# Truck needs a new bed who runs flat beds??



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

So my plow/landscape truck needs a new bed. I was thinking about going with a flatbed with a couple under body boxes. It also gets used as a lawn care/landscape truck in the summer so I figured I could make some wooden removable walls. Who else runs a set up like this? Pros/cons? Pictures?

I have only ever ran factory beds. Any flatbed brands to stay away from? I'm in Kansas City and I Have a lot of options.


----------



## Ty27 (Dec 14, 2014)

We run one. We love it. I would go to knapheide off of 435 and look at theirs.


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

We have one truck like this with just one board for the side, its real handy for just reaching over the side to grab things.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

I've had flat bed on and off for about 30yrs and they're great.
Check out C&M or Bradford Built.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

I figured knapheide may be a little pricy but I will call them tomorrow. I kinda forgot about them. 

I looked at a CM today and I am definitely considering them. Bradford Built was nice but I don't like the flip down rail and my dealer said it could be 4 weeks before he could get one in stock and that won't work for me. The "mustang" model they have that doesn't have a rail looks a little "cheap" they don't put in a full headache rack and skimp on some of the lighting.

The other thing I'm looking at is the under body boxes. Some of the beds just have a square box where others have a fitted front box so you can get the most out of your space. Also wondered if I could use someone elses box on a bed. I would imagine all of the angles are pretty dang close to the same.

Anyone know anything about norstar?


----------



## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

Cons: Can't think of any. I guess it doesn't look like a pickup anymore.

Pros: Much more useful than factory bed.

We have been running one on our '08 since new with fold-down sides and dump hoist.



Liked that one so much, we put one on our old GMC the next year (had bed damage). This one replaced a short bed, does not have fold-down sides, does have dump hoist. We change sides based on use. Have a short set of aluminum sides for general purpose. Taller wooden sides for material hauling (brush, mulch), and plywood extensions we install for leaf vacuuming. Also run with no sides on occasion


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures Ryan. I think once I go to a flatbed I will never want a factory bed again!


----------



## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

nboeger4;2072188 said:


> I figured knapheide may be a little pricy but I will call them tomorrow. I kinda forgot about them.
> 
> I looked at a CM today and I am definitely considering them. Bradford Built was nice but I don't like the flip down rail and my dealer said it could be 4 weeks before he could get one in stock and that won't work for me. The "mustang" model they have that doesn't have a rail looks a little "cheap" they don't put in a full headache rack and skimp on some of the lighting.
> 
> ...


Love my CM bed. I even ripped the side of a Honda with minimal damage to the bed. Looking for boxes right now and the Westin ones with drawer on top and cargo area below are what I plan on going with.

Like this but black.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

Ya I would like one like that and I would need another that's open for bigger bulkier items.


----------



## snowman55 (Nov 20, 2007)

I got 4x2015 and 2x 2007 Chevy beds for sale.


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

I've had a few pickups (all single wheel trucks) with normal beds, both short and long beds. Treated me fine, looked good, did the job but definitely weren't always the most convenient. I knew for work my next truck would be a flatbed and it just so happened I got word that an acquaintance was selling his 550 that I'd had my eye on since the day he got it. After having it for over a year it would be pretty hard for me to go back to a pickup box on anything besides a truck primarily used as transportation or for trips. There is so many more options and possibilities with a flatbed over a normal truck bed.

My bed is a Hillsboro 2000 series, 8.5' wide, 9' long. Chamfered corners and the extruded aluminum floor. 



Things you can't do with a pickup bed.



As it sits now with the underbody boxes. 
18" tall, 18" deep, 36" long for the boxes ahead of the axle.
15" tall, 18" deep, 22" long for the boxes behind the axle. The exhaust on the passengers side kept us from making them 18" deep plus they'd stick down past the tailboard a lot then as well.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

That's awesome but I cant say I'll be hauling an excavator bucket anytime soon!! Always wanted to play in one though!


----------



## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Mark13;2072214 said:


> I've had a few pickups (all single wheel trucks) with normal beds, both short and long beds. Treated me fine, looked good, did the job but definitely weren't always the most convenient. I knew for work my next truck would be a flatbed and it just so happened I got word that an acquaintance was selling his 550 that I'd had my eye on since the day he got it. After having it for over a year it would be pretty hard for me to go back to a pickup box on anything besides a truck primarily used as transportation or for trips. There is so many more options and possibilities with a flatbed over a normal truck bed.
> 
> My bed is a Hillsboro 2000 series, 8.5' wide, 9' long. Chamfered corners and the extruded aluminum floor.
> 
> ...


Did they set the bucket down on your tool box?


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

kimber750;2072260 said:


> Did they set the bucket down on your tool box?


It's the only pic with a dented box and the plate not blurred out.

Maybe it's a sister truck?


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

nboeger4;2072230 said:


> That's awesome but I cant say I'll be hauling an excavator bucket anytime soon!! Always wanted to play in one though!


It was a last minute thing, state of IL is a big fan of divisible loads so the bucket had to come off before the excavator could go on the low bed to be moved. I went across the scale at the yard with it, it was 4500 or 4600lb, don't remember which of the two it was.



kimber750;2072260 said:


> Did they set the bucket down on your tool box?


You'd be correct. A wheel loader was used to set the excavator bucket on my truck (excavator was already on the lowbed ready to go). The plan I had to do it worked perfect, plenty of clearance around everything, the only problem that I had with my way of doing it was the idiot behind the wheel in the loader who didn't tell me had minimal experience until after he hit my toolbox. He did what I asked him to between getting the bucket chained up to the front of the wheel loader bucket, got it over by my pickup fine, yet ran out of luck when I was directing him to set it on the bed. I was on the other side of the truck (passengers rear corner) and was directing him, he knew he was going to hit my toolbox but instead of stopping and letting me know he just kept lowering his bucket because I was telling him to even though he knew I couldn't see that corner of his bucket and he could from the seat. The company bought me a new one after a couple months of running around and him not admitting to the damage even after he told me to my face he did it. They had to go ask him in person if he hit my truck and from my understanding he could faintly recall maybe bumping it a couple months back. :angry::realmad:


----------



## Ironwood-Mn (Oct 23, 2015)

Mark13;2072308 said:


> The company bought me a new one after a couple months of running around and him not admitting to the damage even after he told me to my face he did it. They had to go ask him in person if he hit my truck


Nice truck - too bad about the damage. I had a guy loading a skidsteer hammer on to a regular bed pick-up. He didn't lock the quick tach and it fell on the tailgate. He calmly picked it back up, placed it in the bed the rest of the way, and then went on his way. He was an employee, so I went to confront him, his reply was that I have insurance so it was no big deal. Upshot, wouldn't have happened with a flat bed.


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

I like the looks of all the trucks especially the dodge with the drop sides, makes the perfect truck.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

My personal truck will probably always be a pickup. 

My crews' trucks will be flatbeds or dumps from here on oot. Really can't beat them.


----------



## dingybigfoot (Jun 12, 2008)

We run a CM flat bed on one of ours as well. Going forward we'll run them on all trucks. Way more options.


----------



## Plowtoy (Dec 15, 2001)

Mark13;2072214 said:


> Things you can't do with a pickup bed.


Or a Chevy ;-)


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Our F350 has a flat bed and we all love it, plans are to remove the bed, sand blast and re paint and put a hoist under it. Just my opinion but I hate the look of them when they're replacing a short bed. When our 06 was rear ended last year I was looking ro replace the bed with another flat bed but it's our main mowing rig and we fill it to the top with grass, dirt etc. and off loading by hand would suck again so we fixed the bed and put another dump bed in it.


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Seems like these flat beds are very expensive compared to a new take off bed. I found a company 6 hrs away that made aluminum beds and they had a tri-fold with a hoist under it for srw P/U's but it was 8k!


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

Plowtoy;2072507 said:


> Or a Chevy ;-)


I'm sure you've seen pictures on here of what I did with my Chevy too. 
I'd still be driving one but they don't make a pickup sized 45/5500, just the gigantic Kodiaks which now are discontinued anyway.


----------



## TLK380 (Nov 8, 2010)

kimber750;2072197 said:


> Love my CM bed. I even ripped the side of a Honda with minimal damage to the bed. Looking for boxes right now and the Westin ones with drawer on top and cargo area below are what I plan on going with.
> 
> Like this but black.


Perfect set up


----------



## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I have built 2 flatbeds already one for a Ford one for a Chevy, both dumping. See my signature for the Ford build. I will probably never have a regular pickup bed. The next one I build will be aluminum though.
T.J.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

Well guys I will post some pictures later but I got the old bed off last night. Heading to the shop now to spray some rust stop on some stuff while the bed is off. Also going to replace shocks on the rear. Might as well get some stuff done while its apart.

I decided on a norstar bed. Really like the looks and they seem just as well built as the rest of the beds I was looking at. They all use about the same thickness floors and frames. 

I am going to do the install myself. Any tips???


----------



## GMC Driver (Sep 9, 2005)

Mark Oomkes;2072445 said:


> My personal truck will probably always be a pickup.
> 
> My crews' trucks will be flatbeds or dumps from here on oot. Really can't beat them.


Hmm - maybe not so dumb afterall...


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

GMC Driver;2072795 said:


> Hmm - maybe not so dumb afterall...


That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time..........lol


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

nboeger4;2072786 said:


> I am going to do the install myself. Any tips???


Just take your time, set the bed on the frame, make sure your fuel tank fillers line up and make sure you have it sitting where you want before to start welding mounts on the bed.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

Ok guys the old stuff is gone. The frame has been repainted. Tomorrow is install. The only thing I can't figure out yet is where to bolt the bed to the frame. Does anyone have a long bed chevy they could take some pictures of? 

Is it normal to have to drop the tank? The front drivers bolt I'm thinking the tank will have to be dropped. 

I have some guys coming to help tomorrow that are all car guys I'm thinking we can come up with something. I've been more concerned with removal/prep then install. 

This one is a 2001 2500 long bed.


----------



## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

nboeger4;2073122 said:


> Ok guys the old stuff is gone. The frame has been repainted. Tomorrow is install. The only thing I can't figure out yet is where to bolt the bed to the frame. Does anyone have a long bed chevy they could take some pictures of?
> 
> Is it normal to have to drop the tank? The front drivers bolt I'm thinking the tank will have to be dropped.
> 
> ...


I just did a gas one and didn't have to drop the tank. There was 4 bolts on each side along the frame. 18mm I think


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

Yes that is correct for the removal. That part went smooth. I'm stumped on where to attach for the new bed. I will weld to the flat bed but not sure where To go with the bolts for the frame to the plates.


----------



## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

When I did my dump set up I had to reconfigure the tank mounts to allow the scissor mount to bolt to the crossmember and reconfigure the junk scissor mount as well.


----------



## nboeger4 (Nov 29, 2008)

We ended up using two of the factory locations for bed mounts. I'll take some pictures later and post them up.


----------



## ajordan193 (Dec 6, 2006)

Those of you running flat beds, what are you using for ballast with the plow on?


----------



## Ty27 (Dec 14, 2014)

ajordan193;2075104 said:


> Those of you running flat beds, what are you using for ballast with the plow on?


We have a v box spreader on ours with 1.5-2 yds of salt/sand. I've seen others use concrete slabs etc. strapped on. Somewhere I saw someone make a basket out of metal and put sand tubes in it I think.


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

ajordan193;2075104 said:


> Those of you running flat beds, what are you using for ballast with the plow on?


I'm planning to use those concrete bin blocks. 2 of the little ones or 1 of the bigger ones. Either way it will equal out to around 3600lbs of ballast that will be over/behind the rear axle.


----------



## 04hd (Jan 3, 2013)

Mark13;2075218 said:


> I'm planning to use those concrete bin blocks. 2 of the little ones or 1 of the bigger ones. Either way it will equal out to around 3600lbs of ballast that will be over/behind the rear axle.


 Just browsing around tonight and found this... My uncle had an f450 and uses a block as well. Just a tip or what he does anyways is make sure block is dry and use a chunk on rubber like the rubber bed mats before setting block on. He said the first time he used the block it slid around a bit on him.


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

04hd;2105090 said:


> Just browsing around tonight and found this... My uncle had an f450 and uses a block as well. Just a tip or what he does anyways is make sure block is dry and use a chunk on rubber like the rubber bed mats before setting block on. He said the first time he used the block it slid around a bit on him.


Thanks for the info, I've been using my skid steer grapple bucket so far for the 3 small snows we got this year. I was going to throw a few rubber paddles from one of the belt trailers down on my flatbed before setting the concrete block on. It will help protect the bed and keep things from sliding around.


----------



## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

My buddy got a sheet of thick steel and just bolted it down, still a flatbed and he could remove it in the spring


----------



## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

IPLOWSNO;2105173 said:


> My buddy got a sheet of thick steel and just bolted it down, still a flatbed and he could remove it in the spring


Without cutting a huge section of it out it would block my gooseneck hitch and also potentially get in the way of my fuel tank/tool box combination to get a piece big enough and heavy enough to make it worth it.


----------

