New truck ? Short or Long bed??

[gillguy]

Ok I'm looking at a new 2500 HD 4X4 Classic crew cab with duramax.
Currently I have a Rockwood 8317SS travel trailer and will probably keep it a few more years then maybe, just maybe switch to a 5th wheel. My problem is deciding between the short bed or long. I know it's only like 18 inches different between the SB & LB but compared to our Suburban the LB crew cab is 36 inches longer.
If I get the short bed will I be able to handle a 5th wheel with just the extended king pin, or will I need the slider too? Also with a short bed would there still be room to install a transfer or auxiliary tank? The short bed tank is only 26 gallons which seems kind of small, the long bed has a 34 gallon tank.
We try to camp once a month on average, mostly in GA/FL but we go 3 hours for a short trip and 6-7 hours away for a long trip. Using the Suburban I can usually make it from Valdosta to about Helene GA on a tank, and that's a 32 gallon tank. With 26 I'd have to stop in Atlanta.
I'm leaning to the long bed but that thing is long! The turn radius is about 3 ft different, but in a mall parking lot that's a 1/2 acre.

Thanks
BG

[MikeC]

gillguy,

I bought a short for some of the reasons you listed.

Also the RV dealer we bought our camper from uses a short bed. They use the extended pin box and are careful not to bend the rig past 90 degrees. They claim to never have had the 5th wheel and the truck trying to use the same space.

I also am looking at a larger tank. There are a couple of companies that make replacements for OEM. They are http://www.supertanks.com/gm.html and
http://www.transferflow.com/gm_tanks_0.html
arranged in no particular order of preference.

Good luck with the truck you decide on.

Mike

[DmaxMaverick]

You will get many different opinions on this. Here's mine.

The shortbed is fine. I prefer mine over the longbed. Parking lot real estate is a premium, and longer vehicles complicate it.

If you get a shortbed and go with a 5'er, get a slider hitch in any case. You won't need it often, but when you do, it's gold. I camp a lot with our long/heavy 5'er (32' Montana 3 slider), and have never had to "slide" for maneuvering in town, parking lots, U-turns, etc. I have had to make a U-turn on a narrow 2 lane residential road, and sliding was necessary. No biggie. A pull trailer of just about any size would not have been able to make the turn w/o backing into someone's driveway. Another option is an "auto slider". They're spendy, but will automatically move the hitch point rearward as you turn. The longbed has 2 advantages over the shortbed with a 5'er. The trailer front is further back, so you can jackknife with a stationary hitch. The larger turn radius may prevent an accidental trailer/cab contact. The disadvantage is the radius is larger, which makes backing more necessary. Watch the trailer/cab clearance, always, regardless of the bed length or hitch position, and all will be fine.

26 gals. is small, but manageable. About the same range or more as a gasser w/ a 45 gal. tank, though. The in-bed aux. tanks are no problem. I don't have one, but have seen many installed. It all depends on how much you value the bed space. It won't interfere with the hitch. I have a Husky 16K hitch, which is a Reese clone at 1/2 the price, and has been very reliable with no problems. I can post some measurements, if needed. Rails are installed in the bed, and the hitch can be easily removed if you need all the bed space.

[jsmiracle]

Gillguy,

I have the short (6.5') bed also. I regularly pull the TT in my signature and plan on a 5th wheel in the future. I also have (new this towing season) a 60-gal. RDS aux. fuel tank installed(see TDP Photo Album). It should help greatly on the towing range. :)

At work, I have to park the truck in a parking garage and that helped me decide on a standard/short bed. I am hoping that DMaxMav is right and it does not interfere with a 5th wheel in the future. I don't think it will interfere.

The aux. fuel tank allows my family and me to stop at rest areas and such for non-fuel stops. In other words, every stop does not have to be a fuel stop.:)

Jim M.

[DmaxMaverick]

Gillguy,

I have the short (6.5') bed also. I regularly pull the TT in my signature and plan on a 5th wheel in the future. I also have (new this towing season) a 60-gal. RDS aux. fuel tank installed(see TDP Photo Album). It should help greatly on the towing range. :)

At work, I have to park the truck in a parking garage and that helped me decide on a standard/short bed. I am hoping that DMaxMav is right and it does not interfere with a 5th wheel in the future. I don't think it will interfere.

The aux. fuel tank allows my family and me to stop at rest areas and such for non-fuel stops. In other words, every stop does not have to be a fuel stop.:)

Jim M.

Like I offered before, I can post some measurements to set your mind at ease. All you gotta' do is ask. The Husky and Reese (most popular) hitches are interchangeable with the other's rails. Unless they change their design, you can know for sure.

I don't have an in-bed fuel tank, but with the trailer hitched up and slid forward, there's room for a 20" bicycle, two 5 gal. fuel cans, shovel, BBQ, firewood, and a large ice chest.....with room to spare. There's also as much room behind the hitch.

[jsmiracle]

Like I offered before, I can post some measurements to set your mind at ease. All you gotta' do is ask.

I'm askin'..... I have about 16-17" from back of aux. fuel tank (basically the front of the RR wheel wells) to centerline RR axle. I can move the AFT forward about 1- 1 1/2' forward, if needed. The top of the AFT is at or below the truck bed rails.

Thanks,
Jim M.

[DmaxMaverick]

I was already planning on the measures, but was stalling. Couldn't find my tape.

Front of bed to front rail: 25-1/2"
Rear bed floor edge to rear rail: 20-1/2"
Front rail to forward edge of wheel well: 3"
Rear rail to rear edge of wheel well: 5-1/2"
Bed front panel to hitch pin center (slid forward): ~38-1/2".

Measurements may vary slightly depending on the install and the width of the rails. If you have the trailer pin weight available, you can place the hitch in an ideal position to best distribute the weight. A longer wheelbase truck should have the pin location more forward (~1"). In any case, the install should be within less than 2" more forward. The pin center needs to be forward of the axle, except when it is slid back for maneuvering.

[gillguy]

Is having enough clearance to make a sharp turn without crunching the cab.:(
I just can't see having to let a slider back to get out of a campsite or fuel stop, etc...
I've talked to a few people now and they both tell me not to worry about it that with a extended kingpin they never used the slide yet.
I'd really like to see one hooked up and making some sharp turns.

Thanks

Bobby
I like the new truck smell:D

[DmaxMaverick]

You can turn pretty sharp, just not 90

[JeffsTowTruck]

Long bed then you can get a golf cart
http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/3396/2735994780069926656S425x425Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2735994780069926656RNxnmd)

[rickstrk]

Long box is the way to go. 1) 34 gal. times 11mpg towing = 374 vs 26 gal. times 11mpg towing = 286 is the different between making it to the next stop:). Made a 10k trip to NC last spring and had two places that the extra 8 gal. made the differents. The extra tank is just more to go WRONG:mad:. Love the allision tranny:). No cents trucking around the weight or empty tank to collect water:mad:.

[tanker]

I have the long bed, with no regrets, (see signature) I can't image a 26 gallon tank. The longer the tow vehicle the greater stability when towing. Parking? Well I've parked at Philadelphia International airport several times in the indoor 6 floor parking garage, plus many malls etc. Sometimes I may need to back up a few times, but I've never had a problem with that. I bought my truck for what it is, a truck. Yes we do have a mini van for other uses. The 98 gallon "Transfer-Flow" tank allows me to purchase fuel in other states with as much as .50 cents per gallon less and gives me a long range.
Not every truck is for everyone, so by looking at the pros and cons here you will be able to make the right choice for your application.

[Runaway_Dmax]

REAL PICK-UPs have LONG BEDS. :D

My 03 was an EC and long bed. Just purchased the 08, its a CC and a long bed. Only 9 1/2 inches longer. Driving it I can't tell the difference. Never had a problem parking it!

I almost bought the standard bed (6.5). But being able to jackknife the 5ver in a few spots was important to me. 34 gals of fuel was really important to me over the 26 gals. And did I mention real pickups have 8 ft beds! ;)

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Short bed

Shane

[sturgeon-phish]

I have a long bed, but I use my truck a lot to haul stuff. Lumber, furniture, trash, and when you consider how much more that 1 1/2 foot can give you, it is worth it in my opinion. There is a lot to be said for being able to close the tailgate when hauling plywood and studs.
Jim

[winemaker]

I have a long bed, but I use my truck a lot to haul stuff. Lumber, furniture, trash, and when you consider how much more that 1 1/2 foot can give you, it is worth it in my opinion. There is a lot to be said for being able to close the tailgate when hauling plywood and studs.
Jim

That's my thought too....If I'm paying the fuel bill anyway, I want all the capacity she offers. I always park where there's room for the width and the length, usually the back of any given parking lot. My only complaint with my truck's size is it's too small! Now that I have kids, 4 doors would be nice.....

I never understood the Dakota with a V8...all that fuel bill with such comparitively low hauling room.

If you don't really care either way, you have an advantage: go with the best truck you find for the buck. Good Luck.
Cheers, Brett

[Stlheadake]

I have the short bed mostly because it fits in my suburban driveway. It's your truck, buy what suits you. I want to answer the question at hand though. My 5ver has an extended pin box and I don't use a slider. I can get pretty d@mn close to 90 with it. You just have to be aware of what you are doing PERIOD!

My buddy who has been towing for years has a long bed. He had gear and bikes stored against the cab. He was in a gas station lot cut it sharp and poked bars and pedals through the cap of the RV.

Moral of the story, it doesn't matter what you have, just know what you have. You are the one not only driving it, but making the payments too. As for the difference in fuel capacity, I personally don't mind the stop. IF you do go with an Aux tank, be sure to calculate that into your tow weight. Now days, it is REAL easy to get over GCVW.

Just my .02,

[Colorado Kid]

I had a Crew Cab short bed, it would go in the garage and the door would close. I had the slider hitch and extended pin box. One time, bending it trough a gate on a narrow lane with a fence on the far side I slid it back. When the rear wheels went over the berm the tailgate and the pin box came together hard . . .so if you have a short bed, and an exteded pin ox and a slider hitch, don't forget to lower the tailgate, use a 5th wheel tailgate or leave the tailgate at home before you slide the hitch back! I had a fairly tall cross-bed tool box, so I had to slide fairly often, though I could make any corner in town going forward in the forward position. I got 14 MPG towing, and often travelled with my in-laws. They had an 8.1L and a longbed and got no more than 10 MPG towing. They would have the low fuel light on at 300 miles, about 10-15 miles before mine came on. I'd put in 21-22 gallons and they'd take at least 30. 300 miles is a nice time for a stop anyway, but I'll admit I would have liked a 50 gallon tank a few times. That would have let me run almost 700 miles non-stop.

The big mistake I made was using the truck for a long road trip without the camper, due to a tight schedule. Without the camper we got 22-24 MPG, for easily 500 miles+ range. Mrs. Kid noticed that staying in hotels was noticebly less work than keeping house in the camper. About 4 hours from home on the last day of traveling she announced that the 5th wheel was for sale - that she was never going camping again. That revelation and the fact that the 3rd Kid kid was in production lead directly to replacement of the red crew cab with a silver Suburban. I like the Suburban, but I liked the 2500HD better!

[jharden1]

I bought a CC SB and have been very happy with it around town and with my travel trailer. Now I've been considering a 5th wheel and have found the GVW of the truck to be a limit to consider. 9200 gvw for the CC/SB 4x4. 13600 for max trailer wt GCVW 22000. I'm told the truck weighs about 7500 with fuel. So about 1700 remaining with no passengers or stuff. Hitch/Pin weights even for the midsize fivers are near 2000. Sooooo, I need to scale the truck to see how much pin weight I can really accept. Any thoughts?

[jharden1]

Well, after doing some research on the Chevy web site I find the empty weight of the CC/SB 4x4 is more like 6000 lbs. At least posting here got me thinking. :D

[OC_DMAX]

jharden1 -

The 6000 pound number you post is most likely not an DMAX/Allison combo. Probably the standard 6.0L engine with standard auto tranny. Don't trust the GM Brochures to tell the full story. That number is way to low for a CC/SB Duramax/Alli combo. With several adults in the truck and set-up to tow a 5th Wheel, the 7500 pound number is pretty close (though maybe slightly high).

My truck is a 2002 2500HD Extended Cab / Short Bed 4x4 with a Duramax/Allison combo. It is set-up for pulling a 5th Wheel trailer which weighs approximately 11.5k-12.0K pound loaded (depending on trip).

The truck above, ready to go camping (full fuel, with two adult passengers, 5th Wheel hitch in bed, plus two dogs, etc) weighs between 7100-7200 pounds. I have weighed it twice on a CAT Scale in Ontario, CA and those are the numbers. (Note: Subtract about 300 pounds for two adults and another 80 pounds for the dogs if you want to remove the payload).

So your original post is ABSOLUTELY correct. The limiting factor for 5th Wheel towing with a 2500HD truck is the pin weight that the 5th Wheel puts into the bed of the truck. If you want to stay within the 9200 pound GVWR of the truck, your trailer will probably be in the 10,000 area, not the 15,000 5th Wheel mentioned in the GM brochures.

The pin weight for my 5th Wheel is about 2400 pounds. After adding the numbers up, you can see that my truck weight is 9500-9600 pounds with the 5th Wheel hitched up (which exceeds the 9200 pound GVWR).

Hope this helps,
Alan

[jharden1]

jharden1 -

The pin weight for my 5th Wheel is about 2400 pounds. After adding the numbers up, you can see that my truck weight is 9500-9600 pounds with the 5th Wheel hitched up (which exceeds the 9200 pound GVWR).

Hope this helps,
Alan

Thanks for response, OC. I double checked they are for the D/A w SB. I wagged some numbers for hitch and fuel and your truck weights are within a 100 lbs of my wag. The discussion made up my mind to weigh the truck before I buy a 5th wheel. The one we've looked at has an advertised pin weight of 1780.

So how does your outfit handle? I can't decide which of these weights are set by the lawyers and which ones are set by the engineers. :D

[OC_DMAX]

The truck handles the weight just fine. I added airbags to level the truck when the 5th Wheel is connected. The truck pulls the 5th Wheel with absolutely no problem (as you would expect, since I am well below the GCWR of the truck).

Just keep an eye on the total weight that is on the rear axle / tires. The sticker in the truck indicates about 6,000 pounds (limited by the tires). I am around 5100 pounds right now, so there is some margin left.

By the way, don't believe the trailer manufactures spec for the dry pin weight either. These numbers are usually way off (they don't include added options on the trailer), plus when you load your "stuff" into a typical 5th wheel, about 20% of the this weight ends up on the pin. So add 2000 pounds of "stuff" (which is really easy to do) and you have another 400 pounds on the pin. It is probably best to go to www.rv.net (or similar forum) and find what others have weighed a similar trailer too. My "guess" is that you are probably OK with the 5th Wheel that has an advertised pin weight of 1783 pounds (even after the extra stuff is loaded). You may be a couple hundred pounds over the GVWR of the truck, but I have to believe there is plenty of margin built in to the design.

[jharden1]

The truck handles the weight just fine. I added airbags to level the truck when the 5th Wheel is connected. The truck pulls the 5th Wheel with absolutely no problem (as you would expect, since I am well below the GCWR of the truck).

Just keep an eye on the total weight that is on the rear axle / tires. The sticker in the truck indicates about 6,000 pounds (limited by the tires). I am around 5100 pounds right now, so there is some margin left.

By the way, don't believe the trailer manufactures spec for the dry pin weight either. These numbers are usually way off (they don't include added options on the trailer), plus when you load your "stuff" into a typical 5th wheel, about 20% of the this weight ends up on the pin. So add 2000 pounds of "stuff" (which is really easy to do) and you have another 400 pounds on the pin. It is probably best to go to www.rv.net (or similar forum) and find what others have weighed a similar trailer too. My "guess" is that you are probably OK with the 5th Wheel that has an advertised pin weight of 1783 pounds (even after the extra stuff is loaded). You may be a couple hundred pounds over the GVWR of the truck, but I have to believe there is plenty of margin built in to the design.

I read a LOT of posts there and appreciate the tip. Looks like a lot of folks with 2000+ pin weights in 3/4 T and doing just fine. I don't understand why the GVW of the truck isn't the sum of the front and back axle ratings. 4800 + 6084=10884.

[Showgood1]

It's all in what you get used to. A longbed is the way to go. A shorter wheel base (bed) will give a sharper ride loaded or not. Longbeds also handle a load better. At least the way I drive. :) I've been driving a CC long bed for almost 12 years now. Every now and then mom and the wife go to town in it mom just can't believe how the wife handles it in parking lots. Having said all that a short bed does come in handy if you are trying to stay under the length limit when pulling doubles ...........or not ;)