2500 or 3500 Short or Long bed?

[Subin Jason]

I know these are two big questions, but I am new to pickups and need a bit of help.

I am planning on buying a 06 Diesel Crew Cab and using it as a daily driver and as a vacation tow vehicle for a fifth wheel as I am trading in my trailer as soon as I get a truck.

How much rougher of a ride is a 3500 vs. 2500 with no weight in the bed?

Long bed or short bed? I know the long bed is better for hauling a fifth wheel, but I also know that I can get a sliding hitch or buy a fifth wheel with an extension on the neck. What I did not know was that the tow rating for the long bed is actually less than the short bed according to the brochure.

Don't kill me, but I am also looking at the Dodge Mega Cab so feel free to bash that so I know why I should take the Chevy over the Dodge. My only worries with the Chevy is that fairly soon they will have a brand new vehicle coming out to replace this one. Also the cab is a bit smaller than the mega cab for my three kids in the backseat.

Thanks for the help.
Jason

[K5Fury]

Really all depends on what you are going to use the truck most for. Between a like three quarter ton and one ton you won't find much difference in ride. However I do think a long bed rides much smother than a short bed. I don't notice near as much jitter. I prefer the longbed, more is better as they say.

[dozerboy]

If you can get away with the load rating of a 2500 that is the way I would go. A CCLB is a bus and IIRC it has a 53' turning radius. And a Dodge Mega Cab only comes in a short bed IIRC it extra short and has those fugly a$$ fenders. I think GM is still running 0% for 72 months, so I would get with it.

[High_Ridin]

Honestly, I would choose the 2500HD HO. The HO is a high output. I would stick with a short bed for the reason that is better for towing if that is what you are worried about. 2500 has same motors and transmission options as the 3500 so....

The 3500 is dually only. The 2500HD is a 1 ton. I'm preety sure you have to get a 1 ton truck to get a d-max. The regualar 2500 still comes with the 6.0. The real question is if you need a dually or not? The short bed has a higher tow rating because there is less weight on the truck to begin with. The difference should only be the couple hundred pounds a few feet of bed and frame adds.

I would go with the short box because it sounds like you're not using the bed, just the trailering ability. It will also make it easier as a daily driver to manuver.

[K5Fury]

I'll add too that the since you are looking at Dodge the Cummins is one hell of an engine. Probably the best diesel out there. It's just too bad the rest of the truck sucks so bad.

[96extcab]

2500HD isn't a one ton, it's a heavy duty 3/4 ton with around a 13,000 lb max 5th wheel weight. 3500 isn't dually only, they came out with a SRW model in 04 or 05. The SRW has a max trailer weight of around 14,500 and the DRW around 16,000. Those were figured with a crew cab 4x4. Post up how much the trailer weighs loaded up and that will help give people better insight as to how much weight you're talking about pulling. One downside I have heard to the short box when pulling a 5th wheel is that the closeness of the back of the cab to the front of the trailer can be an issue.

[Subin Jason]

Ok, so I went out and test drove a 2500HD Diesel 4X4 Short bed with the Regency package. Not the lifted package, but the leather, steps, 18" wheels, etc. Drove pretty nice, wife even got behind the wheel and said it was not too much different than her Suburban. Also drove the long bed 3500 with the single rear wheel. Decided that the 2500 is the way to go for us. We will just make sure that the fifth wheel we buy will be under 13,000 pounds or so loaded up.

Here are the Load limits according to their brochure:
All 4X4

2500HD Crew Cab 6.5 Box - 14,200
2500HD Crew Cab 8 box - 13,200

3500 Crew Cab SRW 8 box - 14,700

According to my calculations I am only netting 500 lbs more with the 3500...
I also don't understand why the long box is rated at less.

[dozerboy]

The LB adds weight to the truck, thus less towing capacity.

[suthrncop66]

And the SWB looks better too...I would stay with the 2500 unless you really need the extra pull of the 3500, but if it is going to be your daily truck and occasional trailer puller you will be just as happy or happier with the 2500 with a little better mpg.

[bradnear]

Stuff that I need for the long box is full size sheets of OSB or sheating or drywall and the tailgate can still close, if you have never needed it for that or wont in the future, just have a short box for better turning.

['96 Z-71]

We had a cclb work truck and that thing was a bitch to move around...it's amazing how much turning radius you loose with a lb over a sb. Plus cclb look ugly IMO.

[justy]

I like short boxes better, For one a extend cab with a long box would not fit in my garage. Well I probably could get it in there, But you wouldn't be able to walk around the truck. Once you have a 5th wheel on a 3/4 ton. The weight gives the truck a nice ride. Plus like everyone else says. With a short box you have a better turning radius. With a long bed you'll need to back up drive forward until you wiggle over there. Another reason I like short boxes better is, I have a snow plow. It would be hard to plow tight places with a long box. The only time I wish I had a long box is when I want to haul some 12 foot sheetrock or something like that. Other then that my old yamaha grizzly fits in the back of the short box just fine.