# Flatbed Build Ideas



## SS1

Some idea of what you are planning might help. For instance, are you building your flatbed out of wood, steel, or aluminum? Minimal budget, or do you have 25K to put into it?


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## Sadler91

I should have mentioned. It will be steel. I have a guy down here that will build it for around 5k assuming the design doesn't get to complicated or have a ton of material. Really need some input on rear end design.


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## sqkcrk

Make it 102 inches wide, including the rub rails. Make the deck wooden or a wood like composite. Tool boxes. Both sides. A pintle hitch well secured to the frame. A 5 foot tall expansion metal head board.

Wait a minute. 3rd generation? Don't you already have a bunch of examples to go by?


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## jim lyon

Sadler91 said:


> I should have mentioned. It will be steel. I have a guy down here that will build it for around 5k assuming the design doesn't get to complicated or have a ton of material. Really need some input on rear end design.


Bring your banding rail around the back to attach front to back straps. Also a heavy rod on top of the front "headache rack" to hook straps to as well. Be sure to get "D" rings on the back on either side of your receiver to attach tow chains and brake pull off.


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## Sadler91

This is what I have so far. The drivers side will have a smoker box mounted in the back where the spare tire is on the other side. That is the only difference between the sides. 

The guy that builds the beds down here has sort of a standard. A lot of writing in the pictures is making changes to his design. Disregard it. I know the pictures are hard to read.


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## Ian

Wood deck, keeps things from sliding around


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## Brian Suchan

Wooden deck, lots of tie down hooks for ropes.


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## Brian Suchan

If you go the wooden route make sure to have it made to match up with dimensional soft lumber.


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## acbz

1.) Buy the wood for the deck well ahead of time and stand it up somewhere outdoors to dry for several weeks, mine wasn't completely dried when I screwed it to the bed frame and it shrunk considerably leaving gaps between the planks. 
2.) make sure to use fasteners for the wood that are rated for use with ACQ treated lumber, like ceramic-coated. The new treated lumber is highly corrosive to steel. Not like the old arsenic stuff. 
3.) for the marker lights, go with 3/4" LED lights, they are DOT legal and really slick, not expensive either, I got them from Terminal Man Inc in wisconsin but probably available here in FL.


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## Sadler91

I have a wood deck on my Dodge right now and I really like it. I am giving this some thought now. I figured since the F550 has a beefy spring stack that it would bounce without the extra weight of the steel.

I have never had rope hooks but I am considering them now. How far apart should I space them. Every 12"?


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## Trevor Mansell

Who is making it in Florida?


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## BEESERIOUS

Sadler91 said:


> How far apart should I space them. Every 12"?


Every 8"


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## jim lyon

Take a couple of pallets or whatever you will primarily be hauling, lay them om the bed at the shop and have your guy make a chalk mark at the exact places you want rope hooks. Also You might want to consider making the banding rail with built in stake pockets that will accommodate a standard 2x4.


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## Michael Bush

When I built a flatbed I used something like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/WeatherS...eated-Tongue-Groove-Board-107345-16/100078245

Things slide a lot less on the wood than on smooth steel... The T&G keeps it flat (keeps them from cupping and warping so much) and while it may shrink and leave cracks, the cracks don't go all the way through... If your intent is to haul hives, I'd design it with those dimensions in mind and an edge to keep them from sliding off the edge (at least the bottom box...).


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## Ben Little

I had a wooden one built this year and it works fine, no sliding and very inexpensive, I'm sure it isn't going to last as long as steel but I can replace boards as I need to and it easily hold 64 hives on pallets


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## clyderoad

Ben, the truck looks real nice. good job.

that size set up would be perfect for me down here. one load, no matter what I had to do.
how long is that bed?


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## Ben Little

18.5' long, leaves room on the end for messing with straps on the last load of pallets. Works good for what I paid for it.


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## clyderoad

Thanks. I remember when you were shopping for a truck.
Seems like you made the right decision and it sure looks
like you're in the game now. Good luck.


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## Sadler91

Trevor Mansell said:


> Who is making it in Florida?


Laron down in Zolfo at Patterson Welding. Didn't he build your Swinger trailer? I have seen several of his beds on various beekeeper's trucks and I really liked his work.


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## Trevor Mansell

Sadler91 said:


> Laron down in Zolfo at Patterson Welding. Didn't he build your Swinger trailer? I have seen several of his beds on various beekeeper's trucks and I really liked his work.


He will have lots of ideas for you to think about. I put lights in the tool boxes and work lights on a switch to help see when backing up at night.


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## jim lyon

I rarely have problems with the bottom row shifting on a well secured load with any kind of bed.
A diamond plate aluminum bed like this is almost impossible to have anything slide off of. 
http://s470.photobucket.com/user/jimlyon/media/Bee truck pics/1386680141_zps8e5e0cb2.jpg.html

.....and heres proof. This was an unsecured load which hit a deep hole traveling a pretty low rate of speed. Note the bottom pallet still on the truck. 

http://s470.photobucket.com/user/jimlyon/media/2013 Texas/1400765962_zpscc39c841.jpg.html


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## Ian

That picture brings back that memory, a memory I'm sure every beekeeper has had...hmmm

Funny how looking at a pic like that, the first thing I look at is the condition of the hives! lol Looken good Jim, looken good!

You will have to get Rader to show you how to link pics directly to the forum page


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## jim lyon

Ian said:


> That picture brings back that memory, a memory I'm sure every beekeeper has had...hmmm
> 
> Funny how looking at a pic like that, the first thing I look at is the condition of the hives! lol Looken good Jim, looken good!
> 
> You will have to get Radar to show you how to link pics directly to the forum page


Actually the clean up wasnt as bad as you might think as the frames mostly all stayed together, I would say probably 10 minutes and things were squared away. I did scream a couple expletives as I watched in the mirror. Got out, snapped this picture for posterity and chuckled to myself that I got what I deserved for not spending a couple minutes strapping for the 200' truck ride that was designed to save me time. Yes, those bees were awesome. This was the very first of many loads of singles that we were pooling in Texas this spring and the ONLY incident of any kind that I had. 
Truth is I did do a quick search for Graham's most recent tutorial and did a copy and paste off of photobucket per his instructions and still ended up with just a link. Oh well. Fortunately I am better at beekeeping than I am with a computer.


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## Rader Sidetrack

Since you already have a Photobucket account with uploaded photos, this post of mine is the best reference to get Photobucket images linked _inline_: http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...n&p=1182417&highlight=photobucket#post1182417

Note that when you click on the referenced "*IMG*" link at Photobucket, you should see a brief message of "copied". That means the code has been copied into your system's "paste buffer". Then when you come to your Beesource Compose Message window, and do a 'paste", this is what you should get:


[URL=http://s470.photobucket.com/user/jimlyon/media/Bee%20truck%20pics/1386680141_zps8e5e0cb2.jpg.html][IMG]http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr66/jimlyon/Bee%20truck%20pics/1386680141_zps8e5e0cb2.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The _code _above (taken from the image of Jim's 'truck bed' linked in post #22) will only be visible while composing your message, and will result in the photo being displayed once you 'post' the message. If your code for the 'truck bed' photo doesn't look like what I posted above, delete the code from your message and try the process again. If the code doesn't include the *IMG *in brackets, you may have copied the wrong Photobucket link.

If you want to confirm the process before you post, click "Go Advanced" then "Preview Post" before posting your message.

I used a (non visible) special code to make the code line above display as code instead of displaying the photo. Here is what the result of that code above would be without the trick I employed to force the _code _itself to be visible.




UPDATE: As you can see from post #26, there are image size rules at Beesource. Jim's original photo at Photobucket is 1024x768 pixels, which Beesource considers oversize. So as not to lose the point of this post, I copied Jim's photo and resized it, then uploaded it Photobucket, so the image displayed above is still from Photobucket, but is actually 640x480 pixels. 

In some places, Barry says the maximum allowed image size is 640x480 pixels. However in this post Barry says it is 800x800 pixels. :kn:  If you use the forum built-in "Upload Photo" tool, the maximum image that it will accept is 800x800 pixels, max filesize 195 Kb.


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## JohnK and Sheri

There is an image posting tutorial on the rules page of beesource.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225753-Image-Posting-Rules
Size matters. They should be no larger than 640 x 480.


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## loggermike

Had to clean up a similar mess yesterday. Didn't fall off the truck,just the front wheel of the swinger went up on a dirt mound I didn't see and threw 8 doubles into a heap. Wife grabbed the smoker and yelled "why didnt you have the clamp on them?"
I said "Saving time , baby!"

The first time I hauled pallets on a steel bed, I looked in the mirror going around a sharp corner and saw a stack start sliding off the load. From then on, we use the Mark B. (squeak) type spreader boards in addition to the 4 front to back straps on any long trips.Nothing moves.


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## jim lyon

Rader Sidetrack said:


> UPDATE: As you can see from post #26, there are image size rules at Beesource. Jim's original photo at Photobucket is 1024x768 pixels, which Beesource considers oversize. So as not to lose the point of this post, I copied Jim's photo and resized it, then uploaded it Photobucket, so the image displayed above is still from Photobucket, but is actually 640x480 pixels.
> 
> In some places, Barry says the maximum allowed image size is 640x480 pixels. However in this post Barry says it is 800x800 pixels. :kn:  If you use the forum built-in "Upload Photo" tool, the maximum image that it will accept is 800x800 pixels, max filesize 195 Kb.


Thanks Graham. I was under the impression that one of the advantages of a photo hosting site like photobucket is that it automatically deals with the file size issue.


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## Ben Little

"SAVING TIME BABY " LOL :lpf: Something I'd say 
I hope everything worked out okay.


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## jim lyon

Testing by copying and pasting the IMG thumb window on photobucket
But is the file size correct?


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## jim lyon

Ben Little said:


> "SAVING TIME BABY " LOL :lpf: Something I'd say
> I hope everything worked out okay.


I agree, great post Loggermike and sooooo true.


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## Rader Sidetrack

jim lyon said:


> But is the file size correct?


Certainly the image you showed falls within the 640x480 pixel limit mentioned in post #26, and the photo is an 'inline' link*, so you do have the correct procedure mastered. :thumbsup:

However, the original image at Photobucket is smaller than the 'truck bed' photo, so that is why you are within the limit. I suspect that if you try the 'truck bed' photo, you will also be posting a 1024x768 pixel photo. 

* Note that the default Photobucket 'inline' link is also '_clickable_', so it will link to your entire Photobucket album if one clicks on the photo.


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## JRG13

Rader, how do you limit it to the single photo in photobucket?


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## Rader Sidetrack

> how do you limit it to the single photo in photobucket?

If you refer back to the sample code in my post #25, you will see that it starts with a *URL * code in brackets. Remove all the URL code so that the remaining code starts with [IMG]. You will also have to remove the closing [/URL] code from the very end of all the code so that the [/IMG] closing code is at the end.

This is the code that needs to remain to display the image but not have it link any further:

[IMG]http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr66/jimlyon/Bee%20truck%20pics/1386680141_zps8e5e0cb2.jpg[/IMG]


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## Ian

My guys pushed off a pallet of honey, full boxes, cleaned up up and I did not know which pallet it was . Good boxes good frames plastic foundation pays


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## sqkcrk

jim lyon said:


> http://s470.photobucket.com/user/jimlyon/media/2013 Texas/1400765962_zpscc39c841.jpg.html


Here's an old adage I made up after learning from Jim's experience. "Five minutes of securing a load is worth an hour of picking up."


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## Bob Nelson

For hook spacing, years ago I calculated many configurations of hauling 10 and 8 frame boxes and came up with 8 inches starting 8 inches from front. I proved out.

Wood deck. A slight rise (1/4 inch or less) around the perimeter of the deck deters boxes or equipment on bottom of stack from migrating out. Old beekeeper taught me that one (he actually nailed lath down around edges). Incidentally was re-enforced with cure shrinkage on new wood decking.

The front to back securing capability is very important as well.

Oh the spill stories!


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## Sadler91

I probably use ropes about 15% of the time. Maybe if I had rope hooks I would use them more lol

I have pretty much got the bed laid out how I want it now. The only thing I am missing is the rear end of the bed. Anybody mind posting a picture of the tail end of your bed? 

Thanks everyone for chiming in!


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## jim lyon

Dont sell rope hooks short. We have found that they work really well for hanging the "hooked" straps on and dont come unhooked before you get the chance to tighten them on the other side.


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## Sadler91

jim lyon said:


> Dont sell rope hooks short. We have found that they work really well for hanging the "hooked" straps on and dont come unhooked before you get the chance to tighten them on the other side.


Now that is a good idea!


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## Keith Jarrett

Sadler91 said:


> I probably use ropes about 15% of the time. Maybe if I had rope hooks I would use them more !


We use ropes 100% of the time other than semi, ropes are very fast. Although, I have pulled a Jimmy, a time or two, and spent twenty minutes picking hives up & putting back together.  lol been there and done that.


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## sqkcrk

jim lyon said:


> Dont sell rope hooks short. We have found that they work really well for hanging the "hooked" straps on and dont come unhooked before you get the chance to tighten them on the other side.


I put my strap hook down between the rub rail and the bed and hook it under the deck frame channel and then throw the rolled strap across the load unreeling as it goes. Then I go to the other side and attach the ratchet strap end also inside the rub rail too. 

I keep my straps in a tool box on the passenger side of the truck and the ratchets in a box on the drivers side. I also roll my straps so the hooks are exposed on the end outside the roll, not inside the rolled strap.


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## sqkcrk

Keith Jarrett said:


> We use ropes 100% of the time other than semi, ropes are very fast. Although, I have pulled a Jimmy, a time or two, and spent twenty minutes picking hives up & putting back together.  lol been there and done that.


CA DOT doesn't get after you for that?


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## Keith Jarrett

sqkcrk said:


> CA DOT doesn't get after you for that?


No, Mark not as of yet, they haul hay 48 foot bed with front to back rope. They pass down are road from Nevada everyday.


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## jim lyon

sqkcrk said:


> I put my strap hook down between the rub rail and the bed and hook it under the deck frame channel and then throw the rolled strap across the load unreeling as it goes. Then I go to the other side and attach the ratchet strap end also inside the rub rail too.
> 
> I keep my straps in a tool box on the passenger side of the truck and the ratchets in a box on the drivers side. I also roll my straps so the hooks are exposed on the end outside the roll, not inside the rolled strap.


It depends on the spacing of your banding rail. If you are allowing 1 1/2" (a standard stake pocket) I have found that some, but not all flat hooks are narrow enough to be hooked in such a manner but none of the "J" hooks just will fit through. I often use a spring clamp to hold them in place, then after the strap is tight we use it on the other side to secure the excess strap.


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## sqkcrk

Hackenberg uses ropes too and I am amazed that DOT doesn't get after him for it.


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## sqkcrk

jim lyon said:


> It depends on the spacing of your banding rail. If you are allowing 1 1/2" (a standard stake pocket) I have found that some, but not all flat hooks are narrow enough to be hooked in such a manner but none of the "J" hooks just will fit through. I often use a spring clamp to hold them in place, then after the strap is tight we use it on the other side to secure the excess strap.


I have one strap w/ a J hook that won't stay in place when I go to the other side. I gotta get rid of that one.


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## Sadler91

jim lyon said:


> It depends on the spacing of your banding rail. If you are allowing 1 1/2" (a standard stake pocket) I have found that some, but not all flat hooks are narrow enough to be hooked in such a manner but none of the "J" hooks just will fit through. I often use a spring clamp to hold them in place, then after the strap is tight we use it on the other side to secure the excess strap.


Exactly.


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## Sadler91

I grew up using ropes on everything except honey. We just shifted to using straps because they don't take much more time to use and they hold way better. I don't care how tight the ropes are, a strap just doesn't "give" like a rope does.


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## acbz

Sadler91 said:


> I grew up using ropes on everything except honey. We just shifted to using straps because they don't take much more time to use and they hold way better. I don't care how tight the ropes are, a strap just doesn't "give" like a rope does.


Same here. I just switched over to using straps for long-distance moves or anytime I'll be getting on the turnpike or interstate. I copied another guy's system for using shipping pallets with 2x4's nailed to the top and bottom for the spreader board function, hard to explain without a picture but you just set it on top of the load with the forklift and throw a couple straps over and you're done.


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## loggermike

acbz-Could you explain that in more detail, or take some pics?
Always looking for faster options.
--Mike


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## loggermike

Keith, when I pass one of the Parks convoys on I-5 going to almonds, they are all roped down. That surprised me as I thought straps were required by the CHP. (i still carry ropes for some things -like bee rustlers:no
--Mike


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## Rader Sidetrack

With regard to using ropes on truckloads of hay in California, the CHP has issued a document that allows the practice:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/pdf/media/hay_straw.pdf

I could not find anything similar regarding using rope with truckloads of hives in California.


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## MNbees




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## sqkcrk

Is that the honey house MN?


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## MNbees

It was in the 70s


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## acbz

loggermike said:


> acbz-Could you explain that in more detail, or take some pics?
> Always looking for faster options.
> --Mike


Mike, I'll take some pics and PM you.


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## Keith Jarrett

loggermike said:


> Keith, when I pass one of the Parks convoys on I-5 going to almonds, they are all roped down.
> --Mike


Mike, we use ropes w/rackets front to back all the time, much faster than threading straps in the dark & ten times faster rolling up.


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## Allen Martens

Keith Jarrett said:


> Mike, we use ropes w/rackets front to back all the time, much faster than threading straps in the dark & ten times faster rolling up.


Wow Keith. Just googled them. I think that is what I've been looking for without knowing they existed. Every time I tie ropes I think there must be a better way. What brand have you found to works well? Picture would be nice if you have one available.


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## loggermike

Thanks acbz. Will be watching for them.

Allen, I never heard of a rope ratchet either. Been using truckers hitches forever. Thanks for that tip Keith.


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## jim lyon

Keith and I have both seen ole "super trucker" using standard bed mounted strap ratchets to tighten 1/2" ropes.


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## Keith Jarrett

jim lyon said:


> Keith and I have both seen ole "super trucker" using standard bed mounted strap ratchets to tighten 1/2" ropes.[/QUOT
> 
> Wonder where ole super trucker first saw THAT.  lol


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## swarm_trapper

acbz can you post a pic on the forum i would like to see that also


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## swarm_trapper

Keith is this what you are talking about?
http://www.roperatchet.com/products/index.htm#1-2


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## Keith Jarrett

No, welded on ratchet that has a peg or you can slip a bolt through, put a half hitch rope loop on the peg and crank down with cheater bar. Maybe Jimmy will chime in he's better at painting a picture than I am.


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## odfrank

This kind of strap winch sometimes have a peg to loop on a rope. It might just be hidden in this picture. This is a strap winch on my bee drop bed that will strap on a row of hive on the bed. 

This one shows the rope peg.
http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Flatb...ches/Weld-On-Combination-Truck-Tie-Down-Winch


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## jim lyon

odfrank said:


> This kind of strap winch sometimes have a peg to loop on a rope. It might just be hidden in this picture. This is a strap winch on my bee drop bed that will strap on a row of hive on the bed.
> 
> This one shows the rope peg.
> http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Flatb...ches/Weld-On-Combination-Truck-Tie-Down-Winch


That's pretty much what I'm remembering. Seems like the ropes may have had a loop in the end that hooked onto the peg on the winch then just crank it tight.


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## Allen Martens

Keith Jarrett said:


> No, welded on ratchet that has a peg or you can slip a bolt through, put a half hitch rope loop on the peg and crank down with cheater bar. Maybe Jimmy will chime in he's better at painting a picture than I am.


Thanks

Never seen that before either or at least never clued in. Tried to devise a good method for using standard strap ratchets for years and was coming up empty. This is simple enough.

http://www.cargocontrolstore.com/weld-on-cable-winch.html is limiting but interesting as well.

The rope ratchet swarm trapper may come in handy as well at times.

For all the time I ample down hardware aisles I can believe I haven't seen or taken note of either of these.


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## Keith Jarrett

odfrank said:


> This kind of strap winch sometimes have a peg to loop on a rope.
> 
> 
> This one shows the rope peg.
> http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Flatb...ches/Weld-On-Combination-Truck-Tie-Down-Winch


That's it, the winch is just a little longer to accommodate the peg, so either a four inch strap or rope/cable will work. 
Thanks for the pics, Frank


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## chillardbee

Jean-marc bought my F550 flat bed but I remember the measurements. I think it was 14' long and 8 1/2' wide. At 8 1/2 feet I was able to fit 6 hives in a row or 3 pallets if they were on the U clips. So if your wood part of the deck is 8' the try to make the frame 3" on either side.


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## Sadler91

Bringing this thread back for one more question. Aluminum or steel? I am worried that a aluminum bed may be to light and when you drive around unloaded it would bounce really bad because a F550 has really beefy springs. Any merit to that?


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## sjvbee

I haven't noticed any problems with mine


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## jim lyon

Sadler91 said:


> Bringing this thread back for one more question. Aluminum or steel? I am worried that a aluminum bed may be to light and when you drive around unloaded it would bounce really bad because a F550 has really beefy springs. Any merit to that?


Yes there is some merit to that, they certainly arent designed for ride comfort empty. You have to decide for yourself if the tradeoff for slightly better mileage empty and added carrying capacity is worth the slightly better ride when unloaded.


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## Sadler91

Thanks for the replies. Ride quality isn't to important for me but I just don't want it to bounce so bad that it is dangerous. One more question, obviously steel is much tougher than aluminum. How easy does aluminum crack under heavy load off road?


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## Rader Sidetrack

I sometimes put a few 5 gallon buckets of dirt into the {empty} bed of my light pickup when I want more weight. To apply that concept on a serious basis, carry around some collapsible water bladders, and fill them when you need more weight, or drain them and roll them up otherwise.

http://readycontainment.com/products/bladder-tanks/truck-bed-water-bladder/
- or -
http://www.bayteccontainers.com/60g...JdIzCrRzuDxH5KOP5ye-ZlH5hoCwErw_wcB#gsc.tab=0


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## Brian Suchan

Sadler91 said:


> Thanks for the replies. Ride quality isn't to important for me but I just don't want it to bounce so bad that it is dangerous. One more question, obviously steel is much tougher than aluminum. How easy does aluminum crack under heavy load off road?


I dont think you will notice a diff between a empty steel vs a empty aluminum flatbed as far as ride when empty.What is the price diff? New or used truck? New or used flatbed? Are you planning on using wooden deck?


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## Sadler91

Brian Suchan said:


> I dont think you will notice a diff between a empty steel vs a empty aluminum flatbed as far as ride when empty.What is the price diff? New or used truck? New or used flatbed? Are you planning on using wooden deck?


Just bought a new 2015 f550. It wasn't to bouncy with no bed so I believe you are right. Aluminum probably wouldn't be to bad. The price difference would be about $1700. I decided this morning on steel because I worry about the sturdiness under heavy load off road with aluminum.


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## sjvbee

I have a aluminum bed on my 02 that came off a 97 truck it has held up well all these years and still looks good.


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## johng

Congrats! That's gonna be one sweet ride. I'd like to check it out next time I'm down your way.


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## Brian Suchan

Sadler91 said:


> Just bought a new 2015 f550. It wasn't to boouncy with no bed so I believe you are right. Aluminum probably wouldn't be to bad. The price difference would be about $1700. I decided this morning on steel because I worry about the sturdiness under heavy load off road with aluminum.


The aluminum will Never need a new paint job. 1/3 the weight


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## Brian Suchan

What motor choice u go with in f550?


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## Sadler91

Got the 2nd gen Powerstroke. Awesome power and the new turbo upgrade they gave them is great. The engine brake is much more pronounced. Of course I have not towed with it so take it for what it is worth.

I am sure many people have had aluminum beds that hold up great but every one I have seen down here had been beat up pretty bad. I guess Floridians are hard on their equipment lol. I can't weld aluminum but I can weld steel if I need to fix something on the bed or do some modifications. This is the main reason I decided to go with steel.

Everyone's input has been greatly appreciated thus far!


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## Sadler91

Figured I would post up the final pictures. It turned out fantastic and I appreciate everyone's insight and help.


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## MTN-Bees

Great looking truck- nice custom add on's!


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## jim lyon

Nice. With 4 tool boxes you may need a filing system.


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## Keith Jarrett

Nice. Hats off to the welder/fitter.


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## johng

Very nice Colby!!


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## Sadler91

jim lyon said:


> Nice. With 4 tool boxes you may need a filing system.


Funny thing is that I have already filled them up lol


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## MTN-Bees

I wanted to open up this thread again as the information is great. I'm starting our flatbed build on a Ram 4500. I'm planning on a 14-15 foot length with a 108 width. Banding rail with 2x4 stake pockets on the sides and rear. Rope hooks every 8 inches. 5 foot headache rack with someway to secure straps and rope. Plenty of storage. 

Any other recommendations or things I should or shouldn't do?

One question I do have is anyone putting some type of area lights on their trucks?


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## Thermwood

108 width?


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## mgolden

Here`s a link to a Thread on Ben Little`s Bee Truck that you may find helpful and provide some ideas.


http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?291366-Bought-me-a-Bee-Truck


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## sqkcrk

MTN-Bees said:


> I wanted to open up this thread again as the information is great. I'm starting our flatbed build on a Ram 4500. I'm planning on a 14-15 foot length with a 108 width. Banding rail with 2x4 stake pockets on the sides and rear. Rope hooks every 8 inches. 5 foot headache rack with someway to secure straps and rope. Plenty of storage.
> 
> Any other recommendations or things I should or shouldn't do?
> 
> One question I do have is anyone putting some type of area lights on their trucks?


Maybe that was a typo, because, as far as I know, 102 inches is as wide as one can build a bed and run the roads legally.


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## sqkcrk

Sadler91 said:


> Figured I would post up the final pictures. It turned out fantastic and I appreciate everyone's insight and help.


How high do you stack your loads? When higher than the head board, do you net the load?

I like the step bracket and handle. What's the weight rating on that step bracket?


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## MTN-Bees

Thank you- Good catch- typo- I meant 102 inches.


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## Sadler91

sqkcrk said:


> How high do you stack your loads? When higher than the head board, do you net the load?
> 
> I like the step bracket and handle. What's the weight rating on that step bracket?


I triple stack story and a halves or doubles occasionally. I only net bees when hauling them in the morning.

No idea what the steps are rated at. I haven't broke them yet lol


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## sqkcrk

How heavy are you?

I'd be concerned about boxes or covers slipping forward when I come to a stop and ending up raining down on the hood or cab. How do you keep that from happening with a short head board like yours?


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## RAK

sqkcrk said:


> How heavy are you?
> 
> I'd be concerned about boxes or covers slipping forward when I come to a stop and ending up raining down on the hood or cab. How do you keep that from happening with a short head board like yours?


Front to back strapping!


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## sqkcrk

Ah, yes. There is that. Thanks.


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## Sadler91

RAK said:


> Front to back strapping!


What he said. I also use some aluminum bars that a friend of mine made that hold the lids down as I strap side to side. I have never had a lid slide forward on the truck. In the flatwoods we don't stap the bees down as we scatter and I had one super slide off a new excluder on our other truck. The were triple stacked though.


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## Sadler91

sqkcrk said:


> How heavy are you?
> 
> I'd be concerned about boxes or covers slipping forward when I come to a stop and ending up raining down on the hood or cab. How do you keep that from happening with a short head board like yours?


230lbs


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## jim lyon

Front to back strapping works great on uniform loads. I had a close call once that led me not to trust just 4 front to back straps when the loads get above 4 singles or 2 doubles and longer than 4 pallets back. On those loads I like to supplement them with a cross strap at the back axle area and another on the very back pallet as it minimizes the "whiplash" effect of a rapid side to side rocking motion.


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## Keith Jarrett

jim lyon said:


> minimizes the "whiplash" effect of a rapid side to side rocking motion.


Yep, this is where ten wheelers are nice, the single axle trucks have a way of finding the large pot holes that gives you that rocking sensation.


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## MTN-Bees

My truck is the shop starting the build process. A couple of questions.

Does anyone use the ratchets that are mounted on rails under the truck bed? If so are they worth the extra investment?

If you have tie down points on the headboard- how are they setup?

Thanks, Rich


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## jim lyon

It's important to have a well thought out rod or hook for fastening front to back straps. I like them on the top of the headache rack with just enough separation so you can put the hook end of a strap through it without the hook falling out. Make sure you have a banding rail on the back as well as the sides. It's also nice to have something to attach a hook to on the vertical face of the headache rack so that you can fasten a strap for a horizontal strap to help secure things such as totes or 55 gallon drums. 
I've never done the underbed sliding winches so I can't really comment on those. They seem like a pretty good idea, just never taken the time to do it.


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## davidsbees

Rich, if your down in Visalia you can look at our truck beds for ideas we build our own.


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