Building a flatbed for my F350

[Rustyiron]

:thumbsup:
I meant to add real nice job in my post! FWIW I like a wood bed also, particularly in a non dump all round utility use. Most all wood that has an opportunity to dry out (from both sides) will last a long time.

 

[davedj1]

Nice looking fab work! I've been thinking seriously about taking the box off my 15 Ram reg cab 8' bed and making a flatbed. I'm 6'-2" and I can't reach over the side and to the bottom of the bed. I don't know why they make these trucks today so darn tall.

 

[TSO]

Got a few hours in today... Finished the rear apron, front bulkhead braces (i had some diamond plate sitting around), and got a start on the bulkhead framing.

 

[Jeepnford]

A couple points: If your 2005 only came with red tail lights (tail/stop/turn/hazard), how are you going to make it so your taillight reds don't flash with the turn signal? Can't cut the wire to the high filament because then you would have no brake lights. Making the amber signals work is easy if you run them off the front turn signal circuit, but you will still have the issue of the reds being brake lights, but not a turn signal.

If you have issues with turn signals back feeding to the tail lights you can use diodes to block the voltage. There are write ups and you tube videos on the subject. Just do a search on brake light/ tail light diodes. To the O.P., the truck bed is looking good.

 

[franklin2]

3 wires - ground, running, and brake/turn. On the chevy trucks I have done, the brake and turn are separate bulbs on the OEM setup. For this setup, you would need a 4 wire bulb, if one exists. I used 3 wire leds, and used 2 of them per side to match the oem wiring. So both lights work for running, but only one works for brake, and one works fur blinker.

I am not sure if Ford does their wiring similarly, with a separate bulb for brake/blinker - but the chevy trucks do not operate like a trailer light setup, which is a 3 wire setup.

If you ever run into that situation again and want to run conventional 3 wire lighting on a vehicle that has rear amber turns, they make a converter box at the store, it used to be about $12. It's for vehicles with separate amber turns(used to mostly be European vehicles but now a lot of the newer vehicles here have rear amber turns) and it takes the separate brake and turn wires and combines them onto one wire. You can wire it permanently on the vehicle and run conventional 3 wire bulbs on your flatbeds. I used it on a old Ford pickup where I added turnsignals.

 

[jb1390]

If you ever run into that situation again and want to run conventional 3 wire lighting on a vehicle that has rear amber turns, they make a converter box at the store, it used to be about $12. It's for vehicles with separate amber turns(used to mostly be European vehicles but now a lot of the newer vehicles here have rear amber turns) and it takes the separate brake and turn wires and combines them onto one wire. You can wire it permanently on the vehicle and run conventional 3 wire bulbs on your flatbeds. I used it on a old Ford pickup where I added turnsignals.

Good to know, I'll have to look into those. The other way to do it is tap into the trailer wiring. That is a typical 3 wire setup - but would then run all lights through those fuses instead of truck light fuses.

 

[cmyoung2]

Not doing a dump ... Just flatbed. It's only an F350 SRW. Wouldn't handle more than 2 yards of material safely anyhow.

Mine is a F250, would not want to do without the dump. I use it for 1 1/2 tons gravel, firewood, mulch, firewood, more firewood. It is my only truck, gets used for everything. No 4 wheel tractor, no big equipment, so being able to dump a yard of material is worth it to me.
That is a very nice looking bed. How much heavier than the stock bed?

 

[TSO]

Mine is a F250, would not want to do without the dump. I use it for 1 1/2 tons gravel, firewood, mulch, firewood, more firewood. It is my only truck, gets used for everything. No 4 wheel tractor, no big equipment, so being able to dump a yard of material is worth it to me.
That is a very nice looking bed. How much heavier than the stock bed?

Thanks, and i understand what you're saying. However, I've got multiple trucks and multiple trailers, including the dump trailer, which I've done as much as 6 tons per load on.

In the end, once you add the weight of the stock bed, tailgate, and bumper... The weight will be about equal. I'm guessing that the flatbed will weigh in around 450 lbs when completed (including the fifth wheel rails and Gooseneck adapter).

 

[jenkinsph]

TSO,
Looks great so far:thumbsup: Have you worked out the fuel tank fill with enough slope to run into the tank yet? Where will it go on the bed?

 

[TSO]

TSO,
Looks great so far Have you worked out the fuel tank fill with enough slope to run into the tank yet? Where will it go on the bed?

Not exactly... I'll probably mount it underneath the side rail with a bracket. I've thought about mounting it thru the side rails but it would take a bunch more modifications to make it work.