Are there any disadvantages to having a flat bed on the truck. Hopefully I’m a few years away from having to get a truck, but I’ve debated between the two for my next truck. With a flat bed you don’t have to worry about clearance, but everything would have to be tied down.

We have been giving that a thought as well, Could replace the "Truck Box" with an additional Fuel tank, and place Side mounted tool boxes, that it seems would still give you storage, and keep a low profile and some areas for storage. Good Luck and Happy Camping !!

Do you mean you dont have to worry about clearance as far as bed height to the pin? I haven't looked closely at any builds but I would have to guess that by the time you build any type of flat bed it cant be much lower than the factory bed but I may be wrong. I think the other thing people like about a flat bed is having compartments built in.

Where I live, a flatbed is not a pickup anymore. There are licensing and insurance ramifications. YMMV.

rjxj wrote:Do you mean you dont have to worry about clearance as far as bed height to the pin? I haven't looked closely at any builds but I would have to guess that by the time you build any type of flat bed it cant be much lower than the factory bed but I may be wrong. I think the other thing people like about a flat bed is having compartments built in.Clearance from the top of the bed rails to the bottom of the fiver...

ford truck guy wrote:rjxj wrote:Do you mean you dont have to worry about clearance as far as bed height to the pin? I haven't looked closely at any builds but I would have to guess that by the time you build any type of flat bed it cant be much lower than the factory bed but I may be wrong. I think the other thing people like about a flat bed is having compartments built in.Clearance from the top of the bed rails to the bottom of the fiver...Yep, that would on longer be a problem but often people have trouble with the bed height on newer trucks. Getting rid of the rails solves contacting the rails but the FW is still often nose high. They either flip axles, build sub frames or lower the truck. I wondered if a few inches could be gained if a person got the hitch down as close to the frame as possible with a different bed design. I'l have to crawl under mine sometime and look closer.

Flat bed vs regular truck bed | Good Sam Community

ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Oct 27, 2017
joebedford wrote:
Where I live, a flatbed is not a pickup anymore. There are licensing and insurance ramifications. YMMV.

Thought Kali was the "only one", LOL!

A pickup with a flat bed or utility bed in California is no longer a "pickup" - see next.......

Sooooo - those signs at scales (run by the CHP in CA) that say -
"No Pickups" do *NOT* apply to a pickup with a flat bed or utility body.
(They "enjoy" the perk of stopping at scales - and weight checks).

:(...:(
valhalla360
Navigator
Oct 27, 2017
You can always get one with fold down rails if you want storage in the bed.

The platform is a bit higher but wide items fit easier without the wheel wells.

Looks and cost are probably the biggest reasons you don't see more.
2oldman
Explorer II
Oct 27, 2017
ol Bombero-JC wrote:
- those signs at scales (run by the CHP in CA) that say -
"No Pickups" do *NOT* apply to a pickup with a flat bed or utility body.
Yes, it does apply to a pickup with a flat bed, especially if there's a 5th wheel attached to it.
FF286
Explorer
Oct 27, 2017
So I if traveling in California pulling a camper your are are expected to stop at weight stations with a flat bed? How many people are actually pulled over for bypassing them? Is there any other state that has silly rules like this or is it just another great California idea?
2oldman
Explorer II
Oct 27, 2017
Fireman286 wrote:
So I if traveling in California pulling a camper your are are expected to stop at weight stations with a flat bed?
No.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Oct 27, 2017
"Are there any disadvantages to having a flat bed on the truck."

You mean other than not being able to easily carry things in it? We use our truck for basically just pulling our 5th wheel, but we usually have a fair amount of stuff in there that would need to be secured with a flat bed. Not enough pros versus cons to make a flat bed worth while IMO.
FF286
Explorer
Oct 27, 2017
Ok I guess I misread the above post.
James57
Explorer
Oct 28, 2017
I went to a 9ft.flatbed when I got may 2016 Ram
love it when I unhook from 5th TH I can haul side by side
on flat bed.
C_Schomer
Explorer
Oct 28, 2017
My current setup has 14" clearance and I need all of it when I go off-road. I won't have another pickup bed! I built this bed in 06 and I just bought a new TV truck project and I'm building the bed for it next spring. Craig
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Oct 28, 2017
That looks pretty nice, and more useful than a strict flatbed. I don't care for the diamond plate, but it's looks well executed. If it was me I'd have used sheet metal and painted to match, but that's me.