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Before we traded our 2005 Ford shortbed for this 2007 Dodge shortbed I was concerned about the Dodge bed being 6 inches shorter than the Ford and 3 inches shorter than the GM. Since the hitch will be over or just prior to the axle, the critical dimension is not the length of the bed but the distance from cab to axle. So, I took a tape measure to it. The Dodge is just one inch shorter in that dimension than the Ford. So most of the additional length of the Ford bed is aft of the axle. I didn't measure the GM because by that time I had decided on the Dodge. And that one inch would not keep me from buying the Dodge.
Nor would it keep me from buying the shortbed. With an automatic slider there's no reason to be concerned about a shortbed. With a manual slider there's also no reason for concern unless the driver gets complacent like I did. Use the slider when needed and there is no problem. The shortbed has other advantages for me and the auto slider and properly used manual slider overcome the disadvantage.
Just a side note, someone awhile back tried to tell me having a shortbed means having a short wheelbase. Nothing could be further from the truth. That statement would be true only when the comparison truck has the same cab configuration. My Megacab shortbed has the identical wheelbase to the quadcab (crewcab) longbed Dodge. In fact, it's the exact same frame. My Ford crewcab shortbed had a longer wheelbase than the shorter cabs. Etc.
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