Looks like I'm off to building a bed. I've got ideas but here's what I need. I'm wanting boxes in the sides, 2 in front, 2 in the rear as I have now. I want to drop the bed height. Right now it has 4" channel runners across the frame with 4" channel run right to left. I've searched on here for pics ideas and found some but not many pics of the frames. I've been thinking about 3" channel across the frame rails and shooting out the sides of the channel with.....square tube? Angle? I want to keep my tsc boxes and stretch the bed an extra foot, going from 8' to 9' and move my gooseneck ball back in case I ever do get one. I'm looking at loosing some weight on the bed, ideally I'd love an aluminum bed and the wife says, make it. That would be great if I had the means to weld it....which I don't have at this point. That is my next goal. I'm also wanting to leave a center section open under the welder, mainly under the oil pan, for obvious reasons. Gonna loose the headache rack, as it is useless, especially with lights that only illuminate the back side of a large welder. I've thought about hacking this bed but figure if I leave it as is it is a potential sale to a farmer and essentially paying for my new bed.
I guess my main priority is to shave some weight off the bed. Second would be lowering the bed height, I figure with 3" channel that will drop it 5". I'm tossing around the idea of using aluminum frame to slide my O2 tank into, just a basic tombstone with hole in it and a second hole above for my umbrella storage. I'm also thinking that if I made the frame work right I could make aluminum boxes that I could slide flush with the skin and then bolt the boxes on the frame work. More work but less weight. This is a 2002 Dodge so if anybody has specific 'sperience with the frame that would be great. Guess pics of previous frame would be helpful. I plan on 1/8 skirt, top with a reinforced area to the rear, maybe 3/16. Thanks for any ideas, info,
Shawn