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Not everyone acquires a pickup truck to haul 4×8 sheets of plywood home from the lumberyard.

In fact, Dodge says a trend has emerged among pickup truck buyers: They value interior space for the people being carried as much as, if not more than, they value the bed capacity for hauling for plywood.

Go figure!

So while the bed may be used on occasion for carting plywood, the cabin is used more often for transporting people–like the kids.

Demand for full-size crew cabs industrywide has tripled since the 2000 model year. Sales are up 27 percent this year, account for nearly 40 percent of all full-size trucks, and are the fastest growing segment.

With that in mind, Dodge brought out the Ram Mega Cab for 2006. It is Dodge’s first venture into a Crew Cab with four large, conventional doors. Before, Dodge relied on the Quad Cab with four conventional, but smaller, doors.

To focus on people rather than plywood, Dodge lopped 20 inches off the 8-foot bed and used it to expand the size of the cabin.

The result is a pickup with a huge cabin and a short bed, though still long enough to hold those 4×8 sheets of plywood if you lower the tailgate.

The Mega Cab is based on the heavy duty Ram 2500 pickup, but is available on the Ram 1500 and 3500 models as well.

We tested the ’06 Mega Cab 3500 in four-wheel-drive version.

The truck is aptly named, but not just because Mega refers to all the room inside the cabin. Mega also refers to the effort it takes to get into and out of a cabin that seems to stand 10 to 12 feet off the ground.

The need for ground clearance in 4WD mode, as well as resting on massive 17-inch radials, means the vehicle stands at about cloud level. Running boards are optional at $539 and may be the best money you’ll ever spend.

We tested the ’06 Mega Cab 4×4 minus running boards, which requires some acrobatics to enter the machine and a parachute to exit.

At the morning stop for an eye-opener (Coke, you thought something else?), Jay the proprietor offered an empty milk crate to make getting out of the cab an easier task. A most humane offer, had Jay not made it while rolling on the floor convulsing in laughter.

On the outside it sports the familiar big, bold, take-no-prisoners look upfront, with a short bed and four large doors in between.

But it’s what’s behind doors No. 1, 2, 3 and 4, that’s the big attraction.

Once up in the driver’s seat, standing tall means you not only see down the road, but border-to-border. From Illinois you can see Cheeseheads buying discounted Packers jerseys.

Once secured in the cabin you quickly realize the wisdom of sacrificing bed room for rear-seat leg and foot room. Mega Cab means you can take the entire family on any trip without leaving a couple kids home.

Dodge boasts that Mega Cab can comfortably seat six adults and their gear. And they’ll fit in the cabin with enough wiggle room so no extremities are bouncing off another human.

The 60/40 split rear seat also reclines. Just pull the release lever and either or both seat backs flip over and fold into a large, flat load floor. There’s stowage space behind the rear seats as well as compartments built into the floor behind each to carry items. And plastic hooks are built into the rear wall to hang an assortment of bags.

If you want to carry a person as well as cargo in the rear cabin, you can fold one seat back and leave the other one up for a passenger.

Upfront, the center seat back folds forward and opens to serve as a storage compartment or a work desk. It also holds power plug and coin holder.

And the center seat bottom cushion lifts to reveal a hidden compartment large enough for a laptop computer as well as assorted other goodies. A power plug in the dash can serve the laptop.

The Mega Cab in 1500 and 2500 version is powered by a 5.7-liter, 345-h.p., Hemi V-8 that develops 325 foot-pounds of torque. The 3500 version comes with a 5.9-liter, 325-h.p., Cummins turbo diesel inline 6-cylinder that develops 610 foot-pounds of torque.

We tested both and even with the turbo, the diesel may not be as quick off the line as the Hemi, but with 610 foot-pounds of torque, the diesel is the choice for towing the boat or pulling the trailer.

With a gross vehicle weight exceeding 8,500 pounds, the Mega Cab isn’t required to carry a federal city/highway mileage rating.

Dodge said in its own tests, it estimates the diesel averages 15 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway. It hasn’t estimated mileage yet with the gas engine but says it will early next year.

But it concedes the diesel will get better mileage than the gas engine. So another advantage of the diesel is that while both have a 34-gallon fuel tank, diesel is the choice for longer driving range.

As with any diesel, the engine is going to make more noise than a gas engine. You may be able to tow heavier loads with your diesel than the neighbors, but unless you want your driveway lined with nails, you don’t want to be the first one on the block to start the vehicle early in the morning. The Hemi is much quieter.

Gas or diesel, the ride is a little stiff, as you would expect in a full-size pickup. Though you sit high in the saddle, Mega Cab doesn’t feel top heavy or feel wobbly in corners and turns. However, ease off the gas pedal if approaching corners and turns at speed. Expect to experience some body lean. This is a high-off-the-ground truck and not a close-to-the-ground sedan. The seats do a good job of holding you in place regardless.

Because the pickup has a huge cabin to hold the family, a DVD entertainment system is optional ($1,200) so the kids can pull down the screen from the roof for games or videos.

Side-curtain air bags ($490) are also optional. If you pony up $1,200 for a DVD system to entertain the family but don’t come up with $490 to protect the family, you should have your running boards taken away.

Because the Mega Cab cabin is so large there’s an optional ($295) power rear window.

If you need running boards to get in, you’d better consider the optional ($125) power adjustable brake/gas pedals that move the pedals to you as well.

Base price of the Mega Cab 4×4 is a hefty $42,600 and includes shift-on-the-fly 4WD for off-road and all-season motoring; anti-lock brakes; air conditioning; AM/FM stereo with CD player; power windows and door locks; power heated foldaway mirrors; and remote keyless entry.

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2006 Dodge Mega Cab 3500 SLT 4×4

$48,968*

Price as tested

CITY: 15** m.p.g.

HWY: 19** m.p.g.

WHEELBASE: 160.3 inches

LENGTH: 247.7 inches

ENGINE: 5.9-liter, 325-h.p. turbo diesel inline 6-cylinder 5.7-liter, 345-h.p. Hemi V-8

TRANSMISSION: 4-speed automatic

THE STICKER

$42,600 Base

$850 Bucket seats with power driver’s side

$490 Side-curtain air bags

$1,995 4-speed automatic transmission

$295 Power rear window

$140 Fog lamps

$950 AM/FM stereo with six-disc CD player and MP3 player

$75 Steering-wheel audio controls

$125 Power adjustable pedals

$248 Bed liner

$1,200 Rear-seat entertainment system

*Add $900 for freight

**Estimated by Dodge, government rating not required on vehicle this size. No mileage estimate for gas engine.

PLUSES

– A full-size pickup with full-size cabin space for those who need room for people more often than they do for packages.

– Room to roam in rear seat plus lots of stowage nooks and crannies.

MINUSES

– If not 6-foot tall plus, you’ll need a footstool or the optional running boards ($539) because step-in height is more like jump-in height.

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Read Jim Mateja Sunday in Transportation and Wednesday and Friday in Business. Hear him on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:22 p.m. Wednesdays and 11:22 a.m. Sundays.

jmateja@tribune.com