The thread on pickup dump beds inspired me to think that pickup truck beds actually kind of suck for heavy duty use. I came up with a list of features I wish my truck bed had, and I bet others who use their trucks for more than just daily commute would want as well.
(This idea excludes trucks used with a topper - I think thats a whole different kind of truck).
Entire bed should be aluminum for weight, corrosion and wear resistance. No need to mess with drop-in or spray-on bed liners. It might not look as nice as a shiny paint job new, but ten years of use and an aluminum bed will look way better than a rusted steel one held together only by its paint.
It should be a dump body, or be setup to easily be adapted to be one. The hydraulics could be optional / add-on, but at the very least, the rear hinges could be factory-supplied, and the gas-tank fill could be designed to be out of the way. Rear hinges should clear the rear bumper so no mods are required to rear bumper or trailer hitch platform.
Being a dump body, the wheel-wells should extend forward to the front inside so as to be easier to empty. This would help with non-dumping emtying as well.
The space on the sides in front of the wheels should be occupied by some under-body side tool boxes. These would be fixed to the frame and would not move with the dump action.
The tailgate chould be three-way like many dump trailers, but standard pickup style would be OK.
The tail lights should be better protected.
The stake-pockets should be functional and not so whimpy. Should take a full 2x4, not a 2x3. Need to be deeper so as to be able to support a rack or other higher functional structure.
There should be a tie-down/rub-rail along both sides and across the tailgate.
There should be generous, full-capacity tie-down loops inside the bed.
Built-in or at least provisions for a solidly-attached headache rack with some ladder/lumber tie-downs.
Matching easily-removable rear rack - slides into functional rear stake pockets, or can be stored in front stake pockets. Easily-removable = no tools required.
Other stuff that might be possible:
Ramp-storage pockets underneath?
5th-wheel / goosneck hitch provisions built-in?
Anything else on anybody's wish list?
- Rick
(This idea excludes trucks used with a topper - I think thats a whole different kind of truck).
Entire bed should be aluminum for weight, corrosion and wear resistance. No need to mess with drop-in or spray-on bed liners. It might not look as nice as a shiny paint job new, but ten years of use and an aluminum bed will look way better than a rusted steel one held together only by its paint.
It should be a dump body, or be setup to easily be adapted to be one. The hydraulics could be optional / add-on, but at the very least, the rear hinges could be factory-supplied, and the gas-tank fill could be designed to be out of the way. Rear hinges should clear the rear bumper so no mods are required to rear bumper or trailer hitch platform.
Being a dump body, the wheel-wells should extend forward to the front inside so as to be easier to empty. This would help with non-dumping emtying as well.
The space on the sides in front of the wheels should be occupied by some under-body side tool boxes. These would be fixed to the frame and would not move with the dump action.
The tailgate chould be three-way like many dump trailers, but standard pickup style would be OK.
The tail lights should be better protected.
The stake-pockets should be functional and not so whimpy. Should take a full 2x4, not a 2x3. Need to be deeper so as to be able to support a rack or other higher functional structure.
There should be a tie-down/rub-rail along both sides and across the tailgate.
There should be generous, full-capacity tie-down loops inside the bed.
Built-in or at least provisions for a solidly-attached headache rack with some ladder/lumber tie-downs.
Matching easily-removable rear rack - slides into functional rear stake pockets, or can be stored in front stake pockets. Easily-removable = no tools required.
Other stuff that might be possible:
Ramp-storage pockets underneath?
5th-wheel / goosneck hitch provisions built-in?
Anything else on anybody's wish list?
- Rick
I will have to measure and make sure I can still fir 4' between them
