Forum Discussion

Road_Phantom's avatar
Road_Phantom
Explorer
Jul 09, 2020

aluminum flat bed

I'm considering an aluminum flatbed for my Ram 2500 short-bed crewcab truck. The truck is too high to tow a Grand design 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel, so by putting in a flatbed I won't have to worry about the truck rails getting in the way. Has anyone else considered this option?
  • A friend of mine put a steel flatbed with a headache rack on his shortbed Dodge. They also installed a B&W turnover ball. A shortbed with a sliding hitch is OK but now he can't use the sliding hitch and the headache rack takes another 5" away for turns. Needless to say but he has already crushed the front of his 5th wheel.

    So if you go with a flatbed forget the headache rack.
  • Hillsboro decks have a bolt in B&W hitch mount feature.
  • Not a very good idea on a short bed truck....all the farmers around here have the aluminum flat beds with goose neck hitches---don't know if they are 1/2 ton or larger but all say a short bed is to close to the cab and rides rougher also.
  • Check with your insurance agent. In some states a flatbed is considered commercial. Don't know about the Keystone state.
  • Farmer's needs are different from RV'er'a. My 5th wheel trailer was made to pull with a short bed. It has cutouts on the corners of the front cap to avoid hitting them on tight turns. I would opt to eliminate the rear window guards that come with the flat bed.
  • I just did it, but I went with a steel flatbed. Mine was to mainly haul my golfcart while towing the travel trailer, but it came with a gooseneck hitch in the bed. One of the best decisions that I made. Not worried about scratching it, just throw and go. Toolboxes underneath make nice storage.