allpro flatbed

[slower]

has anybody seen or built a allpro flat bed it seems to be the way to go only 500 bones you cant beat it

[DeadlyPeace]

You can build your own for less. About $300 depending on what you want.

[79coyotefrg]

assuming he has a bender, somewhere to buy tube, a welder, grinder, and the skills to do the work.

Otherwise the AllPro bed is a good buy.

[DeadlyPeace]

Don't need a bender - can be made out of square tubing
Need a welder to put All Pros bed together anyways
A grinder, if needed, can be bought and still be under $500

But yeah the bed All Pro bed is a good buy. I just thought I'd throw out that it could be done for less, plus it could be costum to his needs. Just my two copper coins worth.

[79coyotefrg]

[slower]

well i have everything but a bender. i have friends with them but i have to go to there house to use them its kinda a pain, but i can use them. i have built a rail buggy from a kit but never really made anything from scratch. the steel yard is about an hour and a half from the house. i haven't checked on prices but my friend said he thought he payed about 90 bucks for a 8 foot stick of 120 wall dom a few years ago. i haven't taken any measurements but my guess is at min 40 feet and that's almost 400 buck right there. but i guess i need to check prices be for i go jumping to anything 

[88_Pathy]

Sch 40 on a bed will be plenty.  It doesn't take direct hits as much as other stuff.

[axled89]

is sch.40 cheaper than the dom tube???

[Hottrod81]

yes

[steveco.]

sch. 40 is way cheaper but if it were me I  wouldn't go that route. might as well have it nice and strong with DOM..

[axled89]

good cause dom. is what have baught.  6 sticks 20' long  1"1/2 120 wall.

[88_Pathy]

Look at Twisted build of his bumper on here. His is all shd 40 and took a bad roll with MINIMAL damage to the tube work. Just sayin for a cheap route it is not bad.

[axled89]

ya i gotcha.   

[junya92toy]

You dont need DOM tubing. Its way over kill. Just get HREW tubing. The strength will come in the design and welding.  And square tubing is even stronger then round. I find at home without a bender square is easier to work with. I think 1.5x1.5x.120 is like 50 or 60 bucks per 20 feet.

[axled89]

well i alreadt have my tubing, i just need a bender die.   mine broke.

[KRT]

Depending on what you want $500 is about where you'll end up with steel.

My current flatbed steel cost.
20ft 2x2 3/16
30ft 2x2 1/8
100ft 1.75 .120 DOM
-----
I think it was $450
I won't use all of it but most of that steel.

Next what will you cover the bed with.
A sheet of 12ga sheet metal $135.

But I want a bed that I made with my hands and my ideas.

Yes DOM may be overkill but I won't be worry about it being strong enough to take the abuse I am putting it through. 

This is my bed so far.

[junya92toy]

You wouldnt have to worry about hrew either.

[slower]

that flat bed is pretty sick man, are you going to tie in a roll bar of some sort on there? i checked prices today and 1.5 inch 120 wall DOM $8.82 a foot. i didn't check on HREW but i will tomorrow 

[axled89]

looks nice bro.  the dom is pretty cheap for what it is and does i think.

[Snowtoy]

With Allpro's you still need another $150-300 in materials to have a finished product.

well i have everything but a bender. i have friends with them but i have to go to there house to use them its kinda a pain, but i can use them. i have built a rail buggy from a kit but never really made anything from scratch

There are plenty of different designs and build threads available, you should be able to put something together, you might also contact Allpro and see if they will sell you just the f-bed plans w/o the steel. 

As far as getting the tube bent, you could always make up a wooden jig for the angles you need, then you only have to set up a time to bend the tube at your buddies, and not try to work on it there.

I built this for my '91 for $430 finished about 30 months ago, and there is a lot more steel involved then in the Allpro one.

[junya92toy]

http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=60158.0;highlight=dom

[slower]

i really like your safari type bed. i have made my mind up and I'm just going to bite the bullet and try to build my own. it will take alot longer but i think it will be worth it. i have a ton of ideas for one, its just getting it from my little brain to the truck but we will see. hope to start in the next month or so. hey snowtoy can you post more pics of your bed?

[Snowtoy]

Thanks.  Do you want more of it finished or during the build process, any particular angles?

[slower]

um build pics if you could. i think I'm going to build something along the lines of yours. i really like the box in the bottom. what kind of steel did you use?

[Snowtoy]

Here are a few , More Pics here(let me know if thr link is no good).  Unfortunately I had a cheap crappy digital at the time so a lot of pics didn't turn out.

I had originally decided to have side storage similar to utility beds, with some longer side to side, but ended up going the under the bed box made from extra wood from a previous project.  I had considered using sheet metal, and really wanted to use aluminum diamond plate, but being cheap I went w/what I already had available.

With this being your first from scratch, you might want to draw out some ideas, or take some pics of the truck and draw on them.  I had sketched out a few idea's on paper for friend so I had an idea of what I wanted, but once I the bed off I also used editing software(really limited one) to draw some up some variations on some photos to get an idea of what it was going to look like.  After that it was just a mater of pulling measurements to get an estimate of how much steel I was going to need.

I used HREW in two thickness, .095 and .120.  I knew I would be using HREW for the base, but had considered DOM for the cage, but wasn't sure if it was warranted.  I had read several articles on the pro's and con's of each, and as far as I could tell there isn't that much difference, and after talking w/the local fab shop I went w/HREW.  The local fab shop has been building cages for race cars since the 60's and unless the customer/regulations demand DOM, HREW is all they use.  They like others here have said, strength comes more from design then from material(w/in reason), and of course to not put the seam outwards on any bend, or where the seam would take the brunt of an impact.  To help w/trail impacts I used a ladder design for the sides to help spread impacts out along the entire length of the bed as well as welded on 2" strip of 1/8 steel along the side and across the rear along the leading edge, basically armor plating it.  This allowed me to use .095 for the base, w/almost the protection of .250 on the sides w/o the weight of .250 stock, 2.46lbs/ft vs 5.41lbs/ft for 2x2" sq tube.  I have smacked it pretty hard on the trails and only removed paint, so it appears to be working well.  The round tube, sguare tube above the bases and the 8 mounts for the bed to frame is where I used .120 wall.  This combo saved me on average 1/2lb/ft in those areas that I used .095 over .120, 1/2lb isn't a lot but it adds up pretty quickly.    If you do go w/HREW, make sure you get U.S. steel, your supplier should be able to tell you where they get their steel from.

[1Knucklehead]

I like that bed.

With Allpro's you still need another $150-300 in materials to have a finished product.   

There are plenty of different designs and build threads available, you should be able to put something together, you might also contact Allpro and see if they will sell you just the f-bed plans w/o the steel. 

As far as getting the tube bent, you could always make up a wooden jig for the angles you need, then you only have to set up a time to bend the tube at your buddies, and not try to work on it there.

I built this for my '91 for $430 finished about 30 months ago, and there is a lot more steel involved then in the Allpro one.