I want it to look like this, its member ant knees truck, built like the just mowing trucks.

 

I would want a 12 or 14 foot dove tail not a lil 8 or 6.5 foot bed

 

Ok, So here are the dimensions....We will be running a 36" and 48" walkbehind on this truck. They will cut residentials 20 to 30 a day 5 days a week for about a 30 week season.

Option 1
8 ft long flatbed, 6.5' wide and 2ft dovetail with 5ft gate.

Option 2
9 ft flatbed, 7 ft wide and 3 ft dovetail with a 4ft gate.

Option 3
10ft flatbed7 ft wide and 4.5 high double folding gate, 9 ft total length to make up for lack of dovetail



Im unsure if i want 18 inch mesh sides or stake sides. It will be used for mowing only during summer months. Snowplowing and snowblowing in the winter and leaf removal in the fall, to put on curb for our vac truck.

 

I would want a 12 or 14 foot dove tail not a lil 8 or 6.5 foot bed

Well, we have another crew with 16ft trailer so we have our large lots covered, and itwould be an 9 ft bed..

 

What part do you need help with. If you do not have good fabrication skills, get one built. I have done a few flat beds. Adding a dove tail makes it more complicated. Steel is also not cheap.

You will need at least the following.

Arc welder, mig works better on the expanded metal, but I like a stick for the channel and angle.

A good angle grinder and lots of cutting wheels. Get 3/32nd or 1/16, 1/8 are slow and you use them up for nothing.

A chop saw is nice for cutting angles and square cuts.

Lots of welding claps (ie vice grips)


The basic design is two long sills that run fron to back. Then you put cross braces on top for your floor. Weld a frame around the outside of the cross braces. That frame is what makes the visible sides. Make sure you long sills are tied together in the front and use grade 8 or better bolts to the frame. If you get rear ended and the bolts shear, a beam that points toweard the cab with no cap ob the from will punch trough and the driver will no be around to tell the story.

For the wiring, use agood conections and lights. Get a plug off a factory wiring harness in the scrap. That way if you sell the truck, you can put the bed back on and keep your flat deck.

Oh yeah, you will need to compensate for the hump in the truck frame since it is not a chassis cab. the frame looks like this


_____------_____________


You can use steel or HARD WOOD, to make spacers between the frame rails and the truck frame.

If there is anything else, let me know maybe I can help

Adam

 

I just saw you other posts.

On a pickup, you can have no more than 7 feet plus a dove tail. The Cab Axle measure is too short. Any more, and you will stress the hell out of the frame and rear suspension, while unloading the steering tires, making it hard to stop and steer

 

What part do you need help with. If you do not have good fabrication skills, get one built. I have done a few flat beds. Adding a dove tail makes it more complicated. Steel is also not cheap.

You will need at least the following.

Arc welder, mig works better on the expanded metal, but I like a stick for the channel and angle.

A good angle grinder and lots of cutting wheels. Get 3/32nd or 1/16, 1/8 are slow and you use them up for nothing.

A chop saw is nice for cutting angles and square cuts.

Lots of welding claps (ie vice grips)

The basic design is two long sills that run fron to back. Then you put cross braces on top for your floor. Weld a frame around the outside of the cross braces. That frame is what makes the visible sides. Make sure you long sills are tied together in the front and use grade 8 or better bolts to the frame. If you get rear ended and the bolts shear, a beam that points toweard the cab with no cap ob the from will punch trough and the driver will no be around to tell the story.

For the wiring, use agood conections and lights. Get a plug off a factory wiring harness in the scrap. That way if you sell the truck, you can put the bed back on and keep your flat deck.

Oh yeah, you will need to compensate for the hump in the truck frame since it is not a chassis cab. the frame looks like this

_____------_____________

You can use steel or HARD WOOD, to make spacers between the frame rails and the truck frame.

If there is anything else, let me know maybe I can help

Adam

Im having one built, me and a friend.

He has a miller matic 251 mig welder. metal blade chop saw, 9 and 4.5 inch grinders, clamps, oxy acedlin? cutter. We have welded stuff before but i dident know much about flatbeds... I looked at the work trucks and they use [ channel.

I was thinking 3 inch [ channel down the frame, and 2 inch running across width wise, with 1/8 floor.

And steel is very expensive.. I know, but I wanted to try this and not have to have a trailer anymore for this truck. As for mounting the body i was going to use large u bolts, 8 or 6. like they do on the chassis cabs.

 

Here is a picture of what i have to work with, Sorry it is so hard to see its out of focus and now its dark outside.

Are you wanting to do this yourself?

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=128815

I built this one.

Grass Cake

 

I just saw you other posts.

On a pickup, you can have no more than 7 feet plus a dove tail. The Cab Axle measure is too short. Any more, and you will stress the hell out of the frame and rear suspension, while unloading the steering tires, making it hard to stop and steer

Its an 8 ft bed, I figured a 9 foot flat and 2.5 dovetail would be ok. It has the towing package so it have overload springs. Ive put 2500 lbs in it in addition to the 800 lb dump insert. So i figure the bed will weigh about 1300 lbs and i can put about 1500 lbs inside the bed safelay, as long as the weight is on or infront of the axel, not on the dovetail... i should be ok

 

Are you wanting to do this yourself?

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=128815

I built this one.

Grass Cake

Saw that last week, It got me going,... Where did you get your springs... I want to sadd some to my trailer and i will need some for this project.

 

Saw that last week, It got me going,... Where did you get your springs... I want to sadd some to my trailer and i will need some for this project.

I got them from a local truck body shop.

Ingrams Truck Bodies...Ballground Ga. (they have a website)

Basically what the other guys said....tubing down the rails.... [ channel for the cross members......i'd use flat bar to cap the sides(ends) of the [ channel myself.

Grass Cake

 

can i use like 2 to 3 inch channel down the frame rails and 2 inch channel across? then like 2x2 1/8 inch angle around the edges.( the perimeter of the body., maybe 3x3 angle.. grass cake, what size is yours down the dovetail, and what size is the gate, height , metal size etc.

 

Here is a picture of what i have to work with, Sorry it is so hard to see its out of focus and now its dark outside.

Please don't tell me you took the body off of the pretty Green F-250 you posted pics of on here.

Thats just plain wrong...

 

I built this one just as a beginner for my spare truck, cant bring myself to do it to my 04 F250 yet. I can't remember the steel I used but will post a better pic tommorrow with better pics of the underside etc. Two things I would do different is the headache rack behind the window would make it different so as to see out the back window better, and relocate the gas filler tube for better access. i will post more tom. You can expect two guys to take about 30 to 40 hours of work before paint.

 

can i use like 2 to 3 inch channel down the frame rails and 2 inch channel across? then like 2x2 1/8 inch angle around the edges.( the perimeter of the body., maybe 3x3 angle.. grass cake, what size is yours down the dovetail, and what size is the gate, height , metal size etc.

You could use many types of metal for the outer frame
of the bed...but you still want to make it as LIGHT as possible. The outside edges won't be supporting that much weight....only the rear cross member needs to
be REALLY rigid for the hinged gates.

My bed is 34" from the ground to the top side of the dovetail. I bet yours won't be much lower.

The dovetail is at a 15 degree angle and is 3'6" long. I didn't want 4' hanging off the back..and.....it only changed the hinged gates by 2 degree.(framed with 3" angle and supported by 2" 11 gauge tubing)

Seeing that your building the WHOLE bed..i would make the dovetail 4'...it gets a little slippery when wet and you have poor traction shoes/boots on.

The hinged gates are 5'6". (1 1/2" 14 gauge tubing with 2"x 1" 14 gauge tubing braces at the expanded metal seam)

Grass Cake

 

I built this one just as a beginner for my spare truck, cant bring myself to do it to my 04 F250 yet. I can't remember the steel I used but will post a better pic tommorrow with better pics of the underside etc. Two things I would do different is the headache rack behind the window would make it different so as to see out the back window better, and relocate the gas filler tube for better access. i will post more tom. You can expect two guys to take about 30 to 40 hours of work before paint.

Nice work!
How does the weight compare to the factory bed?

 

I built this one just as a beginner for my spare truck, cant bring myself to do it to my 04 F250 yet. I can't remember the steel I used but will post a better pic tommorrow with better pics of the underside etc. Two things I would do different is the headache rack behind the window would make it different so as to see out the back window better, and relocate the gas filler tube for better access. i will post more tom. You can expect two guys to take about 30 to 40 hours of work before paint.

I believe that is a ranger that you made the bed on?

I was thinking of building a cage on this instead of a headace rack. like this is the one on my 16 ft trailer, 24x24 fits 2 5gallons 2 backpak blowers 1 hedger 1 chainsaw and mix gas,.

But im not sure if i want it make it hard to see through the rear window as i will be using the truck to plow next year

 

Please don't tell me you took the body off of the pretty Green F-250 you posted pics of on here.

Thats just plain wrong...

I knowI know, I can put the bed right back on, If needed.

Also I cant wait for more pictures!!

 

I would go with option 1.

I don't think I would want to go over the factory bed length with the flat section.


Personally, I'd like to have an F450 outfitted with the Switch-N-Go

 

I would go with option 1.

I don't think I would want to go over the factory bed length with the flat section.

Personally, I'd like to have an F450 outfitted with the Switch-N-Go

Me too a 550 or 650 with one.. but im triing to keep costs down

 

Here's some pics. Sorry if they aren't great it is freezing out first time in a long time.

 

some more pics

 

and the truck that will probably have one on it in a few years. and also a headache rack I built for trailer. And an eay fix to those heavy tailgates

 

O my, Thank you soooo much... That is great, As for the fuel filler, Im going to make a 90 degree bracket so it is on the side of the body like it is on the pickup bed not inside, That would make it hard.

How far spaced are your crioss members under the flatbody? maybe 12 or 24..
Also did you add the expanded metal for the dovetail because it was slippery??

Thanks soo much....

 

I am curious what the main benifits of this type of set up are over just having the tailgate insert ramps. I guess this could hold more weight, but it just seems to make the truck more single purpose over the bed which seems somewhat multipurpose. It does look really nice though, as long as you can still tow.

Thanks,

Jon