Silverado Truck Bed Sizes: Dimensions, Lengths, and Cargo Capacities

How Big is the Bed on a Chevrolet Silverado Truck?

The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the most popular full-size pickup trucks in the United States. Its versatility, capability, and customization options make it an ideal choice for both work and play. One of the key factors buyers consider when choosing a pickup is the size of the truck bed.

Silverado Bed Lengths

Chevrolet offers the Silverado with three main bed length options:

• 5' 8" bed
• 6' 6" bed
• 8' long bed

The 5' 8" bed comes standard on most trim levels of the Silverado 1500, while the other bed lengths are available as upgrades. Understanding the dimensions of each bed length can help you decide which Silverado best fits your hauling and cargo needs.

Dimensions of the 5' 8" Standard Bed

The 2023 Silverado comes equipped with a 5' 8" bed length. Here are the key dimensions of this standard short bed:

• Interior width between wheel wells: 51.2 inches
• Length at floor: 69.6 inches (5' 9.6")
• Total interior volume: 62.9 cubic feet

The 5' 8" Silverado bed offers ample hauling capabilities for most users. It can fit a standard pallet loaded with cargo between the fenders with room to spare. The bed also features Chevrolet's CornerStep bumpers to make accessing the bed easier.

Upgrading to the 6' 6" Bed

Need more room for hauling motorcycles, appliances, or construction materials? Consider upgrading to the larger 6' 6" bed.

Dimensions of the Silverado's 6' 6" bed option include:

• Interior width between wheel wells: 51.2 inches
• Length at floor: 78.9 inches (6' 6.9")
• Total interior volume: 74.7 cubic feet

The extra 1' of length increases bed capacity by nearly 20%, allowing you to transport more cargo or larger items. But note that the 6' 6" bed is not available on all cab configurations.

Maximize Hauling with the 8' Bed

For buyers needing to maximize cargo and hauling abilities, Chevrolet offers the Silverado with an 8' long bed option. Key dimensions include:

• Interior width between wheel wells: 51.2 inches
• Length at floor: 96 inches (8')
• Total interior volume: 90 cubic feet

The 8' Silverado bed expands length by over 2' compared to the standard 5' 8" bed. This hugely boosts utility when transporting long items like ladders, pipes, boards, and appliances.

How Silverado Bed Size Compares to Other Trucks

Understanding where the Silverado stands in terms of bed dimensions can further help guide your buying decision.

Silverado vs F-150 Bed Size

The Ford F-150 is the Silverado's chief competitor. Here is how bed size options compare:

• F-150 5' 6" short bed vs Silverado 5' 8" short bed
• F-150 6' 6" standard bed vs Silverado 6' 6" bed
• F-150 8' long bed vs Silverado 8' long bed

While the beds are very comparable, the Silverado offers slightly more length with its 5' 8" option versus Ford's 5' 6" short bed.

Comparing to the RAM 1500

The RAM 1500 pickup provides bed length options of:

• 5' 7" short bed
• 6' 4" standard bed
• 8' long bed

As with the Ford, the Silverado beats out the RAM for bed length when opting for the short bed configuration.

Vs Small/Midsize Truck Beds

The Silverado also wins out in bed size versus smaller pickups like the Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Colorado. These midsize trucks feature 5-6' short beds at most, significantly smaller than even the Silverado's base 5' 8" bed.

Takeaway Facts on Silverado Bed Sizes

Key takeaways regarding the size of Silverado truck beds:

• Standard 5' 8" short bed offers ample utility for most buyers
• Available 6' 6" bed adds nearly 20% more hauling capacity
• Maximize cargo room with the 8' bed configuration
• Silverado leads main rivals for short bed length
• Far larger capacities than smaller midsize trucks

By understanding dimensions and capability, Silverado shoppers can find the ideal balance of bed capacity for their truck needs.

FAQs

What is the size of the standard Silverado bed?

The standard bed on most Silverado 1500 models is 5' 8" in length. This "short bed" provides 62.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

What Silverado bed length is biggest?

The largest bed size available on the Silverado is 8 feet long. This maximizes cargo volume to 90 cubic feet.

How much bigger is the 6.5 foot bed versus 5.8 foot bed?

Upgrading from the 5' 8" short bed to the 6' 6" standard bed increases bed length by 1 foot and adds nearly 20% more volume capacity.

Can you get different length beds on different cab styles?

Yes, bed length availability depends in part on cab size. For example, the 8' long bed is not offered on the Silverado crew cab model. Check specifications for your desired cab configuration to see compatible beds.