GlennWest Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Truck I'm considering is factory single. It is 117" BOC to end of chassis. Fairly short truck. Want to carry a Smart so I am looking at 3' extension. From what I have been reading I understand that I can extend at the taper down 6" section, just weld to end of frame. It is recommended that I get formed plate to match truck. No one will see this once a bed is one. I can join standard channel to it and get a professional weld (that's all I do). 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis M Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 My Volvo was singled when I bought it. When I had the smart bed built we needed to move the hitch down & back. The body builder (NWC Body Works - and our truck is still featured on their web page 10 years later! ) added a "stinger" to the back of the frame. See pic here. They said the extension would still be rated at 40k. Dennis & NancyTucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06 and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)Our Travel Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Your hitch looks higher than most. What is your hitch height? 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 deleted "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezl Smoke Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 Truck I'm considering is factory single. It is 117" BOC to end of chassis. Fairly short truck. Want to carry a Smart so I am looking at 3' extension. From what I have been reading I understand that I can extend at the taper down 6" section, just weld to end of frame. It is recommended that I get formed plate to match truck. No one will see this once a bed is one. I can join standard channel to it and get a professional weld (that's all I do). Should posted this as frame extension. Sorry about that Then why not just weld the extension to the bed and bolt the whole thing to your truck frame? 3' of frame, rather 3' of bed past the frame is nothing. The frame does not have to go to the end of the bed. I'm a work'n on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 That is interesting. Had never considered hauling from bed instead of chassis. Problem is though time is not my friend. I likely will get hitch before bed. May get both at same time and that could be done. My work schedule is unknown. Just the nature of my work. Basically that same as I have on my dually. My bed is bolted to chassis and I added steel to 4 inch channel iron and bolted hitch to it. I wasn't planning on dove tailing it though and would have to for this. Have to give this some thought. Thanks. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 While you could bolt yhe extensions to the bed, depending on what you planned to pull with the hitch, I think you would be better off adding the extensions. Check dome of Phoenix's pictures of other volvo frames the have been extended for good suggestions. Ours is bolted on but may not work with a factory single. 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 I know every build I have seen on forum frame was extended. But strength wise if bed is solidly attached to frame it would be just as strong. Steel used is not light weight. So it should be fine. The bed steel would be too high and would have to drop down with steel. That is likely the reason for extending frame. It may actually be less work. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezl Smoke Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 I know every build I have seen on forum frame was extended. But strength wise if bed is solidly attached to frame it would be just as strong. Steel used is not light weight. So it should be fine. The bed steel would be too high and would have to drop down with steel. That is likely the reason for extending frame. It may actually be less work. If you look at flat bed straight trucks, you'll notice that the frame stops far short of the end of the bed. AND!!! the trailers they pull, some are pup types that have a much higher tongue weight than any rv fiver, are pulled by the bed, not the frame. Perhaps I was not clear with my description. ? What I refer to is adding your channel frame section to the underside of the rear of the bed. Then just as you u-bolt the front section of the bed down, have a piece of plate that is welded to the extension channel and has bolt holes to run a few bolts into the truck frame rails. In other words, a "fish plate" where the bed frame extension and truck frame rail come together. This still allows for frame flex as needed, but eliminates the truck frame rail extension expense and time consumption. I'm a work'n on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Yes I understand but a frame extension is simply a 6" 3' long channel welded to frame ends. I'll likely build mount from bed frame though. I may pay someone. If I'm working steady when I get truck I know a great shop that will build sandblast paint bed and mount hitch for 3k. One weekend for me is around 3k working. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Truck I'm considering is factory single. It is 117" BOC to end of chassis. Fairly short truck. Want to carry a Smart so I am looking at 3' extension. From what I have been reading I understand that I can extend at the taper down 6" section, just weld to end of frame. It is recommended that I get formed plate to match truck. No one will see this once a bed is one. I can join standard channel to it and get a professional weld (that's all I do). One of the best frame extensions done to mount an ET. Customer sent me a cardboard tracing of the frame ends (the size and the bend radiuses) and I had the local steel supplier match that in steel plate (1/4 inch) on the brake. He wanted two foot lengths so that he could have "options" where to actually mount the ET. The two lengths were shipped with the ET to his location and he had his local welder add these to the frame. The strap added on the tension side of the frame load was a nice touch. Normally we don't do this on short extensions, but it would be a good thing on a three foot extension. The plate material used was a plain A-36 plate. The cost of the material and having it bent was around $160. We used tempered (80,000 psi) stuff (12 inches tall) when we did a 6 foot extension of the frame on this truck. There is a company in Vermont that sells that plate and is capable of bending it. The cost of the material. bending and shipping it was around $800. Since then the new owner of the truck put a whole new bed on the truck for sideways loading and shortened the frame significantly, so you might say that the whole effort was "for naught". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shorts Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 It might be worthwhile to check for a frame rail cutoff at the local big truck recycling/salvage yard, take the full size measurements of your existing frame and see if they can match it up. Lots of times the frame rails are a common dimension across a series of trucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 I was planning on just a length of 6 inch channel iron. I can get a good weld to frame 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis M Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Make sure you have isolated your ECU and other electronics before welding on the frame! Dennis & NancyTucson, AZ in winter, on the road in summer.1999 Volvo 610 "Bud" 425 HP Volvo, Super 10 spd.2005 Mountain Aire 35 BLKS2013 smart fortwo CityFlame riding on Bud(Replaced '05 smart first loaded in '06 and '11 smart that gave it's life to save me!)Our Travel Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronbo Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 My friend had an older truck with a double frame. The inner frame fit inside mine perfectly. Ron C. 2013 Dynamax Trilogy 3850 D3 2000 Kenworth T2000 Optimus Prime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Make sure you have isolated your ECU and other electronics before welding on the frame! thaks. Good advice. Been there before. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezl Smoke Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 I was planning on just a length of 6 inch channel iron. I can get a good weld to frame It's not the weld that will be the issue. It's the metallurgy behind joining a low carbon, hot roll to a high tensile alloy. It's been done thousands of times without incident. But it's also failed thousands of times with expensive and at times catastrophic results. Usually right next to the weld, it will fail on the low carbon mild as it work hardens over time and cycles. Not saying dont do it, as I can not make that kind of recommendation. But I have learned to find ways to bolt dis-similar metals to alloy frame rails. I'm a work'n on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 deleted 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&K Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 deleted. Geo George,Suzuki Celerio 998cc Yamaha NMAX scooter Work ride is Western Star N2 Tri-Tri tanker at 56,500kg loaded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 deleted 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&K Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 deleted. Geo George,Suzuki Celerio 998cc Yamaha NMAX scooter Work ride is Western Star N2 Tri-Tri tanker at 56,500kg loaded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezl Smoke Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 We welded high chrome carbon regularly. It is always preheated and cooled slowly. Wrapped in thick insulation, k wool. It will Crack if not done right. There is a shop in Houston that lengthens frames on new trucks. They lengthen in middle also. Cut and weld, preheat and cool slowly. Yes, with like alloy frame rails. Like a hardened gun receiver, it can be annealed, machined, then hardened again to original specs. A frame rail can be brought to temp, welded, then brought to temp and cooled at a controlled rate to achieve the desired result. But anyway, I'll be curious to see how things get along when you get a truck and time to work on it. Always great to see new ideas and learn new things. I'm a work'n on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 deleted 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&K Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Deleted. Geo George,Suzuki Celerio 998cc Yamaha NMAX scooter Work ride is Western Star N2 Tri-Tri tanker at 56,500kg loaded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 deleted 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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