pickup flatbed questions

[isaaccarlson]

I have been looking at one of these
View attachment 222940
View attachment 222941

How much do they weigh and does anyone have any suggestions before I get one?
Anything I should know about them? My bed is falling apart and i am going to need a new one for summer.
I can even weld up my own if it would be better than buying one. I figure the cost/labor would come out about the same.

 

[kugss]

If you have the time and equipment to make your own you might be better off. Just look at the ones out there and see what works and wont work for needs and improve it. Could turn out to be a good project. Removeable sides would be great. Maybe better under body storage.

 

[dave_dj1]

You might as well make it dump while your at it! LOL
I actually had a thought the other day about turning my 2010 Dodge pickup into a flatbed.
I would call those manufacturers and ask them the weight. I would guess around 700 - 800 lbs.

 

[blackdogon57]

I recently bashed in the side of my pickup. Body shop wants 2 grand to fix it. How much do these flatbeds cost ??

 

[AIM]

You can usually pick up a used one pretty cheap. $250 - $500 if you look around. I honestly don't know what they go for new.
If the money is there I would put a dump under it for sure.

I've had 2 different ones over the years and am really missing them.

 

[RandyMac]

One thing I never cared for about flatbeds over the old box, is they will be higher, sometimes much higher to clear the rear tires. You gotta lift stuff and the higher you stack it, the higher the center of gravity is. You need a high weight capacity truck to make a flatbed useful, on a 3/4 ton eh, a 1 ton dually, sure. I have seen the little wiener trucks with g-string flatbeds, that barely hold the spare.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I just talked to Johnson Trailers and they said the beds weigh around 800 lbs and cost $1500. I think $1500 is a good price since it would take a fair amount of money and labor to make one, and you would still have to get it painted and install lights. They said all the wiring is there, all you have to do is plug it in.

I just installed manual steering in the truck, so I could use the power steering pump to run the dump cylinder(s). I would probably use two cylinders so I could mount lower on the frame and not hit the driveshaft. There is room under the hood for a small oil reservoir and I could put a valve under the rear corner of the cab with a linkage that comes in by my seat. I would not want the valve in the truck just in case something ever decided to let loose.:msp_scared:

This could end up being really nice! HAHA, I am stoked.

 

[wdchuck]

Pickup a copy of Wisconsin Auto/RV at your local filling station or convenience store, there are a few ads with new and good used flat beds. Many different configurations available.

 

[603doug]

Check the gauge of the steel because I bought an "inexpensive one" instead of building one and now I am in construction stage of a new one. I got 6 years and the underneath is rotted out, I washed it all the time to prevent salt damage to no avail. Right now a bag grain is about all I dare to carry.New one is a dump, a little higher off frame but saves the back.

 

[dave_dj1]

$1,500.00 doesn't sound like a bad price if the quality is there. I like building my stuff so I would look forward to building one.
I have no idea if a ps pump would run the rams or not but there are some folks around that could answer that for you.
If I was to build one that dumps I would get the scissor type , they lift more and higher, easier (if that makes sense). I built a dump trailer this summer with a single ram and it really grunts to get the bed moving (low angle) but once it lifts it a few inches it has no problem. I think the scissor would lift easier.
good luck and keep us up to date )
dave

 

[rarefish383]

You can get all of the hydraulic stuff you need from Bailey's Hydraulic. I have a 5,000 lb dump trailer and the pump/reservoir is a self contained unit that would fit under the bed. Mine has a remote control on about a 30 foot cable. Yes, a power steering pump will work. When I was a kid I had 2 different friends whose dads put small lifts in the garage floor. They used about 3 ft cylinders set in the floor and they were powered with power steering pumps from cars and a little 120 volt electric motor. The lift would pick up the front end of a car or pickup geat for chaingeng oil or tires, Joe.

 

[cantoo]

View attachment 223105I bought this truck as a cab and chassis last summer and mounted a flatbed on it. I made it all myself and materials were over $1000, it was hinged but I never put the cylinder on it yet. My lovely wife sold it 2 weeks ago because she said I never used it. I never even got a chance to get it on the road. I also have a dodge 3/4 ton single rear wheel with the same looking flatbed on it with a hoist, would not be without a dumpbed ever again. I also have 2 dump trailers but a dumpbed on a truck is so handy.
If you are buying a complete ready to mount dumping flatbed for $1500 then it is underbuilt, as least for my use it would be underbuilt. No way can you buy the materials, build it and make a profit for $1500. View attachment 223104

 

[cantoo]

Here my dodge.
View attachment 223106

 

[isaaccarlson]

It is not a dumping bed. I would have to modify it.

I will go over and look at one and see how well built they are. They look good in the picture anyway.

If I make it a dumper, the cylinders will be vertical like a dump truck. None of this scissor business. I have seen too many trailers that have a hard time getting the oomph built up to get things moving. All that force is going into the frame and pivots...not good. I have had as much as 8,000 lbs in the bed, so a scissor lift is not on my list. I will have two cylinders standing upright at the front of the bed. This will keep things well supported and will be plenty strong. Since the load is usually centered in the bed, I would only need 4,000 lbs of lift for a heavy load. If I use 2.5" cylinders at 1,000 psi, that gives me about 10,000 lbs of lift at the front of the bed. Way more than I would ever need. I would need a 3-4 foot cylinder stroke to get the bed to a decent angle. A 3 foot stroke would give about 22° and 4 feet would give about 30°. I would prefer 30° because I would be able to unload with minimal scraping.

Let me know what you think....

 

[dave_dj1]

I can tell you that 30* is no where near enough tilt, you will have to drag what ever you have on the deck off. I think a minimum of 40* and 45*-50* would be better still.
You will need telescopic rams though, not cheap either.
My dump trailer has a single 24" ram mounted low on the bottom and as high as I could go on the rear mount. I get about 39* and I wish I had more tilt.

 

[isaaccarlson]

30° is better than nothing, and is more than enough for gravel and wood. I brought home 18 yards of wet heavy compost in one day last summer and shoveled every bit of it. 30° would be a HUGE improvement compared to 0 and is easy to get without complicated/expensive stuff. Most of it would fall out and the rest could be scraped out. I am looking to keep it simple, bullet proof, easy on the truck, and easy to install. Vertical cylinders fit this bill perfectly.

 

[wdchuck]

My flatbed has a scissor hoist and with 4ton of material loaded it goes up easily at idle and resembles a catapult if I touch the gas. Load of manure slides out nicely into the garden but the bed angle is greater than 45*. It's a pto off the manual tranny.

Twin cylinders are alot of stress in a small area on the frame, there might be some additional support that chassis outfitters install for such applications. Something to consider.

Looking forward to some in process pictures when you do it.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I just stumbled across a 2 stage telescoping cylinder from Gerrard Hydraulics made by Baker. I know bakers are good because I used to use them on forklifts.

It would be perfect! Except it is in australia.:msp_scared: I will have to look around.

I might use a scissor if it had the starting capacity and a decent price tag. The only problem is it would put up to 8,000 lbs in one spot on my frame.
A single or double cylinder in front won't do that.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I did locate a company in canada that might provide a 2 stage cylinder....
Have to call them.

 

[acme0007]

Couple things that make life easier with a flatbed, A dump and one that actually dumps to a decent angle. You will regret not being able to lift higher, stuff sticks all the time. Go to a farm auction or just look in farm newspapers for a wagon hoist. I have bought several just for the siccors hoist for about $350 then sold the wagon after removing hoist for $300 or so. People use them for hay of display whatever. Very strong usually about 5 tons and easy to mount. get a 12volt pump from Surplus center in Lincoln NE, they ship. After you get a solid bed with lots of cross members, undercoat the shi&&&&t out of it, best thing I have done to a new box, better than washing weekly. I love having A FLATBED DUMP.