I’m strongly considering buying a 2011 short box Tacoma, mainly due to aesthetics (I like the short box look) and for a slightly shorter truck than the long box (easier to fit in garage).

Problem is that I haul dirt bikes and sport bikes around, and the short box is very lean on space compared to the long boxes.

Does anybody own a short box and regret not having a long box when it comes time to hauling stuff?

Can I install a bed extender and still get two full size dirt bikes (approx. 78" long) in the back, or will the wheels hang over the end of the gate when dropped down?

Any honest and candid responses are appreciated.

i have a short bed, when i put my R1 in there i have to leave the tail gate down and the rear tire sits on the tail gate. doesnt bother me at all. i am considering getting a bed extender so that the extra stuff i have to put in to go to the track wont fall out the back, but no i dont regret getting the short bed.

Welcome to TS!

We have a short box with a bed extender. We never carry much so the short bed works fine for us, no regrets. With the tailgate down, it's just under 78" from the front of the bed to the extender.... and 86" diagonally.

just a word of caution:

the tailgate is not the strongest around and several folks have bent their tailgate when putting a load on it in the middle!
it is also a bit hard to reinforce it!

I did not get a taco because of the short bed was the only thing avail at the time. And I use a truck as a truck.
If you want the short bed, get yourself a trailer to haul the bikes, easier loading too. If it is for off roading you can get a raised axle model.
If you don't have room, there are models that tilt up against the garage wall

just a word of caution:

the tailgate is not the strongest around and several folks have bent their tailgate when putting a load on it in the middle!
it is also a bit hard to reinforce it!

Easy: get a 1/2" sheet of marine grade plywood to slide in there when carrying motorcycles to spread the weight.

unfortunately this is why i changed shopping from a taco (which i had two of already) because i wanted a crew cab standard box. and im glad i did.

my buddy has a 4door short box taco and gets 1 mpg less then me... ill take it

Short boxes look silly in a truck. In fact, the box is **THE** primary feature -- the main purpose. The objective is to get the BIGGEST box you can get!

If it was offered with an 8' box, I would have gone with that. Not interested in full size pickups due to additional fuel consumption. I'll take the 32 mpg (imperial, not US) that Tacoma yields. That's about a dozen extra miles for every gallon compared to a full sized pig... it is something of a compromise, but unfortunately, there is no perfect truck.