Home » Why The Internet Is Going Crazy Over A Photo Of A Longbed Pickup Truck At A Dealership

Why The Internet Is Going Crazy Over A Photo Of A Longbed Pickup Truck At A Dealership

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The internet is buzzing over a totally innocuous photo that Tony Divino Toyota out of Riverdale, Utah posted to Facebook. The picture shows a customer named Jarett simply standing in front of his new 2024 Toyota Tundra longbed. It’s a doublecab (short rear doors) with an eight-foot box behind it, and the proportions have internetters losing their minds in absolutely hilarious ways. Here, let’s read through some of this comedic gold.

We all know that pickup trucks are more carlike than ever, to the point where the regular cab has pretty much died off. Not completely, of course, but volume-wise, regular cab trucks represent a tiny fraction of U.S. pickup truck sales. Everyone wants four doors, and usually four doors means “short bed,” since adding two doors and the standard longbed length — eight feet — tends to make for an overly big-ass truck. Still, some automakers have offered extended cabs with eight-foot beds for folks who need the space in the bed, but also want to carry folks around every now and then (or who want more lockable storage).

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The trucks look a bit odd, but they’re a sign of the times: People want their cake, and they want to eat it, too, which means both four doors and a big bed for work stuff. Here’s a Ram:

Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.21.08 Pm
Image: Cargurus

And here’s a Ford:

Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.20.55 Pm
Image: Autotrader

But even though such trucks have existed for a while, Tony Divino Toyota’s April 1 Facebook post showing a longbed Toyota Tundra had folks absolutely losing it, with some convinced it was an April Fools joke. Heck, I wasn’t even sure the truck hadn’t been photoshopped to be a bit longer than usual, and I own an eight-foot bed regular-cap 1985 Jeep J10:

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Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.04.49 Pm

The comments are absolute gold. This one from Brent Davis has over 6,000 likes:

Jarret pulls into the driveway at 1:15, his back bumper 1:37
Ariengell Rodriguez wrote:
They took this picture in panorama mode
With April 15 approaching, Michael Lee Slavych has taxes on his mind, writing this clever comment:
Gotta pay taxes in three counties to cover that bad boy
Here’s one from Brent Blakeney:
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, probably the back of his truck.
Ron Corning has a drug-store joke for us:
Finally, something longer than a CVS receipt.
Cody Scott wrote a comment that I didn’t understand until I read the replies, which made it clear that this was a phallic reference:
At least we know the truck isn’t cold.
This is a good one from Aaron Andrew Murray:
U – Turn takes 3-5 business days
These just keep getting better. Here’s one from Adrian Tovar:
He gets red light tickets everytime
Israel Mills: Take it away:
Dude go around too sharp of a curve he may rear-end himself
I strongly recommend you check out the comments here, as they are — as I said before — gold.
Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.37.46 Pm
Some people think it’s sad how much attention this photo is getting, since it indicates just how uncommon a once-standard bed size has become. In fact, my original headline sort of communicated these sentiments with “Toyota Dealership Posts Picture Of Longbed Pickup Truck, People Assume It’s An April Fools Joke Because Nobody Buys Real Trucks Anymore,” even though I don’t really believe in the concept of a “real truck,” and like I said, I myself had to double-check to make sure the photo hadn’t been tweaked. The proportions do look bizarre.
Why exactly is it getting so much attention, with almost 19,000 comments? It’s clear to me that folks think the truck looks absurd, with some thinking it’s not real, but rather an April Fools joke (since it was posted on the first of this month). But no, it’s a real truck: It’s just got four doors and a long bed:

Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.44.07 Pm

I spoke with Cha Thao from Tony Divino Toyota, and he made it clear that this was no gag. “I have no idea, it was just a post,” he told me over the phone. “We take a picture of [buyers] with their vehicle… we have a company that will put their picture on the calendar and we’ll send it to [the buyer].”

“Maybe they’re commenting on how long the bed looks [in the photo],” he told me. “It’s an eight-foot bed, but it looks like it’s 12 feet long,” he joked, telling me that over 6 million people had seen the post.

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“It’s not an April Fools joke,” he told me outright, though he admitted that these longbed Tundras are rare. “That’s the first actual eight-foot longbed I’ve seen probably in a year in a half in the dealership…There’s only three available within a 500-mile radius of my dealership.”

Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 1.36.26 Pm

I, for one, love the idea of an eight-foot bed (technically 8.1 feet) and four doors. It’s big, and clearly it looks odd, but it means you can use your work truck for family things, and that’s the dream, isn’t it?

By the way, the Tundra Double Cab Longbed is 252 inches long, or 21 feet. That, as reader Ranwhenparked points out, that’s essentially the same length as what most consider the longest car ever made, the 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 nine passenger sedan! Look at this boat:

Screen Shot 2024 04 11 At 3.47.28 Pm

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RidesBicyclesButLovesCars
RidesBicyclesButLovesCars
7 months ago

I see a lot of trucks like this in Oklahoma. Four doors with 8′ bed is normal for people moving large animals or equipment. However, most are dually rear axles. The extra fender flare helps a lot with the proportions. This Toyota would probably look better as a dually.

Alan Christensen
Alan Christensen
7 months ago

I see a good number of 4-door/8′ bed duallies hauling around slide-in campers — with an extra 12-18″ hanging out the back.

Notta Bawt
Notta Bawt
7 months ago

This. Okay. I was trying to figure out why something technically not that uncommon looked so weird, and it’s what you said.

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
7 months ago
Reply to  Notta Bawt

No, that’s not it at all. Single wheel crew cab long beds are super common, I’d say more so than duallys.

Notta Bawt
Notta Bawt
7 months ago
Reply to  Rust Buckets

“looked so weird [to me].” There, I fixed it. Or do you spend your time going around the internet telling people what their own perceptions should be?

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
7 months ago
Reply to  Notta Bawt

I don’t object to HOW it looked to you. I object to the explanation for WHY it looked how it did to you; the explanation being that crew cab long beds that aren’t duallys are uncommon. This is not true, and that is the only thing I am trying to to say.

Last edited 7 months ago by Rust Buckets
Alan Christensen
Alan Christensen
7 months ago
Reply to  Notta Bawt

Meanwhile, what used to be standard single cab pickups — whatever the bed length — have started looking kind of odd because we’ve become so used to 4-door pickups.

John E
John E
7 months ago

My wife’s 2018 Ram 1500 Quad Cab 6.5′(ish) bed is 19′, almost exact. So was my 1998 Dodge 1500 QC 6.5′ bed. 21′ for that Toyota isn’t bad. It’s just that the rear axle is pushed way back almost to the end of the bed which exaggerates the proportion.

Last edited 7 months ago by John E
Always broke
Always broke
7 months ago
Reply to  John E

I think you’re right it is the axle location that makes it look weird compared to other 8′ bed trucks where I think it’s more centered on the bed

Darnon
Darnon
7 months ago
Reply to  John E

Gotta maximize that wheelbase for the CAFE footprint calculations.

Tiki Bunny
Tiki Bunny
7 months ago

Counterpoint: kei trucks are legal.

Undecided profile name
Undecided profile name
7 months ago

Did anyone notice ” SOME are proficient in 8 to 10 power tools”? Is this the same Cadillac that is the standard of the world?

Dave mid-engine
Dave mid-engine
7 months ago

It’s the same tactic they’ve been doing for decades, where “hand-built” which is nothing more than the product not being built in high enough volume to justify automated tooling, is re-focused as a marketing bullet point by adding the term “craftsmanship”.

Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar
7 months ago

Weren’t those the same days where you’d find an empty beer can in the door if your car was made on a Friday?

Keith Putnam
Keith Putnam
7 months ago

I’m old enough to consider an 8ft 2dr standard, yep.Just wanted to chime in – full size 4dr cabs were pretty rare back then, and the landscaping outfit I spent a few summers working for had a slant-six, 4 full size door cab, sporting a FOUR speed on the column, 8ft bed, ’71-ish, Dodge…. yessir. Same place had a ’62 International short bed dually flat/stake bed, 3 speed…both slower than f***k, manual everthing, if course. Good times!!

V10omous
V10omous
7 months ago

I have a CCLB now.

266” long, 176” wheelbase. Never going back to a smaller one. The downsides are so minimal (even less so with 360 cameras) and the utility can’t be beat.

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
7 months ago
Reply to  V10omous

Depends on where you’re driving, my single cab long bed barely fits in the parking lot at my local grocery store. I have driven extended cab and crew cab long beds there, and it doesn’t work.

That store has an abnormally small parking lot, but this is not an uncommon thing. There are tons of places where it’s a total pain to park anything bigger than a single cab long bed or extended cab short bed, both around 130″ wheelbase.

Taargus Taargus
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago
Reply to  V10omous

Driving this thing in the Northeast would be a pretty legitimate nightmare for me. Crew cabs with short beds are already a problem. Hell, minivans a tough to cram into the typical parking spaces/driveways/garages.

But I would imagine it’s probably not as difficult in the rest of the country.

Autopizen
Autopizen
7 months ago

A friend had an F150 with crew cab and 8’ bed back in the ‘80s. Going to jobs we stacked lots of tools in the back of the cab and filled the bed with materials. Super handy. But tough to park & turn.

He was very popular during moves, and ended up with a lot of free beer, and gas in his double tank.

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
7 months ago
Reply to  Autopizen

Well, no, it can’t have been an f150, because 0 crew cab long bed half ton pickups have ever existed, and Ford never made a crew cab half ton before like 2002

BolognaBurrito
BolognaBurrito
7 months ago
Reply to  Rust Buckets

Aftermarket crew-cab options have existed for F150s for decades until Ford started offering them themselves. Look up an F150 Centurion crewcab. They aren’t super common, but they exist.

Gene1969
Gene1969
7 months ago

I’m guessing none of these people have ever seen crewcab pickups with eight foot beds then.

VanGuy
VanGuy
7 months ago
Reply to  Gene1969

The difference is, Tundras don’t come that way at all, and (to my knowledge) for Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. the base ones don’t come like that (F-150, Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, etc.).
Only Super Duty and adjacent ones can come with crew cab and 8-foot bed, and their styling tends to be different and look more “appropriate”.

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
7 months ago

A standard perpendicular parking stall is 9 X 18. So 3 feet of ass is hanging out into the drive aisle. If there’s another one parked across from it, we have achieved full clusterfuck status.

VanGuy
VanGuy
7 months ago

If they’re not toward the front of the parking lot and they center themselves over two spaces in a line, I would not fault the drivers of these in the slightest.

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
7 months ago
Reply to  VanGuy

Yeah, way in the back

Mechjaz
Mechjaz
7 months ago

I think it’s a truck? It seems truckful. Things could be put in the bed, or not. I think the reactions are funny, but don’t feel any ill will or anything about the truck, the owner, or Toyota. Long beds are useful! I don’t blame/feel angry/whatever or such. It just is, same as you’d buy Mack or International or F-550.

RalliartWagon
RalliartWagon
7 months ago

You can put me in the “I think this reaction is sad” column. This is just a truck. The limos with the little 5-foot wheelbarrow stapled to the back are the weird ones, but that’s what 99% of people buy.

TOSSABL
TOSSABL
7 months ago
Reply to  RalliartWagon

I like that description a lot. Going to steal it—but with slight modification.
Off-road cosplay limo with 5-foot wheelbarrow stapled to the back.

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  TOSSABL

Gender-Affirming Cosplay limo with 5-foot wheelbarrow stapled to the back.

Totally not a robot
Totally not a robot
7 months ago

I blame the buyer for this mis-proportioned photo. He’s standing between the cab and bed, so the viewer misses the vertical rear edge of the cab, and that makes it look like he’s standing in front of a truck with a 10-foot bed and regular cab.

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
7 months ago

Even if he’s 6′ tall, that truck makes him look like a 12 year old.

Andrew Daisuke
Andrew Daisuke
7 months ago

People are idiots. Every day on earth proves this point further.

Dave mid-engine
Dave mid-engine
7 months ago
Reply to  Andrew Daisuke

Right? No one should own what you don’t want, so everyone else is stupid for having it.

Memphomike
Memphomike
7 months ago

I believe he’s faulting the current bigger, bigger, bigger, and bigger trend.
So, you believe it’s all necessary and not wasteful, so be it.
Everyone, welcome to do-it-because-you-can America.

Hondaimpbmw 12
Hondaimpbmw 12
7 months ago
Reply to  Memphomike

The EPA have caused the crazy growth in oversized SUVs & pickups. The CAFE footprint requirements have led to the unanticipated results.

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
7 months ago
Reply to  Andrew Daisuke

Eh, some of those comments are pretty fkn funny.

JTilla
JTilla
7 months ago
Reply to  Andrew Daisuke

The last two presidencies have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
7 months ago

I think it looks almost normal, but I have an F150 with an extended cab and an 8′ bed, which is 20.5′ bumper to bumper. My truck is also two wheel drive so it looks like a lowrider next to a modern truck even though it’s stock ride height.
The weird on for is the Dodge Mega Cab near me where the cab is longer than the bed.

Jatkat
Jatkat
7 months ago

I really can’t put my finger on why it looks so bizarre. Maybe its because 8 foot beds are typically on single cabs? My truck is a single cab long bed, and it looks perfectly cromulent. The thing is though, they did make extended cab and crew cab versions of my pickup (GMT400) with a long bed and they don’t look nearly as weird as this.

Marc Fuhrman
Marc Fuhrman
7 months ago
Reply to  Jatkat

Honestly, I think the issue comes down to how the awkward shape of the cab and the bed. The short rear door with the kinked window opening makes the cab seem smaller than it is, giving the illusion of the bed being longer. Add to this how tall the bed side is and how the black fender flare making the rear wheel opening look larger it makes it a bit odd looking.
I think if one were to paint the bumpers and the lower part of the body below the side dents things a different color it would help undo the long look? Perhaps some bigger wheels and tires as well.

SegaF355Fan
SegaF355Fan
7 months ago
Reply to  Marc Fuhrman

I think you may be onto something with the shape of the cab. When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a longbed Tacoma. I think it probably wouldn’t have gotten this reaction if the roof of the cab was taller.

Ben
Ben
7 months ago
Reply to  Jatkat

I don’t think the Ram picture looks as weird as this either. I suspect part of the problem is it’s not actually a crew cab so the bed is proportionally larger on the Toyota and Ford examples, and with the guy standing in front of the cab it makes it look even smaller.

Rad Barchetta
Rad Barchetta
7 months ago

Definitely not compensating for anything

Space
Space
7 months ago
Reply to  Rad Barchetta

It’s not lifted… Yet.

Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar
7 months ago
Reply to  Rad Barchetta

Eh, that guy probably wouldn’t have bothered with the long bed. I’d bet there a decent chance long bed = actually using the truck for work.

Memphomike
Memphomike
7 months ago
Reply to  Vic Vinegar

Hopefully…

Buzz
Buzz
7 months ago

People are clowning on it because modern trucks are absurd caricatures of themselves. The beltline is collarbone-high and the cab is the size of a Peterbilt sleeper. Toyota’s truck design does no favors, the wheels look like they belong on a roller skate thanks to the ginormous haunches. The Ram and Ford are subtle, by comparison.

Lizardman in a human suit
Lizardman in a human suit
7 months ago
Reply to  Buzz

I think the cab of a crew cab pickup is longer than my cab and sleeper on my Pete. But I have the small sleeper…

Flyingtoothpick71
Flyingtoothpick71
7 months ago

I think what it is, at least that I’m seeing is the body lines on the bed. They show just how big the bed is, where if they weren’t there and the same size as the front, you may not take as much notice of how long the bed is. it may also be the height of the bed somehow that makes it look longer. you would think a lower bed would make it look longer, but maybe the bed height compared to cab height is what makes it look enormous.

my brother has a current-gen 4door long bed dodge and I think it just doesn’t look as weird because the bed doesn’t have much shape or any body lines on it and is vaguely subdued because of this.

Last edited 7 months ago by Flyingtoothpick71
Angrycat Meowmeow
Angrycat Meowmeow
7 months ago

I can’t explain why, but I feel like some of this is due to where he’s standing. If he was standing at the front of the bed instead of the rear of the cab, I don’t think it would be as weird.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
7 months ago

And while he’s standing there some mechanic is eating all the Twix bars.

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
7 months ago

If he were standing at the front of the truck, the back would be in a different zip code.

Eggsalad
Eggsalad
7 months ago

It’s what I call a “cab-and-a-half”. Now consider that the Big 3 will sell you a 3/4-ton truck with an 8-foot bed and a full double cab. Also of note, back in the heyday of slide-in campers, all of the Big 3 offered pickups with NINE foot beds.

Lizardman in a human suit
Lizardman in a human suit
7 months ago
Reply to  Eggsalad

I had a boss that owned a f350 with a 12 foot flatbed. Regular cab, though.

DubblewhopperInDubblejeopardy
DubblewhopperInDubblejeopardy
7 months ago

I guess the truck ate some form of Viagra.

Ranwhenparked
Ranwhenparked
7 months ago

This is 252.5 inches long – a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Limousine, possibly the longest standard production post-WWII car, was 252.2 (and could seat up to 4 more people, though, granted, could only tow about half as much)

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
7 months ago

Do they look longer than older trucks because the wheel base is longer? I’m trying to understand why they look so long

Greg
Greg
7 months ago

I’ve seen some 8 foot tundras from the last gen, and they look long…but not like this. Something about it looks like they slapped a bed from a superduty or another truck onto a toyota. The last gen looks a little more natural.

Pisco Sour
Pisco Sour
7 months ago

When the breakover angle approaches the curvature of the earth…

Mechjaz
Mechjaz
7 months ago
Reply to  Pisco Sour

Make haste! The night is riding hard upon the hitch, ere long the cab besides!

Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
7 months ago
Reply to  Pisco Sour

Rename it the Toyota Tangent.

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