Wanting to buy truck but need ur help w/the correct bale bed language

[cfpinz]

There's more info here than I could ever offer up: https://www.hydrabeds.com/hydrabed

Yes, I move rings with them - along with dead cows, tranquilized cows, and anything else you can get a chain on. The arms will crush a steel feeder if you're not careful, but the poly rings from Century will bounce right back.

 

[cfpinz]

I bought one with a Deweze bed and feeder from Boeckman Ford in Kingfisher, Ok last year. If you call and talk to Bev they can fix you up.

Did you get the pivot arms? I can't remember. If so, how do you like them? Are they synchronized?

 

[Lucky]

Yes I did go with the pivot arms. I like them and they are synchronized. After using both the Deweze and the Hydrabed I'd say the Hydrabed bed is better for everyday ranch use. The Deweze is a fancier built bed and I like it for running around use. I definitely like the cables on the Hydrabed over the remote on the Deweze however the new Hydrabed remote looks nice. It'd be a hard choice to make if I bought another new rig. I think Boeckman Ford offers both beds now.

 

[Huntet02]

Good to hear that I want to re-look at the hydra bed.
ive been stuck lately on truck purchase—were all set to go w/a 3500 ram chassis until found out they werent made to standard-bed sizes(confusing)
and now trying to understand the CA(cab to axle) measurement vs. needing an 8ft bed —my intention was to save $ and try using my current 8ft bale bed to put on whatever I purchase new'.
Hubby says per his drawing I need an odd size.....I do not understand this ca measurement -wouldn't a 84 ' ca work? HELP

 

[Lucky]

I sold a C&C Dodge to get the Ford. The C&C have a 60" cab to axle instead of the 56" like the 8' beds. If you pay attention the C&C beds generally have the rear corners angled to clear trailers when turning. You can't angle the corners on bale beds so have to watch it when pulling trailers. The C&C trucks are very heavy duty though and built tougher. The Ford I bought was ordered from the factory with a bed delete like a C&C so it saved a little money. To answer your question a bed made for a regular pickup will not fit a C&C but a C&C bed can be put on a regular 8' bed truck.

 

[Huntet02]

I sold a C&C Dodge to get the Ford. The C&C have a 60" cab to axle instead of the 56" like the 8' beds. If you pay attention the C&C beds generally have the rear corners angled to clear trailers when turning. You can't angle the corners on bale beds so have to watch it when pulling trailers. The C&C trucks are very heavy duty though and built tougher. The Ford I bought was ordered from the factory with a bed delete like a C&C so it saved a little money. To answer your question a bed made for a regular pickup will not fit a C&C but a C&C bed can be put on a regular 8' bed truck.

I'm so freaking confused, how does a (c&c)cab/chassis have a bed? I watched several u tubes on them...

Everything I find hubby says it's way too long for my current 8 ft

.

 

[cfpinz]

To answer your question a bed made for a regular pickup will not fit a C&C but a C&C bed can be put on a regular 8' bed truck.

It used to not be that way. I've got a Hydrabed model 250 (predecessor to the 3250) on my old '96 F350 C&C and it fits perfect, didn't even have to trim the frame. I wanted the same bed on my new truck a few years back, as the 3350 would hit the frame on a few of our trailers. So I went and measured a few of the new Ford C&C trucks and there would have been a huge gap between the headboard and rear of the cab if a 3250 was installed. The fuel tank was shoved up so close to the back of the frame rails that there was no available frame to trim off behind the rear gusset, also. For that reason, I wound up ordering a dually pickup and removing the bed once I got it home and selling the bed. I actually called Hydrabed a few times before ordering the truck and had them spec out the truck to work best with their bed, very helpful folks. They even called me about 6 months after installing the bed to see how I liked it, and the changes they have made since my last bed. How many companies would do that in today's world?

To the original poster:

Trucks from the factory with an 8' bed or a "bed delete": 56" cab to axle.
Cab and Chassis trucks: 60" cab to axle, or 84" for the longer (11'+)beds

C&C trucks usually have narrower/straight frame rails. Used to be 33" wide for C&C vs. 37" wide for pickups, not sure if that still holds true. My '19 F350 has 42" frame rails for what it's worth.

If your Chevy came with a factory pickup bed on it, the simplest thing for you to do is to buy another single wheel truck with an 8' bed on it and remove the bed to sell/store. The old bed will need some fabricating done to make it fit the new truck, as far as mounting to the frame attachment points. Be aware that some of the newer trucks will not function properly if you remove the bed and try to operate without the taillights plugged in. My Ford basically shut down the computer until I found out what was going on and hooked up the taillights. I've heard that some other mfg's (Dodge in particular) can sustain damage to the computer if operated without the lights. That being said, I'd take it somewhere that's familiar with the procedure unless you're handy enough to do it yourself.

Best of luck.

 

[Huntet02]

It used to not be that way. I've got a Hydrabed model 250 (predecessor to the 3250) on my old '96 F350 C&C and it fits perfect, didn't even have to trim the frame. I wanted the same bed on my new truck a few years back, as the 3350 would hit the frame on a few of our trailers. So I went and measured a few of the new Ford C&C trucks and there would have been a huge gap between the headboard and rear of the cab if a 3250 was installed. The fuel tank was shoved up so close to the back of the frame rails that there was no available frame to trim off behind the rear gusset, also. For that reason, I wound up ordering a dually pickup and removing the bed once I got it home and selling the bed. I actually called Hydrabed a few times before ordering the truck and had them spec out the truck to work best with their bed, very helpful folks. They even called me about 6 months after installing the bed to see how I liked it, and the changes they have made since my last bed. How many companies would do that in today's world?

To the original poster:

Trucks from the factory with an 8' bed or a "bed delete": 56" cab to axle.
Cab and Chassis trucks: 60" cab to axle, or 84" for the longer (11'+)beds

C&C trucks usually have narrower/straight frame rails. Used to be 33" wide for C&C vs. 37" wide for pickups, not sure if that still holds true. My '19 F350 has 42" frame rails for what it's worth.

If your Chevy came with a factory pickup bed on it, the simplest thing for you to do is to buy another single wheel truck with an 8' bed on it and remove the bed to sell/store. The old bed will need some fabricating done to make it fit the new truck, as far as mounting to the frame attachment points. Be aware that some of the newer trucks will not function properly if you remove the bed and try to operate without the taillights plugged in. My Ford basically shut down the computer until I found out what was going on and hooked up the taillights. I've heard that some other mfg's (Dodge in particular) can sustain damage to the computer if operated without the lights. That being said, I'd take it somewhere that's familiar with the procedure unless you're handy enough to do it yourself.

Best of luck.

Yippers in all I learned a lot today: I always do when making a purchase like this. Called Deweze dealers talked to them at length and interestingly they said new dodges die when squeezing the bale on their newer deweeze' models due to some weird emissions point. Point to remember if ever u buy one.
For now I'm not buying one' I get to save $ and keep my spike bed for a few more yrs (don't need to haul 2 bales at once). And this will save me $11k which a new deweze cost, I eventually want to unroll but it can wait until I make a little more $.
Called several dealers talking to young kids who really weren't hungry and didn't know anything about the trucks they were selling then finally I happened upon that one guy- the mature experienced guy -who knows about the trucks he sells and had good information and knew what questions to have me ask; plus all the ways to get me $3500 with of rebates x 2 (no he's not adding onto end price) when other dodge salesman gave us a hard time in being out of the military too long to qualify for military rebate- excuse me...bs! and he knew what I exactly needed to ask my bale bed installer, which was can my 8ft bed be installed on newer single cab Dodge or chevy that came with 8 ft bed?
— I called twice and they said no problem. they even remembered my truck Might cost me a little install fee and may need new cables but they do this all day long every day.
relieved to have found a great deal on truck( it's nothing special tradesman model dodge but least I'll have a 3500 which really only gets me a few more springs but I'll feel better)
Maybe I will get this all sorted out thanks to some good helpful folks on here and a little drive to keep trying.

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[Little Joe]

If that don't work out call James Norman at Red River Dodge/Ram in Heber Springs,AR @ 901-413-6948. They are a very large Ram truck dealer and will deliver to you, they sell all over the US. They usually have several 2500 and 3500 in stock.

 

[Huntet02]

NICE looked at website and they've got some good deals on 3500's .... thanks