Extending a short bed frame

[Reddog1]

Many people are concerned with welding on truck frames. This Video may be of interest to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzP-ONpv7E

another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ewuENF63Q


Wayne

[Bedlam]

cartmancartman wrote:
They were charging about $7500 to extend the bed. That includes giving you a new bed and taking your old one.

Then they can convert standard cab long beds to short beds with the spare parts.

[cartmancartman]

They were charging about $7500 to extend the bed. That includes giving you a new bed and taking your old one.

[Kayteg1]

I've seen those duallies with 2" clearance too.
Young people with lot of time in their hands tend to do lot of things to stick out of the crowd. They don't care about passengers.

[jimh406]

It's pretty obvious that truck frames aren't that strong to begin with. It would be possible to have a stronger frame after modification with proper technique. But then, you need a different bed and drive shaft as well, and who knows if it would turn very well. I'm thinking it would be pretty bad.

I have no idea why it would be worth it to carry a TC. Other than the Megacab for the Rams, I can't see the application at all. The rest of the trucks come with long beds in the biggest cabs.

I've also seen lowered DRWs. I'm not really sure that people do with those either, but whatever floats your boat. 🙂

[Bedlam]

It's not unique to this group. In my off-road forums, there is always discussion whether to upgrade the current engine, replace the current engine or completely replace the vehicle when wanting more performance. It depends on the skills of the owner, how much upgrades will cost money and time wise and if there is any resale value in parts removed for upgrade.

[Kayteg1]

Gaetan wrote:
I presume changing truck would cost less???
Gaetan

I see that mentality all the time.
Sometimes situation is forced by economics.
The buyer has no cash to buy what he wants, so he buys something cheaper. Than a year later he's got some free cash again and with some handy skills is trying to bring the cheaper vehicle to the level of more expensive one, not having the head for making calculations.
I see it all the time with cars, when the owner of V6 model puts $3000 into modding the car for more HP, while selling V6 and buying V8 in the same car might cost as little as $1000.

[Tom_Anderson]

I could probably modify my trailer for under $100 in parts and materials. My Torklift extension cost quite a bit more than that.

On MY setup, an extended trailer tongue on a stock hitch would probably hit the camper when I pulled out of my own driveway, let alone some of the other places I've towed it. And it wouldn't fit in my garage, either. So it's a no-brainer to me.YMMV.

[Gaetan]

It would be interesting to find out what it cost to do the modifications, new shaft new wiring, new box
and so on I presume changing truck would cost less???
Gaetan

[mkirsch]

Oh heck you've got TONS of room.

I have a deckover flatbed equipment trailer that I sometimes tow behind my TC with no extension. If I've got 4" of room between the top of the tongue and the overhang of my TC, I'm doing well.

[cartmancartman]

I had plans to extend my Megacab earlier this year, I went back and fourth with the place in Utah (second vid you posted) for several months. I placed an order for my 1172 and was waiting for that to come in prior to extending my truck.

To make a long story short, the company who did these mods quit doing these mods about a week before I was about to come down. Their reasoning was that they were having some issues warranting some of the old extensions were done before. Not sure exactly the details but that is what I was told.

BTW, the company was resold several times since they started doing these conversions several years ago. I was told the original guy who started this in Utah is now still doing them still somewhere in Utah.

I did run into a guy in the desert who had one of these extended and almost 70k on his and he had no issue with his, I believe his was a 2010. It was beautiful, it had a lift on it with 20 inch rims 37 inch toyos and EXTENDED.

I since I had to buy a new long bed truck and now have both.

[burningman]

Aha! There ARE other similar-thinkers out there!
People say you'll bottom out on the bottom of your camper, but I never seem to have that problem especially since I like using weight distribution hitches and you can't really put those in tight approaches anyway.
When I had a lower, 2WD truck, I did my trailer tongue extension with a step-down section where it passed under the camper. When I went back to 4x4 camper hauler, I redid it all straight.

NOTHING you can do is as good as moving the hitch point closer to the rear axle. Physics is physics.
The problem for most, it seems, is that it isn't a store-bought pre-made setup. You have to CUT and WELD! Without the factory's approval! You have to do good welds and use strong enough steel, with no book to follow! It's full-on rogue outlaw warranty violation I tell you! Madness!

[Bedlam]

If you had the dump valve and generator muffler hanging under your wings (like my Arctic Fox), it would be a different story when you make a sharp right out of a tall driveway cutout.

[d3500ram]

It would have to be a really deep dip (depending on length of over hang of course.) I have a trailer with a custom built extended tongue to attach directly to the receiver with the camper mounted. Each situation is different but I have no issues.



The image below is a close-up that appears a little deceiving (the BO jack is not that close.) Interpolate the departure angle and you see how steep a dip it would need to be. It works for me... YMMV.

[Tom_Anderson]

burningman wrote:
Several times I've brought up my better idea of stretching my trailer tongue instead of using a long hitch extension. It's undeniably superior, but someone usually brings up engineering and what is and isn't factory designed for what.

The only problem I see with that (because I've thought of doing the same thing) is that the trailer tongue might hit the bottom of the camper if you go through a deep dip, like out of a driveway or something. Other than that, I agree, it would be a better idea.

BTW, I converted my trailer from surge brakes to electric, which involved cutting off the actuator and welding on a new coupler. So, people might want to stay clear when they see me on the road. 😉