So in the near future I will be buying a new bed for my truck. Anyone have tips on transporting it? Can I just throw it on and tie it down well? I don't have a trailer so that's not really an option.

 

Is your bed still on your truck? If so, Put the new bed on top of the rails, upside down. Throw some straps over and ratchet down. Take a few c clamps and clamp the rails together. It will look like a camper top.

 

That's how ya do it right there.

 

Take the old bed off....then drive to where the new one is. Put it on. Bingo!

 

As the above poster referenced put it long ways on your present bed and lift it off. I transported my flatbed that way but had to winch it off with the 100+ year old oak tree.

 

This is the way. And if you want to be extra sure, cut a few pieces of wood to put into the stake pockets so they stick up a few inches above your bed rails to lock the two beds together.

 

FTW! It's also handy to have some 1 x 4's to place between the top rails, but not really needed unless the top rail of the old bed is really nasty.
If the old bed top rails are in bad enough condition that it could cause damage to the replacement bed, screw those 1 x 4's to the old bed.....

 

Okay, I do not understand why you cannot just take your old bed off and go get the new bed and bolt it down to the frame. Why mess with trying to figure out how to put it up onto your old bed? If you are going to have some guys help you lift it up onto your old bed, then they could also help you sit it on the frame. Much less work and complication if you ask me.

 

I agree. That's how I would do it.

 

I have done both ways mentioned. I recently sold a bed to a guy and told him to take his bed off and zip tie his tail lights to the bumper. Then we could just set the bed on his truck. He did not want to pull his bed though, because he wanted to do the bodywork and paint to the new bed. We put it on his truck like a camper top instead.

However you decide to haul the bed, make sure that the bed is on upside down if on a trailer or on another bed. I have seen many beds damaged by strapping them down right side up. The body panels are weak and will bend or crease when strapped down.

 

As soon as I read the question, I was gonna give the answer, but then I see that several have already had the same ideas as mine.

To recap:

Poke some pieces of 2x4 in the stake-pockets such that they catch BOTH beds to keep things from sliding around.

Put pieces of CLEAN soft-pine 1x4 along the bed-rails between the two beds to prevent scuffing.

Put the new bed UPSIDE-DOWN on the old bed, as if it were a topper.

Crawl inside and put at least three C-clamps per side; you will have to wood-block inside one of the bed-lips; otherwise, one side of a C-clamp is not gonna have anything solid to grip.

Best is to buy/borrow some genuine topper clamps, as they will not loosen like a C-clamp will.

I don't recommend using any straps; as, just about any way you attach them, there is a likelihood of bending the flimsy sheet-metal.


Once you get the bed clamped on for hauling, run around a few weeks with it on there upside-down and if anyone asks, tell them you needed a topper and that was the best you could afford.

 

Heres how I did it.



Real simple.



And this is how I did it the second time. That silver short box in the first pics, is now this flat black box, carrying a new box for the diesel

I wouldn't do it like this again though...