To Buy Or To Build

Dick L

Well-known Member
Dixie's 1999 Chevy Silverado extended short bed has rusted out bad in the wheel wells. We are seeing quite a few Chevy pickups in that age group showing up with flat beds. The bed on it could be repaired with patch panels and new tubs. That would mean that the truck would need a total paint job. She would rather put on a flat bed. A flat bed is not a real big project but will have to be worked in the truck would be in the shop for a spell where they have complete bolt on flat beds that would be ready to use in a few hours.
 
Dick L,

I have no idea whether build or buy is better, but I would like to ask a favor of you.

If you ever decide to divorce Dixie, would you let me know in advance so I can court her? Any lady who wants a flat-bed pickup has to be REAL special.

Just kidding, of course, but the idea that she has a pickup in the first place, and that she wants a flat-bed on it, is really cool.

Have a great day.

Tom in TN
 
I guess that would depend alot on how good a fabricator you are and the equipment you have to work with. Sometimes a good used is the way to go also.
 
She is a great lady to put up with me for the last eleven years for sure. I think that her deciding she would like a flat bed put on her truck has something to do with my last pickup project when I took a wrecked ambulance to make a pickup. It looked like this when we were married and still looks much the same as it did when I moved her from Oklahoma to Ohio. :)^D

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I guess I am a so so fabricator and still don't have a metal sheer so I will have to hire the plate cut to size or torch cut it. Probly have my steel supplier bring it in cut to size.
 

I have seen good used flatbeds selling around here on CL for the $800-$1000 range. Hard to buy and build for that price...

There is one on the So. Ill CL now for $850 in Sullivan, IN.

John
 
When I changed a rusted out bed on a 74 Chevy pickup to a flat bed, already had a pickup, I built mine out of wood, lot nicer than the steel bed on previous truck, a 1950 International. If my curent bed, 2000 Dakota rusts out like that it will go to a wood bed, not steel.
 
I have a 2000 Silverado with over 230000 miles. The bed is staritng to show some signs of rust but the rocker panels are pretty much completely gone. Here in upstate NY, this seems to be pretty much standard. I mention this so you have some idea of what is to come. For me, this means the truck will become someone elses soon.
 
This could be an option--- A lot of farmers buy a pickup and then put a flat bed on it. I found a complete bed assembly for my 1981 Ford in '08 that had never been on a truck. It was in N.D. I drove from KY. to get it. Took a lot of puter time to find it. It was in the hayloft of a barn. Ellis
 
That would be the best of all worlds.
The bed on my ambulance conversion was new from an ambulance factory. I welded on a section on the front from a junk yard to place the tool box on so I could keep the full 8 foot bed for a golf cart.
 
I wanted to put a gooseneck hitch in this truck.The back cross stringers were shoot and the bed had a couple of dents in it. The hitch cost $700.00 and had to pull the bed to do the job.It's been 3 years ago but this bed cost $1500.00.I couldn't build it for that.The dealer said to figure 2 people 12 hours to do the job.I don't have all the toys to fab with but I have a few.It took around 30 hours by myself to get done .That includes overloads, shocks, and a fuel pump.It only had the 2 main stringers.I had to make all the mounts.One like it sold at a sale here in February for $550.00.It needed sand blasted and painted but still a good buy. If I sold the truck tomorrow I'd replace it with another flat bed.Good Luck.

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Dick I bought a truck box for my '97 Ford out of Georgia and had it put on,it was cheaper than patch panels and the box is absolutely rust free so I had it oil indercoated. The box was $750,I had it painted...but..if you ask for a truck box the same clour as you need ..two guys,four bolts and a wiring harness and its off,changed and back on...the patch panels,materials and labour would have been more money,with not good results as repaired panels rust out pretty quickly. I am very happy with the southern box and I have another truck that I may order one for.
 
I would imagine a flatbed is just like a trailer, you just can't build one for what you can buy one. Unless it is a custom bed / trailer.
I built a 14-feet flatbed dump for a 2004 F-550 I had, don't remember how much money I had in it. I sold the F-550 in 2007 and bought a 1-Ton Dodge. I had every intension in the world of building a aluminum flatbed for it. When I started pricing aluminum, just couldn't do it. I bought one of these.
http://www.alumaklm.com/truck-beds/item/73-9000-truck-beds.html

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Nice job. I love the eagle, lightening and stars.
If I do build one I want to put tool boxes below the bed in the sides. I would most likely go with the grill type bars at the front. I have a pair of aluminum tool boxes that fit under a stake truck like yours.
 
Don't know where your located but this may be worth a look.

http://wyoming.craigslist.org/grd/3685445646.html
 
I am located where Indiana, Michigan and Ohio connect. Might be a bit far and about a foot to long.
Thanks anyway.
 
I looked on their site and see they do have a 90 inch long bed that would work. What kind of money are they asking?
 
You'll have to use their dealer locater, to find a dealer close to you. I paid $3,000.00 for model # 90125. 90” x 125” weighs 333-pounds. That includes the side boards, tailgate, and gooseneck hatch.
 

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