Has anyone downsized to a Maverick and finding the bed too small?

[HiYoAu]

I will be one of the few that will vocalize that I wish the bed was a bit (6” or so) longer.

I came from a 6’ bed truck to the 4.5’ bed and have on a occasion have had to load up items that would have fit nicely in a longer bed but now have to positioned diagonally or propped up on the tailgate. It messes with the loading and organization of the other items in the bed.

For me it is smaller than I would like, so it’s not the perfect truck. A small compromise.

edit: and garden tools! Some rakes and brooms don’t fit straight in. Guys, thats simple stuff.

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[cavemold]

A longer bed would be nice but 4.5 bed is pretty deep and you add extenders on it . If your hauling small to medium size furniture it’s fine . Also if your hauling larger things and you get 4k tow package you can just buy a trailer . There’s lots videos and pictures of people hauling things on trailer as well

 

[NJ Pinelands]

I'm looking to place an order, and have checked the Maverick out in person a few times. The price is right, 4 door is great for the kids, maneuverability, MPG even with Ecoboost, but my biggest concern is that I'm compromising on the truck bed and will be annoyed by the size more often than not. I've previously swore I'd never go smaller than a 6' bed - but here we are.

As a background I have an older single cab F150 8' bed as a part time "work" truck, and a SUV but looking to downsize so I only have one vehicle for all my needs. Part of that work is event production (tables/chairs/tents/bins/ladders) and another is property maintenance/handyman work for a few properties - I do max out the 8' bed a few times a year, but if this is the case I can expense a rental vehicle- cost isn't out of my pocket but the inconvenience of the pickup/droppoff hits me. Right off the bat I plan on getting a bed rack for ladder/extra long materials, and have a Yakima Skybox already which while unorthodox, is good for locked up tool storage - this is the only way I can see the size possibly being suitable.

So has anyone else gone from part time full size pickup truck usage to a Maverick and found the compact size just too frustrating? Or do all of the pros outweigh the con.

I have a 2012 Chevy Colorado and currently use four or five bungee cords. With the tailgate down, about one third of my 12.5 foot kayak hangs out. With the Maverick tailgate down, about 50 percent will hang out so I will be doubling up on bungees.

 

[Aherpa]

Since the Maverick carries 4X8 sheet goods standing on it's head, and it gets great mileage and is easy to park. . . . it works for me.

 

[Mungo]

I'm looking to place an order, and have checked the Maverick out in person a few times. The price is right, 4 door is great for the kids, maneuverability, MPG even with Ecoboost, but my biggest concern is that I'm compromising on the truck bed and will be annoyed by the size more often than not. I've previously swore I'd never go smaller than a 6' bed - but here we are.

As a background I have an older single cab F150 8' bed as a part time "work" truck, and a SUV but looking to downsize so I only have one vehicle for all my needs. Part of that work is event production (tables/chairs/tents/bins/ladders) and another is property maintenance/handyman work for a few properties - I do max out the 8' bed a few times a year, but if this is the case I can expense a rental vehicle- cost isn't out of my pocket but the inconvenience of the pickup/droppoff hits me. Right off the bat I plan on getting a bed rack for ladder/extra long materials, and have a Yakima Skybox already which while unorthodox, is good for locked up tool storage - this is the only way I can see the size possibly being suitable.

So has anyone else gone from part time full size pickup truck usage to a Maverick and found the compact size just too frustrating? Or do all of the pros outweigh the con.

The Maverick will do about 90% of a full size F150. Unless you are one of the few that will need that other 10%, i.e. larger bed, higher towing rates etc. In that case, just get the F350 with duallies lol!

 

[Mikknj]

When I bought my 2001 Ranger the 6 foot bed was considered short (real trucks had 8 foot beds).
I lived with that truck for 20+ years and as with your experience I only wished I had the 8 foot once or twice a year.
The Maverick bed is short and if I was still hauling loose loads (mulch, top soil, etc.) it would be too short. However, with your expected use and a bed rack for ladder/extra long materials the Maverick should be a good fit. Many people make the mistake of sizing their vehicle for their 5-10 percent need instead of what they will use it for 90 percent of the time. Like you said when you need something bigger rentals are available.

Oh I completely agree.. and I made that mistake when purchasing my Tacoma..... I loved to hate that truck....

 

[UsernameMDM]

Recently hauled a full sized washer and dryer. GTG.

 

[James D]

I will be one of the few that will vocalize that I wish the bed was a bit (6” or so) longer.

I came from a 6’ bed truck to the 4.5’ bed and have on a occasion have had to load up items that would have fit nicely in a longer bed but now have to positioned diagonally or propped up on the tailgate. It messes with the loading and organization of the other items in the bed.

For me it is smaller than I would like, so it’s not the perfect truck. A small compromise.

edit: and garden tools! Some rakes and brooms don’t fit straight in. Guys, thats simple stuff.

Here is a video showing the Maverick bed with a tape measure showing 6 1/2 ft with the tailgate down. So maybe the solution is get the Mav hybrid to save on gas when you are just hauling yourself and keep your full size for when you need more capability. FYI... the Taco and Ranger crew cab's beds are only 6" longer for 1.5+X the price and 1/2 the mpg.

 

[Haha48]

Just tow a trailer that's what I do when I need more bed space. I could see table and chairs being a pain due to the bulk. Thr bigger advantage is its easy to reach into the bed load and unload.due to.it being low.down

 

[btim]

I traded a 2016 F150 with the 5.5' bed. I probably never used that for hauling stuff that I cannot fit in my Maverick (or with my small garden trailer). I sold my camper trailer a couple years ago so I don't need the F150's larger tow capabilities either. The 4K tow I have now is plenty.

 

[ychuck46]

I have a 10' single axle trailer in my shop I will use behind the Maverick if I have to haul long things or stuff like a scoop of mulch or soil. I just prefer to let it take the beating instead of the truck bed.

Same here. We have both the Maverick delivered in early April as well as a 2012 F-150 XLT we bought new. No issue with the Maverick so far and if necessary we move up to the F-150, but very seldom have to. And if I want to keep the beds nice then the trailer will take the beating. Nice to live where we have plenty of garages, both attached and detached, to keep all the toys.

 

[HiYoAu]

[/QUOTE]

Here is a video showing the Maverick bed with a tape measure showing 6 1/2 ft with the tailgate down. So maybe the solution is get the Mav hybrid to save on gas when you are just hauling yourself and keep your full size for when you need more capability. FYI... the Taco and Ranger crew cab's beds are only 6" longer for 1.5+X the price and 1/2 the mpg.

To provide context to my garden tool complaint see the photos.

To the OP post, my dad and I both have Mavericks and do handyman activities for several properties and find this a minor annoyance.
As to having another vehicle for doing tasks that the Maverick might not be the best for, I did so the other day as I used my Prius to transport several 10’ long pieces of metal conduit home from Home Depot. I couldn’t easily do that with my rackless Maverick.

 

[Suzukiridr14]

I'm looking to place an order, and have checked the Maverick out in person a few times. The price is right, 4 door is great for the kids, maneuverability, MPG even with Ecoboost, but my biggest concern is that I'm compromising on the truck bed and will be annoyed by the size more often than not. I've previously swore I'd never go smaller than a 6' bed - but here we are.

As a background I have an older single cab F150 8' bed as a part time "work" truck, and a SUV but looking to downsize so I only have one vehicle for all my needs. Part of that work is event production (tables/chairs/tents/bins/ladders) and another is property maintenance/handyman work for a few properties - I do max out the 8' bed a few times a year, but if this is the case I can expense a rental vehicle- cost isn't out of my pocket but the inconvenience of the pickup/droppoff hits me. Right off the bat I plan on getting a bed rack for ladder/extra long materials, and have a Yakima Skybox already which while unorthodox, is good for locked up tool storage - this is the only way I can see the size possibly being suitable.

So has anyone else gone from part time full size pickup truck usage to a Maverick and found the compact size just too frustrating? Or do all of the pros outweigh the con.

There's give and get with every vehicle. The "Get" is more room in the cabin, better mileage, newer technology, and with the smaller bed, you get friends to stop asking you for favors to move things!

 

[tonyinsd]

Clearly the Maverick can do a lot and is very versatile, but I guess I'll have to do some soul searching and see if it's worth the extra time to really strap something down or take an extra trip - it's been nice just throwing lumber of a 4x8 sheet in and driving off.

They've been bragging since the beginning about how with the back down, you can carry up to 16 4x8 sheets of plywood. Seriously, if you're buying that much in supplies, save yourself the trouble and have it delivered.

That's what the contractors I've worked with have done.

 

[Randaddio]

I'm looking to place an order, and have checked the Maverick out in person a few times. The price is right, 4 door is great for the kids, maneuverability, MPG even with Ecoboost, but my biggest concern is that I'm compromising on the truck bed and will be annoyed by the size more often than not. I've previously swore I'd never go smaller than a 6' bed - but here we are.

As a background I have an older single cab F150 8' bed as a part time "work" truck, and a SUV but looking to downsize so I only have one vehicle for all my needs. Part of that work is event production (tables/chairs/tents/bins/ladders) and another is property maintenance/handyman work for a few properties - I do max out the 8' bed a few times a year, but if this is the case I can expense a rental vehicle- cost isn't out of my pocket but the inconvenience of the pickup/droppoff hits me. Right off the bat I plan on getting a bed rack for ladder/extra long materials, and have a Yakima Skybox already which while unorthodox, is good for locked up tool storage - this is the only way I can see the size possibly being suitable.

So has anyone else gone from part time full size pickup truck usage to a Maverick and found the compact size just too frustrating? Or do all of the pros outweigh the con.

Actually I came to my ‘22 XLT hybrid from a 2013 Honda Fit and with appropriate measurements the Fit with the rear seats down has more cubic feet, I forget the numbers but I’ve used the limits in both and it’s clear. However, I’m getting too old for the thrill of nearly getting squeezed off the road by these school bus sized suvs using my lane driven by people who blithely ignore the center line. I like the visibility of the truck.
Another thing: you see the picture in the brochures of a “hack” to install a bike rack? Notice the pretty girl with the bike has the tailgate down? It’s down because your bike is longer than the length of the bed with the tailgate up. I haven’t finished my “hack” and I will use it for lack of any bike rack alternatives but I’d sure rather have a tailgate closed behind my bike.
Just so you don’t get misled by that picture while looking at the pretty girl…
Randaddio

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