Miss flatbed

[RobertN]

I helped a friend today; he is a concrete guy. I worked for him for a year, a couple years back. He used to have a F450 flatbed, 7.3 with a stick. Before that, a Chevy 3500 flatbed. Both had dump...

Well, now he has a 2000 or 2001 F350 SRW regular bed. It was a pain getting to stuff in the bed, stacking/removing tools ect. Those flatbeds were so much nicer of a work truck.

I wish someone made a nicely finished flatbed for a SRW truck. All the ones I have seen leave exposed frame, real industrial. It would be nice if someone built one, with something like the sides of a regular bed from the flatbed down.

 

[flusher]

I helped a friend today; he is a concrete guy. I worked for him for a year, a couple years back. He used to have a F450 flatbed, 7.3 with a stick. Before that, a Chevy 3500 flatbed. Both had dump...

Well, now he has a 2000 or 2001 F350 SRW regular bed. It was a pain getting to stuff in the bed, stacking/removing tools ect. Those flatbeds were so much nicer of a work truck.

I wish someone made a nicely finished flatbed for a SRW truck. All the ones I have seen leave exposed frame, real industrial. It would be nice if someone built one, with something like the sides of a regular bed from the flatbed down.

Yah, that would be a nice rig.
I'm in the market for a 1-ton flatbed, something like this.





I like the 6 storage compartments under the bed. If I need more, I could always add a box behind the cab. And with removable fences that fit in the stake pockets, you have a lot of the benefits of a regular pickup.
I think I'd prefer an extended cab and a shorter bed rather than what you see in the photos.

If I can't find this configuration, I'm toying with the idea of getting a mid-1990s tow truck, removing the towing gear on the bed and installing a gooseneck hitch like the one in the photos. Tow trucks generally have quite a bit of locked storage space. However, they usually are short-cab configurations. So some tradeoffs will have to be made on my wish list. And finding a decent tow truck with less that 300K miles will be a challenge.

 

[RobertN]

That is a nice rig. Is it a dump too?

For something like my 3/4 Dodge, I would like to see the body cut so a flatbed sat right above the wheelwell, and left the lower part of the body as "trim" I guess you could say.

Yah, that would be a nice rig.
I'm in the market for a 1-ton flatbed, something like this.

 

[wkpoor]

I totally agree. Glad somebody else thinks like I do. My next PU will be flat bed for sure. Regular beds are for yuppies hehehehehehehe.

 

[DJ54]

If I remember correctly WK, your "last" pick-up was made to haul sumpthin' else... Like haulin' butt....!!

0 to 60 in a few seconds, if you could get it to the ground, without lighting up the tires..!!

 

[flusher]

That is a nice rig. Is it a dump too?

For something like my 3/4 Dodge, I would like to see the body cut so a flatbed sat right above the wheelwell, and left the lower part of the body as "trim" I guess you could say.

I don't think it's a dump.

What you describe sounds a lot like what you have in some tow trucks - low bed height. Of course, tows usually have the ramped rear end which you probably wouldn't want. Actually, I kinda like the bob-tail style of this type of tow truck for hauling a GN trailer. But you sacrifice the PU-type capability of a pure flatbed.



Or maybe something like this-minus the lower body trim you prefer



And some old farm flatbeds sat pretty low after a few decades use

 

[Groo]

going to get a SWR dump body for the upcomming F350 SWR. It's going to have to be a custom job.

 

[jayste]

Hey guys if I'm not mistaken these folks at J & I make skirted flat beds for short wheel base trucks. http://http://jitruckbeds.com/detail_ranch.asp?ID=3

Unfortunately they're in Oklahoma which is a pretty good distance for some to travel.

Jay

 

[jayste]

I have to agree. Here's mine and it's great to work off of.

 

[flusher]

I have to agree. Here's mine and it's great to work off of.

Yep. That's one nice rig you have there. I'm looking for it's twin now.

 

[DJ54]

Here is a few pictures of Ole' Henry.. A '91 Ford 450, NA 7.3, 5 spd. with a 5.13 gear. Nice old truck, quite the "trailer toter".

The flatbed was nice for certain things. Especially my gooseneck horse trailers. No tailgates to ding up..!! And great for pulling the other trailers. Load a pallet of whatever on, and strap it down...

Note the custom made hitch on the rear... 5/8" plate, with a backer behind the pintle hitch. Told the welder I wanted the frame to break, before the hitch... I can weld stuff together here, but pulling loads down the road, I want something I really shouldn't have to worry about.

We do a lot of horsecamping, and it is nice to have a pickup bed to carry "stuff'. Hay, buckets, chairs etc., without having sideboards to keep it on the bed...

We thought maybe someday we'd venture west a little, and decided to update with the '96 Dodge 5.9 Cummins w/AT in the background, of the one picture. Extended cab to carry extra clothes in the fall, and a cooler in the cab, without it being under your feet, in the single cab. Couldn't pass it up. A '96 model with 60,000 miles. A grandpa's truck, that has been well maintained..., the service records were with the owners manual...

Sold Henry to a semi-local fellow. I see it on the road a couple times a month. Still a sharp looking old truck, in my eye...

Just still cannot get used to that 5.9 not really changing pitch when it shifts. LOL...

My problem is..., I have a truck for every occasion... 4 in all... my '96 Z-71, for going to town. The '96 Dodge Dually, my '93 Chevy C-3500 dump truck, and Pop's old '77 Dodge Dually, with a 318, and 4 spd. w/4.10 gear.. Geeze..., he thought he had something there... What I would give to se him take a load down the road with the Cummins... And it is nothing compared to the newer trucks out now.. But does what I want hauling horses... No fast take offs, just hold the speed when going down the road...

And besides, the insurance on the 450 was twice what it is on the two, 1 ton trucks. Simply because the 450 was in the commercial class, with the 14,000 lb. GVW, according to the numerous insurance companies I checked with, trying to find a better rate.

 

[DJ54]

And here is a picture of "Dumpy"..., my '93 C-3500 hauling one of 400 loads of dirt I needed to fill my pond in, last fall, and this spring. (Yep, I kept track..) Judging from how far the mudflaps were off the ground, when hauling 4 to 4 1/2 tons of stone, there is at least 4 1/2 tons on the old girl...!! So I figured at least 1600+ tons to fill the pond.

My neighbor was digging a new pond, and I needed fill for mine. He was pushing it out, and hauling it away. He said I could have all I could haul. The man supplied a new 410 J.D. R.T. hoe to load with, full of fuel at no cost to me, A/C on, and local rock station on the stereo.... What could I say..??

It was 1.7 miles round trip. My best day, I made 52 rounds, in a 11+ hour day. I hauled it all on less then 5 tanks of gas... Talk about sweet..!!

 

[wkpoor]

If I remember correctly WK, your "last" pick-up was made to haul sumpthin' else... Like haulin' butt....!!

0 to 60 in a few seconds, if you could get it to the ground, without lighting up the tires..!!

Hey hozzzzy you kook! I gotta admit that Ford was a good looking unit. Probably another one of my mistakes in life not buying that off you. Cause that is exactly what I like. Maybe double cab if I had a choice. OBTW my last PU was also one of my mistakes in life.....might have been some what quick but totally useless otherwise.

 

[DJ54]

LOL!!! Was wondering how long it would take you to find my reply...

Ah..., Henry found a good home, and I don't have to worry about him "having pups" on you somewhere..., like on your big adventure this weekend.., is it..??

Not that he would, just the thought of selling to a friend, then puke...

 

[Bentwrench]

Check out B&W truck beds at B&W Custom Truck Beds, Inc.. You might find something there. I have a couple of friends with dually beds from them.

 

[NSBound]

Aw shucks, you guys misled me with the title of this post! I expected to see a ******-clad young lady standing on a flatbed!

 

[JoelD]

Flat bed, flat bed, flat bed, where fore art thow flat bed. Man do I miss my flatbed.

Can load and unload from any angle with forks, much more user friendly than truck bed.

Here are pictures of the one I built for my old chevy.

I really miss that truck too, strongest pulling machine I've ever owned, outpulls my current F250 2 to one. the 4:10 gears were awsome.

Only addition I was going to do was head ache bar and pockets for side rails.

Joel

 

[flusher]

Flat bed, flat bed, flat bed, where fore art thow flat bed. Man do I miss my flatbed.

Can load and unload from any angle with forks, much more user friendly than truck bed.

Here are pictures of the one I built for my old chevy.

I really miss that truck too, strongest pulling machine I've ever owned, outpulls my current F250 2 to one. the 4:10 gears were awsome.

Only addition I was going to do was head ache bar and pockets for side rails.

Joel

That DIY flatbed is one great looking Chevy farm truck. Congrats on a nice job.

Put a trapdoor GN hitch in the middle of that bed you built and I'd be set to haul my soon-to-be restored 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF tractor on the 18-ft GN tiltbed trailer I'm jonesing for. The guys in the antique tractor club would really go for a rig like that and I'd be proud to such a vehicle.

I've been half toying with the idea of getting an old 1980s 1 ton truck like your Chevy, installing a rebuilt engine and drive train and welding up a flatbed frame and installing a wooden deck like yours. That would be one fun project.

 

[JoelD]

Thanks for the kind words, that truck was a great truck, if the frame had not rotted out from under me I'd still have her.

I paid less than $200 for the materials, I used framing from pallet racks, comes in 12 foot lengths and I cut to what I needed (recycling at its best).

Those GN trailers look like the way to go.

The project was fun, not overly difficult and really rewarding when done.

I'll probably do again when I find the right truck, what would be perfect is a 4x4 extended cab chasis with no body for a deal and then build my flatbed.

Joel

 

[LBrown59]

I have to agree. Here's mine and it's great to work off of.

Nice.
How high is it from the floor to the street ?