Thanks, Vic. Appreciate it.Vic Harder said:
Thanks for that, Dessmo. Yes, the devil is definitively in the details. Tricky part is finding the balance between thinking something through and taking a chance on it, or overthinking it and getting stuck..Dessmo said:Nice rigSeems like you have thought well through the details building this rig.
Thanks, Machinebuilder. I looked at a lot of truck bed manufacturers and thought about custom building one, and in the end settled on the aluminum CM for a few reasons. They are an excellent build; the construction is both lightweight aluminum and reinforced with steel in the critical spots where it attaches to the truck's steel frame. There's a lot of attention to detail, and TIG welding is remarkable for a mass-produced flatbed. The deck paneling I went with was a rugged, reinforced, ribbed aluminum vs wood slat.They have a good selection of models and configurations, and you are bound to find one that will fit your new F350 as if it was an OEM design. You can trick it out any way you want. There's a lot of flexibility.Machinebuilder said:
Well said. That is the black hole a lot of people seem to fall into. Especially over at Expedition Portal.ri-f said:
Dave,Machinebuilder said:
Thanks, Kolockum. I like your signature about the nut behind the wheel being the most important one. Don'r forget to snug yourself up every once in a while.Kolockum said:
Thanks. I am adding the second part to my signature.ri-f said:
Rich, what features had you getting the RD bed vs the RS bed?ri-f said:
Vic, when I went to look at the CMs at the local distributor, they had a few different types in the yard, both in aluminum, as well as steel. But only one of beds on the lot, the 84-inch RD, was the proper length for my specific 78-inch short-bed. The 84 inch RD simply looked correct, too, as if it were an OEM design. I did see the RS and other models as well, and could have ordered one that fit, but in the end, as it turned out, I took the RD that they already had on the lot, as it was the most appealing for my purposes, for a few differnt reasons. For instance, the RD has an HD 18,500 lb.-rated B&W bumper pull hitch with receiver tube, which is integrated into the entire frame. Ideal for towing or winch work or self recovery, if necessary, or simply to use as a hitch-step mount. On mine, for instance I use two flip-down aluminum steps, one in the hitch-receiver, and one mounted directly to the solid skirt just to the right and about 12 inches above the hitch to get into the rear door on the Hawk shell. The RS model doesn't include this integrated bumper-hitch. The RD model is also a bit more HD and resistant to stress with it's subframe crossmembers constucted of 3-inch, 3/16-inch steel channel. That is not available on the RS model. The RD has a tapered-corner skirt on the aft end and just suited my design plans better for building out my flip-down side rails and installation of additional exterior propane tanks at the tapered aft ends. This was probably more of a personal preference than a structural advantage. The RS is only available in a straight, non-tapered angle back, which is fine. The price tag on the RS is a little less than the RD but not significantly so. Both are well made. Choosing one over the other primarily depends on your intended use.Vic Harder said:
Adventurebound, thanks for the comment. And that's a good question. The answer is yes! The CM, for instance, does not interfere with the trucks frame in any way. It is simply installed onto it, using both thru-bolts as well as spot welding in key locations. If you had, say, a spare tire that is mounted under the frame, and lowered onto the ground with a long rod, inserted into a hole in the bumper, then that won't change if you install the flatbed. The only thing you need to do, if the flatbed has an aft skirt, like on the CM RD model, is drill a 1/2 inch hole through the flat skirt panel so that the cranking rod can get to the spare tire receiver in order to crank it down or up. It's nice that you do to not have to lose that functionality when you swap out a pickup bed to a flatbed. On a side note the flatbed did not interfere with my airbag install - again, part of the trucks frame, not the flatbed's.Adventurebound said:
Vic, one thing I forgot to mention was that the RD comes stock with a Gooseneck hitch, a 30K B&W hitch with welded ball that is recessed below the deck and accessed via a hinged aluminum trap door on the surface of the deck. I had no immediate use for it with my setup, but that might be an advantage for anyone pulling a heavy trailer.or just wanting to stow a little gear in that hideaway compartment when the camper is off the truck and used as a work truck, or whatever..Vic Harder said:
Vic, I don't know if the RD sits higher than the RS, not sure how they construct the subframe on the RS. My guess is that it is the same basic frame and same basic height, the only difference being they don't incorporate the steel crossmembers, which sit in the gap on the subframe that the RD fills in with structural-steel crossmembers. The RD flatbed does sit a few inches higher than the original pickup body, however, if thats a concern. But practically speaking it's not an issue unless overhead clearance, say for a garage door, where a couple of inches in clearance height might be ia factor. It's also not an easy step on the rear bumper and you slip into the rear door kind of thing, like it typically is on a lower-sitting pickup body. But that's a non issue with the right type of steps. Here's a link to a CM trade show video, if your interested, which shows the deck and subframe rails and crossmembers of a CM RD.Vic Harder said:
