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Bed side cut them off or leave it the way it is?

4K views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  tnpete 
#1 ·
Have a question, our bed had sides on it. Was wondering what people like more no sides and more flat area for items? We have no plans to load anything up there to drive or ride. Plans are to build a dorm box big enough to load our 8 gallon deep fryer fish cooker into it. Along with the Smoking Tex Electric smoker.
So do you think it would look better with sides? Or without them the way it is now? I know without them I could load our Pellets for our Pellet furnace up on the bed and haul 3 ton on the truck. It does have the spots above the tires higher so its not all flat.

Heres what it looked like before the work to mount the hitch and take the 300 gallon farm fuel tank off the back

here is with the hitch mounted and hooked up to check the height, so that is why theres only one bolt on the mounting brackets. It has the short legs and all new bolts now. Will also build a cover for the open spot when the 5th wheel is off. Along with sewing up a cover for the hitch.





This is a pic before I bought the truck.


Please give me your thoughts on this? Will be painting the while truck and the inside of the bed will be getting a spray in bedliner. Thinking the bed is 9ft from the sleeper to the back. And has a flap to the 120 gallon fuel tank on the pass side. That will be turned into a tank to off load the holding tanks into.

Yes lots of work left on this on gal. But man I get a smile like a kid in a candy store each time I drive it. Only issue with the old truck. Everyone wants to ask questions about it each time I drive it. PLus my grand daughter is trying to get me to pull there float with it next Christmas.
 
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#2 ·
I think you should just go ahead and sell the truck ...to me and let me take all that worry from you lol . I've seen this truck years ago at a truckstop somewhere can't remember where and it was just as beautiful then . Also saw a similar red one . My opinion would be to leave the sides . As soon as there gone you will miss them I believe . They are quite handy for keeping stuff like wood blocks , chains , and misc from falling off . Just my two cents . Good luck with your decisions on this magnificent tractor .
 
#3 · (Edited)
It started life around Savannah Tn here near me. Pulled a big Horse trailer for a while. Then sold off and pulled hotshot for a while. Funny part is the truck still only has less then 1/4 milion miles on it. Shows 170000+ and the old Spedo had I think it shows 70,000 miles when it messed up.
I know around 1995 I ran up on it in the Old 76 in Atalanta Ga and Dallas Tx, and a few more. Always liked the looks of the truck back then. Never thought I would own it though. The second I seen it for sale 15 miles from home. I thought then its coming home with me for sure. And man I smile each time I drive it somewhere. About 2 times a week, just drive around in it to stretch its legs. Will use it when I get a new set of 24.5 steer tires on it for a Daily driver for a while. Make sure everything is right before heading to east Tn with the 40 ft camper.
 
#5 ·
I'm not too far from you over here at the surrendering grounds of Appomattox , Va. I used to run about out to St. Louis , as far south as Laredo , and sometimes south fl . Hauled cattle , heavy equipment , Ford parts and produce during a lack of mental reasoning at one time lol . That explains where i've spotted that beauty . I'm in the parts gathering stage for a crew cab f650 with a frame stretch and flatbottom camper on freightliner classic xl air bags , eaton-fuller fso 8406a 6 sp and a cummins 8.3 .
 
#6 ·
I still think about doing the Air ride swap on this one. It has an added 2 stage air ride now. It may be 25% of what normal air ride would be. Same 2 bags on the back but right under the end of the frame. And the back spring hangers sit in the frame for the air ride setup.
Found a cutout from a International in NC last fall, should have bought it. $300 for both axles had 3.90's new drums and brakes on it. Would have had to put new bags under it.:sick: But let it get away.
Though long and hard about keeping our Slide-in Truck camper to sit on a truck like this. But sold it and bought the 5th wheel. With swingout jacks it would have sit right up on the truck.


But man this 5th wheel has so much more room. But will be on the south side of 90 ft long with the boat behind it.

 
#7 ·
Nice pics , now you have me rethinking my build lol. But in the long run i still have to have a flatbed to haul our mud truck / buggy on , either with a lance on the bed of the truck or on the nose of the gooseneck . Guess thats the price we pay for our choice of recreation . 90' is quite a rig to pilot do you stay at any campgrounds with length restrictions or national parks . Well thanks for sharing maybe someday we'll get started and put up a few pics of which way it ends up going . Keep us up to date if you do anything different . Matthew
 
#9 ·
Buddy of mine has one of the big Lance 12ft slide-in's with 9ft slideout. He goes to a big trail ride for Horses in Wayne County Tn each year. And a guy from Va has his big Lance mounted on a I think Pete. He told Buck that the Pete took half the fuel to pull the triple axle horse trailer and Lance then his F450 did.:thumbsup: Plus was riding in comfort the whole time.
I think if It were me and was going to pull a buggy. Just mount the Truck camper on the front of a gooseneck and buggy on the back. Then have the rest of the trailer for a deck behind the camper. :read:

And have the back of the truck to haul a Rhino or golf cart side ways on also.
 
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