First post here, looks like an excellent site with lots of good, valuable information and advice that I fully intend on tapping into as a new tundra owner (almost) .
Am in the final stages of shopping for a new 2007 Double Cab long bed 5.7L SR5.
Right down to getting quotes and making counter-offers but am now having second thoughts on whether or not I really need the long bed vs. the reg. bed. Will be primarily my daily driver but also am getting it for fishing and hunting and hauling my quad around. Quad is a 2005 Arctic Cat 500 with an overall length of 6'11". Hence my first choice of the long bed. At 8'1" it offers me lots of room for the quad, a few jerry cans, and a deer and/or a moose quarter in with the ATV. However, I'll only be using it for probably 1 or 2 x week-long hunting trips a year and probably 1/2 dozen recreational quad riding trips. I can't very well go into my dealership with my quad and ask to load it up onto the bed for fit so figure someone on here might have a like-sized quad and truck and offer advice.
I would be more comfortable around town with the shorter truck and the shorter wheelbase might make the difference when getting into some tough-to-reach lakes with the pontoon boat strapped in the back. That being said, i don't want to not be able to fit my gear into the back for my couple of hunting trips either. A bed extender is an option although I will be spending some time on gravel roads with the quad and don't like the idea of the tailgate getting hammered and chipped by gravel when down - is this a problem?
Advice? Input? Thoughts? This is kind of a last hour second guess of my first choice of a long bed - do I really need it or can i get by without it and not be too cramped and beat the bejesus out of my tailgate.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Controlfreak; 08-15-2007 at 03:32 PM.
Well, it's only been a day but I was hoping for a bit more input . Went and saw the banker this morning and my funds will be in order this time next week which means I'm getting down to crunch time for deciding on a truck.
Does anyone here use their trucks for hauling an ATV? Experiences? Am I just better off going with the long bed and being safe? Better going with the shorter 6.5' bed and the easier driving/parking associated with it and extending for the 2 or 3 times a year I need to? Am I going to chip the heck out of my tailgate if I do go with the extended bed option and drive on a gravel road with the tailgate down?
Did you test drove both the long bed and the short bed? What do you think of the long bed? Is it really a hassle to say do a 3-point (or 5-point) turn in a narrow street?
The rear mud flaps should take care of the rocks hitting the tailgate when down, although there're other options you could take too to protect the tailgate (like getting it sprayed with a clear urethane coating that's many times more durable than run-of-the-mill clearcoat).
Sounds like you NEED a long bed, otherwise you wouldn't be asking
Did you test drove both the long bed and the short bed? What do you think of the long bed? Is it really a hassle to say do a 3-point (or 5-point) turn in a narrow street?
The rear mud flaps should take care of the rocks hitting the tailgate when down, although there're other options you could take too to protect the tailgate (like getting it sprayed with a clear urethane coating that's many times more durable than run-of-the-mill clearcoat).
Sounds like you NEED a long bed, otherwise you wouldn't be asking
I did drive both and the short bed was a lot easier to navigate and maneuvre. I DO need a long bed, but only for about 2 weeks out of the year. Hence my second guessing on it, if I can make do with the short bed for those 2 weeks then it would be more prudent to do so rather than buying the larger truck just for those 2 weeks and "making do" driving the over-sized truck the balance of the year without a real requirement for it. I think I've pretty much got myself talked out of the long bed now, and some of the input I've received from members both here and over at TS has been very helpful in helping me come to a decision.
Not sure if there is such an animal. Might just have my wife sew me up something in a padded elasticized slip on to protect it when i do go off road. Doesn't have to be pretty as it will only go on for the last 1/2 hr-45 min off-road portion of my drive into and out of hunting camp.
Go with the SB and get the ramps for your Quad that fold and double as a bed extender, that way wou almost have a long bed when you need it, but not when you don't.
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I also have this issue but with dirt bikes...I want a long bed so the tailgate can be closed and I can carry more gear. I also want a crewmax with a long bed...but I can only wish.
You are buying a truck to be a truck so get the long bed and carry more.
You might even want to get a small trailer then get a camper top for your truck so you do not need to use a tent.
I had an '00 Tundra AC that had the shorter bed (7'?). I used it to haul my dirt bike all over hell and creation - up gravel roads, etc with the tailgate down. Mind you, I had a Limited, with the long mud/stone guards that came as OE. I never had any tailgate dings, but I did have my sweaty-gear bag (the bag I carried my dirty riding pants, gloves, helmet, etc in) fall out once - I had forgotten to clip it into the bed hook. Luckily, someone saw it, picked it up and flagged me down.
I'd say that as long as your cargo is secured, running with the gate down is fine. I never had any issues doing it.
I kept a long bed for 20 years (1988 Chevy K1500). Just bought a 2007 Tundra short bed and I am really enjoying the extra manueverability . I commute about 40 miles per week into the city and head to the woods on the weekends. The shortbed handles all my needs very well.
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. Went and saw the banker this morning and my funds will be in order this time next week which means I'm getting down to crunch time for deciding on a truck.
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