Really great build, and some awesome video work! A bit late to the party, but one tip I can share -- when you use large tubing for the cross-members like that, it pays big dividends to fill them with clean sand before you cap them off. It might not seem like much, but packing them full of builders sand with a cup of oil thrown in.... tremendous difference! The sand adds just a bit of weight over the rear tires, making the ride a lot smoother even when the bed's empty. Better traction year round, smoother ride when you hit bumps, and the oil prevents the tubes from rusting from the inside out. On 3x3 tubing, it'd be no problem to have a couple hundred pounds of sand right over your rear tires.
What a great idea. In a million years I wouldn't have thought of trapping sand that way, and it would be a real asset. Fortunately with this flatbed, I added tool boxes to the bed so carry considerable weight back there (and a dump trailer 90% of the time). Thanks for the tip!
@@kmoss9521 I hope you find the idea useful. In the blacksmithing world, we fill tubing with sand and oil all the time just because it deadens sound and adds weight to our anvil stands. Nothing worse than hammering away only to have the legs on your anvil stand magnifying the sound! It's also great on power hammer spines because it absorbs vibration and helps keep the machine steady. Mineral oil works perfectly well, but if you have some used engine oil laying around... that's fine, too. Just be sure you weld solid because even single pinhole will let the oil out to play havoc with everything around it. It's extra work to cap both ends, sure, but it's worth it in the long run.
I have a 2002 F-150 with the itty-bitty 5’4” bed. You can’t even lay a queen size mattress in it. So I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a steal and wood flatbed on it. Something not too heavy cause it’s a F-150. This video and all the tips in the comments are very useful. God bless you sir’s for using TH-cam correctly. Don’t let the BS get you down you’re helping everyday dudes!
i like the "pop" sound when you turned on the lights at the end and REALLY liked the way the pieces that supported the crossmembers sit beside the frame rails instead of on top of them
Good call on changing the lights at the rear, love the way you slotted the edges to fit in the planks. What i like most about your build is the real heavy duty, chunky structure of it all and not made of matchsticks like some of the others i have seen here. Your fabricating skills are excellent!
Big thanks for sharing those thoughts. All along I was going for a sort of "overbuilt" look and it ended up both solid and proportionally looking great on the truck. I'm really liking it. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@metaspencer amazing job looks awsome how much would you say you spent like a rough estimate juss to get an idea on the project was thinking of buying one but after watching this youve inspired to make my own
Bravo! I'm in the middle of putting together a flat bed, unfortunatley i get basically one day a week for anytime to work on it. This came out gorgeous!! Great job.
Hey man, one day a week and you'll get it done eventually. Working at that rate sometimes leads to better quality, too. Thanks for checking mine out. It's been a great bed
Just found your video...3 things: 1. Thank you for taking the time to hit record, edit, and explain. (its a lot of work!) 2. I love the hoist setup you have for moving metal work around. 3. I love that extra room you have outside (or inside?) with gravel. Seems very useful and I like that it has gravel.
I seriously appreciate your videos, it really gave me the confidence I needed just to start. I love welding, just always waiting on a chance. Now I realize people won't necessarily give you a chance to do anything, you have to just take it, and move forward in confidence.
Really appreciate those video. I have had my bed tore off for a month waiting for a plan. I have materials, wood, steal, etc., but I have not been able to et a good plan of action going. This helped tremendously, thank you
Pretty damn impressive build for the limited shop space n tools man! Love the attitude of not tryna make everything perfect and just getting it done. Gonna make my own soon and couldn't do it without studying yours. Cheers internet friend!
Man, that is one beautiful bed you did a great job building it. Years ago my Dad and I built truck flatbeds and utility trailers. You have the advantage of 4" angle grinder and Mig Welder we had neither Linclon 225 Tombstone welder. Congrats.
It looks really good, great job. Nothing like that feeling of accomplishment when you do a project and it turns out first-rate like that did. For some reason it made me think of my dad building a tabletop bar for my mom in the basement to put upstairs in the living room. He built it way too big to fit out the doors and it had to stay in the basement/man cave. I think he thought he was slick but that whole act wasn’t fooling my mother.
I am very thankful you did what you did on your flatbed. It has inspired me. And to say I will do the same or pretty darn similar as your work on the flatbed. Your plans for sale is a must.
Holly God, that is just awesome!!!!!!!!!!! You are an amazing craftsman. Man the video was great, the editing perfect and the final product was just amazing...I could build this from just watching your video! GreaT JOB PAL
Bad. Ass! Looks more than professional. I have an old 1980 Toyta dolphin with the 1 ton that I want to make a flatbed for. You are definitely the inspiration and motivation I needed to finish it up!!
@@metaspencer thank you. First step is sourcing material. Next step is to see if my community college welding course will allow me to use their equipment haha
I was a weldor in my previous life and I am getting ready to do a dump delete and a flat bed fab and install. On ‘Crusty the magical plow truck’. (6,0 psd delete)Grrrrreat looking flatbed, thanks for sharing
I just stumbled into this 6.0 PSD with a delete -- and the freakin' truck has really grown on me. As a welder you're gonna knock that flatbed out of the park. It'll be great
@@metaspencer they got a bad wrap from the EGR debacle. But once that gets thrown in the scrap bin, head bolts survive and turbo gets to live too. The auto trans never needs anything and you might have to replace the oil pan once. Mine is an 04 F550, can’t wait! To get that dump off there. Waiting for the snow to stop flying. Crusty has got a Blizzard 8611 plow on it. One swipe driveways! Names John outta rhode island. Planner/engineer for food machines, got a skid and a mini for concrete work and commercial shell fisherman:-) I take a lot of naps!
@@johneden7975 I coulda used that plow this week around here, but they say the melt is coming. Sounds like you've got some good gear. That truck sounds like the one I shoulda bought for my tree work, but the 350 will have to do for now. Take it easy man
Eventually I am putting a Flat bed on my 1973 Chevy P30 Stepvan. Iv already removed the walls and the roof etc. This was a great video to give me Ideas of what to do. I plan on making a Generator mount and air compressor mount etc to go with my flat bed. I might even throw a sleeper cab on because this truck is 27 feet from bumper to bumper. thanks for the ideas.
@@metaspencer the truck went from weighing 12800lbs to 5800lbs once I removed the roof etc. It's got a ways to go. I plan on rebuilding the windshield as well. sent you an Email of photos.
bro this guy has his plans on a seperate website and sells them, what a genuis. Also great work, i plan to build a flat bed and will use this for inspiration. Great video.
I went with a dumper/dually conversion for a 2003 f250 single cab 4x4. Looks sweet, i got to pimp my ride, well the hay truck anyway. Nice job by the way, up here in Western Canada its cheaper to buy used oil patch flatbeds.
I was just chatting with a guy in Indiana who built this bed, using my plans, but left off the headache rack ... it looked cool. His plan is to add a short, 1/2 high headache rackish type thing by the cab, but that's it. So yeah, there are a lot of ways to do it
Thas some good work. I have truck and someone stole its bed. Now I am looking for a bed but I can't find. I guess I will ask someone to build a customized one. This is very professional.
Awesome, I'm still looking around but I think I will buy these plans. Maybe a chainfall too lol I'm getting too old to hulk things around like I used too.
Came out really slick! I don’t know much about the weather in Illinois, a bed of mine with tube cross members rotted out fast because rain followed the deck bolts in and it had no way out. I should have put drain holes in mine. I really dig the clean lines.
Drain holes! I'm thinking I'll need a few of those. So far I've been trying to see where water and mud build up ... if I find the time this summer, I should pull the bed and see what needs updating. I see that pic of the blue Ford on your channel: similar setup! woohoo
That's awesome. I'd love to have a small classic pickup with a flatbed and if possible a boom crane for lifting motorcycles onto. Kind of like how in Europe their wreckers lift a car onto.
So as someone who just backed up into an oak tree while looking at his wife’s butt, I’ve folded up the bumper pretty good on the 2004 Silverado. Basically, it’s time to get the bent up bed off and go with a flatbed. Yours is by far the best DYI flatbed I’ve seen so far. Great job.
The good news is you have a good marriage. That's the important thing. As for the truck, my condolences ... you're gonna love the new flatbed once you build it :)
@@metaspencer th-cam.com/video/a5Qb7rT-YPc/w-d-xo.html I got a lot done since but here is what it looked like few days ago. Tomorrow I sand for painting.
Wow, that's gonna be a real work truck! (after noticing the 2 D-rings at the back) ;) Thompson's? (OMG) Get some spar varnish or they'll rot in a week. When they rot out, get some nice fumed white oak to replace it. Lovely, lovely stuff, and beautiful when fumed dark. All in all, a pretty nice, clean build. Kudos.
Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, it's my daily work truck and so far it's taken everything I throw at it ... and drop on it ... and spill on it. Those ideas for the deck are great. Just gotta see how long the existing wood lasts :)
First skill of 2021 has gotta be plasma cutting ... I'm still super rough with it but have some shop furniture planned that'll school me. After that, who knows right? :) Big thanks!
Hi yep very nice. My only thought would be to make the front frame behind the cab a bit wider so that if you do carry lengths of timber, steel or whatever on top and a piece was to slide off it would run down the angled sides (that would also stick out a bit beyond the width of the cab) instead of hitting the cab. Hope that makes sense haha. Nice though love to have the gear you have.
Thanks man. I played around the the size of it quite a bit before building it and wanted to make it fit with this exact truck and the work I do ... seems to have worked out.
Very nice work... I have a 1998 Chev Cheyenne K2500 4x4 with only 37K miles and zero rust. 350/ 4spd AOD/3:73 gears. I want to make a flatbed out of it. 2" lift. bigger wheels and tires to improve looks and maybe mileage - bigger tires will change the gear ratio for better mileage I hope. I have some friends who operate a sawmill in N. WI. I used to sell logs to their dad back in the day. I can get rough sawed white oak for the bed from them. II really want to do it - I'm too old to do it myself - got some medical issues too. Age and economy (high gas prices) - we'll see. I sure like the look of a flatbed pickup truck. I really like this one in the video.
Very nice job! Just wondering about using 4x4 cross members. Did you go with them as opposed to 2x4 for extra weight carrying capacity? I want to convert my truck to a flat bed but it will be used strictly for a camper and won't be carrying heavy weight. I want to keep the deck height as low as possible and would like to use 2x4 or even 1x4 cross members. I'm thinking I can go thicker wall and more cross members. What do you think?
Great question. Here was my thinking and it had nothing to do with strength. 1) I wanted that beefy look and feel of the thicker tubing, and 2) I wanted to elevate the bed up over the wheels significantly. Because a flatbed has no wheel wells, you can run into a situation where you don't have a lot of space over the wheels. So the two layers of fat tubing brought the deck up more than just one layer or thinner stock. I think there are a lot of ways to do it -- that was just my approach on this one.
@@metaspencer Thanks for the reply. Makes sense. I have a 6" lift on my truck so I think I won't have to worry about tire clearance. I'll take my forklift and raise one side tire up to full compression and see where it stops so that should tell me if I need wheel wells or not. I'd prefer to have a flat side rail with no well.
I'm just curious. Why did you not make the bed wide enough to extend over the wheels? Looks kinda odd with the wheels out beyond the bed. Doesn't road crud and such fly everywhere? Very nice craftsmanship and detail. Excellent video. Well done!!
Great question! Yeah, it's just a personal taste thing ... I like the look of protruding tires so build the bed a bit narrower than the tires. Yeah stuff flies around in mud but it's just a look I like. And for me, the bed is a perfect width for my storage boxes and work wagon in the middle. Thanks for checking out the project and for posting a comment! :) Nice of ya
Wow! Great project! Anyone can buy a flatbed but you built one! I bet the personal satisfaction was off the charts! I would sure be proud of this build! Great channel, new Sub by the way! Take Care John 😎👍
Thanks for the positivity man! Yeah, it's a great feeling to have done it and working with that truck every day I've developed a good relationship with the systems. Take care
@@metaspencer great channel I look forward to many more videos, interested in a lot of what you do! What state do you reside in? I am in southern missouri! I will keep watching, wish you tons of growth, you have great content! 😎👍 John
Great share. Appreciate the information and your thoughts along with your creative expertise. Keep it coming. Looking forward to your next video. Stay safe, healthy, strong, discerning and successful. Blessings and prayers to you and family in Jesus's Mighty Name. ☝🙏🙌💪👊
No gussets on the headache rack to make room for the boxes, which went on in the next video. No rails because of the boxes ... gussets would beef up that rack but it's kinda decorative :)
I've watched this video in the past but came back to review again. It is by far one of the best builds I have seen on the subject. But one question i have asked others who have done such a conversion, if you had an opportunity to do it again, could you have used the old pick up bed as the basis for the frame of a new flat bed, thus saving a bit of work and time to build a frame? That is , if you had cut away the sheet metal, leaving basically the floor of the bed, would it have been suitable to build a flat bed? Thanks for sharing your video.
Hi Ted, thanks for the question (and for checking out the video). Anything is possible, and you could certainly reuse parts of the existing bed. That might have the added value of retaining the existing lights and fuel door, too. The problems I see cropping up include: 1) possible rust on the existing bed, 2) the difficulty of welding anything to that kind of thin sheet metal, 3) and then the challenge of making the overall thing look good. Really #2 would be the biggest challenge: figuring out how to attach things to the existing bed would be tough, and you'd have a lot of rough edges to deal with that result from cutting off the sides. But with all that said, it's worth a shot man! I'd like to see how you do it!
@@metaspencer thanks a million for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you on #2 comment as the most challenging and i am still just a novice working with sheet metal. But if pulled off successfully, it might be quite nice to retain some of the lines and details of the original bed, as in this video by a custom builder: th-cam.com/video/YdvRCx5_eC4/w-d-xo.html
Amazing you were able to build that for 800$ i built one for my 07 dodge dually and have around 1600$ in mine but that was 3-4 years ago before steel prices got crazy! Amazing video editing skills too btw!
yeah prices have skyrocketed! I've heard from a few guys lately that they've spent over $2k building a flatbed for their trucks. And dang, used trucks are super expensive now! I think I paid $3k for that one .. inflation!
Wow that looks way heavier than the original molded tray, have built over 30 of these types of trays and there are much lighter ways to build that tray. Still you done a nice job and should be proud of your effort it looks real good well done.
a man's dream is to have a workshop like this, full of tools, it's like a toy store for us, good job and congratulations
I definitely feel fortunate and lucky ... thanks for checking it out!
That's a small work area.
Really great build, and some awesome video work! A bit late to the party, but one tip I can share -- when you use large tubing for the cross-members like that, it pays big dividends to fill them with clean sand before you cap them off. It might not seem like much, but packing them full of builders sand with a cup of oil thrown in.... tremendous difference! The sand adds just a bit of weight over the rear tires, making the ride a lot smoother even when the bed's empty. Better traction year round, smoother ride when you hit bumps, and the oil prevents the tubes from rusting from the inside out. On 3x3 tubing, it'd be no problem to have a couple hundred pounds of sand right over your rear tires.
What a great idea. In a million years I wouldn't have thought of trapping sand that way, and it would be a real asset. Fortunately with this flatbed, I added tool boxes to the bed so carry considerable weight back there (and a dump trailer 90% of the time). Thanks for the tip!
Bless you sir
@@kmoss9521 I hope you find the idea useful. In the blacksmithing world, we fill tubing with sand and oil all the time just because it deadens sound and adds weight to our anvil stands. Nothing worse than hammering away only to have the legs on your anvil stand magnifying the sound! It's also great on power hammer spines because it absorbs vibration and helps keep the machine steady. Mineral oil works perfectly well, but if you have some used engine oil laying around... that's fine, too. Just be sure you weld solid because even single pinhole will let the oil out to play havoc with everything around it.
It's extra work to cap both ends, sure, but it's worth it in the long run.
I have a 2002 F-150 with the itty-bitty 5’4” bed. You can’t even lay a queen size mattress in it. So I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a steal and wood flatbed on it. Something not too heavy cause it’s a F-150. This video and all the tips in the comments are very useful. God bless you sir’s for using TH-cam correctly. Don’t let the BS get you down you’re helping everyday dudes!
Sounds like a great truck!
i like the "pop" sound when you turned on the lights at the end and REALLY liked the way the pieces that supported the crossmembers sit beside the frame rails instead of on top of them
Thanks buddy- yeah it’s been a great truck
Good call on changing the lights at the rear, love the way you slotted the edges to fit in the planks. What i like most about your build is the real heavy duty, chunky structure of it all and not made of matchsticks like some of the others i have seen here. Your fabricating skills are excellent!
Big thanks for sharing those thoughts. All along I was going for a sort of "overbuilt" look and it ended up both solid and proportionally looking great on the truck. I'm really liking it. Thanks for checking out the video!
Love how the dog is already sitting in the cab ready for the next road trip
Yep, she love that truck as much as I do
The way you marked out the fender well arc, that was meta. 👌🏻
Haha! Sometimes ya gotta meta-it-up! :)
@@metaspencer amazing job looks awsome how much would you say you spent like a rough estimate juss to get an idea on the project was thinking of buying one but after watching this youve inspired to make my own
It was about $600-$800 but prices are way higher now for materials
Bravo! I'm in the middle of putting together a flat bed, unfortunatley i get basically one day a week for anytime to work on it. This came out gorgeous!! Great job.
Hey man, one day a week and you'll get it done eventually. Working at that rate sometimes leads to better quality, too. Thanks for checking mine out. It's been a great bed
Just found your video...3 things:
1. Thank you for taking the time to hit record, edit, and explain. (its a lot of work!)
2. I love the hoist setup you have for moving metal work around.
3. I love that extra room you have outside (or inside?) with gravel. Seems very useful and I like that it has gravel.
Thanks for checking it out. The video making takes time for sure, but it also keeps me thinking about what's next as things go along. Much appreciated
I seriously appreciate your videos, it really gave me the confidence I needed just to start. I love welding, just always waiting on a chance. Now I realize people won't necessarily give you a chance to do anything, you have to just take it, and move forward in confidence.
Absolutely man ... just practice a bit and jump right in there! Nothing quite compares to fabricating something from the raw components. Big thanks!
Same here, I've always wanted to learn to weld but I keep holding myself back.
Harbor freight is your friend when it comes to learning new skills
Really appreciate those video. I have had my bed tore off for a month waiting for a plan. I have materials, wood, steal, etc., but I have not been able to et a good plan of action going. This helped tremendously, thank you
You’re gonna love the new bed!
I must say you went the extra mile to make the bed look neat and tidy. I LIKE IT!
Big thanks! Yeah, it's been a good one
One of the best flatbed overview build yet
Big thanks! It’s made the truck so much better
Great looking shop and well equipped. A good usable shop makes working easier and more efficient. I'm enjoying your channel and projects.
Big thanks! Yeah, there is nothing more valuable in a shop than good space. People think it's all about the tools but space makes all the difference
Pretty damn impressive build for the limited shop space n tools man! Love the attitude of not tryna make everything perfect and just getting it done. Gonna make my own soon and couldn't do it without studying yours. Cheers internet friend!
You're gonna love that new bed -- mine completely transformed the truck and it's been an awesome work truck ever since. Big thanks!
Man, that is one beautiful bed you did a great job building it.
Years ago my Dad and I built truck flatbeds and utility trailers.
You have the advantage of 4" angle grinder and Mig Welder we had neither Linclon 225 Tombstone welder. Congrats.
The old tombstone welder! But you got it done. Thanks for the kind words man
It looks really good, great job. Nothing like that feeling of accomplishment when you do a project and it turns out first-rate like that did. For some reason it made me think of my dad building a tabletop bar for my mom in the basement to put upstairs in the living room. He built it way too big to fit out the doors and it had to stay in the basement/man cave. I think he thought he was slick but that whole act wasn’t fooling my mother.
Great way to furnish a man cave! I like that story :)
I was very suspicious of the flat back in the beginning, you really did a great job throughout! Looks awesome! 💪
Yeah I wasn't sure how it would turn out -- worked out great! thanks for that
I’ve never watched a flatbed install video in all of TH-cam. This was so amazing! I should have stayed in Shop class in high school😂😂
Thanks for checking it out! Yeah, it was a fun project and it really saved the old truck
This guy is a BEAST!!! 1 man team!!!! Get it done ✅
Big thanks man!
I am very thankful you did what you did on your flatbed. It has inspired me. And to say I will do the same or pretty darn similar as your work on the flatbed. Your plans for sale is a must.
Great to hear. Good luck!
Like the garage lights...can apply that myself to my barn
I wasn't sure it would work but I like them too ... affordable way to light a big space
I love the wood planks. Really makes it pop! Great job!
Yeah, I wasn't sure about the wood until I got it on there ... now I'm lovin' it. Thanks for checking it out
I think that “flat mitre” is more satisfying and precise than a regular one!
I've gotta agree with ya there! :)
In the fabrication world we call it a "cope"
That’s awesome! I really like your video, its cut down just right! The end product is Stellar! Good job!
Big thanks! Yeah I’m pretty happy with it
Holly God, that is just awesome!!!!!!!!!!! You are an amazing craftsman. Man the video was great, the editing perfect and the final product was just amazing...I could build this from just watching your video! GreaT JOB PAL
Woah! Nice of you to say. Yeah it really saved the truck and made it perfect for my work. Thanks man!
Bad. Ass! Looks more than professional. I have an old 1980 Toyta dolphin with the 1 ton that I want to make a flatbed for. You are definitely the inspiration and motivation I needed to finish it up!!
You've got a treasure of a truck there! it's gonna be amazing man. thanks!
@@metaspencer thank you. First step is sourcing material. Next step is to see if my community college welding course will allow me to use their equipment haha
Awesome build.!!! I have the same truck and thinking about getting rid of my aluminum flatbed and fabbing all steel flatbed.
You're gonna love that new bed!
Thanks for the design inspiration! Loving the way my flatbed turned out.
Cool to hear that you built one! That's awesome man
I was a weldor in my previous life and I am getting ready to do a dump delete and a flat bed fab and install. On ‘Crusty the magical plow truck’. (6,0 psd delete)Grrrrreat looking flatbed, thanks for sharing
I just stumbled into this 6.0 PSD with a delete -- and the freakin' truck has really grown on me. As a welder you're gonna knock that flatbed out of the park. It'll be great
@@metaspencer they got a bad wrap from the EGR debacle. But once that gets thrown in the scrap bin, head bolts survive and turbo gets to live too. The auto trans never needs anything and you might have to replace the oil pan once. Mine is an 04 F550, can’t wait! To get that dump off there. Waiting for the snow to stop flying. Crusty has got a Blizzard 8611 plow on it. One swipe driveways! Names John outta rhode island. Planner/engineer for food machines, got a skid and a mini for concrete work and commercial shell fisherman:-)
I take a lot of naps!
@@johneden7975 I coulda used that plow this week around here, but they say the melt is coming. Sounds like you've got some good gear. That truck sounds like the one I shoulda bought for my tree work, but the 350 will have to do for now. Take it easy man
Eventually I am putting a Flat bed on my 1973 Chevy P30 Stepvan. Iv already removed the walls and the roof etc. This was a great video to give me Ideas of what to do. I plan on making a Generator mount and air compressor mount etc to go with my flat bed. I might even throw a sleeper cab on because this truck is 27 feet from bumper to bumper. thanks for the ideas.
Sounds like an amazing build! Very cool. It’s gonna be amazing
@@metaspencer the truck went from weighing 12800lbs to 5800lbs once I removed the roof etc. It's got a ways to go. I plan on rebuilding the windshield as well. sent you an Email of photos.
@@Conservativegamingplus The pics look great man. It's gonna be awesome
Looks really good,..really clean!.best flatbed video on TH-cam!..
Big thanks man!
Hi mate, jus t want to say, beautiful work, quite the inspiration, will share when I finish mine.
Thank you for spending the time to edit this.
Big thanks! Cool to hear you are building one!!
bro this guy has his plans on a seperate website and sells them, what a genuis. Also great work, i plan to build a flat bed and will use this for inspiration. Great video.
Thanks for checking it out! Yer gonna love that new flatbed you build
That home made gantry is awesome I have two chain hoist just sitting in a box I need to build something like that
Big lag bolts to the rafters seems to work… thanks man
Damn fine job. Thanks for filming it.
Thanks man. Much appreciated
I went with a dumper/dually conversion for a 2003 f250 single cab 4x4. Looks sweet, i got to pimp my ride, well the hay truck anyway. Nice job by the way, up here in Western Canada its cheaper to buy used oil patch flatbeds.
Sounds like ya got a good truck! I'm looking for a dually ... awesome setup
any ideas for the same build but without a headache rack? or what to do instead of a headache rack? awesome build btw - thanks
I was just chatting with a guy in Indiana who built this bed, using my plans, but left off the headache rack ... it looked cool. His plan is to add a short, 1/2 high headache rackish type thing by the cab, but that's it. So yeah, there are a lot of ways to do it
Thas some good work. I have truck and someone stole its bed. Now I am looking for a bed but I can't find. I guess I will ask someone to build a customized one. This is very professional.
You're gonna love it when it's on the road again!
Love the video. Not bad for a single man crew 🔥🔥👍🏼👍🏼
Yeah it's been pretty great ... thanks
Looks like the one I built 30 years ago for my 65 Chevy. Nice job.
65! Sounds like a beauty
Love your shop! simple and organize and capable!
Thanks buddy! It's always great to have a space ya know :)
RIGHT ON GOOD JOB,
IM THINKING OF DOING THIS 2 MY 75 CHEVY RV CAMPER C30 DUALLY.
oh dang that's a nice truck -- it's gonna be sweet with that flatbed
Wanting to build one for my 90s dually awesome video
Oh that dually would be great with a flatbed! You're gonna love everything about it except for the higher materials costs these days
I love it it is a work of art...... I need one for my 03 F550.....
550! Now that's a truck!
Much better than store bought nice job
Big thanks! yeah, it's been great
That is one of the sexiest flatbeds I’ve ever seen! Amazing work!! Amazing
Big thanks! It turned out great and somehow is also a joy to drive. Lots of fun. Thanks for checking it out!
Awesome, I'm still looking around but I think I will buy these plans. Maybe a chainfall too lol I'm getting too old to hulk things around like I used too.
I vote YES on the chainfall. :) thanks man
Came out really slick! I don’t know much about the weather in Illinois, a bed of mine with tube cross members rotted out fast because rain followed the deck bolts in and it had no way out. I should have put drain holes in mine. I really dig the clean lines.
Drain holes! I'm thinking I'll need a few of those. So far I've been trying to see where water and mud build up ... if I find the time this summer, I should pull the bed and see what needs updating. I see that pic of the blue Ford on your channel: similar setup! woohoo
That's awesome.
I'd love to have a small classic pickup with a flatbed and if possible a boom crane for lifting motorcycles onto.
Kind of like how in Europe their wreckers lift a car onto.
Great idea! I just got a used crane and will put it on my truck or trailer. Love the possibilities
Well done Body! Really good work! Looks too. Greetings from Germany
I haven't been to Germany in a while ... I recall seeing some cool Amaroks there. thanks for checking it out!
Slick job on putting the wood. I like 👍
Big thanks man! Yeah, I'm happy with how it turned out
Another thing I’ve wanted to do for a while. Incredible job.
Thanks for checking it out! Yeah, I was thinking about it for the while and the right messed up truck came into my life :)
So as someone who just backed up into an oak tree while looking at his wife’s butt, I’ve folded up the bumper pretty good on the 2004 Silverado. Basically, it’s time to get the bent up bed off and go with a flatbed. Yours is by far the best DYI flatbed I’ve seen so far. Great job.
The good news is you have a good marriage. That's the important thing. As for the truck, my condolences ... you're gonna love the new flatbed once you build it :)
@@metaspencer hahahah.
Brilliant !! Beautiful work. Excellent videography.
Oh that's so nice to hear! Big thanks! :)
Thank you, your video has helped me out a lot. Almost done with my truck bed.
Most excellent! You're gonna love it. Totally great
I’d love to see a pic!
@@metaspencer th-cam.com/video/a5Qb7rT-YPc/w-d-xo.html I got a lot done since but here is what it looked like few days ago. Tomorrow I sand for painting.
Awesome bed. I love flat beds but don’t have a need for one. I have the same truck so maybe I’ll just do it. Even though I don’t need it
Need!? Doing it for fun sounds like a good enough rationale for me :) Thanks for checking it out, man
Very nice! You're gifted.
Big thanks! The truck has been amazing with that new bed
Wow, that's gonna be a real work truck! (after noticing the 2 D-rings at the back) ;)
Thompson's? (OMG) Get some spar varnish or they'll rot in a week. When they rot out, get some nice fumed white oak to replace it. Lovely, lovely stuff, and beautiful when fumed dark.
All in all, a pretty nice, clean build. Kudos.
Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, it's my daily work truck and so far it's taken everything I throw at it ... and drop on it ... and spill on it. Those ideas for the deck are great. Just gotta see how long the existing wood lasts :)
The Spencemobile is rockin! Those round taillights just make it. Great job! What new skill you learning in 21? Happy New Year!! 🥂🍾
First skill of 2021 has gotta be plasma cutting ... I'm still super rough with it but have some shop furniture planned that'll school me. After that, who knows right? :) Big thanks!
Awesome build. I’m using your idea as inspiration for an all wood version. I’m a woodworker and really enjoy my craft.
All wood flatbeds can be great! I saw one yesterday here in town and it was awesome. Good stuff man
Hi yep very nice. My only thought would be to make the front frame behind the cab a bit wider so that if you do carry lengths of timber, steel or whatever on top and a piece was to slide off it would run down the angled sides (that would also stick out a bit beyond the width of the cab) instead of hitting the cab. Hope that makes sense haha. Nice though love to have the gear you have.
I see what you mean there. Good idea. As is it's been a great flatbed on the job
That is a damn beautiful bed!!
Big thanks!! It’s been great on the truck
Absolutely Beautiful
Thanks for checking it out!
I really like that the bed doesn’t hang out past your cab
Thanks man. I played around the the size of it quite a bit before building it and wanted to make it fit with this exact truck and the work I do ... seems to have worked out.
YES! Thank you for pointing that out. I couldn't figure out why I likes the design so much better than others I've seen. Such a clean look.
@@evadevries2952 Big thanks
Great work. Only thing missing is d rings on the side to strap stuff down
I ended up putting storage boxes on it so no rings. Thanks for checking it out!
Gained a follower! Love the bed man, hell been contemplating making one for mine, this push me towards doing it
Good to hear ... you''re gonna love how it transforms your truck :)
Good choice on the light change.
IMHO.
Thanks. Yeah, dodged a bullet there and glad it worked out
Very nice, those lights look a lot better 👌
Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, the round ones were a good choice. :)
I’d spend all my days in my shed if it was like that
Man you are a beast you are very gifted
Thanks for checking out the build
great build, and great style of vid, no BS, love it !!!!
Big thanks! I definitely had fun with it
Just bought the plans, gonna download it when I get home. Can I make this wider with the same ones?
Oh yeah the design is super flexible. Just extend your base supports and you'll be all set. You're gonna love that new bed
Turned out real clean 👍
Oh yeah, I'm lovin' it. Thanks man
Very nice work... I have a 1998 Chev Cheyenne K2500 4x4 with only 37K miles and zero rust. 350/ 4spd AOD/3:73 gears. I want to make a flatbed out of it. 2" lift. bigger wheels and tires to improve looks and maybe mileage - bigger tires will change the gear ratio for better mileage I hope. I have some friends who operate a sawmill in N. WI. I used to sell logs to their dad back in the day. I can get rough sawed white oak for the bed from them. II really want to do it - I'm too old to do it myself - got some medical issues too. Age and economy (high gas prices) - we'll see. I sure like the look of a flatbed pickup truck. I really like this one in the video.
That oak sounds AMAZING! You'll get it done I bet ... great truck you have there
Awesome build. I wish I would have had your plans when we built ours last year
Sounds like you got it done! Thanks for checking out my build
You built a good looking bed.
Thanks buddy!
The back window must be hammered from sparks getting enbeded in it. Rusty glass?
I didn't do any welding on the truck itself this time around ... but I know what you mean: have that problem on my other rig
Great job! Guessing the answer is buried somewhere in the comments, but any idea how much the bed weighs? Thanks in advance.
It's definitely been a question I've had but I never weighed it ... I'm guessing a bit more than the original bed but that's just a guess.
Very nice job! Just wondering about using 4x4 cross members. Did you go with them as opposed to 2x4 for extra weight carrying capacity? I want to convert my truck to a flat bed but it will be used strictly for a camper and won't be carrying heavy weight. I want to keep the deck height as low as possible and would like to use 2x4 or even 1x4 cross members. I'm thinking I can go thicker wall and more cross members. What do you think?
Great question. Here was my thinking and it had nothing to do with strength. 1) I wanted that beefy look and feel of the thicker tubing, and 2) I wanted to elevate the bed up over the wheels significantly. Because a flatbed has no wheel wells, you can run into a situation where you don't have a lot of space over the wheels. So the two layers of fat tubing brought the deck up more than just one layer or thinner stock. I think there are a lot of ways to do it -- that was just my approach on this one.
@@metaspencer Thanks for the reply. Makes sense. I have a 6" lift on my truck so I think I won't have to worry about tire clearance. I'll take my forklift and raise one side tire up to full compression and see where it stops so that should tell me if I need wheel wells or not. I'd prefer to have a flat side rail with no well.
@@LivingOnCash That sounds awesome. I always think that building it for what you need is the way to go. that is gonna be one nice camper!
I think your sky hook is probably the best tool in your shop? It's to bad that production beds aren't as detailed as you have made yours!
Nice of ya to say! Yeah, that hook has gotten me out of many jams
I'm just curious. Why did you not make the bed wide enough to extend over the wheels? Looks kinda odd with the wheels out beyond the bed. Doesn't road crud and such fly everywhere? Very nice craftsmanship and detail. Excellent video. Well done!!
Great question! Yeah, it's just a personal taste thing ... I like the look of protruding tires so build the bed a bit narrower than the tires. Yeah stuff flies around in mud but it's just a look I like. And for me, the bed is a perfect width for my storage boxes and work wagon in the middle. Thanks for checking out the project and for posting a comment! :) Nice of ya
Phenomenal build man! Great video & clips too, very easy to watch and enjoy. Thanks for sharing & absolutely great call changing those lights out! 🤣
Excellent! Good to hear it. I'm loving that truck in soooo many ways
Awesome! Looks Amazing! Well Done!
Thanks for having a look! it's definitely been nice
That was a very nice build. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks for checking it out! It's been a great truck
Wow! Great project! Anyone can buy a flatbed but you built one! I bet the personal satisfaction was off the charts! I would sure be proud of this build! Great channel, new Sub by the way! Take Care John 😎👍
Thanks for the positivity man! Yeah, it's a great feeling to have done it and working with that truck every day I've developed a good relationship with the systems. Take care
@@metaspencer great channel I look forward to many more videos, interested in a lot of what you do! What state do you reside in? I am in southern missouri! I will keep watching, wish you tons of growth, you have great content! 😎👍 John
@@johnpiegzik298 I'm nearby up in central Illinois -- thanks for the support, buddy.
Truly beautiful build. I would’ve loved to help with a project like that. A lot to learn from you
Thanks for checking it out! You'll have to help on the next one :)
Great share. Appreciate the information and your thoughts along with your creative expertise. Keep it coming. Looking forward to your next video. Stay safe, healthy, strong, discerning and successful. Blessings and prayers to you and family in Jesus's Mighty Name. ☝🙏🙌💪👊
Thanks for checking out the build!
Money, my dream for a welding truck is a 12 valve swapped k3500 with a custom flatdeck. Nice video!
That sounds like a nice truck to dream about! You'll get it
Great video. Your bed came out really nice.
Thanks for checking it out!
Beautiful build. Wow.
Thanks man ... yeah, it's been a great work truck
No headache rack gussets?
No tool boxes?
No option for bed rails?
No gussets on the headache rack to make room for the boxes, which went on in the next video. No rails because of the boxes ... gussets would beef up that rack but it's kinda decorative :)
I see you can get a kit prefab in the US for 800 dollars. By getting it yourself and cutting it , is it cheaper?
I haven't seen kits that are that cheap, but it sounds like a good deal!
Awesome build!!! I'm gonna have to steal your design but add storage boxes underneath. Also gonna use e track on the seams to have tie down points.
Sounds like some great upgrades!
I've watched this video in the past but came back to review again. It is by far one of the best builds I have seen on the subject. But one question i have asked others who have done such a conversion, if you had an opportunity to do it again, could you have used the old pick up bed as the basis for the frame of a new flat bed, thus saving a bit of work and time to build a frame? That is , if you had cut away the sheet metal, leaving basically the floor of the bed, would it have been suitable to build a flat bed? Thanks for sharing your video.
Hi Ted, thanks for the question (and for checking out the video). Anything is possible, and you could certainly reuse parts of the existing bed. That might have the added value of retaining the existing lights and fuel door, too. The problems I see cropping up include: 1) possible rust on the existing bed, 2) the difficulty of welding anything to that kind of thin sheet metal, 3) and then the challenge of making the overall thing look good. Really #2 would be the biggest challenge: figuring out how to attach things to the existing bed would be tough, and you'd have a lot of rough edges to deal with that result from cutting off the sides. But with all that said, it's worth a shot man! I'd like to see how you do it!
@@metaspencer thanks a million for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you on #2 comment as the most challenging and i am still just a novice working with sheet metal. But if pulled off successfully, it might be quite nice to retain some of the lines and details of the original bed, as in this video by a custom builder: th-cam.com/video/YdvRCx5_eC4/w-d-xo.html
Great looking Flatbed! Do you know approximately how much it weighs?
It's about 80lbs heavier than the original bed
Happy new year to you and your wife
Thanks Caroline. Same to you guys
Amazing you were able to build that for 800$ i built one for my 07 dodge dually and have around 1600$ in mine but that was 3-4 years ago before steel prices got crazy! Amazing video editing skills too btw!
yeah prices have skyrocketed! I've heard from a few guys lately that they've spent over $2k building a flatbed for their trucks. And dang, used trucks are super expensive now! I think I paid $3k for that one .. inflation!
Wow that looks way heavier than the original molded tray, have built over 30 of these types of trays and there are much lighter ways to build that tray. Still you done a nice job and should be proud of your effort it looks real good well done.
No need for sandbags all winter I guess
Sweet bed. Any plans for mud flaps?
I suppose I need them but I love that open look
Absolutely beautiful work. But, how many hours and how much labor was put into this? How much would you charge to build and install these?
Took a week or two with drying times and materials have gotten more expensive. It would depend a bit on the type of truck. Thanks for checking it out!