Nesikep
Well-known member
Well, I finally got around to building a flatdeck for my 94 dodge dually, I had looked everywhere for a deck to fit it, but no luck, so I bought some steel and built my own... I spent months designing and redesigning it until it was just right. My biggest criteria were lightweight, not too expensive to build in materials, and as low to the ground as I could... I think I succeeded, and everyone who's seen it likes it.. One guy wants me to build him a deck for his toyota T100 next fall in fact.
On the subject of weight, my box and canopy weighed in at 400 kg (880 lbs), excluding the 5th wheel plate that was mounted to it which was really close to 200 lbs... The truck used to weigh 3200 kg and now weighs 3100 kg (220 lbs lighter), the deck is only about 1" higher than the floor of the box was, but since the truck sits 2" lower in the front and I can load from the side now, it's in fact lower at it's lowest point... the dimensions from edge to edge are 8' wide, and 8'10" long, which 1" shorter than the box and bumper, I was also able to move the trailer hitch (bumper pull style) a full 10" forward on the frame, which will make the trailer tow more like a 5th wheel, reducing the front end lift when I load it up... I also put a sealed stainless steel junction box at the back where all my wiring goes into and ran relays for the reverse lights (200W of them when the trailer is on), I got LED tail lights and license plate lamp. The main frame of the deck is 3x3x1/8th square tubing, the crossbars are 2x2x1/8th square tubing, cut down into the 3x3, capped and sealed, with a bit of oil in them to prevent rusting from the inside, 4 stake pockets on each side (4x2x3/16th square tube, which perfectly fits a piece of 2x4), and 3 stake pockets on the front. The headache rack is 3x2x1/8th square tubing and holds the toolbox in place nicely, it has grab handles on it which make it really easy to get up on the deck using the running boards, and the floor is 1/2" exterior fir plywood. It's light, and cheap, and when I bash it up too much, I might upgrade and put 1/4" aluminum checkerplate on it instead. I will pretty much only use the deck of the truck for hay, not heaping piles of transmissions and engine blocks, so I'm not too worried about it. the rear bumper of the deck is 6" channel, with the flushmount LED taillights recessed into it so I *shouldn't* bash them up without a lot of effort. As for paint, I first put gravelguard on the entire thing, then topcoated it with automotive black paint... it'll probably chip off, but everything does on these roads.
I figure if I were to build this identical deck for someone it would be close to a $3000 bill... it took me 2 weeks
here's a pic, not the greatest with a cell phone, but it'll do for now
On the subject of weight, my box and canopy weighed in at 400 kg (880 lbs), excluding the 5th wheel plate that was mounted to it which was really close to 200 lbs... The truck used to weigh 3200 kg and now weighs 3100 kg (220 lbs lighter), the deck is only about 1" higher than the floor of the box was, but since the truck sits 2" lower in the front and I can load from the side now, it's in fact lower at it's lowest point... the dimensions from edge to edge are 8' wide, and 8'10" long, which 1" shorter than the box and bumper, I was also able to move the trailer hitch (bumper pull style) a full 10" forward on the frame, which will make the trailer tow more like a 5th wheel, reducing the front end lift when I load it up... I also put a sealed stainless steel junction box at the back where all my wiring goes into and ran relays for the reverse lights (200W of them when the trailer is on), I got LED tail lights and license plate lamp. The main frame of the deck is 3x3x1/8th square tubing, the crossbars are 2x2x1/8th square tubing, cut down into the 3x3, capped and sealed, with a bit of oil in them to prevent rusting from the inside, 4 stake pockets on each side (4x2x3/16th square tube, which perfectly fits a piece of 2x4), and 3 stake pockets on the front. The headache rack is 3x2x1/8th square tubing and holds the toolbox in place nicely, it has grab handles on it which make it really easy to get up on the deck using the running boards, and the floor is 1/2" exterior fir plywood. It's light, and cheap, and when I bash it up too much, I might upgrade and put 1/4" aluminum checkerplate on it instead. I will pretty much only use the deck of the truck for hay, not heaping piles of transmissions and engine blocks, so I'm not too worried about it. the rear bumper of the deck is 6" channel, with the flushmount LED taillights recessed into it so I *shouldn't* bash them up without a lot of effort. As for paint, I first put gravelguard on the entire thing, then topcoated it with automotive black paint... it'll probably chip off, but everything does on these roads.
I figure if I were to build this identical deck for someone it would be close to a $3000 bill... it took me 2 weeks
here's a pic, not the greatest with a cell phone, but it'll do for now
... I wish I had a pick of the stock rack I built for my trailer.. hauled 11,000 lbs of calves in it last year... I didn't build the whole thing, I got one that was originally a 10 footer, extended to 14, so I cut it back down to 10 and extended it by 10 1/2 feet, so it's 20feet inside, and still fits my 20 foot trailer, slides on nicely, rear door folds down as a ramp, slides up like a guillotine, or swings open like a normal door, plus if I want to I can take the whole back wall off with 4 bolts if I need to backhaul something that doesn't fit through the livestock door... I also just built a pipe rack to fit the trailer so I can haul irrigation pipe if I find some at an auction. I think I've got everything set up now so I can do what I need to do. If I can't, the money spent on a professional trucker is worth it... I just have to keep my truck together now... I spent 1200 on a clutch last year, 1500 on a headgasket this year, tranny is always giving me grief.
