# Flatbed? questions



## red07gsxr (Dec 22, 2007)

i have a 90 chevy k2500 with a 8 ft bed. i was thinking about converting it to a flat bed. what companys out there are making good flat beds. how much and honeslty is it worth it for the truck that i have?


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

what are your reasons for wanting a flatbed


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

-88-up project i had with flatbed. pic or 2 for ya to get a idea.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I made mine. Steel is pretty high right now. I paid 1800.00 for steel alone when I did mine a few years ago. If you were to buy one like mine it would be at least 3500.00 plus.It is worth more than the truck right now.

Here is my link:

http://www.tjsperformance.com/chevytruck.htm

T.J.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

These people build a nice unit.

http://www.truckcraft.com/productDetail.asp?id=6&cID=


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## USMCMP5811 (Aug 31, 2008)

red07gsxr;614926 said:


> i have a 90 chevy k2500 with a 8 ft bed. i was thinking about converting it to a flat bed. what companys out there are making good flat beds. how much and honeslty is it worth it for the truck that i have?


Do you have and/or any good with a welder? if so, might be worth your while to make one. IMHO


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Check the local junk yards. You'd be surprised what you may find, even if you've gotta pay to have it sandblasted and even some welding done... paint and install yourself and pocket the huge difference...


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

The trouble with building a "homemade" flatbed for a pick up is the weight. Pick up bodies are much lighter then a wood and steel flatbed so maintaining any load capacity can be an issue.


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## aeronutt (Sep 24, 2008)

I have a flatbed with wood floor and a dump hoist on the back of my std cab F-350 cab-n-chassis dually. I love it, but it is quite heavy. My truck's empty weight without the plow mounted is 8800 lbs! If it was on a 3/4 ton truck, I don't think I'd need ballast at all, but the dually really likes to have more weight back there. I use a couple of 2x4s to make short sideboards that are easy to see over and set a bunch of broken sidewalk pieces in the back for ballast. I've never had a problem with them sliding around, but if I was smart I'd put one more 2x4 back there just in front of the concrete to box it in. 

The extra visibility you gain by having a short sided flatbed is really nice if you operate in tight areas. Just because my flatbed is stupid-heavy doesn't mean they all are. You can build one that's crazy overkill or you can make one that's just strong enough. Most people badly overbuild because they don't want to take any chances. I don't think that's neccessary if you aren't using a dump hoist and plan on just basic hauling. 

If you hire a local welder to build one for you, you can discuss your needs with him to make sure you aren't building in more strength than you need. The place most people overdo the frame weight is running 5 inch channel iron directly above the truck frame where the truck is already providing plenty of strength. Use the truck frame's strength! 3 inch channel main rails with 2x3 angle cross pieces on 24 inch spacing and a 4 x 1/8 flatstock skirt would be more than enough strength for most anything you'd ever haul. You can save some more wieght by decking it with 3/4 inch green treated plywood rather than 2x6 boards. 

Don't do this if you are planning on selling the truck. You'll never get your money back.


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