Switching from a Long Bed to a Short Bed - any real downside?

powerscol

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This question is for folks that actually switched from a Long Bed to a Short bed. Also please no suggestions on choosing another brand truck.

Well Ford sure messed up my 2022 truck selection. Light Baja Tan or Onyx Black in the Lariat trim level. Platinum is Back or Dark Marsala whatever that is. Limited is gray. I don't want Black - to hot - and the Baja is way too light and will show every speck of dirt. So it looks like I need to get the King Ranch again. I don't mind, except it means getting a crew cab.

I currently have an 04 King Ranch, CC, Long bed, dually. ( 176" wheelbase) I don't need this big of a truck for my 220RK and I doubt we will go much larger in the future. So I was thinking of a Super Cab Long Bed SRW. 164" wheelbase in the optional 11,400 GVW which is close to what my 04 is. Save 12" on length and save on tire costs, etc.

But with the leather color choices to get a real brown, I need the KR which only comes in a crew crew cab. I can get it in the SRW but I am stuck with the long truck unless I go SB. The SB configuration is 16" shorter than my current truck.

The space I loose is forward of the hitch. I was planing on an in bed aux tank as stock tank in this config is 34 gal (CC LB is 48). I have 36gal now. The transfer flow that works with a rolling bed cover (there are others too) will still fit, but only leaves 6" forward of the hitch from what I can calculate. To carry plywood or lumber means tailgate down and probably would need an extension to stabilize with the aux tank- not a deal killer. The times I have needed to carry long items has been few. I do have a GN trailer for big projects.

5th wheel towing

I can switch to use the turning point hitch, but I am not sure of towing performance. Not sure I like the wedge forces on the hitch. Others with the 6.5 foot bed say they are OK with a standard 5th wheel hitch if set to the rearward position. I think mine will do 2". Otherwise get a slider to fit the puck system. To use my current hitch I will need a puck to rail adapter. It will fit, but barely with the aux tank.

On the upside my KR came with rear bucket seats which don't fold down and the new CC seats will fold flat making more room for stuff and dog. Also on the CC the door issue the SC has in parking lots goes away.

So for those that switched from a Long Bed to a Short bed - any regrets or issues?
 
We have a 27 RL which if I recall correctly has front cap in the same configuration as your trailer. We pull it with a GMC 61/2 bed with a generic hitch. The pin is centered over the axle. While we could hit the truck cab in theory, in practice it hasn’t been an issue.
I was concerned , but our sales person pulls a 27 RL with a standard bed Ford and a non slider, was adamant it would be fine. In this case the salesman was right.
Just be aware in a tight U turn. I have never found the need to jack the trailer to 90 degrees and estimate I can get to 75 or 80 but would,avoid that for,other reasons.


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I can't help you with the switch from a long bed to a short bed...I would never consider a short bed in a Super Duty. I always appreciate the additional bed space, towing or not and the minimal impact to maneuverability is a very fair tradeoff to me. I can tell you that I love the Marsala interior in my truck. There were many reasons I special ordered my truck, and at the top of the list was getting the Marsala interior which is almost impossible to find on a dealer lot. I drove 100 miles just to see a truck with the Marsala interior in person before I placed my order. I have had Fords trucks with camel and black leather interiors as well, and this is my favorite by far.

20181103_142542_resized.jpg
 
I can't help you with the switch from a long bed to a short bed...I would never consider a short bed in a Super Duty. I always appreciate the additional bed space, towing or not and the minimal impact to maneuverability is a very fair tradeoff to me. I can tell you that I love the Marsala interior in my truck. There were many reasons I special ordered my truck, and at the top of the list was getting the Marsala interior which is almost impossible to find on a dealer lot. I drove 100 miles just to see a truck with the Marsala interior in person before I placed my order. I have had Fords trucks with camel and black leather interiors as well, and this is my favorite by far.

View attachment 35890

In the picture is is almost the color of the king ranch. How would you describe it in a comparison? Looks beautiful.
 
In the picture is is almost the color of the king ranch. How would you describe it in a comparison? Looks beautiful.

More red-brown as opposed to the KR which is more orange-brown. To me, it feels like a color you might find in a luxury car. It usually photographs lighter than it appears in person.

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I know you're looking for long to short opinions but....We went from a CC short to a CC long. We had no issues with the short Ford . Never really felt the need for a slider.
We did go long when we got a new truck and can tell you we'll never go back to a short as long as we are towing. The extra backing radius is really nice to have at times as well as the space to pack some extras if wanted.

I like the interior color of the marsala , not an average boring looking interior.
 
I know you're looking for long to short opinions but....We went from a CC short to a CC long. We had no issues with the short Ford . Never really felt the need for a slider.
We did go long when we got a new truck and can tell you we'll never go back to a short as long as we are towing. The extra backing radius is really nice to have at times as well as the space to pack some extras if wanted.

I like the interior color of the marsala , not an average boring looking interior.

I am going to haft to look at it in person. Too many color variations in the pictures from tan to dark burgundy.

Thanks for the long bed thoughts. Packing for my trip to Georgia has me re-thinking. I am hauling a lot of stuff to my daughter. He bed and frame are on top of the chase lounge strapped down and under bed is full of her boxes. At least we will have a place to sleep during the travel.
 
One thing that is nice when using the turning point, you can use the back corners of the bed since the 5th wheel remains stationary. I keep my generator in the right rear corner.

I would rather have a long bed ford just to have the 48 gallon fuel tank. Sure you could buy the extra bed tank with a diesel but it just takes up bed space. You can't add a extra fuel tank if you go with gas.

Are you sure you want a diesel? The new 7.3l gas is probably making more power than your 2004 diesel unless you have tuned it.

You actually have one of the few 5th wheels that is truly half ton towable. But if you are used to towing it with a diesel dually I don't think you would be satisfied with a half ton.
 
That camper is only 9000lbs gvw. I’d even consider the 6.2L, 10 speed with 4.30 gears.

I’m a short bed fan myself but given that you have a smaller camper I don’t think you would lose much maneuverability going with that 8 ft bed.
 
We have a 2021 Reflection 150 Series 295RL with the Trailair Turning Point pulled by a 2500 crew cab, short bed. I'm very happy with the combination of the B&W Companion hitch. No issues with the Turning Point hitch or the short bed. Mainly because I am trying not to overload the truck or trailer to keep my numbers on the safe side. We've done three short haul trips (about 240 miles each way) plus a two week, 3400 mile, excursion to Utah in June.
 
I have a short bed GMC towing a Solitude. As you reduce the bed size you will lose turning radius clearance between the cab and nose of the 5er. Being either too lazy to move the slider hitch or not appreciating how fast things can happen I blew out the back window of the truck. Since then I have learned to be very diligent about moving the slider hitch back as soon as anything remotely seems tight to turn.
 
I have had two Ford's with the super cab. Not only the parking lot issues, but every time you want to put something in the rear seat area you have to open 2 doors. When carrying heavy or bulky, it is a pain. Not sure I will get another one. The rear seats folding does create a lot of flat floor space in the back.
 
I'm new to the RV world, but I just hate having a long bed crew cab... as I cant find a place to park it anywhere... so I opted for an F-350 Platinum, Crew Cab, Short Bed, 6.7 D... with a "slider" hitch. As someone said, you can quickly get into a bind and ruin your truck if you get into a tight turning/backing space... so I use the slider... easy peezy... and works like a champ... YES, you lose a lot of bed space in your truck. If you put in a toolbox or diesel tank, you may find it hard to open your hitch as the handle may not open far enough to stay open... so I took my toolbox out... it worked, but was sort of a pain to work around... you just need to figure out if you can do without the extra bed space... and if you are comfortable with the slider... as I said, I was a novice with it, but it works slick and I dont worry about gouging my cab with the RV... good luck, and let us know what you finally decide... cheers
 
F350 with long bed is the single worst turning radius I have ever driven. I wanted a F450 as they turn like a golf cart. I ended up with F350 with shorter bed as a compromise.
 
More red-brown as opposed to the KR which is more orange-brown. To me, it feels like a color you might find in a luxury car. It usually photographs lighter than it appears in person.

View attachment 35891

View attachment 35892

Love the color in my King Ranch (Nearly the same),
also have the short bed with the B&W Slider.(see signature).
Recently replaced my 24G tank with the Titan 50G tank.
 
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Having towed a 5th with both a SB and a LB, my preference is the LB. Not because of the hitch, because there are some great sliders out there, but due to the vehicle size. IMO the bigger the TV footprint the better. Unfortunately unless you have a friend with a SB who will let you test drive it with your rig connected, there's little if any data to refer to. I've learned that just because it will pull it, doesn't mean it will pull the way you want it to. Yes the CC and LB combo is pretty long, not parking lot friendly, but IMO it will give you a better towing experience. And with the Ford LB, you'll get the larger fuel tank, something to consider.
 

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