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Bed build


Exile

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Bed in early stage, enough built to use truck to go get deck plating.  Couldn’t lift fifth wheel at that point, so just slid it back and bolted it down.  

I miss all the equipment on a farm that makes this more simple.

Framing is 2x3x11ga(1/8”).  One stick of it will hold my entire 4300 lb vehicle at the end, so should be plenty strong.  

framing was pretty cheap, decking was more expensive. I went with 1/4” diamond plate.  Framing maybe 250$, still more laying in shop.

had chop saw and wire feed welder, worked good to get this far.

the stubs sticking up are to retain the decking, because frame doesn’t have any fore and aft tie downs yet

eks5I7ol.jpg

Edited by Exile

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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Dovetail framed out

Back bumper and cross piece in front of it are 3x3x1/4”, more meat for connection of bumper hitch and support for car’s front axle

bought and mounted small crane to help with moving deck plates and get commercial fifth down.

0miNH3Cl.jpg

Edited by Exile
Wrong photo

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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Detail of mounting system using existing fifth wheel mounting holes

two loose bolts at front, and a wooden cushion at end of dovetail where it rests on the frame.

yTjBVKJl.jpg

doubler spanning rails butt joint

46XKNZEl.jpg

 

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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Current status- deck bolted on

scabbed some plating together for the last two ft. Length is about 14 ft

still needs 3”x3/16” side rails on the outside, ramp connections and a bumper hitch.  And painted, and flipped over to finish hidden welds. . . And and

RdTIOTPl.jpg

6wRMcdfl.jpg

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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4 minutes ago, Pete Kildow said:

Could not do without my Kubota and loader. But wish I had not sold my Excavator. That was for sure handy also.

Yeah, never had an excavator,, but it would be nice.  I would settle with a skid steer.

i will borrow farmer neighbor’s loader when i need one, but have to move truck at nite, as wife doesn’t want neighborhood to bitch about my “rv” 🤔

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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Look'n good.  I like the look of the external stake pockets.  What made you put them on the outside rather than in the edge of the bed?

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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That is looking real good so far. And equipment sure makes everything easier to do because all that metal is heavy.

Brad and Jacolyn
Tucker the Wonder dog and Brynn the Norfolk Terrier
2009 Smart "Joy"
2004 VNL630 "Vonda the Volvo"
2008 Hitch Hiker 35 CK Champagne Edition
VED12 465 HP, Freedomline, 3.73 ratio, WB 218"
Fulltiming and loving it.

 

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On 4/5/2020 at 7:14 AM, rickeieio said:

Look'n good.  I like the look of the external stake pockets.  What made you put them on the outside rather than in the edge of the bed?

They’re on the outside because that was easy, no notching deck plate. i was thinking to finish it up like a flatbed trailer, with flat bar run outside the stake pockets. 

Inside the outer rails would have been cleaner, though.  I think i would have had to use heavier material to prevent them getting deformed from ratchet straps.

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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Yep, put the flat bar between the pockets.  When you get old and are walking past the truck, and snag your shoulder on the pocket and it twists your back, you'll be glad you added it.

I hit the center clearance light on a grain trailer just wrong once and hurt for days.

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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Things i would do different/wish i had done different-

have gaps in the lower framing to allow ramps to be slid in from the side, as this is in front of bolted connection to frame, so only carries vertical load

     I will cut this out when i flip it to weld the bottom

tried harder to figure out how to leave fifth wheel in place

put wood between bed and frame in front section

made framing match up with actual deck plate size to prevent lots of time trimming plates to 4x8 - did not buy until framing was built, so didn’t know they are oversize

used welding wire that would weld better in 4g position (overhead) to prevent need to remove and flip

painted it as it was built instead of after

 

 

 

Edited by Exile
Update to include what i should have done

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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8 hours ago, Exile said:

Things i would do different/wish i had done different-

have gaps in the lower framing to allow ramps to be slid in from the side, as this is in front of bolted connection to frame, so only carries vertical load

     I will cut this out when i flip it to weld the bottom

tried harder to figure out how to leave fifth wheel in place

put wood between bed and frame in front section

made framing match up with actual deck plate size to prevent lots of time trimming plates to 4x8 - did not buy until framing was built, so didn’t know they are oversize

used welding wire that would weld better in 4g position (overhead) to prevent need to remove and flip

painted it as it was built instead of after

 

 

 

Did you find a way to buy the steel that saved some money?  Or just order what you need and have it shipped to your truck?

Kevin and June

2013 Volvo VNL 730    D13 Eco-Torque @ 425  Ratio 2.47 

2014 DRV 36TKSB3 

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I bought 8 or 12 ft sticks of 2x3x11ga (1/8”) from a local steel building company and hauled that home in pickup. They did not sell primed, I would recommend that when possible, will save lots of effort painting it  

Built first iteration of bed and mounted crane, then used truck to get deckplate from same company.

got 3x3x1/4” from local welding company that would order it for me, he was still 20 mi away, but it fit in my pickup.  Also bought some random angle from him.  Also got some drop offs from welding shop just down the road from me, including a rusted piece of decking i had to scab together. 

I don’t think there is any cheap steel out there, only less expensive.  There is a company in Houston that caters to little guys like me, but i was impatient and didn’t buy from them.  Because they make it easy for little purchases, they are more expensive.  I watched scrapyard for awhile, but all their stuff had heavy scale, and would require more effort to clean up to paint.

98 379 with 12.7 DD

LG Dodge w/5.9 CTD

Chrome habit I’m trying to kick.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/7/2020 at 10:24 AM, Exile said:

They’re on the outside because that was easy, no notching deck plate. i was thinking to finish it up like a flatbed trailer, with flat bar run outside the stake pockets. 

Inside the outer rails would have been cleaner, though.  I think i would have had to use heavier material to prevent them getting deformed from ratchet straps.

Run the flat bar on the outside of stake pockets for sure. That is how I did mine and I can not tell you how nice it is to be able to hook a strap anywhere on the side and have it right where I need it. 

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