Aluminum flatbed??

[steved]

Does anyone know where I can inquire about an aluminum flatbed for my 2500? Not looking for anything fancy, literally just an aluminum flat bed!



I think this would be better for towing my 5th wheel, not to mention be easier to work from.



Anything near PA??

 

[gitchesum]

No experience with these folks, but they might be able to steer you in the right direction.

Aluminum Truck Bodies, flatbed, platform, dump, grain, livestock, custom by M. H. EBY

 

[HBarlow]

Curtis,



When I was looking for a flat bed a few months ago I did a search using "truck beds" and found many manufacturers. I remember finding one that built aluminum beds but can't remember the manufacturer's name.



I learned a lesson about flat beds that I will pass on to save you some possible grief. They are not quite as handy as they appear to someone, like I was, accustomed to pulling with a pickup bed.



The reason is a due to construction a flatbed sits about 6" or 8" taller than a pickup bed floor so pickup truck towing equipment like hitches, tool boxes, and fuel tanks are too tall for proper towing height or adequate clearance when installed on a flat bed. I had to have my 20K Reese hitch cut down and shortened by 4" to allow towing my 5W on a flatbed.



The reason for this is flatbeds are built with 4" channel frame rails running fore and aft that sit on top of the truck's frame rails. Then a flat bed uses 3" channel side to side frame rails sitting on top of the 4" channel rails. When you add the spacers the installer usually installs on top of the truck's frame rails and the thickness of the bed deck you raise the height of the bed deck 7" to 8" from the top of the frame rails. It will be worse with a pickup frame because your frame rails are not straight like the rails on a cab and chassis so spacers or brackets will be required which will raise the bed even more.



Here are the numbers: My 3500 cab and chassis was delivered with the top of the frame rails at about 33" from the pavement. Add 7. 5" for the C&M bed and the bed deck is 40. 5". A typical 5W king pin plate is at about 48". Factor in a 2" squat on a cab and chassis when loaded, more like 4" squat with a pickup, and you have only 8" to 10" of vertical height for the hitch.

 

[steved]

OK, that's good to know...



My issue with the current 5vr is that the pin has to be high in order to clear the rails... I was thinking (and you disproved) that I could eliminate the rails and have the best of both worlds...



Maybe I'll look into a steel frame (or build one)... I can work steel, don't have the equipment to work aluminum. I was actually thinking a steel frame and aluminum deck...

 

[Philip]

The height HBarlow spoke of also depends on the MFG of the bed also. Every MFG does it different.



I have a B&W flatbed. It raised my goose neck ball 3" above the orginal height.



Find the bed you like the looks of and call the MFG and ask them about it.

 

[steved]

But if I go with steel, I can build it at a substantial savings!

 

[Philip]

You might be surprised when you price everything out. I did some figures before I bought my bed. I worked in a fab shop at that time. I could buy steel 30% under what street price was for a walk in customer. I had 1/2" shear and press brake access.



After I figured all the steel needed to build the bed the way I wanted it. Which was very close to the bed I bought design wise. I was well over 50% of the cost of the custom bed. That didn't include paint work. It would have taken me about 3 weeks of evenings to build, paint and prep work.



If your thinking of a bare basic flatbed. The cheap beds floating around most of the time run about the price you can build one for.



As of the last time I hauled in scrap it was $180. a ton. Triple that for new steel and you will come close. A cheap bed will use about 700 lbs or so. My custom is almost 1500 lbs.



This is about the best pic I have of my bed.



#ad

 

[JHerr]

I second the suggestion of M. H. Eby aluminum bed. We have a 10-year old Eby aluminum bed on an F350 Ford dually. We customized the aluminum bed to our specific needs. The bed has been great... the truck not so much.



Eby's isn't that far away from you, it is right along Rt. 23, just 1/2-mile east of the intersection of Rt. 322 & 23.

 

[steved]

I second the suggestion of M. H. Eby aluminum bed. We have a 10-year old Eby aluminum bed on an F350 Ford dually. We customized the aluminum bed to our specific needs. The bed has been great... the truck not so much.

Eby's isn't that far away from you, it is right along Rt. 23, just 1/2-mile east of the intersection of Rt. 322 & 23.

That is very good to know... I knew Reading Bodies were around, didn't know there was anyone closer.

I'm still kicking around the idea of building one... I enjoy the work. And I'm looking at a very basic flatbed... nothing special.

Another thing is I'm looking at one that is no wider than that cab... I have not seen one that did not protrude either side by at least a few inches...

 

[JHerr]

I am with you on the width issue. I don't understand why there isn't any bed manufacturer who builds a stylish, yet practical, aluminum bed for a 3/4-ton truck. We would like something nice-looking, like Philip's bed.



We are looking to possibly build a flatbed for an older F250 Ford. To build what we want would be cost-prohibitive if Eby's built it. We would like to mimmick the lines of a styleside bed as much as possible. Therefore, the design cost will be too high.

 

[steved]

I actually saw exactly what I wanted yesterday on an older Chevy... it was homebuilt, consisting of 3 inch channel outsides. It was the same width as the cab... and just a flatbed...

 

[CWebster]

Pickup Truck; Semi Tool boxes, Cab guards, Pickup Headache Racks, bed slides, Truck Flatbeds, RV Truck Tow bodies, RV Hauler, RV Toter, Trailer and Flatbed underbody toolbox manufacturer since 1980.



Some good pics for ideas.....

 

[THess]

I wanted an aluminum bed to replace my dump bed. I looked for about a year and really researched it. Finally bought one off ebay. I had to go to Arkansas to get it, but I paid less than $1,000 for it so I believe I got a good deal. Anyway its for a dually but it seems like when I was looking there were a lot for 3/4 tons.

 

[Ncostello]

I see alot of Hillsboro aluminum flats around here in Indiana. They are very nice looking and tough.

 

[TinCanTourist]

You might check out ProTec beds. The loggers use them a lot here on the coast and they seem to hold up well to their abuse. Loggers seem to be harder on equipment than construction folks.