Will It Fit? 5.5-ft vs 6.5-ft Truck Beds for Plywood, Sleds, ATVs and Deer

Bed sizes are names, not tape measurements

"5.5-ft" and "6.5-ft" are size classes. Each maker builds its own boxes, so the real floor length can differ by a few inches inside the same class.

GM's short box is a good example. GM's body builder manual lists it at 69.9 in at the floor, close to 5.8 ft. Our inventory filter puts it in the 5.5-ft group, because that is the class shoppers search for.

Two numbers decide almost every "will it fit" question: the length at the floor, from the front wall to the inside of the closed tailgate, and the width between the wheel wells, the narrowest point of the floor. None of the maker spec sheets we checked publish a tailgate-down length, so that is a number we'll measure for you on a specific truck.

Factory bed dimensions for popular pickups

From the makers' own spec sheets and body builder manuals (see Sources), for an empty bed with no liner, toolbox or bins.

We only print numbers we could confirm in the maker's own documents. For a Toyota Tundra, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ram 1500 Classic or an older Ranger, ask us and we'll measure the truck. Do the same for any truck with a drop-in liner, toolbox or bed-side bins, since those eat floor space.

Will a 4x8 sheet of plywood lie flat?

A full sheet of plywood or drywall is 48 in wide and 96 in long.

• Width: On an F-150, Silverado, Sierra or Ram 1500 the wheel wells sit 50.6 to 51 in apart. That leaves about 2.5 to 3 in of room, so the sheet lies flat on the floor.
• 8-ft bed: At 97.6 to 98.2 in, the whole sheet fits with the tailgate closed.
• 6.5-ft bed: About 17 in of the sheet sits past the closed-tailgate line. Drop the tailgate and the overhang should ride on it.
• 5.5-ft bed: About 29 in sits past that line. With the tailgate down it can still hang past the gate, so strap it and flag the end.
• Midsize: The 2024 and newer Ranger has 48.2 in between the wells, about a fifth of an inch more than the sheet. Expect it to ride up on the wells.

Sheet goods every week? The 8-ft bed is the clean answer. A few sheets a month? A 6.5-ft bed with the tailgate down does the job.

Will a snowmobile fit in a short bed?

Not with the tailgate closed. Ski-Doo lists its MXZ trail sleds at 115.2 in long with a 129-in track and 119.6 in with a 137-in track, longer than even an 8-ft bed floor. In a 5.5-ft bed, about 4 ft of that sled sits past the closed-tailgate line.

That is why riders run the tailgate down with a sled deck or ramp, or pull a trailer, especially for two sleds. Width is easier: those sleds are 47.8 in wide overall, which fits between the wheel wells of a full-size half-ton. Check your own sled's spec sheet, because sizes vary by model.

Will an ATV fit between the wheel wells?

In a full-size half-ton, a typical utility ATV fits between the wells. Can-Am lists its Outlander 700 at 47.6 in wide and 86.7 in long, with an estimated dry weight of 740 lb.

That is longer than a 5.5-ft or 6.5-ft bed floor, so the rear tires ride on the dropped tailgate. An 8-ft bed holds it with the tailgate closed. Use ramps rated for the weight, strap all four corners, and check the tailgate's load limit in the owner's manual.

A deer, decoys and a weekend of gear

Any of these beds holds a field-dressed deer. A spray-in liner or a tarp makes cleanup easier, and tie-downs keep the load from sliding. Bed size starts to matter when the deer shares space with coolers, blinds and decoys, which is where a 6.5-ft bed earns its keep. Hauling dogs too? Our pheasant-hunting rig guide covers kennel fit.

Camping and sleeping in the bed

A 5.5-ft Ford or Ram bed is about 5 ft 7 in long at the floor, and GM's short box is about 5 ft 10 in, so most adults need the tailgate down to stretch out. A 6.5-ft Ford or GM bed is about 6 ft 7 in, long enough for a 6-ft adult with the tailgate closed.

Width is the squeeze. About 51 in between the wheel wells is tight for two adults. Bed tents and tonneau covers are sold by exact bed length, so match the truck, not the class name.

Which bed should you buy?

Most crew-cab half-tons we sell have the 5.5-ft bed, because it keeps a four-door truck easier to park. The 6.5-ft bed adds real length: Ford lists an F-150 SuperCrew at 232.0 in long with the 5.5-ft box and about 244 in with the 6.5-ft box. Measure your garage before you decide.

The first thing I ask a truck shopper is what goes in the bed, and how often. A short bed with the tailgate down handles a lot. If it's plywood every week or a sled every weekend, I'll point you to the longer bed.

Taher Alyamany, General Sales Manager

Pulling a camper or fish house? Read our South Dakota towing guide first. Payload and hitch setup matter more than bed length there.

We'll measure the truck you're looking at

Tell us what you're hauling and which truck you like. We'll put a tape on it and send you the numbers before you drive out.

Don't buy off the brochure number. Bring your measurements, or call us, and we'll put a tape on the actual truck before you make the trip.

Taher Alyamany, General Sales Manager