hey folks i found a rust free bed for sale about a hour away from my house. Is it ok to remove my bed, attach the license plate to the frame somehow, drive to the place and attach the bed to the truck when i get there? Ok should i expect to get pulled over???

 

If I were to try that where I live I wouldn't make it out of my neighborhood without getting pulled over.

If you are even going to try this I think you need to rig up appropriate temporary brake lights, license plate light and turn signals. Secondly, I think you would need to have some sort of fenders on it so you won't be slinging crap all over the place.

I'd consider trailering the new bed. JMO.

 

if you have tail lights, a license plate, turn signals, and some form of tire covers such as mudflaps you'd probably be ok. Depends on the local jurisdiction, and how well you know the cops. I was driving a 68 hemi gtx around with open headers, got pulled over, and all the cop wanted was for me to rev it up and show him under the hood. ymmv. The safety items are a must, but you could probably bolt a piece of plywood on the frame with above mentioned items and call it a flatbed. You live in city or the country?

 

Early this year, I scrapped the bed on my 95 and found a replacement on Craigslist about an hour away. So away I went using hand signals and displaying the tag in the rear window. I was about 5 minutes away from picking up the bed when here comes the Ga. State Patrol. The officer pulled me over and asked for the usual license/registration/proof of insurance. He claimed that I had to have tail lights to drive on the highway. I explained that I was on my way to pick up a bed and lucky for me that seemed to appease him. As I was sitting there waiting for him to run my license another GSP officer rolled up and just looked at the truck and then left. When the first officer returned with a written warning I asked if he really needed to call in back up He laughed and sent me on my way.

 

i live in the city but most of the driving will be highway through the country... so i am thinking lights plate and mudflaps should be ok.... gonna have to do some burnouts also! ... so i just pull the bolts holding the bed down, disconnect electrical and gas filler neck and it should pop right off right???

 

If it were me I would just get the tail lights and plate lights rigged up. You could just take the tail lights and turn the sideways and tie wrap them to the frame. That should be good enough for what your doing.

I'm sure even if you get stopped, you wont get a ticket if you tell them what you are doing.

There was an 89-91 Dodge around here that was like that for quite some time and he never got stopped.

By the way, they used to sell trucks like this that were called cab and chassis.

 

I had a friend that was redoing an old Ford and he drove for weeks without a bed on his truck. It wasnt country but definitely not city. He never had a problem.

As everyone else said, if you do get stopped just tell them what youre doing. If you can get proof there should be no problem at all.

 

I should have claified that last comment about the Dodge. I don't think he got stopped with it that way, because he left it that way for years. I think he finally built a flatbed for it to put all he welding stuff on.

 

I drove a Ranger without a bed on for almost 2 years living in the city. Only got stopped one time. State trooper said I had to have the lights permamently mounted. Most cops don't say a thing as long as there are lights back there working.

 

when i had to replace the fuel pump on my truck, i just took off the bed because i had just filled up and topped off the ol' fuel tank.. after the pump was installed i didnt feel like putting the bed on then, and just left it off all weekend. so i just made sure that my brake light harness was attached and zip tied my brake lights to my back bumper. i had multiple cops behind me and not one attempted to pull me over. one thing though is that you will have to be careful, since without that bed, it makes burnouts a lot easier to say the least. it may seem hard but you are gunna have to try to contain yourself... the ol 4.9 was burnin tires like a beast v8.

 

Up here you have to have some sort of "fenders" and working tail/brake/reverse lights, as well as a plate (of course) on the back, and a rear bumper.

What ive done to transport beds is have three 2x4's across the bed of my truck, put the box I bought on upside down, then strapped it on.

 

I don't know about your truck, but if you're replacing the bed due to rust, those bolts aren't going to come off without a fight, or an angle grinder. The latter is what I used, bear in mind there will be a lot of slag.

Even when the bolts were removed the bed was still adherent to the frame due to rust so I had to use a floor jack with a 4x4 to free the bed from the frame.

Just a heads up.

 

well i test removed all the bolts holding down the bed, they were all aftermarket grade 8 bolts came off very easy
the sellers they want 800$ cash for the bed with no tailgate supposedly from down south no rust at all but have not seen till i drive down there and check it out. for some reason the wont send me pics
You guys think thats a good price? .

 

I'd just put tail lights on it and not worry about anything else.

 

Leave your bed on. Go w 4 "C" clamps. If the bed is what they say it is, then yes, it is worth the 800. But make sure it is rust free! Then flip the new bed on the old bed upside down, clamp it on like a cap.Done

And not a very good idea to do burnouts without a bed. Very easy for a rock to go thru the back window