So I was out with my friend a couple of nights ago and I pull into a gas station with my 2000 F-150 (can't pass one up), and put in $20 and started to get back in and take off when I noticed something odd with my rear. I look back and see this:



So I can't imagine what the car behind me must have been thinking. I believe what happened was last time I put up the gate I was in a hurry and didn't notice that the drivers side didn't latch.

My bed is incredibly flexible and it doesn't line up to latch without shoving the bedside over (which is scarily easy). I'm guessing it is due to the large amount of rust on the underside of the bed and I think it is possible one of the bedsides was replaced before I got it. I squared the bed with my toolbox when I put it in, but I believe my work was undone due to my rough 1/2 mile driveway.

Anyone else have overly flexible beds?

 

The only times I have seen box sides get flexible like you describe is when people run with the tail gate down or out a lot. I have seen some people load round hay bales in the back of trucks and wreck the box sides, but that is usually obvious damage. A few years back when it was popular to remove the tail gates and put in the nets I saw a lot of box sides get broken down and flexible.
But where I am from rust is not as bad as other parts of the country, so I can't say weather rust will cause a flexible box side or not.

 

I bet this one was without a tailgate for a while, I don't think this one is original as I can't get the key to work.

 

YEP-- Always keep the gate closed.. Open allows panels to flex.