Just a question - it would have made a difference if any of the new trucks had an older style bed that was not so deep as this one, but they are all this way.
WHY do ALL the new trucks have such deep beds?
I would much rather have soemthing that did not need a stepladder to reach into. I guess people like them because you get more room under a lid and maybe it is better for ATVs which seem to be more common consumer uses these days. How do the deep beds work for other people?
It would be nice to be able to lean over the bed and reach into it though.
pre-07 the bed depth was not an issue, until the D-Cab. Now that depth is pretty much standard. I guess it's just the fact that you can put more stuff into the box without overflow. Makes sense.
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My Truck: 2005 Tundra, 2UZFE. 4WD. AccessCab. Spectra Blue Mica (8M6). TRD. AT. CC. CK. DZ. FE. AW. LD. OF. TO. VP.
Just a question - it would have made a difference if any of the new trucks had an older style bed that was not so deep as this one, but they are all this way.
WHY do ALL the new trucks have such deep beds?
Because it makes it more useful, as a TRUCK! Did ya really have to ask?
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Ben
1996 Lexus LX450, 129k, front/rear factory locking differentials, Cooper STT 285s, OME 850/863 suspension lift, CDL/Pin 7, 30qt freezer, 2@aux fuse blocks, aux powerpoint, 850w inverter
1998 Lexus LX470, 139k- SOLD
1993 Land Cruiser, 198k- SOLD
I am with you, it's a major pain in the butt! The Ford 1/2 tons are the same way. I can reach in the bed in my old '91 F250 WAY easier. And most all of the factory and aftermarket running boards on the newer trucks I see don't extend back far enough to stand on for bed access.
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Because it makes it more useful, as a TRUCK! Did ya really have to ask?
How many times do you see a truck running around with any material stacked bed top high?
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maybe it is better for ATVs
Not to me, I can lean over the bed of my 3/4 ton and do the holddown straps on my ATV, haven't tried it in my Tundra (tailgate--donch'a know) but I bet I have to pack a stepstool.
What's really funny is that when the 1st Gen Tundra came out, there was a lot of critiscism that the bed depth was too shallow. I guess you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
I think part of is just plain aesthetics… trucks “look” better with deeper beds. But also the trend of ½ tons really taking 1 ton loads has gotten more common and to facilitate that, you need the capacity to haul it. So, hence you need the deeper bed for things like sand, gravel, dirt, etc. that can be carried in the bed without spilling over. That simply won’t be quite as easy to do on a shallow bed. I am tall and for me the deep bed isn’t that big a deal, but even I have to stretch and know that it would be a pain in the butt if I were much shorter. However, it would be better if they at least gave the option of having fold-down sides as well. That would make many things much easier to do…
Advantage: I can stick a full sized gas can in the bed, under the tonneau standing up so it does not spill. I can bungee it to the cross rail of the tonneau so it holds it in the upright position.
Disadvantage: I can not see my waverunner when I am towing it, and can not see the pontoon boat trailer when I am backing up. So I needed a backup camera wired for use in forward and reverse, so I can see the waverunner, and can see the boat trailer when I am backing up to it.
I like the deeper bed. I can get bigger objects under my tonneau cover without having to unroll it. I find a lot of things fit better now than when I had the shallower box (i.e tall tool boxes and other stuff I use for work).
How much of the reaching in problem is due to the height of the trucks.
Trucks have become taller and taller over the last 10 years.
My '94 F150 was a good height for reaching into the bed, and climbing into the truck.
My '02 F250 was a little bit talleer, and the bed started gettign a bit harder to access on the sides, but you could still reach in and get items that were not in the center.
Now my Tundra is taller than both those trucks and it is near impossible to get anything that is not right at the side of the bed without climbing into it.
All brands have done this, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota.
They have made the trucks taller and the beds deeper, compounding the problem.
I remember the first trucks I noticed the DEEP beds with were the 1/2 ton F150s. I think as far as functionality goes, yeah you can carry more junk in the bed with the higher sides. I think this is a very common design lately, if you also look at the Avalanche and the Ridgeline has the same look (though I haven't been up close to a Ridgeline and looked at the bed)
As a shorter guy (5'7) I end up hopping into the back of the truck regularly, but it doesn't bother me. I don't mind the deeper bed, but I haven't really had to make full use of it yet.
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Stephen
"The Higher, the Fewer"
2007 SR5 Doublecab, Salsa Red Pearl, 4.7 V8
TRD offroad package, Tow Package, Line-x
I am 5'6" - so I just carry a step stool at all times. The comment about carrying dirt and gravel makes sense -- but yah, most trucks I see don't carry anything.
I could not believe they put a trunk in the Ridgeline for the spare tire - yikes (I know it is not really a truck but.................I would hate to get a flat with a full bed)
Yes I know they are all that way and I think Ford started it.
bed depth
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