DGS49
Diamond Member
As a former Suburban Warrior, there was a time when I felt I needed a truck to do my Suburban Warrior stuff...haul lumber, plywood, paneling, and drywall, get the occasional load of mulch - every year a couple loads of mulch.
As I looked around for a suitable "beater," I recognized that I would need a truck with a 6' bed - anything less than that and eight-foot stuff just looks stupid. The guys at the garden store HATE 5' beds because it is a pain in the ass dumping a bucket of mulch (or whatever) in a 5' bed without it spilling all over God's creation. I bought a Chevy S-10, extended cab and a six foot bed. The perfect truck for a Suburban Warrior. Jump seats in back for little tykes or cargo that has to be protected from weather, and a big enough bed.
I'm no longer a suburban homeowner, but I still pay attention to truck stuff, and it seems to me that while Toyota and Nissan understand the need for a 6' bed, the American brands have few options for Suburban Warriors, other than to buy a monster truck. Chevy, GMC, and Ford DO NOT SELL a "mid-size" truck with a 6' bed anymore. The Ranger, Colorado, and Canyon are all sold ONLY in a four-door configuration with a girly-man bed. The Honda Ridgeline deserves some credit because it alone among the mid-size trucks has more than 48" between the wheel wells, which makes plywood a more palatable load than the others with 5' beds.
The new micro-trucks - the Maverick and Santa Cruz* have little piss-ant beds of course, so good for packages and bags only, without bizarre accommodations for the overhang of 8' lumber, etc. There are rumors that Ford is coming out with a variation on the Maverick - it will be called the "Ranchero" - and it will be available with a regular cab and a 6' bed. Nissan also has a truck that it sells outside the U.S. with a similar configuration, but who knows if it will show up before Nissan goes under?
Am I the only one who thinks a 6' bed is a big deal?
______________________________
* Does anyone but me think it is bizarre that a Korean carmaker has a vehicle called the "Holy Cross"?
As I looked around for a suitable "beater," I recognized that I would need a truck with a 6' bed - anything less than that and eight-foot stuff just looks stupid. The guys at the garden store HATE 5' beds because it is a pain in the ass dumping a bucket of mulch (or whatever) in a 5' bed without it spilling all over God's creation. I bought a Chevy S-10, extended cab and a six foot bed. The perfect truck for a Suburban Warrior. Jump seats in back for little tykes or cargo that has to be protected from weather, and a big enough bed.
I'm no longer a suburban homeowner, but I still pay attention to truck stuff, and it seems to me that while Toyota and Nissan understand the need for a 6' bed, the American brands have few options for Suburban Warriors, other than to buy a monster truck. Chevy, GMC, and Ford DO NOT SELL a "mid-size" truck with a 6' bed anymore. The Ranger, Colorado, and Canyon are all sold ONLY in a four-door configuration with a girly-man bed. The Honda Ridgeline deserves some credit because it alone among the mid-size trucks has more than 48" between the wheel wells, which makes plywood a more palatable load than the others with 5' beds.
The new micro-trucks - the Maverick and Santa Cruz* have little piss-ant beds of course, so good for packages and bags only, without bizarre accommodations for the overhang of 8' lumber, etc. There are rumors that Ford is coming out with a variation on the Maverick - it will be called the "Ranchero" - and it will be available with a regular cab and a 6' bed. Nissan also has a truck that it sells outside the U.S. with a similar configuration, but who knows if it will show up before Nissan goes under?
Am I the only one who thinks a 6' bed is a big deal?
______________________________
* Does anyone but me think it is bizarre that a Korean carmaker has a vehicle called the "Holy Cross"?
