can my truck bed rails hold a sled bed ok?

shmuckaluck · Dec 29, 2010

Hey guys,
Just wondering if anybody has had any problems with laying a sled bed right on top of your truck bed rails with out the fame support in the bed? Im sure they would be strong enough but thought I would ask people.

Extreme-One · Dec 29, 2010

I wouldn't do it, saw a truck that way a few years ago and he hit a small bump and totally screwed up the rails and bed of his truck, not mention the deck about came off. Depending on the deck and sleds but you would have close to 1600 - 2000 lbs on the rails and they are not meant for that kind of weight.

Hardass · Dec 29, 2010

I would think if they were bolted down good on each side you would probably be ok.

jskattum606 · Dec 29, 2010

I built a sled bed that sits on my bed rails and it works great. 3 seasons and no problems

doodah · Dec 29, 2010

I wouldnt do it, even if you did bolt it down to your rails there is no lateral stability, your relying on your bed sides to hold that deck and two sleds in place. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

Blk88GT · Dec 29, 2010

doodah said:
I wouldnt do it, even if you did bolt it down to your rails there is no lateral stability, your relying on your bed sides to hold that deck and two sleds in place. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

x2!!

jwentzer · Dec 29, 2010

Heck No!!

I wouldn't!!! Sure you might get lucky and it last few years, but for as thin as the sheet metal is that they use now days, I would not trust it. Bump in the road, or better yet something we've all down, spin out on ice and go into the ditch side ways. That alone would cave you bed rails with that amount of weight on it.

One thing I've always wanted to try: I have a fifth wheel camper I pull in the summer. There are two horizontal braces that run paralled to each other on my bed. They are hooked to the frame, I would like to build a bracket/ frame for a sled bed that mounts into these. I think it would work, with a little engineering.

shmuckaluck · Dec 29, 2010

Hey guys,
Ya thats kinda what I was thinking. I kept picturing my self driving down the road and going around a corner and watching my bed rails folding over from the weight. Just having some trailer troubles and getting desperate with finding ways to get my sleds up to the mountains for the new years weekend. If I didn't sell every good trailer I have, for something else I want, I wouldn't be having these head aches.

smoking_powerstroke · Dec 29, 2010

Marathon sled decks switched to using this kind of deck and it makes no sense to me. I would NOT trust having that much weight on the bed rails. Like jwentzer said the sheet metal is too thin.

farwest · Dec 29, 2010

The ouside skins on my truck are plastic,I cant see just the inside of the box walls being tough enough.:face-icon-small-sho

sledheadd · Dec 29, 2010

My buudy had one on a ford years ago and he had to get the box welded up as the deck caused cracks.

thinksnow · Dec 29, 2010

I have seen many truck beds crack just from the weight of a toolbox being mounted on the rails in the front of the bed. Not something I would ever consider. It's not that hard to put some bracing down and accross the inside of the bed. It could even be a bolt on bracing. Having the piece of mind would be worth the little added cost and weight.

roughrider99 · Dec 29, 2010

i think that kind of weight is like a person standing on a pop can... It can be done but lean to one side or put at dent in the box and it shall collapse.

Wheel House Motorsports · Dec 29, 2010

drive a ford.. they are built nice..

IMO it really depends on what kinda sleds your throwin on it and how you build the deck... 2 stock apex's or two xps/pro's etc.. you could go from just over 1000# total to close to 2k in a hurry with how the deck is built and what your slappin on the sucker.

I have no problem with the idea, I see guys driving around EVERY day with huge ladder racks on there trucks that I know weight more then a light deck and 2 sleds... just saying, think of what other people put on them. just because the stuff on ladder racks is not sleds, it doesnt seem heavy, but start stacking boards/pipes on there.. she adds up fast.

it is pretty easy to throw some bracing down thought..

shmuckaluck · Dec 30, 2010

Hey guys,
I do drive a ford, 2000 F350. Ya I have seen it also, but I'm just not real comfortable, its just my 2008 dragon 163 and my daughters 2000 ZR600.

Wheel House Motorsports · Dec 30, 2010

seen it done for many miles on almost identical truck... and bigger sleds... Turnbuckle it into the bed well..

if you are really worried thought, I think it took me like 2 hours and $50 to add the legs under my deck, so not really a large investment for the peice of mind.

TRS · Dec 30, 2010

Had two years on mine with turnbuckles and noticed cracks in the bed (2003 GMC dually) added legs last year.

Rixster · Jan 2, 2011

have you seem how beds are built these days ? They are glued together.

chernoble · Jan 3, 2011

had a steel deck on my 94 f-150 for 2 years. NEVER a problem. It's all in the build of the deck and the truck it's bolted to. With that said, I sold it to get an aluminum one that fit's in the box, easier to take-off and I wanted slide outs.

Here is my old one fitted to the bed rails....

Flange · Jan 3, 2011

For years now, we've been holding down our decks with turnbuckles which are fastened to the box rails. So why wouldn't the rails be strong enough to support a deck?

can my truck bed rails hold a sled bed ok?

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