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utility bed for truck camper

devildog1971
Explorer
Explorer
I saw a truck camper on a truck with a utility bed, the extra storage really made me interested. the storage compartments would really come in handy, in the front left and right storage compartments the owner had a ten gallon propane tank with hoses running into the compartment on the truck camper that held the small five gallon tanks. the rubber hoses connected to the regulator on the truck camper. that in itself was a big plus for long term boon docking the other compartments were used for storage of items such as leveling blocks and other useful items. has anyone have pictures of a utility bed with a truck camper on it. does anyone know of a reputable builder?
2019 Northern Lite 10-2 EXCDSE Dry Bath 2007 G M C dually crew cab and 2018 Harley Davidson Limited Low
16 REPLIES 16

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Killingsworth wrote:
I like the link that "Suds" provided. That bed looks good + it looks to be lighter weight.
I always worry about the weight and a Utility bed would just compound that problem for me.


Those Sheptek beds are sweet, and they cost as much as newer camper !
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Killingsworth wrote:
I like the link that "Suds" provided. That bed looks good + it looks to be lighter weight.
I always worry about the weight and a Utility bed would just compound that problem for me.

That depends.
The truck I bought with 10' UB was originally C &C, so not only much heavier rear axle, but also axle farther from the cabin, than regural beds have.
When that made some challenge fitting regural box on it, I did not have to worry about overloading the axle.

Killingsworth
Explorer
Explorer
I like the link that "Suds" provided. That bed looks good + it looks to be lighter weight.
I always worry about the weight and a Utility bed would just compound that problem for me.

specta
Explorer
Explorer
Kayteg1 wrote:
specta is right.
but TC are like elephants.


Isn't that the truth. :B
Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

KD4UPL
Explorer
Explorer
A camper on a utility body is tricky. A much better solution is a flatbed with tool boxes mounted under and over the flatbed. The tool boxes can be moved around to fit the camper and tie downs as needed.
A utility bed has no provisions for camper tie downs. Some of the ones I've seen have it bolted on semi-permanently. Most stock utility bodies for a SRW truck are only 48" wide in the bed, not enough for most modern truck campers. Utility bodies for DRW trucks are a bit wider inside so some campers will fit.
However, pretty much every camper out there widens out behind where a normal truck bed's wheel wells are. Since utility beds don't widen out they must be modified to fit the camper.
As for height, most utility beds are taller than regular truck beds which also causes a problem. There are "low profile" beds that will work better.
Classy Chassis used to offer a custom TC utility bed. It was aluminum. I priced one maybe 8 years ago and it was around $15,000. I went with a $6,000 aluminum flatbed with tool boxes instead.

54suds
Explorer
Explorer
a great stylish one for those with fashion conserns a link to
2021 Chev 6.6 duramax ltz DBL cab,drw,4x/torklift tdn's,
1999 Bigfoot 1011

tlowe43q
Explorer
Explorer
Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder .... ๐Ÿ˜‰

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
specta is right.
You attach a trailer filled with junk to the camper and nobody will pay attention to camper beauty.
In my case I had white UB and white camper, when minimal gaps between boxes and camper made impression of whole thing being single unit.
It can be worked to look better than traditional bed, but TC are like elephants.
Famous for other things, not the beauty.

NRALIFR
Explorer
Explorer
Some thoughts should just remain........thoughts.

Once spoken, you will be judged! :W

:):)
2001 Lance 1121 on a 2016 F450 โ€˜Scuse me while I whinge.
And for all you Scooby-Doo and Yosemite Sam typesโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆ..Letโ€™s Go Brandon!!!

specta
Explorer
Explorer
Lwiddis wrote:
The utility bed TCs Iโ€™ve seen are sooo ugly.


I never knew it was a beauty contest. :R
Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
mike/kellie wrote:
This worked for us. This is our build

Douglass


Yours is a well thought out very nice rig.

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
54suds wrote:
:R
Lwiddis wrote:
The utility bed TCs Iโ€™ve seen are sooo ugly.

๐Ÿ˜ž



You think they're ugly you should see my shortbed camper on a longbed flatbed rig with it's storage boxes under the wings with equipment and full outdoor kitchen and forward area that holds the spare, generator, table, chairs, firewood, water jugs, 2 spare propanes... and I still haven't added anything hanging under the deck or boxes front and rear hung off trailer hitch recievers.

It looks like it was smacked good and proper with the ugly stick...

Good thing I don't give a RA what people I don't know think ๐Ÿ˜„

54suds
Explorer
Explorer
:R
Lwiddis wrote:
The utility bed TCs Iโ€™ve seen are sooo ugly.

๐Ÿ˜ž
2021 Chev 6.6 duramax ltz DBL cab,drw,4x/torklift tdn's,
1999 Bigfoot 1011

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Explorer II
Calculate the height.
I put my basement camper on UB as that was the body I could buy for reasonable price.
UB had floor raised 7" and than I had to add 4" shimming to clear side boxes.
That brought top of my AC to 13-6"
I was pulling phone wires on my residential street (kidding, but lot of branches I had to cut on whole block).