i want to build a flatbed for my truck and was wondering if anyone had blueprints for one i could get ahold of

 

Are you intending on wood, steel, aluminum?

I've built 3 flatbeds of Lowe's lumber for my Cab and Chassis F350's and absolutely LOVE them! For $120 I built my 10' Flatbed out of 2x8's. I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of $1 4" Steel Hinges with the removable pins, for the sides to pin to themselves. I have a flatbed with 8" sides or a regular flatbed at the convenience of pulling 4 pins. I find the wood to be easy to work with, cheap to build, and cheap to replace. Sure, it may no be as durable as steel...but I can easily replace boards.
I'll take pictures tomorrow in the daylight if you're interested.
In case you're wondering, yes it can handle heavy loads. Last fall I had 2 tons of gravel on the truck. It only made the truck ride nicer because the flatbed handled it like a champ. My uncle is a carpenter, so I've learned that lumber is very strong when built correctly.

 

I considered a wood deck but i think im going to go with steel i think

 

Blueprints, I always just get the torch and welder out, sometimes I do use a tape measure though.

It really depends on what you want, If just a plain old flatbed I'm betting you can buy one as cheap as you can build it. I haven't never bought one though as I don't like just a generic flatbed.

 

You can't build one for less than you can buy one.

http://www.cadettruckbodies.com/

 

I'd just buy one they have so many flatbeds out there for everything, towing, hauling, construction, tools, dump beds, stake beds,....I do a lot of construction so I like the construction grade flatbeds with the flip up sides, tie down hooks, and built in ladder rack.

check it out..

http://www.truckcargobed.com/images/truck_flatbed-6.jpg


You can order it without the tool boxes.

 

if your spending that much on a brand new aluminum flat bed,don't skimp on the boxes lol.
thats like 5k+ ouch.never have to buy another one in your lifetime though.truck to truck.

 

yea im not going to spend that much on one..... i built a trailer 18 ft long maxed out width out of 3x5 tubing i dont remember how thick but i mean it was THICK it has 12,000 lb dual axle and the axles will snap before the trailer itself will crack and i only spent 3,000 on the materials..... im not going to spend more on a bed that is less than half the size of that trailer thats just ridiculous

 

Just look on craigslist.

reading steel flatbed -stake side

 

Have you priced steel recently?

Last year I priced 1/8" diamond plate steel to reskin my 8" x 9' dump bed.

It did have two bends that needed bent on a brake.

400 dollars.

Granted the bed is 15 years old, but I only gave 750 for it new.

 

yea convert 750 from 15 years ago to todays dollar value.... inflation man...

 

15 years ago I could not buy the steel to make that bed for 750, and I would have a lot of time in making it and painting it.

If you price one today, figure how much steel and work would go into making it, bet it is the same thing.

That same inflation works on steel prices just like it does on bed prices.

Matter of fact, when I bought that bed junk steel was bringing one dollar per hundred pounds.
Friday I took a Dodge in, 8.50 a hundred.

So if junk is bringing 8.5 times more, you can bet steel is 12 times more.

I must be to busy.
If I work on my truck, I figure a dollar value for my time.

If I can get it done cheaper at a shop I trust, guess who does the work.

If I can make something, or buy it already made, if it is cheaper to buy it, I buy it.

 

well i know 3 inch C channel is less than 7.50 a foot and would figure 18 ft of that and 2x2 tubing is less than 4.00 a foot roughly need 24 feet of that plus the cost of the plate and other odds & ends pieces so i can 100% assure you that i can build one for less than 1000$ much better than the 2000 to 5000+ you can buy one for and at least if you build it you can make it as strong as you want where with some manufactured ones there skimping on material thickness or welds

 

But if you buy an aluminum flatbed you don't have as much extra weight on the back so you can haul more without your tires going flat.

And yes if you build it your self you can make it as strong as you want...but making it strong and overkill are two different things.

 

The only thing I don't like about aluminum is it is more difficult to add the features that you want. The reason I've always built my own is I like to make the beds like I wan't them with the features I want( boxes, hitches, tiedown points, fuel doors, etc,) and if you custom order one like you want you are in for the big bucks. lol