Truck-extended cab or crew cab

[mobilcastle]

I am looking for a new truck and my last truck was a f250 extended cab. I have never owned a crew cab and I am looking for some opinions here between the two. I know I want an 8' bed.
Thanks

[tim43]

I had an extended cab and traded it in for a crew cab. More space back there and a great improvement in terms of loading items and people into the rear of the cab.

[patbarton]

My truck is my only vehicle, so the crew cab and its fold-down seats make it more versatile for me. I guess it all depends on what you need to do with that back seat.

[ols1932]

I have an extended cab--wish I had a crew cab.

Orv

[indy roadrunner]

The thing I dislike about my extended cab is the way the back door opens. Makes it hard to load groceries when you try to pull shopping cart up between car and truck.
My son in law has a crew cab with 8 foot bed and that thing seems as long as a freight train. I have heard my daughter complain about parking in parking lots when driving the big long brute. So each type seems to have advantages and disadvantages - what can you live with?

[richfaa]

Crew cab way more versatile and comfortable for passengers

[GregN]

I have had a extended cab and now a crew cab. I would go with the crew cab. Easier to get into the back seat for taking friends along. Mine has an 8 foot bed. Once you get use to driving the extra lenght, not a problem. People ask, where do you park that monster, anywhere i want......

[Emmel]

You have advantages with both.
The cc has more room in the back seat and is a lot more comfortable for people to ride. Most cc's come with the more comfortable bucket seats or at least the drivers seat leans toward a bucket.
However, with the ec and an 8ft bed, you have a verrrrrry long truck. Parking is simular to finding a place for a dually. Sometimes, I think the worse part is it seems like I'm always driving places since we have the more comfortable back seat.
Tit for tat!

[SlickWillie]

We had one just like the GMC in Indy Roadrunner's signature. Have a crew cab Silverado now and love the extra room.

[farmboy]

We have a Dodge Quad Cab. It is between the extended cab and crew cab. Just right for us. It also has fold up seats and fold flat floor option. The wheel base is 160.5 inches. JMHO

[DQDick]

Ok let me throw this into the mix. What do you need an 8' bed for? If what you are hauling would do better covered in the rain, or if you'd like your passengers to ride in a limo, or if you want a station wagon worth of storage space (our reason) when you travel or full time look at the Dodge Maxi Cab. When our back seats are folded down we have more floor space than when the DW's caliber has it's back and it's seats down all together. We have an exceptionally roomy driver and passenger section and still have a good size bed. We put a slider hitch in because of the bed size, but we've never needed it, even backing into tight places because of the hitch placement in the bed and the rounded nose of the Monty. Any of the long trucks now days have backing cameras and proximity warning devises so parking the thing isn't much of an issue for either of us.

[Capt Kidd]

We have a Dodge MegaCab and yes it has a short bed however if you wanted an 8 fot bed there is and aftermarket company that puts 8 foot beds on them. I can't imagine trying to drive a truck that long though.

[mhs4771]

Depends on your needs. For us the Extended Cab works great, but we have taken the rear seat out to install a cage for our traveling fur balls. As for access, the new GM extended cabs have the back door that opens 180 degrees (slightly less on the dually) which in our case allows easier access than with a CC.

[Art-n-Marge]

Hmmm, swapping out the short bed for a long bed sounds like it would cause a few issues. When this is done is the wheel base changed, too? Then is the drive shaft replaced with a longer one, the muffler elongated and any wires that span this lengthened? Then what about the GVWR? I would think that just added an arbitrary two feet of truck bed won't help with tow-ability or how this load is now carried.

This might be a lot more work and consideration than might be obvious. There's a point where just getting a different vehicle is better than trying to make severe modifications unless you want a one-off, custom, or unique vehicle.

I kinda put this up there with converting a SRW to a DRW.

It's an interesting thought.

I've owned a short bed and a long bed and prefer the long bed (with my bed extender I have a 10 ft bed!). I've been around extended cabs and owned crew cabs and prefer crew cabs - being shorter than most people I know I was the one that got crammed in the back extended cab section. I back into parking spots usually far away (walking is good) and it's what I've gotten used to and prefer.

The difference in mpgs is made up by the convenience saved by having more room, comfort, and flexibility. Now I wish I had a dually.

[Fire5er]

I have had two trucks with extended cab and went for the crew cab this time. We LOVE the crew cab. We would go with the crew cab again. Much easier for our married kids and their spouces to get into the back seat and for taking friends along. We have also always gone with an 8 foot bed so it is a long truck. But once you get use to driving the extra lenght it's not a problem. It is sometimes hard to find a parking spot but most of the time we park in the back of the lot anyway because we do not want any door dings on our new truck.

[bigred715]

We have the extended cab on this truck and on the previous one. Works fine for us since we seldom haul other passengers other than the grand kids.

[mobilcastle]

Thank you very much for your opinions. I want a long bed to carry more. I am considering the Chev 3500 dually as I like the Dmax & Allison match. GM bumped up there CGVW on the 2011 models with heavier frames, brakes, etc, as stated above. I believe the duallys only come in 8'. I plan to full time later with a heavier trailer so I am definitely going to a dually. I think either extended or CC would work. I am leaning toward the CC.

[farmboy]

I went with the 8' bed for my reasons. The wheel base on it is only 4.5 inches shorter than my brothers c/c with 8' bed. I am a big guy and I fit comfortably in the back of my Quad Cab. The Dodge Mega-cab has the same wheel base as mine. Just my preferences.

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Crew cab way more versatile and comfortable for passengers

...and lots easier to load and unload.

[Sinterior]

Just for info for pre 11 GM trucks, Short box C/C is 9" longer than E/C short box. C/C long box is 27" longer than a short box E/C.
To me, a short box is 6'6" and long box is 8'.