Step side - Long or short bed? Opinions. What do you prefer and why?

[GRX]

Simple question. Just curious what the community has to say on this burning issue.

[Beat68CST]

Long, it's unique and I have even seen a 1 ton single tire one, when it comes to weight capabilities, the more the merrier!
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[bobs409]

Short! They just look cool!

[aventur1]

Of course SHORT...because I have one

[eurospec1]

Im sorry but IMO long bed stepsides should never have been made, sooo ugly

[big_al_71]

Short bed for a cruiser, show truck

long bed for a work truck

my preference short bed all day...

[eurospec1]

Why did they even make long bed step sides, if you need the bed space of a longbed, why would you buy a stepside that cuts down the bed capacity so much?

[rob32472]

long bed step sides look like fido's a_ _ IMHO!

[502ms]

short...i have it
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[68shortstep]

Originally Posted by eurospec1

Why did they even make long bed step sides, if you need the bed space of a longbed, why would you buy a stepside that cuts down the bed capacity so much?

My guess: It's a farm thing. Straight bed sidewalls.

Think about trying to stack bales of hay into a fleetside around the fenderwells (I've done it, & it ain't so easy), or having to deal with a broken-leg cow after she fell down in a truck bed while you were hauling her, because of the darn fenderwells there in a fleet bed.

Same "livestock hauling deal" with steel bed floors Vs. wood floors, I'd think.

That steel's gonna be slick when it's covered with what the animals leave in there ..........

These trucks were built for WORK. Remember when we (some of us) were young & out in the country, you never ever saw a pickup that didn't have a Knapheide brand wood slat "rack" about 5 ft high sides installed on the bed. That's what those stake holes are there in the bedsides for.

Now we enjoy these trucks for their classic & nostalgic beauty, but that's not why they were built.

[bw4sale]

My granddad had a long step on his farm. That truck is the reason I'm into these trucks. I'm building a short step now. I love them both.

[shawno72]

I have had both and both can be made to look great! Just depends how you do it..

[Ms 69 longbed]

gotta be a longbed...I can throw sheet rock and plywood or 8' 2x4 in the bed and just drive away

[dhaymaker]

Short! All the points being made about a stepside bed being better for farm work are probably valid (I grew up and worked on a farm). But, I "play with trucks" now (as the wife puts it), so I'm not too concerned about how many animals I can haul!

Bottom line: Long stepsides simply do not have very nice lines, they look awkward - that's the PC version. My version is they're just butt ugly!

[GRX]

Great thread so far. Keep those opinions coming.

[1972RedNeck]

I have never liked a step side until I saw a 9 foot long one. Those look good.

[oldblue1968chevy]

yeah the longhorn steppers are cool

[Dano69c10]

long fleet, short step....
just my $0.02
Dano

[R.L.]

I like em both on different rigs, long beds on a 4x4 tow rig or a work truck.
short beds on a light duty utility truck or a hot rod.

[sbc10guy]

Short fleet just sporty and best looking in my opinion.

[Rich916]

Short-Step for 67-72.
Neighbor has a 57 long step and it looks awesome!

[special-K]

Burning issue? I think finding someone who prefers the long Stepsides is the exception. I'll never get wrangled into voting in a poll like this because I just don't limit myself in that way. I prefer every configuration these trucks came in because they offered them all to satisfy different needs. Are we only ever going to own one of these trucks? I love them all.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by special-K

Burning issue? I think finding someone who prefers the long Stepsides is the exception.

Burning ... strong opinions one way or the other. The numbers are staking up as expected so far.

[eurospec1]

Originally Posted by 68shortstep

My guess: It's a farm thing. Straight bed sidewalls.

Think about trying to stack bales of hay into a fleetside around the fenderwells (I've done it, & it ain't so easy), or having to deal with a broken-leg cow after she fell down in a truck bed while you were hauling her, because of the darn fenderwells there in a fleet bed.

Same "livestock hauling deal" with steel bed floors Vs. wood floors, I'd think.

That steel's gonna be slick when it's covered with what the animals leave in there ..........

These trucks were built for WORK. Remember when we (some of us) were young & out in the country, you never ever saw a pickup that didn't have a Knapheide brand wood slat "rack" about 5 ft high sides installed on the bed. That's what those stake holes are there in the bedsides for.

Now we enjoy these trucks for their classic & nostalgic beauty, but that's not why they were built.

I dont get any of that, the only reason you don't have to lift anything over the wheel wells in a step side is because you LOST the space in front off, and behind the wheel wells, so there's no benefit there.

You can still slide the same object between the wheel wells of a fleet side just like you can a step side, you just have extra space in front of, and behind, and above them, that you loose on a step side. I've used trucks for my profession for years, and i always just figured people liked the looks of a step side, cause for work there a hindrance.

[flashed]

I like my short fleet just because it suits me ,but I also would not count a long fleet out if I just happened across one. Around here you dont see either one for sale very often ,I had to import mine from North Carolina due to not finding one locally.I see a lot of these old trucks around but most are not for sale .