Why doesn't anybody make a small truck with a 6.5 foot bed?

[shredthegnarnia]

It has always baffled me that you have to step up to 1/2 ton to get a 6.5 ft box.

I'm 6'2, which is not incredible tall, and yet I cannot sleep in a Tacoma/Ranger/Frontier. I understand why they don't make an 8ft bed in these small trucks, because then people would exceed their hauling capacity. However, nobody uses these small trucks for work - they're used for camping and for "hauling" light things like couches, so it seems to me that 6.5 foot should be the long-bed option.

Toyota had the formula right with the T-100, but of course it was marketed poorly (as a 1/2 ton competitor, which it was not). It seems to me that if some manufacturer bumped their light-truck longboxes up by half a foot, they would dominate the market, as it would be the deciding factor for all of us in the 5'11+ range.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? Am I crazy?

 

[Clutch]

Cause no one uses trucks as trucks anymore. Why the crew cab stumpy beds are so popular. The pickup has become the family truckster.

Buddy of mine had a '86 RCLB Toyota...think that bed was 7'

Kinda hard to tell from this angle. Only picture I could find. Must of been awhile ago as that was on actual film.


Overseas market you can still get a Hilux RCLB, which has a bed length of 7.5'.

 

[bkg]

I thought Nissan did still make a long bed... is that not 6.5?

 

[Clutch]

I thought Nissan did still make a long bed... is that not 6.5?

Just looked up the specs, it is 6.1

https://www.nissan.ca/en/trucks/frontier/versions-specs.html#!

 

[Clutch]

Could always do a UTE tray...they are 7.4"

http://www.uteltd.com/PDF/2013-A6ute-bed-dimensions.pdf

 

[DaveInDenver]

Stinks that Toyota and Nissan uses to refer to a 6' bed as regular and 7' as long bed. Now the regular bed on a Double Cab is 5' so the long bed option is 6'.

 

[Clutch]

Stinks that Toyota and Nissan uses to refer to a 6' bed as regular and 7' as long bed. Now the regular bed on a Double Cab is 5' so the long bed option is 6'.

View attachment 461629

Times change Dave...times change...

Out of curiosity, yesterday on the way into work I counted the civilian trucks with empty beds vs ones that were hauling or towing something.

Empty: 132
Loaded: 18

And that was just the opposing traffic.

Thought about counting for a month to see what the data is, but I can pretty much guess what it will be. Truck owners really don't use their trucks as trucks...

While I like single cabs, not sure I could live without an extra cab, love having storage space behind the seats. If you think about it the extra cab gives you the lost space when they killed off the 7' bed, albeit not connected...and doesn't do the OP any good.

While not a great solution for you tall guys, it is a solution... could always get one of those tent bed extender things for sleeping under a topper.

 

[02rangeredge]

there was a 7 ft bed ranger for a while, only on regular cabs, but caps and that are hard to come by and sadly you're still left with a old truck

 

[Desert Dan]

Not a small truck but the Tundra has a 6.5 foot bed with the extra cab.

 

[Over The Silent Planet]

I just went to truck/SUV shopping... Toyota is so long in the tooth in their designs, I can't imagine wanting one.. we wanted to like it.. the seat and ride comfort/ ergonomics and lame engine tranny ...

I sat in a friend's new Tacoma. I couldn't believe how much less room it had inside than my 4Runner, especially vertically. It felt like sitting in a Camry.

The older designs by now are extremely reliable. Reliability is a major factor driving sales. And their sales are too high to want to change much.

 

[Clutch]

I sat in a friend's new Tacoma. I couldn't believe how much less room it had inside than my 4Runner, especially vertically. It felt like sitting in a Camry.

The older designs by now are extremely reliable. Reliability is a major factor driving sales. And their sales are too high to want to change much.

The 1st gens bed interior dimensions are slightly bigger than the 2nd/3rd gen. except length which the 2nd/3rd gens are longer by only a fraction of an inch.

The cab interiors feel tighter on the 2nd/3rd gens than the 1st.

Guessing the only reason to gain in exterior girth is for safety...though they still produce the Yaris. If they can fit all the safety features in a Yaris...they can fit them in a 1st gens sized truck. Or maybe the gain in size was to appear to be tough/macho looking and safety was the excuse. I for one wished they stayed small and focused on fuel economy. Which is the one of the reasons why people all those years ago starting buying mini trucks over full sizes...fuel economy. Not much the case anymore.

Interior dimensions:


2018 Access Cab 2001 Extra Cab

Head Room

F: 39.7 F: 38.7
R: 34.9 R: 34.9

Hip room
F: 57.2 F: 49.6
R: 51.7 R: 48.9

Leg room
F: 42.9 F: 42.8
R: 24.6 R 27.2

Shoulder room
F: 58.3 F: 53.9
R: 56.5 R: 52.3

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I sat in a friend's new Tacoma. I couldn't believe how much less room it had inside than my 4Runner, especially vertically. It felt like sitting in a Camry.

The older designs by now are extremely reliable. Reliability is a major factor driving sales. And their sales are too high to want to change much.

They are all reliable now, so Toyota needs to start innovating.

 

[Clutch]

They are all reliable now, so Toyota needs to start innovating.

They do, but their NA trucks don't see much of it. (or do they?) The big three isn't all that innovating if you think about it. Turbo gassers, 1/2 ton diesel and 10 speed transmissions, are really the only things. Not much else is ground breaking. Suspension systems have been the same for decades. Sure Ram has coil rear, but Chevy did that back in the 60's. They all pretty much have the same safety and nav systems. They lag a little behind on the mpg department, but think that is only because you can't get any other diff gear ratios.

Toyota did a turbo diesel and gas back in the 80's...

 

[Clutch]

8 or 10 speed Tranny is all??? That is game changing stuff.. big time...far superior engines.. higher fuel capacities ...

Electronics packages, ergonomics for driver comfort, better seats... Twin turbo v6 with huge torque at low rpm.. or the hemi or 3.6 eats the Toyota for lunch... 40% better towing capacity... The list goes on and on... It's not even close..

We had a 10 speed tranny in one of our dump trucks from the 60's. They are just now getting around to tossing them in 1/2 tons!? Took them long enough!

Toyota already did turbo gasser in the 80s...so not like Ford's is anything new.

Toyotas always been underpowered, why they were/are so reliable. They never really chased the horsepower war. Well until the 2nd gen Tundra...wish they never tried to complete with the Big 3 to tell you the truth. "If it ain't broke fix it until it is!" Their trucks have gotten too big, imo. Liked them better when the marched to their own drum beat.

That twin turbo ecoboost sure is nice..but the Tundra's 5.7 is more than enough for me...maybe too much. I don't get into the tq/hp pissing match. That and I keep my vehicles a long time...don't want to deal with those turbos out of warranty. I do like F150's, if I bought one would do the NA V6.

All the midsizes have about the same capacities. What is the highest 1/2 ton towing now? F150 at 13K Lbs? Where the Tundra is 10K? Yeah? I can't recall exactly.

Seats are a personal thing...they all feel about the same to me. And honestly I don't think luxury interiors belong in a pickup. I am a rare dying breed of truck owner...I actually use mine as a truck.

What are the electronic packages differences? I don't really need all that stuff so I really don't pay attention to it. What can you get in the others and not the Toyota?

I might be one of the few and wish they de-innovate...be great if they went back to making them more basic and smaller. So I think they have innovated too much. And the Big 3 are getting a bit gimmicky. But you have to keep the consumer's attention to keep on selling trucks...that whole keeping up with the Jones BS...where as most of us only really need a basic 4 banger manual 5 speed to do what we do. It is rather shocking how many trucks I see running around empty...guess we need a $50-60K truck with 500 ft lbs of tq and 10 speed trannies to do that.

 

[Clutch]

In concept I agree with some things you said.. until I drove the ram/jeep 8 speed.. with a 3.6 and 5.7 hemi.. that tranny is a serious game changer.. always in the right gear... I have trucks with 3 speeds, 3 speed plus od, 5 speed and 6 speed. And they all work and are reliable... And the newer ones are far superior... more comfortable to drive, less driver fatigue, more power where you need it, As for turbo or supercharged.. at sea level it's fine.. I live at 5000' and go over passes much higher.. and forced air becomes a game changer... Restores sea level driveability... Yeah I like hp.. but real world numbers matter... Power at low rpm, tranny , rear end combo is the magic... on any vehicle...

I have not driven the new 8-10 speed trannies yet. Have driven the Ecoboost....boy howdy! They are impressive! But you know I went through the "need all the power I can get" phase when I was into muscle cars. It will just get me in trouble, if you know what I mean.

I live in Idaho so I get it the need to climb the passes...but in reality, I rarely go over 65 and try to avoid the interstate at all cost. So don't really need all that power.

Electronic conveniences, bluetooth driving capabilities and integration of systems..AWD, auto 4x4.. ergonomics... They are better...by a lot... The domestic seats are more supportive.. clearly they have spent time and effort making it better for different body types.. Toyota has done zero... The four runner is the same crappy seat from 1995????

Yeah I am just not into that stuff. Kinda wish they would go back to manual hubs...you can still get those on the Super Duties. But no manual trans...which sucks.

I have been driving vehicles with crappy seats fro so long...I probably don't now any better. Went from a 70's F250 with a bench to 80's-90's Toyotas and stayed with them.

Those things may not matter to you.. I get it.. Toyota, with what they are giving right now... Should be much much much less expensive than their competition...

Agree with you there, Toyota charges waaaay too much for what they are. Given the choice, I wouldn't buy a new Toyota, as you get a lot more truck for the same or less money with a Domestic.

Only fanatics keep sales happening... On every level they are behind.. but hey.. it's your money and the market speaks the way it speaks... The Toyota customers are true believer types... Like apple Cutomers... Similar behaviors... True believers.. maybe that is not you.. you just like your truck that you own... Fine

Agree with you again. I am a Toyota fan boy...but of the old stuff...they were pretty much dead to me when the 2nd Gen Tacoma came out. They pretty much ruined what was great about a small truck. There is no glaring advantage to buy a midsize over a 1/2 ton these days.

I keep vehies a long time as well...

I probably should just start collecting 1st gens Tacomas as those are my favorite...just the right amount of electronic gizmos without being over kill.