Flatbed

[HiTechTed]

have any of you guys ever made your own flatbed for your pickup truck? I'm considering doing it but have little experience in that area. What I'd like to do is set it up as a dump bed as well. I have a 95 Ranger (not much of a truck, I know) but it's paid for and is very reliable, I've owned it since new and am the only one to ever drive it. I don't need to haul a lot (good thing since it's a Ranger). We get a lot of mulch every year, plus I have some dirt around here that I need to move. If I could make a flat bed for a relatively decent price, somehow make it dump and possibly bolster the suspension a little bit, it would get quite a bit of use. My idea for the flat bed would be to drop a bit of weight compared to the stock bed, in hopes of possibly bumping up the payload capacity a few hundred pounds.

All things considered, what do you guys think? Have any of you done anything similar?

 

[rockinmywaypa]

Quite a few years ago you would see a lot of pickups around here with them, not so much now. I had one on an old ford pickup that the box rusted out. In the summer it was the greatest using around the farm, easy to reach anything in the bed, great for carrying. In the winter I really regretted it since the truck was so light weight with it. I ended up driving all winter with a round bale sitting on it. As far as dumping them all I can suggest to be ultra cheap would be to check into those hydraulic systems for swinging up the cad on a flat nose cabover hyway tractor to see it they are capable. You could dump it using a hand pump then.

 

[chad22]

I've actually been thinking of building me a flat bed for my 1992 Chevy Pickup. It's got a regular narrow bed on it as of now and I can hardly fit anything in it.

The beds more for looks than for hauling. I'd rather be able to haul something not just look at it.

If I made a flat bed for it. I would make some side boards incase I needed an enclosed bed to haul something in.

Chad

edit: My dad keeps trying to talk me out of it saying the value of the truck is more with the sporty looking bed on it. I say I don't care. I'm not selling it anyway. My dad gave it to me for my 16th Birthday.

And I'm gonna drive that truck until it won't go any further. Then when it retires I will put it up on blocks as a yard decoration. :laughing:

 

[Shield Arc]

I have built several over the years. Unless you plan on using aluminum I don't know how in the world you'll build a flatbed dump lighter than the factory bed. This one for an F-550 ended up being right at 1-ton.:laughing:

 

[HiTechTed]

I have built several over the years. Unless you plan on using aluminum I don't know how in the world you'll build a flatbed dump lighter than the factory bed. This one for an F-550 ended up being right at 1-ton.:laughing:

It probably won't happen, at least not with this truck. I just wanted to use it since I own it and it's a good truck, but it's just not really the right truck to do anything like this with. I suppose there would be a way to take the stock bed and make it a dump bed. No gain in payload but a lot better than shoveling stuff out of the bed!

 

[Just2quickz28]

How about one of those kits to turn the bed into a dump bed,
Pierce Arrow Pickup Truck Dump Hoist Kit — 4000-Lb. Capacity, Ford F250/350 Long Bed 1999-2008 | Lift Gates + Dump Kits | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Shield Arc]

Or one of these. :laughing:

Unload a pickup.com - Loadhandler, the easy way to unload your pickup

 

[Regneufeld]

well if your looking for a project it would be fun to build. take the existing box off and get rid of it. Remembering that you will not have a huge capacity build accordingly. I would start with a good solid pivot point then build a light frame and use plywood for a deck. 3/4in plywood tek screwed to light tubing makes a very strong surface. If you build sides in your design that will give you much needed strength without need so heavy material on the frame.
this is very quick drawing to maybe give you an idea where I am coming from. it would probably make your little truck a bit more useful for those tasks. Even if you can actually dump stuff right out getting a nice slope is huge for shoveling off a deck.

 

[nuffer460]

HiTachTed, It's a cool idea and I agree with ShielArc. It's going to be heavy, even before the hydraulics. I've built a couple of Pipe welding rigs and the beds for those were really heavy. Even before all of the equipment on it. I think my question would be, can the stock frame take that kind of load. The stock frame may need to be boxed to some degree??? Nothings impossible, the realization of it just takes a little longer. Keep us posted. I love things that are paid for when there done!!

 

[HiTechTed]

Or one of these. :laughing:

Unload a pickup.com - Loadhandler, the easy way to unload your pickup

Yeah, I've seen those and they deserve a big :laughing: I could hook up a gas engine to the crank and make it a powered loadhandler...LOL

Now for the hoist kits, those are cool but I have never seen one made for a small truck like a Ranger. The reason for that is probably the 1260lb payload capacity of all Rangers (from what I've gathered researching). Take my 230lbs off of that and I'm down to 1030lbs with everything stock.

Regneufeld has a good idea, the lighter the better. Really if I could convert the Ranger over and get 1000lbs in it AND make it dump, I would be totally happy with that. I ask questions about things like this online because it's easier to get laughed at this way ":laughing:" than face-to-face with a guy who asks why on Earth I'd even consider using a Ranger....

So, how could I reinforce things and possibly bump up the suspension a hair, in the least expensive way(s) possible?