfever]

I have a LWB F-350. It works well for me. Takes a football field to turn it but I’ve never found a site I couldn’t back the 5ver in and that includes a small site in Mississippi with vehicles everywhere at 2AM. Tightest one ever. It’s long so you’ll have to park far out at the grocery store and walk a bit, but we all could use the exercise.

I also have the B&W with the turnover ball. Use a 2T engine lift from Tractor Supply to reach in and lift it out when the occasion calls for it.

[Spartacus]

Well, whatever you finally decide don't forget to post some pics.

[JM0397]

Again, thanks to everyone for the great information!

If the "perfect truck" (is there such a thing??) was available, I felt comfortable with the standard bed. However, I was comfortable with long after a test drive last weekend so I hit the internet search and was looking for both. Due to factors listed below, long beds are way more common in the Chevy line - at least what's available now.

Note for anyone truck shopping right now. I assume this happens every year - there was a massive run on 3500s in December, for people to get the business tax break. A salesman told me the factories had upped 1500 production to catch up after covid shutdowns which dropped 3500 production down, so now inventories are very low and trucks are selling before they even hit the lot.

Second note of learning: If there is a stock photo of a truck on the online ads, it is most likely NOT on the lot yet and still in the pipeline. There were 4 trucks showing at my local dealer, so I didn't even bother calling. Showed up to no 3500s on the lot and 4x DRW on the way - a waste of an afternoon!

For Chevy & GM, due to the high price tag there are more Denali and High County available, and then some WTs here and there. I drove a Denali and it's gorgeous, but I couldn't justify the +12k for a bells and whistles package.

Long story short, I found a well-equipped Silverado LTZ in-state and they'll even deliver it for no charge!
Getting nerf bars installed today, and then they are driving it to me tomorrow.

2021 Chevy Silverado LTZ Z71, SWD Diesel, Longbed, factory 5th wheel prep, + all the safety features.
Silver, black leather interior.
I was able to get about $2k off the price, plus the January incentives amount to another $4500 off sticker. These things are selling like hotcakes, so difficult to negotiate much of any discount.
Paying $68,400 out the door, tax, title, and 25,000 lbs tag all included.

Will post pics tomorrow.

-Colin