Eight Foot Bed on Cybertruck

Eight Foot Bed On Cybertruck?


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RAmboss

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I know, it was previously available but discontinued years ago. 8 foot beds have been declining in popularity for decades. Most trucks now get a 6 1/2 footer or less.
That's an interesting point I was unaware of. A few die-hard truck fans I know seem to really appreciate the larger bed sizes. Do you think that decline in popularity for larger beds was key to Ford's decision in making the F-150 Lightning with a 5.5 foot bed? I wrote another blog post reacting to their announcement linked here but was wondering what you folks thought?
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HaulingAss

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That's an interesting point I was unaware of. A few die-hard truck fans I know seem to really appreciate the larger bed sizes. Do you think that decline in popularity for larger beds was key to Ford's decision in making the F-150 Lightning with a 5.5 foot bed? I wrote another blog post reacting to their announcement linked here but was wondering what you folks thought?
Gas or electric the length of the bed is a compromise between having enough room for your stuff and vehicle length, parking ease, handling, off-road capability, etc. Most people don't want to drive a truck that is excessively long and yet they want a full-sized cab with useable backseats. For me the sweet spot is 6 1/2 feet, any shorter and it seems like a lot of common items stick out too far, couches, sheet goods, lumber, etc. Plus, the total volume starts to get cramped for things like firewood, bark or just camping gear for a group. 5 1/2 feet and I can't even lay down back there without leaving the tailgate down or laying cross-wise.

Going another 1 1/2 feet to 8 feet adds very little additional functionality and starts to make loading/unloading dificult and limits where it can be parked. At least for me. Someone who regularly carries things 14 feet or longer can benefit from this extra 1.5 feet but it's not worth the other trade-offs to me.
 

Red61224

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I know, it was previously available but discontinued years ago. 8-foot beds have been declining in popularity for decades. Most trucks now get a 6 1/2 footer or less.
I currently have an F-150 in the garage for weekend chores and it has an 8-foot bed, numerous times while picking up lumber and such the "full sheet of plywood" bed size has come in handy, close the tailgate and drive away, no worries. May have to acclimate or just use the trailer more.
 

HaulingAss

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I currently have an F-150 in the garage for weekend chores and it has an 8-foot bed, numerous times while picking up lumber and such the "full sheet of plywood" bed size has come in handy, close the tailgate and drive away, no worries. May have to acclimate or just use the trailer more.
I don't know why people are so shy about driving with the tailgate lowered, I've driven numerous flatbeds with various loads on them and securing the load is simply a matter of physics. It would make no sense to use a trailer simply to avoid having the tailgate open. Many trailers don't have tailgates either.

Did you know on the freeway, your load of plywood is actually more secure with the tailgate open? Because a closed tailgate creates a low pressure zone that can actually lift an unsecured sheet of plywood out of the bed. Also, when loading a truck, the most important consideration is securing your load in the event you need to brake suddenly. This means heavy items must be loaded all the way forward which can be more work if the bed is excessively long.

When I'm hauling a heavy load I can always manage acceleration forces by not flooring the throttle but emergency braking could become necessary at any time and you need to be able to provide braking at the thresholds of the tires in case you need to avoid an imminent collision. As for going up steep hills, the hill needs to be unusually steep to require special securing of most loads in most beds. It's important for the person responsible for the load to understand how much friction there is between the bed and the various items loaded. A load of thin, glossy 4'x8' paneling has different securing needs than 4'x8' 5/8" A/C plywood. And securing a load is not time-consuming or difficult - you just need to be competent. Closing the tailgate does not ensure the load is properly secured and, in my experience, never saves a significant amount of time (especially compared to hooking up a trailer).
 
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Red61224

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I don't know why people are so shy about driving with the tailgate lowered, I've driven numerous flatbeds with various loads on them and securing the load is simply a matter of physics. It would make no sense to use a trailer simply to avoid having the tailgate open. Many trailers don't have tailgates either.

Did you know on the freeway, your load of plywood is actually more secure with the tailgate open? Because a closed tailgate creates a low pressure zone that can actually lift an unsecured sheet of plywood out of the bed. Also, when loading a truck, the most important consideration is securing your load in the event you need to brake suddenly. This means heavy items must be loaded all the way forward which can be more work if the bed is excessively long.

When I'm hauling a heavy load I can always manage acceleration forces by not flooring the throttle but emergency braking could become necessary at any time and you need to be able to provide braking at the thresholds of the tires in case you need to avoid an imminent collision. As for going up steep hills, the hill needs to be unusually steep to require special securing of most loads in most beds. It's important for the person responsible for the load to understand how much friction there is between the bed and the various items loaded. A load of thin, glossy 4'x8' paneling has different securing needs than 4'x8' 5/8" A/C plywood. And securing a load is not time-consuming or difficult - you just need to be competent. Closing the tailgate does not ensure the load is properly secured and, in my experience, never saves a significant amount of time (especially compared to hooking up a trailer).
Funny Story: years ago had a plastic liner in my truck bed, pulled up to a stop sign, traffic was clear, I drove away but the bookshelf stayed put, I was laughing as I went back to pick up my load. Traumatized for life. Now I have a shell on the back of the truck to protect me from myself.
 


HaulingAss

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Funny Story: years ago had a plastic liner in my truck bed, pulled up to a stop sign, traffic was clear, I drove away but the bookshelf stayed put, I was laughing as I went back to pick up my load. Traumatized for life. Now I have a shell on the back of the truck to protect me from myself.
And that is why I don't like those silly plastic bed liners! Way too slippery!- I've been using trucks since before I saw my first plastic bed liner. Yes, the bed gets beat up. So what? The truck is never going to end up in a museum, it's going to the crusher to get recycled when it's outlived it's usefulness. And that won't be because the bed is too beat up!

If the bed gets holes in it I'll throw a 1/4" sheet of plywood back there to keep stuff from falling through! Or maybe I'd get fancy and pop rivet some scrap galvanized sheet steel over the hole.
 

Delusional

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Back when I was a young whippersnapper, I did the same with a plastic bed liner and eight, ten-foot sheets of drywall. The sheets were laying on the ground, with only one little corner of one sheet damaged. Had to hold up traffic for a few minutes while reloading.
After that, I removed the plastic liner, which I never liked, and got one of those fitted rubber sheets, which I highly recommend. Nothing with any weight moves even a tiny bit. It stays right where you put it. It's absolutely perfect for carrying buckets. When it's time to clean out the bed, just pull the mat out and everything comes with it.
That same rubber mat is now in it's third ford pickup with an EIGHT FOOT BED. It doesn't fit as perfectly as it used to, had to cut off a little bit so it doesn't roll up near the wheel wells.
I never understood why more people don't use these rubber mats. Get the thicker style, don't bother with the thinner style. The thin ones don't hold their shape, and move around. That might be why... people get the cheaper, thinner style and they don't work out, leading to a bad reputation for all rubber mat bed liners. GET THE THICK ONE, you won't be sorry.
 

firsttruck

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For work pickup truck, Sandy Munro says 5.5ft bed is kinda small. F-150 Lightning bed is only 5.5ft.
Sandy prefers work pickup with 8ft bed.

In video below, listen to Sandy's comments from times 01:25 - 3:00.


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Electric F-150 Lightning: Sandy's First Impressions
May 20, 2021
Munro Live



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tmeyer3

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It's going to have a flip stop on the gate as well as the ramp, so it's basically like having an 8 foot bed.
Is this confirmed? I haven't seen this any where.
 


firsttruck

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It's going to have a flip stop on the gate as well as the ramp, so it's basically like having an 8 foot bed.

Flip stop does not replace all the use cases for 8ft bed. There are plenty of use cases where a flip stop is not enough. If flip stop was complete replacement, Ford, GM & RAM would not be selling models with 8ft beds.
 

ZAKEEUS

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I think 6.5ft is perfect. Based on how some of the back in Supercharger stalls are set up, I think they are more likely to make it shorter than longer. Supercharger cables aren't very long and the back in spots wouldn’t normally have room for you to back in without hitting the stall or a parking sign. I saw a Model 3 with a bike rack on the back of their car hit a sign a few months ago. So Tesla can move the charging location, but too far back would creat problems for some of the pull in locations where you have a curb in front of you.
 

Red61224

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I grew up in a house that had only wood heat! (Well, I had a radiant heater in the bathroom...) So I know the pain of being a kid and having to stack cord upon cord of firewood in the cold and rain... x-x

But the glow of a hot stove in the pre-dawn hours is something that I guess will always make me comforted ^-^

-Crissa

PS, I also know the embarrassment of being a teen and having to call the fire department because I accidentally triggered a flu fire and couldn't get it under control. It didn't escape, but having a jet engine in your attic is a bit frightening when you've been left home alone for the weekend...
Did yall burn pine in the wood stove?

Kind of a weird note. Here in the deep south where winters is just a few weeks we have some of the best firewood's available, like Live Oak and Red Oak when rated in BTU's each wood can provide. Red Oak being the best and which all other firewoods are judged against on a scale. Hurricanes help in the harvest of the firewood too.?
 
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Crissa

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Of course! Nearly all what we burned was fir, with a little bit of pine and maple mixed in. Very wet, pitchy stuff, always had to be careful with creosote problems.

Oak is such a delight to burn when dry... slow, controlled, not so much hissing and popping, and rarely over-heats.

-Crissa
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