Would you buy a flatbed for your TC?

I never measure that with caliper, but just from eye observation.
Regular bed has about 2" cross members. Steel flatbeds are build on 3 or 4", while aluminium about 5".
So steel flatbed can add even less than 2"
Aluminium might add 3+ but can't beat the looks and low maintenance.

Kayteg1 wrote:
What makes me scratching my head is that almost everybody jumped on the 2" flatbed can add to floor level, yet from what I read 90+ % of TC users drive 4WD, that add 2" from the factory.
Nobody's worry about THAT 2" ;)

Before I started to investigate all of the different flatbed choices, I thought a F/B would add 6" or more to the bed height.
Although my truck is 4wd, the 4wd doesn't really add any height to my truck, when I dump the air bags the rear end goes down 4" onto a solid stop. Plus my truck is a low rider with the stock 225 19.5" tires.
My main concern with the height is how it affects the level of the bottom step up into the camper.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the look of the flatbed vs the OEM bed, especially with the camper on the F/B.

What makes me scratching my head is that almost everybody jumped on the 2" flatbed can add to floor level, yet from what I read 90+ % of TC users drive 4WD, that add 2" from the factory.
Nobody's worry about THAT 2" ;)

Fastbrit wrote:
If you call Shawn Martin or drop him an email He will confirm everything. He knows a lot more about f/b than I do.
You will have to be careful with your combine height. My camper is 108" tall from the deck of truck to top of a/c. The truck is 36" from ground to deck and will be 38" 39" with the f/b for 12'4" total. It is still 1 foot shorter than the f/w we use to have

Thanks for the info, I called and had a good talk with Shawn yesterday.
I learned a lot about the design and construction of their aluminum flatbeds. Discussed options and custom design changes.
It sounds like I would be able to keep the deck height within a couple inches of the OEM bed. I need to get some measurements on my truck for Shawn work with.
My truck has the Kelderman 4-link airbag rear suspension, I need to get the measurement from the top of the frame to the top of the tires when I dump the airbags (frame is lower than tires) so Shawn can see how low he can build it and still have sufficient clearance for the tires to the underside of the F/B decking. And also look at the dimension from the top of the deck to the top of the cab to make sure there is enough clearance for the cab over. My Eagle Cap is 48" from bottom to under the cab over. I haven't measured it yet but EC says the OAH of the 1165 is 112".

Roddick,
I love the diamond plate corners. Yours is quite the setup.
jefe

I've had this flatbed since 2006, it's very stable on the road and only 18 feet long overall.

This forum is the best. All great feedback and food for thought. I'm still on the hunt for a late model DRW truck and will keep flatbeds in the mix - now understanding issues like height, extra storage weight, and durability.

Thanks, all! I'll keep you posted as we make the move to a TC this year.

F450EC1165 wrote:

Fastbrit wrote:
From the front bump stop to the side entry door ( the flat portion of my camper ) I have 108". The flatbed from the head board to rear is 102" For my set up it is perfect. Your Eagle cap 1165 is heavy also so you better keep an eye on your truck bed;)

My 1165 measures 104" from the front of bump stop back to the wall in front of the side entry door.

Yes the Eagle Cap is a very heavy TC, an extruded deck flatbed would definitely hold up better than the thin sheet metal of the OEM bed.
The 1165 also has a long center of gravity.
A 176" WB chassis cab F450 (60" CA) has a 4" longer WB than the normal crew cab long box pick up, with the wheel opening of the OEM bed centered over the axle you end up with an extra 4" space between the bed & cab (which on my truck is filled in with a spacer attached to the front of the bed.
I was thinking a flatbed made for my truck would let the camper sit a few inches closer to the cab as long as the flatbed wasn't too long?

Yep, that would do the trick. If you call Shawn Martin or drop him an email He will confirm everything. He knows a lot more about f/b than I do.
You will have to be careful with your combine height. My camper is 108" tall from the deck of truck to top of a/c. The truck is 36" from ground to deck and will be 38" 39" with the f/b for 12'4" total. It is still 1 foot shorter than the f/w we use to have

Wow Frank!! You have a realy nice fb:)

Fastbrit wrote:
From the front bump stop to the side entry door ( the flat portion of my camper ) I have 108". The flatbed from the head board to rear is 102" For my set up it is perfect. Your Eagle cap 1165 is heavy also so you better keep an eye on your truck bed;)

My 1165 measures 104" from the front of bump stop back to the wall in front of the side entry door.

Yes the Eagle Cap is a very heavy TC, an extruded deck flatbed would definitely hold up better than the thin sheet metal of the OEM bed.
The 1165 also has a long center of gravity.
A 176" WB chassis cab F450 (60" CA) has a 4" longer WB than the normal crew cab long box pick up, with the wheel opening of the OEM bed centered over the axle you end up with an extra 4" space between the bed & cab (which on my truck is filled in with a spacer attached to the front of the bed.
I was thinking a flatbed made for my truck would let the camper sit a few inches closer to the cab as long as the flatbed wasn't too long?