A few months ago, I had to move a bunch of boxes and other large items from my house under construction to where I was staying during a renovation. Now the best vehicle choice I could think of would have been a giant red Mercedes Sprinter like the one I had back in Oregon. . Specifically, this was a 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum with a CrewMax cab and a 6.5-foot-long bed that was optional on all trims except TRD Pro and Capstone, where a 5.5-foot bed is standard .
This is not just a matter of unloading longer beds onto the same truck. The wheelbase extends the same 1 foot as the bed. Naturally, the same applies to overall length. This takes the Tundra from 233.6 inches (19.5 feet) to 245.6 (20.5 feet) and the wheelbase from 145.7 to 157.7 inches. It also means the track was completely humorously longer than my driveway. is a literal test of both that and the actual driveway… Score!
For that, this tundra would have definitely been longer my infamous old driveway, and one has to wonder how that erratic, Instagram-worthy hump matched the longbed Tundra. At just 8.5 inches tall, it’s smaller than all Subarus that aren’t named BRZ or WRX. This, combined with the very long wheelbase and overall length, makes the breakover angles interesting. I’d love to share what it is, it’s not in Toyota’s specs (but if you’re wondering why the TRD Pro can’t be paired with a long bed, I think this is your answer. At least the truck looks like it was slammed shut.
Conversely, the low ground clearance makes it easier to load extra-long beds. Isn’t that the point of getting an extra long bed in the first place? At least for me, who’s 6’3, all I had to do was slide the little box in and lift the belt buckle slightly. Needless to say, I was able to fit a ton of boxes inside.
Well, it might be better to climb into bed. Tundra offers a dropdown corner step (bottom, top left). It’s definitely bigger and easier to climb than the integrated corner steps that come standard on GM’s trucks. However, it’s noticeably worse than what GM’s optional MultiPro tailgate (top right) and Ram’s Multi-function tailgate (bottom left) and Ford’s Man Step are officially called. I’ve used all of the above at some point in my travels and Tundra’s solution was by far the weakest (GM got the highest vote).
So how much is the long bed option? Very good question. Standard Bed Platinum starts at $60,100, according to the 2023 Tundra Configurator. Long Bed Platinum starting at $60,005. No, it’s not a typo. Long beds are cheap. I’ve looked at other trim levels and it’s $330 less on the Limited, $95 less on the 1794 edition, and $885 after that. more Expensive in base SR5 trim. Toyota’s feature list doesn’t show any additional or missing equipment, so I’m at a loss to explain this.
But assuming you haven’t missed out on a lot of great goodies in the long run, you must be wondering, “Why choose a much more expensive little bed?!?” The best answer is probably “My driveway or garage is too small”, but there is another factor. With the wheelbase so large, you’ll notice that it takes a very long delay to feel the bumps in the rear axle over bumps in the pavement and the subsequent rebound. I feel
So long beds are weird. But I’m good at moving boxes. Even if you do get a box, you probably shouldn’t tell your friends about it. Measure your driveway first.
