I really didn’t see any comments on this subject so far so here goes.

If you own the new length, how does it handle in traffic, parking lots and most important, off road? Do you like it/hate it?

Also, did any of you own a previous screw? And if so, how much is it affected by the extra foot of wheelbase?

I am asking since I had to get for a Scab with the 6.5 for the hauling capacity. Just want to here others opinion on the longer truck.

Thanks for your comments in advance.

 

My Company's Truck is a 05 4x4 XLT Screw with a 5.5 ft. (I drive it several times a month.) This April my wife and I bought a 07 4x4 XLT Screw with the 6.5 ft bed.

The Short bed is a little easier to park and make U-turns. The long bed has more room in the bed. Given the choice again I would still take the long bed for my personal vehicle. My wife drives the 07 daily and parks it like a PRO. It the time we purchased the 07 she was parking in an underground parking garage at work and she has not put scratch on it. It just takes getting use to.

YMMV

 

I love my 6.5 bed in my 07. I had the 5.5 in my 01. I can load my Honda Forman Atv and just shut the tailgate. These trucks are big and even with my 5.5 bed in a tight parking lot you could never just pull in a parking space without having to backout and readjust. It also handles great off road it rides better than my 01 but in real rutty situations the shorter wheelbase on the 01 would be better. I like my 6.5 better and if you put a leveling kit on it and a bed cover it looks just as good as the shorter bed.

 

For what it's worth, the sales guy told me the trade value on the 6.5' bed were lower. Basically, they have a harder time selling the longer bed truck. The guy told me this when I was test driving a 6.5' foot truck I liked so he had no reason to offer this up except being honest. That impressed me enough to buy a 5.5' bed with same color, trim level, etc. from him.

I'll also say that anyone who really uses their truck for daily hauling of "stuff" will want the 6.5' bed. So IMO, if you trade trucks regularly, go for the 5.5' so you have a bigger market interested in buying. If you "buy and hold" your trucks a long time, then go for the 6.5' and laugh when you see me with the tailgate down and bed extender out.

 

I love my 6.5 ft 4X4 SCrew. I didn't even consider the 5.5 ft. Didn't care what sales dept told me about availability etc. I knew what I wanted and wouldnt budge on a few different options. 4X4, 5.4, XLT, 355LS. I had a Ranger before so I cant compare it to another 150. It was a lot of truck at first, but I've grown acustomed to it. It's easy to park, although sometimes you have to readjust, and it's longer than a parking spot so you either have to hog the one in front of you, or leave your a$$ hanging out. I opt to pull farther forward, and usually park farther away. I do that anyway b/c I drive a black convertible Mustang that I don't need some chucklhead dinging up. For as big a truck as it is, it is actually rather nimble when you need it to be. It seems a little soft on curvey back roads, but when I have had to drive aggressively it responded without giving me trouble. I do wish I could have afforded the same truck with the FX4 package, as it has a bit stiffer of a ride, but SCrew, 6.5 box AND FX4 would have made it over 30 grand.

 

I'm currently in the market for a 2007 XLT 4x4 5.4L short box, but I've driven both. Obviously the longer box is a little more cumbersome to park and back out of places, but that's to be expected. It's longer.

As is usually the case, it's a personal preference that should be based on how you use the truck. For me, I'm getting the short box because I basically want an SUV with the flexibility of a small bed. If I used it as a work truck, I'd get the longer bed.

 

Well i really love my 6.5' bed... back in 04 i wanted an f150 but the 5.5 bed and flow thru console made me look elsewhere, so i ended up w/ a tundra double cab 6 foot bed. as soon as i saw the 6.5 foot beds i knew it was time to get what i had wanted. everytime i put something that just barely fits in my bed now i am so happy that i have the extra space. I do think that the 5.5 bed trucks look slightly better though....

 

When I bought my truck, I too did not think twice about getting the longer bed. I think they look better, but of course that is personal preference. One thing I will say, backup sensors are good things...

 

yeah I'm not a fan of the smaller bed kinda looks weird to me, and you can't fit a bed in the box

 

you will get used to the extra ft of bod after awhile. I had an '01 Supercrew 5.5' bed, and I got a '05 Silverado CrewCab 6.5ft bed, took me about 2 weeks to get the hang of it and after the first month i was comfortable with parking it with no worries. 6.5' Supercrew looks a bit better than the 5.5' bed though IMO, I need a full cabin, but I also want the bed to be longer than the cab

 

Love my 6.5' SuperCrew....the backup sensors are definitely a must ~ once you get used to backing in with the sensors its no problem at all. I do like the looks of mine with the Rancho 4" lift...kinda evens everything out.

 

Been there - done that. Don't let that lousy foot sway you away from a 6-1/2 footer. I will not get the short bed again if I can help it. The ride, turning, parking, etc will be un-noticed two days after you get it. As for resale, anyone that thinks resale of a longer bed is worse than a shorter needs their head examined. Even if they offered an 8 foot bed on a Supercrew you'd never see it as a problem for resale. I have bought, sold, and traded more trucks than most (at least one a year), and there is always someone out there who wants what you don't have, or what you have. A sneaky dealer will always tell you your long bed is less desirable because he wants to offer you less. My dealer always tells me to get what I want in bed length. It's the inexperienced finance guys that never drive trucks that say a long bed is sooooo bad to maneuver or sell. Oh, look at NADA or KBB. You don't see a cut for the longer bed, do you? Some don't like leather in the heat. Should the Lariats be discounted, too?

 

Long Bed all day baby! It is a Beast and I love it. Of course moving from a SuperCab Ranger to this was an adjustment but the SCREW handles quite well and as others have said even "nimbly" at times. And as far as parking goes, I just take up two spots!!

 

I have a 2x4, but have the 6.5 ft. bed. I love it and really didn't like the way the 5.5 ft. looked with the SC. Kinda looked bunched together. I love the way the truck looks and I have had many trips (beds, furniture, other things) where if I would of had the 5.5 it wouldn't of fit. So I love the 6.5.
Parking is always a pain pulling into a parking spot. Sometimes you are good other times you back up and do it again. Backing up is great and that is what I do all the time. Plenty easy... so 6.5 all the way!!!

 

The Supercrew with the 6.5 ft bed is only 6" longer than a Supercab with the 6.5 ft bed. (151" WB vs. 145" WB). The Supercrew with the 5.5 ft bed is actually shorter than the Supercab (139" WB). If an extra 6" of truck worries you about parking, turning, etc... then you shouldn't be looking at a full size truck to start with.

A 6.5 ft bed is the only way to go. What is the point of buying a truck if you can't fit anything in the bed. Not to mention, the bed extenders are a royal PITA. My brother-in-law has a Screw with the 5.5 bed and hates it. Loves the truck, hates the small bed.

You will get used to driving, parking, etc in a few days, it is only 6" we are talking about here.