Remove box for flat bed...Why not?

[tmartin000]

I was thinking, I realize that I wouldn't improve carrying capacity, but why not remove my truck bed....and add an aluminum flat bed and have a better more useable surface for camper and boxes for storage?

Any thoughts?

[ticki2]

If I am reading correctly they are demountable and interchangeable with a truck bed with their system . Pretty slick .

[joerg68]

It looks like these designs are non removable,

Oh, they are:
http://www.bimobil.com/en/bimobil-system/pickup-system/

But since they do not sit in the truck bed, they look like they are not 😉

[RobertRyan]

arto_wa wrote:

joerg68 wrote:
These are quite popular over here (link in english):
http://www.bimobil.com/en/modelle/pickups/

The one huge advantage is that you can have a lot more floorspace.

Thanks for the link - interesting looking models.

It looks like these designs are non removable, similar to Class C motorhomes here but built on European or Japanese pickup or van cab chassis.

I agree about the large floorspace, but the camper portion cannot be removed or the truck used for hauling other loads.

1974 Dodge pickup:

Of course very popular in Australia, where even F250/F350's are converted to flat beds. Phoenix Campers in the US has a new Flatbed model
Phoenix Campers Flatbed

Local Australian Flatbed

[arto_wa]

joerg68 wrote:
These are quite popular over here (link in english):
http://www.bimobil.com/en/modelle/pickups/

The one huge advantage is that you can have a lot more floorspace.

Thanks for the link - interesting looking models.

It looks like these designs are non removable, similar to Class C motorhomes here but built on European or Japanese pickup or van cab chassis.

I agree about the large floorspace, but the camper portion cannot be removed or the truck used for hauling other loads.


1974 Dodge pickup:

[SoCalDesertRid1]

California is hell on cab/chassis trucks. I had 2 F350's in California, one 92 4wd crew cab single rear wheel pickup and one 97 4wd regular cab dually flatbed.

The pickup was $250/yr to register.

The F350 flatbed was $750/yr to register and I had to display my state weight sticker and stop at all scales.

I tried to take my F350 pickup through a state scale once, they got mad and told me to leave and don't come back. LOL

Then I brought both trucks to Arizona and registered them here when I moved here. The flatbed truck was $250/yr to register and the pickup is $65/yr to register.

Neither of them had to display any weight stickers. The flatbed had to go through the scales, but the only scales we have here are at the state borders. California has scales all throughout the interior of the state, as well as at all the border crossings.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

California is very easy on trailers. My trailers were about $25 to register with permanent plates, which need to be renewed every 5 years for $10. I guess they're not really permanent, LOL.

Arizona is much harder on trailers. The same 2 trailers are $129 each to register with permanent plates. Permanent plates are truly permanent in AZ though..

[2BLAZERS]

I totally would go flat bed if you are not pushing the rear axle weight limits, tire limits or vehicle GVW limits. As flatbed usually means boxes for more stuff.

For me I choose a regular pickup box as I daily drive my dually to work and everything still.

If money was unlimited I'd do a Ram 5500 flatbed in a heartbeat for camper hauling. And drive a SRW daily. But $$$

[Bedlam]

Torklift now has the GlowStep Revolution for trailers and side door TC's. When I get my triple, I will converting my GlowSteps with the Revolution mounting hardware. My buddy's Mammoth on a F350 even needs an additional foot stool step to get in, so the problem is not limited to your Chalet.

WA also looks at enclosed trailers over 10K lbs as commercial. They downgrade the rating on the trailers going to the state to save the buyer. Once you get to the large triple axle models, you're on the hook for commercial unless you add enough living quarters to call it an RV (you then get an exemption to the weight limit). My trailer is running dual 5200 lb torsion axles with newly upgraded 2805 lb rated tires and rims, but is still tagged under the 10K lb limit.

[2BLAZERS]

tmartin000 wrote:

BigToe wrote:
In some states, removing the factory pick up body can change the registration status of the truck, which can lead to higher annual fees, weight declaration requirements, stopping at roadside scales, and other potential vulnerabilities if a highway patrol officer really wants to hassle you.

Specifically, in California, once the factory pickup bed is removed and a flatbed installed instead, the truck now legally is required to stop at scales, as it is no longer a "pick up". This is not practically enforced, but it is legally enforceable.

California actually has set forth a statutory definition of "pick up", and ever since the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act of 2001, trucks that are not "pick ups" have to have declared, in advance, the maximum weight that will be borne and towed by the truck, and pay fees according to that declaration. Should a CHP pull a flat bed truck over for not stopping at the scales, and should the CHP decide to weigh the truck and the weight of the truck, camper, and trailer exceeds the amount that was previously declared, then the fine is the maximum fees that would be levied on an 18 wheeler semi declaring 80,000 lbs.

Pickups, on the other hand, do not have to anticipate what weight they will carry. An owner of a pickup can decide one day to pull a 9,999 lb trailer, while having a 5,000 lb BigFoot 3000 in the bed, and not have to have paid fees for 22K gross combined like a flat bed truck owner would have had to do in order to operate legally in that configuration. Keep in mind, these rules apply irrespective of the door plate rating of the underlying truck chassis, and irrespective of the fact that the chassis could very well be the exact same.

The rules apply to merely the characteristic of the bed. And that is one reason why some California light truck owners keep the pickup bed installed, even when aluminum flat beds with underslung tool boxes offer more common sense convenience and practical utility.

Don't really care since I don't live in California. With Oregon plates, they'll probably wave as I drive by. 🙂

But us Oregonians get stuck with stupid rules about T-plates and heavy ''non-RV'' trailers. So my 10k rated Enclosed Trailer is a pain in Oregon. Oregon considers any ''non-RV'' trailer rated over 8K a ''heavy'' trailer subject to T plate rules and weight registration and yearly fee. And yes the TC is included in the weight I register for.

[Fastbrit]

Bedlam rote

" When I was shopping for my flat bed for my chassis cab, I could not find manufacturer that had a stock aluminum bed that could tie down a 3-ton TC (since I want a triple slide model)."

True...
I was advised by Martin's truck body to not attach the t\c to f\b, but to the frame of the truck only.
F\b is designed to take downward force not the opposite way.

To accommodate that I add to change the location of front tie down. The fastguns are now attached to front jack brackets.










Bedlam rote
"Comparing overall height is little bit apples to oranges since I went from a from a Ford F250 4wd pickup to a Ram 5500 4wd chassis cab, but I had to add two steps to my scissor setup when using the same TC."

Never understood why Chalet only put 3 steps on a above the bed rail camper!! So we made the change for 4 steps at the same time we bought the f\b that is 2 inches taller than the reg bed

[Bedlam]

I considered a flatbed conversion on F250, but felt it tempted me to just overload an already heavily loaded setup even if I could get some weight savings removing the OEM bed.

When I was shopping for my flat bed for my chassis cab, I could not find manufacturer that had a stock aluminum bed that could tie down a 3-ton TC (since I want a triple slide model). There were ones that could customize a bed, but estimates were twice as much as Fastbrit's. Most of the worries were about the anchor points and flex they would create rather than the weight on the bed. I went with a low sill steel bed and was able to get the lower storage boxes, 30K gooseneck and 30K SuperHitch all for less than I was quoted for a custom aluminum bed.

Comparing overall height is little bit apples to oranges since I went from a from a Ford F250 4wd pickup to a Ram 5500 4wd chassis cab, but I had to add two steps to my scissor setup when using the same TC.

[covered_wagon]

drc5900 wrote:

covered wagon wrote:

Oh yes, the fuel fill is lower down so it's sometimes more difficult to fill with fuel because a lot of them tend to shut the nozzle off frequently. I solved that a couple ways if any are interested I can explain.

I am interested to learn how you solved that. Kindly please explain!

Pro Tech used the oem filler neck which most have an anti siphon hose blocker down the end of the pipe. Pull the fill neck/pipe and cut out the anti siphon hose blocker. Fuel will flow much better into the tank. The other thing you can do is throw a block of wood down to drive over and tilt the bed a little bit, but, I've never had to do that.

I must say one last word about Aluminum... Pro Tech has the most beautiful designs and does not weld key areas but are riveted very strong. I've had my Pro Tech bed for almost 20 years and no problems. Everytime I go in there for new weather stripping to be put on the saddle tool boxes or new locks cause they wore out, they will not let me pay them. They are good people and are the most successful in the industry. They do the fire trucks and ambulances.

[Fastbrit]

The f\b is 96"x106" with extrude plank flooring (the strongest material for f\b in aluminum)
2x 24"x18" Buyers tool box
steps with grab handles
No stake pockets or rub rail. the bed is really 96"x106" the same width as camper witch makes it a lot easier to put the camper on
cost under$3000
Manufacture by Martin truck body see mud guard on picture for more details

[tmartin000]

Fastbrit,

That's what I'm talking about. Can you share some numbers for your setup?

Honestly, I have no idea where to begin.