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

[68Stepbed]

What do you think my vote is?

[GRX]

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.

Very well stated 68shortstep. Fully agree with everything, especially the emboldened portion.

[GRX]

OK, time for me to chime in .........

Originally Posted by eurospec1

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.

Don't forget, step sides have steps in the side. Makes things much easier at lets say, a swap meet. How do you access the sides of the bed on a fleetside? Reach way up and over, or use the tires as a step.

And what you said about the space in front of the wheel well on a fleetside is exactly what creates the problem. In a step side you have a big rectangular bed with STRAIGHT sides. No wheel wells to hold up sliding your load out the back. As an example, I have a large property to maintain with a lot of trees. So I am always taking yard waste & branches to the landfill. All I have to do is drop the tailgate & push the load out the back all in one swipe. I'm in and out of there in a couple minutes. Other guys at the landfill with fleetsides & similar loads are envious of that.

Having owned both fleetsides and steps, gotta say steppers are much better for what I use my truck for. As always, it is a matter of personal preference, and the owner's intentions for the truck. Personally, I like them all.

[GRX]

Oh. Another thing ... the bed of a step side is made to be replaced. A couple of good guys can easily change the boards and mounting hardware in a day. We all know what is involved replacing a bed in a fleetside. Another aspect of the stepper which lends itself toward farm work and similar applications.

[GRX]

Back to the subject at hand ... long vs short steppers. It's a burning issue.

Far as aesthetics go, I do prefer the short beds like 68Stepbed's pictured above. (nice truck by the way) Long bed steppers do look kind of funny. Yet I think the looks rise considerably when you have a toolbox & side mount spare like mine below. Plus I can easily remove both and have a true 8 foot bed. When building my friend's garage, guess who's truck of all three hauled the drywall. Me. No need to hang it out the back. I tend to look upon short bed fleetsides as for guys who like to fix up their trucks but don't do a lot of hauling. Which is cool.

Again ... thanks everyone for participating. No let's get out there and enjoy these classics!

[Shyguy]

Since I live and work on a farm, if I could only have one truck it would be a long step-side with a L6 292 backed with the old style granny 4 speed.

But since I have a K-3500 duallie with drw and long running boards to use for hauling heavy stuff and work on the farm we are building me a '67 swb stepper with a 454.

Of course I like all configuration of '67-'72 Chevy/GMC trucks and appreciate the work people do to make their trucks what they like.

[HeavyD]

Short for me. There are lots of trucks up here but they are almost all long beds.

[ges55]

Long, for sure. I used to think they looked weird, but my next truck will probably be a 66 long step. I think they look really awesome.

[KEL]

Long beds just look better.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by ges55

Long, for sure. I used to think they looked weird, but my next truck will probably be a 66 long step. I think they look really awesome.

I like the looks of those with the lights in the hood.

[stevel]

Love my Long Bed.I get comments from people every where I go. This truck has been in our family for 3 generations and I am now working on bringing it back to new.

[GRX]

been over two years. time for a bump

[freezmcnally]

I like short

[Saclandman]

The longsteps were work trucks. Back in the day, the rear fenders could come off and be replaced with utility boxes. Bedsides would stay. Throw a hydraulic lift gate on the back, and you'd have a nice service rig. For lighter duty or hotrodding, the shorts are great. But I like trucks that can do some work, so I think my longstep is pretty cool. Plus you just don't see them on the road everyday anymore.

[67_C-30]

I like SWB trucks for driving around, but for a truck to work, I couldn't decide whether a liked a long fleetside or a stepside, so I went with both!

[Iron Hauler]

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.

68shortstep hit the nail on the head! The long bed stepsides were made for the farmers and ranchers. The first slide in cattle racks were made for long steps, and the wood floors were just right for hauling livestock. I've used mine here locally for hauling an 2,200 pound Brahman several times,works great. They also are much easier to shovel grain out of over a fleet. I love my 8 foot Stepside so much I drove it to Arizona over flying to a rodeo gig just to haul back a pair of new take off rear Stepside fenders and then found out the drivers had the cutout for the spare but I brought them back anyway and eventually found another set. So these just hang in the barn as a testament to what ended up being a trip in my old truck I'll never forget.

[Boog]

Shortbed. To many the proportions are just more pleasing to the eye.

[Russ.W.]

As someone that intends to use his c10 as a work vehicle, I have to go with long step side.

My truck is a short-bed, but it was a cab/chassis deal due to it's uniqueness (RHD), so no factory bed. Since it's going to be a work vehicle, I'll be putting a fleetside on it, simply because it gives me more storage space.

Had I had the option of a long-bed step-side, I'd absolutely have taken it. Decent storage area, plus the step-side allows better access to those item not on the outer edges (for example, those in a toolbox etc).

Also, oddly enough, aesthetically, a long bed stepper, doesn't look as long as a long-bed fleet-side - and for a lot of people, looks matter more than other things.

[Lou Boffa]

Love my long stepper. It's set up as a ranch truck--dealer step bumper and tall 16's. Side mounted spare is cool, and I do love it when I haul a sheet of plywood or sheet rock flat in the bed.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Saclandman

The longsteps were work trucks. Back in the day, the rear fenders could come off and be replaced with utility boxes. Bedsides would stay. Throw a hydraulic lift gate on the back, and you'd have a nice service rig. For lighter duty or hotrodding, the shorts are great. But I like trucks that can do some work, so I think my longstep is pretty cool. Plus you just don't see them on the road everyday anymore.

Plenty of shortbeds got equipped with the bins in place of fender deal as well. Most all trucks were for some sort of work,no matter what bed,back then.

As mentioned,the draw to a Stepside vs Fleetside was the steps on the side giving access to the front of the bed from the side. Many missed that on a Fleetside. That's why those accessory side steps came out for Fleetsides

The reason there were long Stepsides is the same reason as why there were short Stepsides. That's what a pickup truck was from day-1 till '88. I'm surprised people don't ask why shortbeds were made. The same truck,but less useful. I mean they're cool now that guys want to use them like a car,but trucks exist(ed) to do work and practical for their uses.

[Saclandman]

Special K-Realized that as soon as I hit post. Didn't feel like editting it to have it be a valid point. I had just saw a longstep with sideboxes instead of fenders somewhere so that stuck in my mind. Thanks for the correction. Still think my C20 longbed stepside workin'/haulin'/towin' truck is cool though. Well, it will be when it's on the road again...someday. But I don't think I'll work it quite as hard as the POs though.

[Saclandman]

This is the one I was thinking of:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4348949972.html

I'd like to have it.

[BlacklandCamper]

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.

You nailed it. That is the reason I took the plunge on my LWB C20. If it had been a SWB C10, I probably could have walked away from it, but something in me has always wanted a 3/4 ton or larger. Living in the country, there is always a need to haul feed, hay bales, fencing, animals, etc, and a long bed lets you haul more of it. Then there is materials, wood will not rust, or deform like metal, has higher pressure allowances, and simply looks better.

[beau08]

Long bed here as well. I prefer a truck to have a tougher stance. Shorties look better rodded out in my opinion, but just not my style.

[Lou Boffa]

I'll only be happy when I have one of each.