Truck Bed Dimensions

A truck bed is one of the most critical accessories for your car. The bigger it is, the more the number of items you can carry. Additionally, the more masculine your truck will look. As a truck owner, you should understand truck bed dimensions because it could be why your truck is costing you money.

Bed and Box Sizes

Different car manufacturers offer different lengths for their truck beds. Full-size trucks from Toyota, Ford, GM, and Nissan have three diverse bed sizes. The model you buy dictates the size. Mid-size trucks, on the other hand, such as Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan frontier have two-bed sizes.

When asked, “How big is your truck bed?” you can answer could be in either name or length. For example, Nissan, Ram, and Ford use numbers to define their beds while Toyota uses words such as short, standard and long. However, for each number from these companies, the bed is a fraction longer than the size named. So do not assume that long is always longer than the standard bed even if you are buying from the same company. It depends on the model of the vehicle you are buying.

For instance, for the mid-size Chevy Colorado, a long bed would measure 74.0 inches, but for the full-size Silverado, the standard bed is 78.9 inches. Therefore, if you are buying an accessory that needs you to tell the exact bed length, you should refer to the manufacturer, or you can use a tape measure to measure the bed. Keep in mind that you measure the inside, not the outside.

Sometimes, you may have to buy an accessory based in the wheelbase, not the truck bed. In this case, it will be more complicated because it varies depending on both the truck bed and the cab size. Never guess. You need to look at the manufacturer’s website or call the manufacturer’s customer service department to find out the wheelbase for your vehicle’s model. Alternatively, can choose to measure it yourself.

What Is A Long Truck Bed?

As mentioned above, there are three sizes of truck beds. These are:

• A long bed
• Short bed
• Ultra short bed

The longer truck beds are about a foot longer than the shorter bed. These are more popular for people who are buying trucks for commercial purposes. Full-size long bed trucks have the advantage of being the standard car that can haul a trailer.

If you get a truck will a long bed, you can carry more weight. You will also not be limited to the size of the truck when you need to tow other vehicles. Their towing capacities are much larger. These types of trucks also have more versatile features. For example, they can haul eight-foot dimensional lumber.

Full-size long beds are 8 feet long while the long compact beds are only 7ft long. The 8 feet long bed will carry about 4X8 foot sheet of drywall, plywood or any other material of that size. It will carry these with its tailgates closed.

Inside the wheel wells, the trucks are 48.5-51 inches regardless of their load rating. They can accommodate 4X8 sheets of any material you need to move. These are 8 feet long and often have a wiggle space, which is about 2-4 inches. For older truck models, the bed is 8’6”. The short ones are about 6’6”. If you carry an 8’ sheet on a short bed truck, it will extend to the end of the tailgate.

Short Truck Bed Size

These are the most popular on the day-to-day, non-commercial truck types. They are also called short box. Although these are not as long as other truck beds, they still have great load-hauling capabilities. They are also easier to park and drive. For compact truck beds, they are about 5 foot long, and for the full-size beds, they are 6.5 foot.

The Ultra-Short Bed Size

The ultra-short beds are 5.5ft on compact trucks and 6.4 on full-size trucks.

Available Styles

While the lengths vary and may be confusing, the styles are simpler. There are only two styles to choose from. The standard beds are also called the style size or fleet size. They are available in a variety of sizes. These have a fender well on the insides of the bed. They have more space for cargo, and the beds will expend on top of the wheels. This way, the fender wells will not stick out. The outer walls by the edge of the wheels of the truck have an aligned and sleek design.

The step-side beds are also called the flared sides, or the sports sides. They have the fender wells bulge toward the outsides of the truck. The steps are often between the cab and the protruding fenders where would be empty and narrow spaces.

Conclusion

Each model of trucks released each year comes with new modifications. This means that the bed sizes are also bound to change. Newer models have different sizes for both the cab and the truck beds. If you are not certain about these sizes, ensure you check with the manufacturers.