Bed style opinions/debate

[79jasper]

So I want some opinions on different beds for trucks.
More specifically obs trucks, but not a necessity.
★What you prefer?
★Bought or built?
★All around usefulness?

This will include all bed types.
★Normal truck bed.
★Western hauler type flatbed.
★Normal flatbed.
★The normal truck bed that's been cut down and dovetailed. (I think it's called a "AeroTow.")

Any and all opinions welcomed.
Pictures are great, if there's something you find that I didn't mention.

I'm actually thinking of doing a diy "AeroTow."

 

[riotwarrior]

I dunno, I kinda like a simple wood deck and then a neat trim of steel around the edges...

My deck is wood base and I've gotta get some angle iron for edges of the deck to complete it. It is only as wide as the cab!

 

[79jasper]

Al, I like that idea also.
I was following your build.

IIRC, with my truck being a chassis cab, my frame is flat. So I wouldn't have to carve out any bends.

 

[fordf350man]

i think it depends on the theme, myself i like the looks of just the normal pick-up beds on the obs but if its a heavy duty crew cab dually i am a fan of a flat bed with wood base, I dont do allot of hauling so a normal bed does me perfect

 

[towcat]

for me, no thanks to kali DOT laws, a regular pickup bed is my only choice in order to fly under the radar. anything else IF NOT EQUIPPED WITH RV PLATES, is required to stop at scales and be subject to DOT inspection.

 

[79jasper]

That's crazy. Especially since IMO a normal truck with a slide in would be considered "RV," More so than a flatbed.

But being tagged as rv means you can't haul over a certain weight correct?
Hence the stopping at all scales.

 

[91idi]

Are you wanting something like this?

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This is on my 93. The black is 1/4" diamond plate. The rest is fiberglass. You can make one but I see some headache ahead of you.

 

[79jasper]

Are you wanting something like this?

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This is on my 93. The black is 1/4" diamond plate. The rest is fiberglass. You can make one but I see some headache ahead of you.

Yes. Except, instead of fiberglass and diamond plate, I'm just going to cut down my bed and reweld the bedrails on. And also I want the back bed area doved a bit.
Or at least that's the plan. I need to start shopping for a welder.

I first got the idea from seeing one in town. Next time I see it, I'll get some pictures.

 

[riotwarrior]

Are you wanting something like this?

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This is on my 93. The black is 1/4" diamond plate. The rest is fiberglass. You can make one but I see some headache ahead of you.

guy could hack a steel bed and cap edges easy enough for that...but I like a flat deck with sides....can side load so easy!

 

[towcat]

That's crazy. Especially since IMO a normal truck with a slide in would be considered "RV," More so than a flatbed.

But being tagged as rv means you can't haul over a certain weight correct?
Hence the stopping at all scales.

in order to get RV tags in kali you need to have a working sink and *******. there is no limit on max weight other than what your chassis is certified for.
the truck in the pic got killed due to it being a F450.

 

[ah1988ford]

I like the aluminum flat beds, I helped a freind build one for his ranger it turned out really nice.
Aluminum is lightweight does not rust and it tough enough for most applications.

 

[79jasper]

in order to get RV tags in kali you need to have a working sink and *******. there is no limit on max weight other than what your chassis is certified for.
the truck in the pic got killed due to it being a F450.

Oh. I thought I had read that somewhere when people were converting box trucks into flatbeds.

guy could hack a steel bed and cap edges easy enough for that...but I like a flat deck with sides....can side load so easy!

See that's my reasoning. My truck sits high enough as is with the flatbed on it. Especially at my height. But I also like having sides to keep stuff from rolling off.

I like the aluminum flat beds, I helped a freind build one for his ranger it turned out really nice.
Aluminum is lightweight does not rust and it tough enough for most applications.

My only problem with aluminum is materials price.
I wanted want to waste good new aluminum trying to learn how to weld it.
But one could get a aluminum roll back bed and make a few from it to recoup costs. I've seen some in the $1500 range.

 

[War Wagon]

It really depends what your needs, wants, and budget are. For a normal DD pickup a regular pickup bed is just fine. Steel flatbeds are great for our ranch pickups and the bed can live though multiple pickups. For my service rig I went and found a nice service body that will go on my '94.

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[79jasper]

It really depends what your needs, wants, and budget are. For a normal DD pickup a regular pickup bed is just fine. Steel flatbeds are great for our ranch pickups and the bed can live though multiple pickups. For my service rig I went and found a nice service body that will go on my '94.

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That's one I forgot.
A service body would also serve me well since I'm always working on everyone else's crap. And it's most usually away from home.

I'm noticed people nearly give them away around here, because no one wants them.

 

[tanman_2006]

Look up pronghorn beds. They are in the oklahoma panhandle. They are a flatbed/service body hybrid. The bed is wide enough to slide a typical pallet or 250gal tank in the bed, has turn over ball, and low sided service boxes on the side. Very nice looking, I just wished they made one with bale spikes! lol

I run bramco (fairview Ok 20 miles from me) bale beds at the moment and they can build a mean service bed too, saw one on the local fire truck and I got hard... lol

My dream bed has alluminum side skirting, a 1/4-3/8 steel deck, and 4 big tool boxes under the bed, possibly tool boxes on top near the front.

I have a flat bed for a 9ft cab and chassis out back with 4 big tool boxes under it. Its for a narrower frame rail like your F350 dually, I took it off in favor of a bale bed.