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Just wanted to add to the forum.  Here is a flatbed I built for a 1996 Ford Ranger.  With the steel, wood, lights, consumables, I had about $325 into it.  Comments please? Attached Images
Reply:First of all JC, welcome to the forum.  It's good to have you here.Great job on the flatbed project.  Can we have more construction details such as specifics on the materials and such?As for comments...1) Mudflaps?2) Provisions for securing loads?3) Going to add any underdeck boxes?MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Thanks.  Hmm.. Let's see...Not my truck, so I assume he will add flaps.  Under bed boxes were added I think.  He bought some ready made, and bolted them on.  I wanted to add something like rails.  He is now using the truck for transporting "Ready-To-Assemble" furniture, so he wanted the top smooth to slide the loads on/off.  There are some rings underneath for hooking on with cinch straps.The bed frame was made from 2" square tube.  Wood is 2x6 pine.  I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but the fuel filler comes up through the bed.  The sides are steel 2x4's from a site that was building storage units.  They sold me 3 8" pieces for $5 each.The back was my favorite part of the build.  For the license plate box, I built the box, then marked the hole to cut out from the plate.  I tacked in place from the rear.  Then I built up the front edges with bead, and ground to a nice curve edge.  It took a long time, but the result was fantastic.The lights came from Auto Zone, but the round reverse lights are from a truck stop.  All was mig welded.  It took 1 day to build, 2 days for painting, and a day to take off the old bed and install this one.  I built it on those really tall/wide saw horses so that I could back the truck up under it to install.It was a fun project.  I don't have detailed plans, but if someone wanted to build one, I think I could find my sketches.  The hardest part about it was the Rangers frame.  It's not flat at all.  It required 2" spacers in the rear of the bed, and 3" in the front.I used the existing bumper brackets to make a receiver hitch from some of the left overs.  Also, if you look at the rear photo that is primer painted, you"ll see 1 brake light for each side, then on the last picture, there is 2 on each side?  Turns out that the Rangers' wiring harness would not allow for that, so I had to cut 2 more holes for separate turn signals.  By the way, those reverse lights are those really bright lights on the back of the big rig trucks that they use when hooking up the air lines to the trailer.  They make great reverse lights and are very bright.Dig this though...  before I removed the old bed, I measured from the driveway to the top of the frame.  Then I measured again after the new bed was on.  The new bed measured an inch higher, showing that the new flat bed was lighter than the stock bed!
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55As for comments...1) Mudflaps?2) Provisions for securing loads?3) Going to add any underdeck boxes?
Reply:Hmmm.  Didn't know that!  I figured it was some kind of measurement requirement, like how high the bed was or something.
Reply:Looks like a nice bedI really enjoy seeing the creative rear ends on the beds now days.  I figure if I ever get around to finishing my truck, I'll probably just build a bed with a DOT bar in the back and plain old tail lights.  I'm too lazy"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I like it flaps and boxes would finish it off.  I like to build flatbeds lower then the customers belt line if I can.  It is much harder to lift stuff above your belt, and it looks better.DAG NABIT, I left my tape on the saw.Wild Fire Welding
Reply:Originally Posted by Tom KroscavageI like it flaps and boxes would finish it off.  I like to build flatbeds lower then the customers belt line if I can.  It is much harder to lift stuff above your belt, and it looks better.
Reply:Very nice!  MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by PookieMudflaps are generally only required by law if it is a tandem wheel.
Reply:Excellent work.  I have an old Ranger w/ a beat up bed and thought about a flatbed, but the transmissionis shot and haven't been able to find a replacement in a junkyard around here.  I'm surprised that the flatbed is lighter then the stock bed.How did you attach flatbed to frame?
Reply:In the front, I added a 3"x2" square tube as a spacer (2"x2" in the rear), then used a 2"x10"x1/8" flat stock that was welded to the frame of the bed, the spacer, then bolted through the frame with 2 bolts.  When you get ready to build one for your ranger, I might can find my scratch pad and make up some crude plans.  All I remember for sure with out looking it up is that I needed 3" spacer in the front, 2" in the rear, and that the frame width was 33" on the outside.  Anything other than that might require some head scratch'n.
Reply:JC,Neat and clean looking and only $325.    The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Looks good and the price tag came in at a good number.
Reply:Not a big fan of the single wheel flatbeds myself but the work looks good.  Do you have a pic of the hitch?  I think it could've stood to be a little lower.  But you know what they say, opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools