Flatbed Truck Campers

[Every Road Leads Home]

Well I think I finally found my ideal travel rig.  A previous post (The pros and cons of slide in truck campers) got me thinking about the subject.  I have seen a few slide ins put on utility beds or installed on a flatbed with storage boxes to fill in the dead space and then started thinking, why don't they make slide ins for flatbeds.  Quick google search revealed an article in Truckcampermagazine that a survey showed many people would be interested in that option.  And listed a few companies that do produce them. 

More space and less wasted space than a traditional slide in.  And the ability to take it on/off and still have a versatile flatbed truck for other uses like construction work and towing. And the ability to have 4wd is a huge added bonus to me.  I'd love to have a box made and outfit it myself.........much like Speedhighway did on his Peterbuilt.  

Hmm, maybe this type of set up will be in my future one day.  My ideal platform would be on a diesel F450 or 550.  

Truck Camper Magazine article
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/question-of-the-week/flatbed-truck-camper/

Northstar Campers Flatbed only model
http://www.northstarcampers.com/products/hardwall-truck-campers-american-hero

I wonder if more companies will start offering flatbed models? Seems like a great market that hasn't been fully tapped into yet.

 

[BradKW]

I've got a friend with a flatbed Fuso as one of his work trucks. It spends 95% of the time parked. Wonderful thing when it's time to haul a lumber load, but otherwise it's about useless when compared to a normal bed with a utility box.

I'm not saying the idea doesn't have some good merits, just don't overrate the usefulness of a flatbed with the camper off in your calculations...

 

[highdesertranger]

one of my trucks is a service bed the other a flatbed. I find them both quite useable. I don't see how having a regular bed would make them more useable. I think the camper on a 4x4 flatbed is a great idea. basically gives you a 4x4 motor home. then a flatbed when you want it. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I've got a friend with a flatbed Fuso as one of his work trucks. It spends 95% of the time parked. Wonderful thing when it's time to haul a lumber load, but otherwise it's about useless when compared to a normal bed with a utility box.

I'm not saying the idea doesn't have some good merits, just don't overrate the usefulness of a flatbed with the camper off in your calculations...

You could always make a modular set up........when the camper isn't on have boxes that line the flat bed, thus giving you a traditional storage bed in between. I have friends that have converted to flatbeds and none have ever gone back to their originals.  Both kept the factory beds in the backyard a few years then sold them

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Or you could even have an empty box attach the same way as the camper and then have a 4x4 camper, box truck, and flatbed. I think i'm going to work towards this idea.

 

[ArtW]

Hmmmmmmmm

 

[Wanderer]

I have seen many flatbed trucks and always wondered about campers on them....Now that I see it's possible, just have to wait till $10K falls out of the sky to think harder on it

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Ever since getting my slide-in camper (fWC Grandby) I've thought about a flatbed camper.  Too much wasted space in a slide in (clearance for wheelwells and box sides).  I've even thought about putting my current camper on a flatbed and making boxes on the sides for more storage.

Current prices for FWC and ATC flatbed models start at $25,000 for a shell model (and you also need to get a flatbed).  Way too expensive for me.  Don't know if there are any used models on the market (haven't looked).

 -- Spiff

 

[skyl4rk]

How does a truck like this drive?  I assume it will run 55 mph, maybe not faster.  Does it bounce around a lot?  Can you drive it for longer periods of time or is it too tiring to drive long distances?

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/5670575620.html

1966 Chevy 1 Ton Flatbed Truck - $2500 (Rockford, MI)

condition: good
cylinders: 6 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 78000
paint color: red
size: full-size
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: truck

Red 1966 Chevy 1 Ton Flatbed Truck - Virtually no rust. Barn stored every celery season. Newer rear tandem tires and wheels. Good front tires. Large 6 Cylinder with manual transmission including creeper gear. Wooden flat bed in good shape. 70,000 miles. I would just wax it and turn it into a parade truck, antiques car hauler, or set up as an amazing camper! Overall, it is in great shape. The main concern is that does need a ring job to stop burning oil. $2500 or Best Offer. Call or Text me to see it.
show contact info
Russell

 

[highdesertranger]

first on the 1966. whoever I selling it doesn't know what they are talking about. it is not a 1 ton, I tried blowing up the pics to see the emblem on the fender, but it's to blurry. my guess is a deuce or deuce and a half. the also said it needs to be ring job, whaaat if it needs rings the engine needs rebuilding. that truck does look in pretty good shape but trucks of this size and vintage might hit 65mph going downhill with a tailwind. it will be a scary 65 at that. a truck like this will need a complete rebuild front to back. while you are at it you should just put in a 6BT, a 6 speed OD medium truck manual trans(like Baloo did), and if you are going that far just throw a couple of Rockwell military axles on it for a bad ass 4x4. so for about 15-20k you would have one hell of a truck and still need a camper.

now on the camper on the flatbed. if you don't need to use the flatbed I would remove it and build a camper right on the frame. it would have a lower center of gravity and be lighter. highdesertranger

 

[wayne49]

Ever since getting my slide-in camper (fWC Grandby) I've thought about a flatbed camper.  Too much wasted space in a slide in (clearance for wheelwells and box sides).  I've even thought about putting my current camper on a flatbed and making boxes on the sides for more storage.

Current prices for FWC and ATC flatbed models start at $25,000 for a shell model (and you also need to get a flatbed).  Way too expensive for me.  Don't know if there are any used models on the market (haven't looked).

 -- Spiff

A fellow passed by Amargosa Valley with a Fuso that he had bought with just the rails. He had a slide in camper at the back. He had the side boxes from utility trucks (Sandy, Oregon place scraps utility trucks) one on each side under the camper. Then under the over cab, he had a diamond plate box that could house an ATV or a Zodiac. In between the atv box and the camper was a 90 gallon tank for diesel. Additional to the original 30 gal on the rail.

The rig had been from AZ to AK five times and runs great.

I took a picture. I will have to find it on my phone.

 

[DannyB1954]

In California, maybe other places, flatbeds are supposed to go through weigh scales. I don't know if it is enforced, but it is the law there. They will also need to be registered as a commercial vehicle. Getting insurance in some states may be a problem.
I have a 1/2 ton that I made into a flatbed, but it was a pickup truck, and that is how it is registered.

 

[IanC]

Here you go

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/rvs/5707044783.html

 

[highdesertranger]

Fords of that era are notorious for the frame bending when overloaded. you can see that in the second pic. highdesertranger

 

[Marc]

One of my first remembered camper was on flatbed. It was my dads friend that went elk hunting 50 pluse years ago. Flatbed or utility to use that wasted space around camper is great. I grew up on jeep trails that were wagon roads from days gone by. The offroad opportunities for bigger trucks is mind blowing today.

 

[Raven+Squid]

Add a flatbed Grandby FWC to a 4x4 flatbed and you have a sweet go anywhere setup. Get a stripped down Grandby and do the inside yourself.

 

[highdesertranger]

I posted a thread about a U-Haul box going on a 4x4 truck, https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-do-you-want-a-4x4-rv . imo a great way to go. highdesertranger

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

The Overlander's Handbook has a chapter on building a cabin.  Quite a few pages are devoted to the problem of chassis torsion.  There are some pretty elaborate spring mounted sub-frames illustrated as being necessary to prevent your cabin from ripping itself apart from chassis twist.

A search on the words "chassis torsion" on Expedition Portal brought up 18 pages of threads, including this sticky that attempts to bring lots of info from other threads together in one place:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...nd-mounting-campers?highlight=Chassis+torsion

 

[Gunny]

If you can look up BKA on truck camper magazine, Bryan Appleby, he has a really nice setup and stays out year-round. Nice guy and very helpful if you message him.

 

[masterplumber]

Regarding ''chassis torsion'', a simple solution that seems to work, is to do a 2 point mount at the front of the bed, using thick polyurethane mounts. and a center pivoting mount at the rear. Of course you have to engineer these mounts to carry the weight of the bed you are using, including all of the stuff you carry inside.