Know the truck I want, but what bed setup for a new family in the mountains?

[Coopsdaddy]

Long bed with topper.
No decked system.If you actually want a truck bed.
Strategically place everything threw out the cab and bed.
Had a nice drawer system and it was cool.
But my tacoma im putting together now is not getting it.I knew years ago my next truck will have the whole bed clear except items on the sides placed well.
I love a topper with windoors.
Can haul kayaks,bikes,loveseat,game,gravel and still sleep in it if needed.
Matter if fact I would not use another drawer system for free.

 

[Mattys010]

I have a 2021 f150 5.5’ bed super crew with cab height topper and DIY decked. I have two kids and love this set up.

You could always put in a hitch rack to bring more stuff on the odd occasion.

 

[Slickhill]

Regular cab long bed 4wd base trim.

Make the big dog ride in the back like everyone did from the invention of the pickup until 6 years ago when dogs became people. Buy a $7 blue tarp and some cord to cover your tent and stuff in case you drive in some rain, labs love being wet so he doesn’t need to be tarped. Put some mud grips on it and be sure you get plain white paint so you won’t care about any brush pinstripes. Steer well clear of campers, kids growing up in comfortable campers will never be hard enough for tenting it in the backcountry, if they don’t know any better they’ll think tents are luxurious.

Use leftover money to buy a Camry or Civic with 150k on it to drive to work and fit in parking garages.

Problem solved!

 

[HuntHarder]

People's reading skills are severely lacking on this site lately. Just answer the man's question.

I have 2 kids and a dog and we go camping in my crew cab 1500 5.5' bed with no issues. I put the bakflip cover on my bed and really like it for keeping things concealed and not easily taken. Also keeps the weather off of your gear. We mostly tent camp and easily have enough room for long weekend trips.

 

[tony]

My opinion
You will be fine with a 5.5 bed. If anything it'll make you think packing for a trip a little more.
Me, my gal and our 85 pound doberman fit all our shit in a 5.5 bed.

Toppers, no idea but thats the route I'll go next time.
If you need a bed to haul, that decked will eat up space and they are expensive. Me, I'd buy a good lid and some various sized totes to put your stuff in.

What is an executive parking garage? Never knew they built different sized parking decks.

 

[fngTony]

What is an executive parking garage? Never knew they built different sized parking decks.

I think it's a more modern parking garage that's a little more roomy and consistent clearance. In downtown Denver most are older and won't accommodate heights over 6'8. Newer structures typically allow 7'4 and have a maintenance area on the first floor that can handle tall roof shuttles and service vehicles. Don't know what op does for work so not sure if he is needing access to upper floors or not.

 

[mtnbound]

I have my first kid on the way and Im looking into buying a new truck and thinking about the setup I would have for this new sized family. Based on our situation below, What do you suggest?

1. It will be me, my wife, 90lb lab, infant in a car seat.
2. We live in Colorado and are very outdoorsy which means at times we have a lot of gear. Mountain bikes, fly fishing gear, camping gear, hunting gear, all dependent on whats going on. We also do a lot of off-road stuff in the mountains
3. I will be getting a F150 Supercrew with 5.5 ft bed
4. Thinking if I need a bed shell, decked system, bed cover, combination of these, none of these etc. to make my life easier.

The Deck system is cool and keeps gear secure, but you lose some head space if you put a canopy on your truck. I have used a canopy on several rigs, and they have some benefits. Their only drawback is hauling tall items. I have been using a Retrax cover, and I like it, but my favorite setup was a canopy with lockable swing-opening windows with integrated storage shelves. It made it easy to access and stash gear quickly, but it was not the best for a dog in the back as there was not much air movement. I would also look at the Mollee frames that can be mounted to the sides of the bed because they give you a lot of storage options.

 

[Braaap]

Thanks for the reply, I want a 6.5 bed but I’m worried about having to park in parking garages and off-roading with the wider wheelbase. I already kinda push the limit.

Edit: not sure how I missed you mentioning the wheelbase already lol

My advise is DON’T get the longer wheelbase. I bought one and sold it after 1.5 years and went to the short wheelbase and couldn’t be happier with the decision. The 6.5 ft bed and super crew was terrible off-road and I rarely miss the extras be space. We are a family of four with two 50 lb dogs. I have a regular shell with decked drawers. I might add a roof box at some point but we can camp and hunt just fine with the space we have.