what's a flat bed body running?

[hrcarver]

Still looking at trucks, was wondering (approx)what a 8-9' flat bed was running, if I wen that route rather than a pickup box. Saves $650 of the purchase price, but I'm pretty sure the body would run more than that. Anyone purchased one in the last few years?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Around here they start at $1800 plus installation. That includes a headache rack. I have seen them as much as $4000 with all the bells and whistles.

Chris

 

[Renze]

The fun of a flatbed is that you can load with a forklift from all directions, and take wider loads because you're not restricted to a width between the wheel wells.
Its not hard to make one, i bet the manufacturer has bodybuilder manuals that prescribe frame runner sizes and fixation points.

 

[56FordGuy]

A truck that comes from the factory setup for a flatbed or other non- pickup body will have a different frame from the cab back. These are known as cab and chassis trucks. The frames are flat from the cab back, where pickup body truck frames usually arch upwards behind the cab. I believe they're a different width, also. If you can simply order a pickup chassis without the bed, be aware that you will have to specify to bed manufacturers that you need one to fit a pickup truck, and not a cab and chassis truck.

There's a place here that advertises a 9' flatbed for about $1,200.00. I don't know if that includes installation or not, I saw it on the sign as I drove by. Even if the flatbed costs a little more, I think it's worth it for farm use. The bed has a larger floor area, so you can haul more stuff, or larger stuff. You can haul most implements without using a trailer, if you have a loader to pick them up. You can get to it with a forklift all the way around, and you can get sides that fit into the stake pockets that will allow all sorts of options. I've loaded two cords of firewood on a 7x9 flatbed with tall sides. That's a lot harder to do with a pickup body. The downside is, most of the things you haul on the flatbed will need to be strapped down. The flatbeds also have less weight over the rear axle than a pickup. While this results in a slightly lighter overall truck, it also results in slightly less traction. My flatbed truck 'hops' a little going up the hill on my gravel driveway unless I put it in 4wd.

I really like mine, wish I'd bought it years ago.

 

[Bikewanderer]

Still looking at trucks, was wondering (approx)what a 8-9' flat bed was running, if I wen that route rather than a pickup box. Saves $650 of the purchase price, but I'm pretty sure the body would run more than that. Anyone purchased one in the last few years?

There's a world of difference in flatbeds. Price start at 1200 or so and go up to near 10k. Anything over about 2500 or 3000 has something unique about it, like a dump bed or a bunch of toolboxes or a bale spear.

My flatbed was a bradford built. I am just tickled with the quality and utility of the bed. It has a nice storage area at the headache rack, large stake pockets for a full 2x4, fold down bed sides, and nice lighting. It's $1800 plus delivery in this area. I highly recommend that manufacturer.

But you first have to decide what you want. There are basic flatbeds, toolbox beds, western hauler beds, aluminum beds, and so many more kinds.

By the way - that new takeoff bed will bring 1200 or more on craigslist. I'd order it with the bed if you had a place to store it for resale of the truck (put the flatbed on the new truck) or for selling the truck bed.

 

[hrcarver]

I want a flat bed with a tool box(or 2) under the bed, tow hitch, and probably a gooseneck hitch, even though I dont own a gooseneck trailer yet. Nothing crazy fancy. Some stake pockets so I can add 2x8's for keeping my junk from rolling off the back. :thumbsup:

 

[lostcause]

totally unrelated to the cost of purchasing the flatbed, but one more thing to remember to check into in your area is insurance policies if you have a flatbed. i'm not one to preach on the virtues of overdoing it on safety - on this forum i'm probably in the bottom 5%, based on all the concern and precautions some talk about taking - but here's one thing i found out a couple years ago.

first off, i don't make money with any of my equipment or vehicles - i have a vocation totally unrelated to them, so my policies are just basic homeowner motor vehicle policies. i was in the process of purchasing a ton truck with a dump to do a little work on a piece of property i had in a secluded part of the state. i was talking about it with a friend of mine, and a relative of his who is in the insurance business was there and told me to make sure i got a commercial policy for the truck. i told them i wasn't using it in commerce, and they told me it didn't matter. next day i checked with my insurance company and got the same story.

according to the two companies i talked to, any truck with a non-standard body requires a commercial policy. this means flatbeds, dumps, and whatever else you might have, with metal or wood bodies - even if it is for personal use only and not for hire. i didn't ask any detailed questions, but it makes me wonder about all the old 1/4 ton toyota and nissan pickups out there with engines that outlasted the sheet metal. add in all the old chevy and fords out there with rotted back bodies where people have made their own for them. my bet is that most of them never asked when they got insurance, and the insurance company never asked either. i've never heard of anyone having a problem, but you never know when the claim rep might be having a bad day.

i got the commercial policy for mine and the cost was really not much different than for a standard pickup, but the one other thing that is a bit of a hassle is towing trailers with the commercial policy. with my 3/4 ton pickup and standard policy, i have coverage no matter what trailer i haul - mine or someone else's. with the commercial policy i have to have each trailer i use insured for that truck. it's only a few dollars a year, but it means i can't just hook up to someone else's trailer and haul it. i do this often for friends - a few of them own their own trailers, but don't have a "good" tow vehicle, and for longer hauls, they ask me to tow it home if they buy a project vehicle. they usually want it on their trailer so they can move it around the yard after until they find a good resting place.

i'm just basing this on my experience. other companies or other states may have different regulations on insurance for non-standard bodies, but it is worth checking into.

 

[schmism]

CL

All Steel Flat Truck Bed

 

[crashz]

Lostcause,

I had a similar issue registering and insuring my dumptruck in MA. Both the insurance and registry allowed a personal policy and registration, but my policy specifically states that the truck is a cab & chassis model with non-standard bed and I pay an additional fee for that (not much). I did this because I'm not using it in any way as a commercial vehicle and it allows me to avoid DOT inspection/numbering/health card requirements.