โFeb-12-2023 10:10 AM
โFeb-18-2023 08:48 AM
AH_AK wrote:Grit dog wrote:
Ya, no inherent issues slicing and dicing a flatbed for your needs.
Also not a huge deal to have a cog a little aft of the rear axle on such a big truckโฆ.except they already ride horribly and adding weight to the FA helps that.
A 4500-5500 never rides good unless thereโs a snowplow hanging off the front!
I thought you already had the truck. Iโd think it much easier and more advantages than drawbacks to having a folding โdeckโ on the back of the flatbed.
Youโd still have to get a camper all the way onto the bed. Or at least no vertical overhang in the rear. But a folding deck has some advantages. Can build it relatively lightweight. Can remove it easily for other truck duties. Itโs up and out of the way while traveling and most importantly not getting covered with mud driving around the great state of AK. Also you could build it fairly long for a huge deck if you wanted. Although length = weight.
Downside is having to drop it down to access the camper every time unless you can get maybe 2โ of flatbed overhang past the camper.
Thanks for the info on the 4500/5500 ride. I kind of suspected the ride quality would be the primary tradeoff in stepping up to the larger trucks. The fold out landing would definitely be sweet, but would require a bit more thought and design work. Definitely doable if you have the extra GVWR to play with. I have a modified 1T SRW right now, so I have to weigh any truck swap with the cost differential and hassle. I am 1000 lb over my GVWR so I am hesitant to add more weight. I have been on the prowl for a DRW 1T or f-450, but the market right now is nuts. Zero deals to be had. C&Cโs with flatbeds are all over the place and reasonably priced.
โFeb-17-2023 10:18 PM
3 tons wrote:
Iโm curious due to flat bed width how one would be able to unload the camper, and then wondering is there no factory installed rear hitch?? How much would the added height difference be of a 4500 (without a bed) over a 3500 4x4, and the acronym โCAโ - I assume this must mean โcab to rear axle centerโ ?
3 tons
โFeb-17-2023 10:06 PM
Grit dog wrote:
Ya, no inherent issues slicing and dicing a flatbed for your needs.
Also not a huge deal to have a cog a little aft of the rear axle on such a big truckโฆ.except they already ride horribly and adding weight to the FA helps that.
A 4500-5500 never rides good unless thereโs a snowplow hanging off the front!
I thought you already had the truck. Iโd think it much easier and more advantages than drawbacks to having a folding โdeckโ on the back of the flatbed.
Youโd still have to get a camper all the way onto the bed. Or at least no vertical overhang in the rear. But a folding deck has some advantages. Can build it relatively lightweight. Can remove it easily for other truck duties. Itโs up and out of the way while traveling and most importantly not getting covered with mud driving around the great state of AK. Also you could build it fairly long for a huge deck if you wanted. Although length = weight.
Downside is having to drop it down to access the camper every time unless you can get maybe 2โ of flatbed overhang past the camper.
โFeb-17-2023 05:24 PM
โFeb-13-2023 03:47 PM
โFeb-13-2023 01:31 PM
mkirsch wrote:AH_AK wrote:
Has anyone here modded out a 13 ft flatbed to allow a TC to sit all the way up against the cab?
One would need to relocate the fuel fill line and reduce the width of the last 5 ft of the 13 ft bed to allow clearance for the rear jacks and the dump nozzle. Of course the frame and suspension set the minimum width, but it looks very doable. The added benefit for me would be that I would also gain a 2.5 ft landing outside my Bigfoot 10.5e and open up a host of new stair configurations. Of course, the lockable storage box opportunities are fantastic too.
C&C 4500+ are relatively common and comparatively cheap in my area. Just curious what problems I may encounter with such an undertaking.
To answer your question, no.
This is kind of like the question about reinforcing the truck's frame from a couple weeks ago. By and large the folks who own truck campers want simple and convenient. We like to buy the truck ready to go. If we have to add anything we like things that bolt on. Cutting the truck apart to make the camper fit is just not something that is commonly, or ever, done.
IF you feel that you have the skills to pay the bills, by all means, knock yourself out.
โFeb-13-2023 01:17 PM
KD4UPL wrote:
I doubt these are very common with a frame long enough for a 13' flatbed. That length frame, if you find it, only comes with a regular cab truck. What is mistly available is a 60" or 84" CA frame alowing for a 9' or 11' flatbed respectively.
An 11'bed automatically solves yoyr rear jack problem as they will be past the end of the bed. Now you just need to deal with the drain pipe. When I was considering doing this there were a few campers that were flat on the bittom all the back but I firget whuch ones.
If you did use a regular cab truck and 13' bed yoy might actually overload the front axle by getting the camper COG too far forward.
โFeb-13-2023 09:56 AM
โFeb-13-2023 04:56 AM
AH_AK wrote:
Has anyone here modded out a 13 ft flatbed to allow a TC to sit all the way up against the cab?
One would need to relocate the fuel fill line and reduce the width of the last 5 ft of the 13 ft bed to allow clearance for the rear jacks and the dump nozzle. Of course the frame and suspension set the minimum width, but it looks very doable. The added benefit for me would be that I would also gain a 2.5 ft landing outside my Bigfoot 10.5e and open up a host of new stair configurations. Of course, the lockable storage box opportunities are fantastic too.
C&C 4500+ are relatively common and comparatively cheap in my area. Just curious what problems I may encounter with such an undertaking.
โFeb-13-2023 04:49 AM
Reality Check wrote:
I guess I'm not really understanding the problem. Pictures? Fuel lines are easy to move. Jacks should clear regardless. Worst case, rear of the camper (anything past the 8' mark) might have a section/part that is lower (i.e. our wings hang down about 1/2" lower than the bottom of the camper). Just put the camper on a mat, or plywood, etc, to raise it up a bit.
I'm not following why the narrowing at the rear? Deck at the back would work great..we use to have a pull out deck that stored under part of the flatbed on another truck.
โFeb-12-2023 02:12 PM
โFeb-12-2023 12:09 PM
โFeb-12-2023 11:04 AM
โFeb-12-2023 10:51 AM