ATV Fit in the new Short Short Beds

[Leatherstocking]

Looking at new trucks to replace my Silverado 1500 HD crew cab. Love the truck and want something similar. All the new half ton crew cabs have a shortened bed. Most of you probably knew that but it was news to me. Anyway, one thing that I routinely haul is our ATV, a Polaris Sportsman 400.  Doesn't seem like it would be good to have any serious weight riding on the tailgate. I measured the ATV and it looks like the rear wheels would come right to the gap between the bed and tailgate, so I'm thinking maybe it would work. Have any of you put a full size ATV in the new short short bed truck? How does it work out? Thanks.
 

[Graybeard]

I brought my Yamaha Bruin 350 home in the bed of my 2004 Tundra with 6.5' bed and never did that again. I managed to close the tailgate as best as I recall tho that was a long time ago. There was zero room for it to move forward without breaking the rear window tho. We strapped it down really tight and drove real slow to get it home.

Personally I don't think having the wheels where you mention would be an issue as to strength of the tailgate to hold it. Most of us have had nearly as much weight as the entire four wheeler sitting on a tailgate at some point.

If ya use good strong straps and strap it so it can't move back or forward it should ride OK. You can still get 8' beds with extended cabs from all the major truck makers I think. I thought about it when I got my new Tundra but decided a truck that long would need a 40 acre field to turn around so wouldn't make a very good go to the woods truck. The one I got called a double cab these days has a bed an inch or two more than 6.5' and wheel base and over all length are basically identical to a standard (Non extended) cab 8' bed truck. That's still long on some turn around spots in the mountains but still do able.

[Lloyd Smale]

my rzr will fit in my club cab short box chev. It does place the rear wheels on the tail gate though. The grizzly fits in all the way but is tight to close the tailgate. What i do with the rzr is put a couple 2x6s in the bed that are long enough to reach the end of the tailgate and park on them to distribute the weight.

[Leatherstocking]

Lloyd - that's not a bad idea. I was thinking there must be a simple way of distributing the weight. Plus, it probably wouldn't stick out too far so its not like the force would really pull on the cables too much

[Lloyd Smale]

somewhere too i saw where someone sells steal arms to replace the cables if that bothers you. The chev cables in some years of trucks were known to break. I think it was my 03 that had a recall for this.

[Leatherstocking]

Graybeard,

How do you like your new Tundra? I looked at a Tundra Double Cab today and I'm thinking it has the right combination for me. A 6 1/2 foot bed, four full doors and a fairly roomy back seat. Not as much as my crew cab Chevy, but pretty good.

[Graybeard]

So far I like it fine. I think I've only put about 650 miles on it so far. I went up to the mountains to hunt one morning with serious ice from the recent snow and it never slipped or slid any in getting me there. There was an over night thaw and the next day the roads were soft and gooey mud and it again did great.

It rides nicely and has huge amounts of power if needed. It's too soon to know what kinda mileage it's gonna give me but right now it's averaging 14.7 compared to 16.7 on the Sequoia for the 12,500 or so miles I drove it. I'm sure that if I ever do anything besides going to town and riding on the back roads in 4x4 the mileage will rise but I'm not sure it's gonna match the Sequoia.

No more than I drive gas mileage isn't the consideration it is for folks who drive hundreds of miles per week. I doubt I average 5000 a year unless we take an out of state trip.

[Leatherstocking]

Sounds good. Thanks. Mileage is a consideration for me, but the competitors are only a mile or two better anyway.

[Graybeard]

I feel pretty sure that once it has some highway miles on it that mpg average will rise. Hopefully it will be higher by tonight. Matt drove it to Atlanta to install our new server today. Since it was mostly interstate driving I'm expecting the mpg to be better.

It has a multifunction read out like my Sequoia had and tells me miles to an empty tank at current useage rate, current mpg and cumulative mph since it was last reset. I never reset that function so it keeps up with how well the truck is doing. When I traded the Sequoia in with 12,500 miles on it the reading was 16.7 I believe down from right at 17.2 when I got back from the last GBO prairie dog shoot.

When it warms and I start shooting skeet again it will rise as that trip seems to give me better mileage than just running back and forth to town does.

No full size pickup truck with roughly 400 hp is gonna deliver much better and it really depends more on how you drive than which brand ya have as to the mileage.

[cwlongshot]

I am in a similar boat...

The 400 if made before 2010 is a smaller ATV, but still will not fit in a short bed truck. Its a bit smaller than my wifes Trail Boss and it dosent fit.  I have seen a ramp thing that moints in the bed, allowing the front wheels to ride up even with the rear glass. Supposedly allowing the gate to close.

Sorry for the hijack... I am also in the market for a new truck come spring time...  I need a four door, with a bed large enough for a full sized Polaris. The gate needs to be closed, because I'm also towing a trailer. I was hoping for something less than 8" but the reality is, Its likely what I need. I have no real brand loyalty, but like the Dodge line.

Any suggestions..

CW

[Graybeard]

Dunno nuttin bout Dodge trucks as I've never owned one. I do know Toyota makes a double cab model with 8' bed which is over all about 18" longer than mine and with that extra room placed in the bed.

[james]

My buddy has an extended cab Tundra with a 6' bed and hauls his 400 Yammer in it.  The winch was rubbing the bed liner off the front so he bolted a board to the front rail.  The rail already had threaded holes in it.

[Leatherstocking]

I checked out Ford. I guess Ford still makes a full crew cab with standard (6 1/2) and even a long bed ( I think. Never been a Ford fan but they make a vehicle that meets my needs so I may go that route. I do like that Tundra Double Cab though so I guess it's down to those two options. 6 1/2 is good enough for me since I won't tow and haul at the same time. Having the tailgate down is not a problem. That's what I do now with my truck. Strapped in well of course...

[no guns here]

The Ford with the longer bed and crew cab is only in the 3/4 ton and bigger.  According to the dealer where I bought my 2010 F150 Super Crew 4x4, he couldn't even order the long bed in the 1/2 ton super crew.  Works for me, though I would surely like to have a longer bed.  All of my current trailers are bumper pull and it pulls them like a champ.  A 1,000 pound round bale will fit in the bed if I pull the tailgate off.  It handles that weight with ease too.  In fact last week I pulled my flat bed with a round bale in the bed and four on the trailer.  That's about 7500 pounds plus me, momma, and two adult sized kids in the cab.  Not a problem with highway speeds (70+) at all.  I won't put any more weight that is absolutely necessary on the tailgate.  I think it's rated for 500 pounds max.  I'm about 250 right now and that is more than I want to put on it but then I am pretty paranoid about breaking things.  If I were going to do something to extend my bed for the rear end of the four-wheeler, I wouldn't used 2x6's.  Seems like it would be too easy for the the tires to hop off of them and onto the tailgate.  I'd take a couple of wider boards, 10-12 inches with and then I'd use a piece of 3/4" plywood to connect them together.  I'd extend the plywood from the rear end of the boards about 12 inches or so into the bed.  Probably overkill but then, that's just me.  I used two large 10,000 pound ratchet straps (the cheap chink ones from TSC) on EACH of the four bales on my trailer last week.  Didn't really need to but I'm paranoid that one would roll off and then some stupid idiot behind me would slam into it and then sue me for everything.

NGH

[Leatherstocking]

Well, I did it. Went for the Ford F-150, Supercrew, with standard (6 1/2') bed. Nice truck. Picking it up tomorrow after my kids' youth archery class. Then get to take it on a nice long 3 hr ride on scout trip with one of my boys. Can't wait!

[BlkHawk73]

  Put the rear tires on a wide board so the weight distribution is over a wider area.  Have seen tailgates take a LOT of weight so I wouldn't worry much.

[cwlongshot]

I ended up with a '05 GMC Sierra extra cab short box. The Polaris fits nicely backwards as the front bumper protrudes forward too far and I worry about a fast stop blowing out my back window...

I'm looking into that rack I mentioned before so I can get some needed storage in the bed.






CW

[charles p]

I have a 4-door Chevy Z-71 with a short bed.  Also have a tool box.  I can haul my 300 Honda with the tailgate down and the rear wheels on the tailgate.  Works for me and no fear of breaking the rear window (which I once did in a Ford).