Hello Everyone,

I can't legally increase my GCWR on my F350, but perhaps I can shed some unnecessary weight. I'm thinking of getting rid of my steel truck bed and throwing on an aluminum flatbed. How much weight do you think I'll save? The primary use of my truck will be to haul my future fifth wheel in retired life.

Know of any good websites to shop for an aluminum flatbed?

I'm in Albuquerque, NM. I love my truck and don't want to upgrade to a newer truck!

Thanks,
Josh

 

Is your current bed the factory truck box? I can't see any flatbed being lighter than that.

 

I am in the same boat with only 1,040 lbs left to spare with full fuel tank, 2 passengers and luggage. I have a topper that weighs probably 200-300 lbs and some tools and stuff, nothing that would lighten the load very much. My plan is to go with a 7K GVWR travel trailer. At 13% tongue weight on the fully loaded trailer I'll have only 130 lbs to spare on the truck's GVWR.

 

Replacing a steel flatbed with an aluminum should save weight, if you're replacing a stock bed with an aluminum flatbed it'll probably gain weight unless you have a custom thin one made which won't have much cargo capacity. Ditching the bed entirely will save the most weight.

 

CM makes a nice aluminum skirted flatbed, pretty pricey though. Aluminum is roughly 1/3 the weight of steel for the same strength.

 

Aluminum is indeed 1/3 the weight of steel, but, it takes more Aluminum to get to equal strength of steel.

 

If not needing to carry any "cargo" in the bed/flatbed, then like 88' said, dump the entire bed completely. Get some wheel wells and affix to frame accordingly to cover the rear wheels and then, mount 5th hitch to frame

 

 

Any flatbed is going to be more weight than what you have. You can make it look nice with no bed. If that fits your needs. Look up pictures on some hotshot trucking forums. They usually run a fifth wheel with nice fenders and put plates on the frame to cover up everything so it looks nice

 

I can't really speak as to weight savings in comparison to the stock bed, but I recently had my truck converted to a flat bed for the sole purpose of being able to carry a RZR 1000, on top of fuel and a cargo rack on top of the cab. I went pretty much all out on it. I also spent about two years thinking and looking for something I wanted. I almost went with a pre made setup but I waited it out and spent more on custom.

I did some research on bed versus a rack setup that would fit in the bed, or a trailer. A trailer would be the logical solution for the average person, but I wanted all options available to me as the truck will probably be put to use for other things such as carrying lumber, goose neck towing, pallets, snow mobiles, etc. At any rate, I ended up with Silver Lake Manufacturing. Father/son shop, small time guys but incredibly genuine and busy. People I had spoken to regarding some of their products said they were very pleased.

Ended up dropping off my truck with them while I went to work in Alaska and picked it up as soon as they could finish it. Long story short, I'm very pleased with it. I plan to keep this flat bed and move it from truck to truck if I even upgrade down the road.

They have a website and a Facebook page. I spoke with them mostly through Facebook, and they also have lots of sample work on their page.


Trailering to Spirit Lake, ID.

Driving back to Alaska a few months later.

First try on loading the RZR. Hideaway ramp and winch on board.

In Alaska, going out to do some clutch testing.

Unloaded, with two foot extension bolted on.

Example of loading.

 

as the guys already said, an aluminum flatbed will not save you any weight.
i pulled the pickup bed off my 04 F350 gas engine and replaced it with a Scott ultralite aluminum flatbed.
the truck is now 75 lbs lighter than it was with the pickup bed.

 

-Alex, great looking rig!

-Tom, thanks for sharing your experience.

-Another option is for me to settle on a lighter 5th wheel. Really though, size of the 5'er is being driven by the wife!

-I have a Harley I want to bring along, so am looking at the toy boxes. Their GVWR is pretty high! I'm gonna keep shopping and hopefully find something not too heavy. The good news is I have a few years before I purchase.