Custom Bed?

[psuautotechstudent]

Has anyone built a custom flatbed... Lowered that is? I want to do something original and the bed on my truck has tons of rust and I will be able to paint my truck with little body work (or paint for that matter) without the bed. I was thinking of making some sort of flatbed that is lowered with wheel wells and those wooden panels that slide into holes on the side. Any thoughts? Things I should consider? Is it just plain a bad idea? I just want your opinions on the topic, and any pics of similar projects if you have em'.

[Hottrucks]

I would call any wooden bed kinda woodchuck for the cost of lumber you could buy a few patch panels for your bed and run it till you can find something better... thats what I did...

if I was going to do it I would just go with a flat bed cut out the wheel wells and reuse your wheel tubs to cover them....if you doing it just to get by thats one thing but I wouldn't get much time into and I wouldn't want it to look like much either so people see that its just temp so I can drive it with out the PoPo bustng my stones

[psuautotechstudent]

I'm also thinking about just removing the bed for a while... till I have to move at the end of the school semester. I think I mostly just don't want to paint it or do the body work. I could paint the cab fenders grill and hood with little work, but there is just so much more to fix and make smooth and paint. Any other thoughts? What does it take to drive without a bed legally? (in KS)

[culp7]

Originally Posted by psuautotechstudent

I'm also thinking about just removing the bed for a while... till I have to move at the end of the school semester. I think I mostly just don't want to paint it or do the body work. I could paint the cab fenders grill and hood with little work, but there is just so much more to fix and make smooth and paint. Any other thoughts? What does it take to drive without a bed legally? (in KS)

I was thinking of doing the exact same thing! I would also like to know.

[epashhans]

You might be able to find a nice complete bed in good shape for not too much money...if its a long box. I just saw a nice one on craigslist for $200 where I live...it looked cherry. Probably a few spots of bondo, some sanding and thats all it needed. Someone grabbed it though! Hottrucks is right, unless you have some cheap or free wood sitting around, you will be into it with quite a bit of $$$ as well.

On a flatbed note, that might look pretty cool. Seems like I have seen something like that. Around here there are smaller or medium duty trucks that have boxes for grain that are basically a 4x2 channel as a "border" with marker lights for the bottom part and then wood or metal in the bottom. Something like that could probably be picked up for cheap...if you were in MT I would know a few places you could probably get them for free! That might be a cheap start...you could cut one down to the size you want and then cut out the wheel well areas. Just a thought. Something kind of like this...without the top like that, but would have stake pockets for you to put "those wooden panels that slide into holes on the side" into...

Like this small grain box

You could always list a wanted to buy on craigslist and see what pops up too!

[epashhans]

Originally Posted by psuautotechstudent

What does it take to drive without a bed legally? (in KS)

I don't live in Kansas, but here in MT I see pickups with out boxes pretty often...most seem to have at minimum tailights and license...most have some sort of "bumper" which I have seen as a piece of pipe, wood 4x4, etc... check out your state dmv website...they might have requirements listed.

[culp7]

does anyone know how easy it would be to wire up some old trailer lights?

[Hottrucks]

very easy...........

you could always just give it the onec over and shoo it in primer..primer makes them look alot better than they really are and it shows work in progress...look at any pic of the bed on my truck..it's pretty rough...

[psuautotechstudent]

does anyone know how easy it would be to wire up some old trailer lights?

It's super easy! I had to put in some temporary lights because I backed into a parked truck that was in my alleyway (which is another reason I want to rid myself of my bed), I bought some from auto zone for like 15 bucks, you have to splice into the old hard wiring of the truck. There should be chords right before the bumper that go to the left and right tail/reverse light. Each has three wires. The wires you want SHOULD be the yellow and black on the left and... I think it's the lighter green and black on the right

[culp7]

deleted

[psuautotechstudent]

UPDATE! So the highway patrol told me as long as I have tail lights and a lit license plate then I'm legal

[Hottrucks]

I would check I think you need to have a mud flap or something to stop the flying debris

[psuautotechstudent]

Well if I get pulled over I'll just tell the cop that I called Highway Patrol and that is what they told me.

[tcb-1]

ah heck, you live here in Kansas. you don't need no stickin' brake lights!

[Hottrucks]

Originally Posted by psuautotechstudent

Well if I get pulled over I'll just tell the cop that I called Highway Patrol and that is what they told me.

you know if you where an old fart like me you MIGHT get away with that...But being a kid NO F'n Way you know that!!! unless I had it in writing I would be very careful also a note with the time day and officer you talked too...Just my $.02..been there done that.....besides with no bed your going o be burning the tire pretty easy anyway....

[psuautotechstudent]

In SEK cops usually don't care, I know a few of em too and I'm bout to get a job as a dispatch so I'm not worried about it. Round these parts if they do pull you over for stuff like that, they usually just give you a warning. Thats KS. So far I have only slid a little bit when it was wet last night, but I have to drive very gently.