Silverlake Manufacturing does a SWEET custom flatbed!

Skadi · Jul 18, 2012

I decided to step up into SilverLake's newer flatbed design (I had one of the first iteration beds on my truck). I also got lucky enough to be allowed the chance to do some customizing while I was at it!!!

The plan, basic flat bed, add some extra lighting, some custom waterjet cut outs, powdercoat it black and use the ever popular snowmobile track for mudflaps idea!!

The finished product, ohhhh soooo seeexxxyyy!!!:rockon::rockon:

Here is a finished product pic from when I went out dirtbiking the weekend I picked up my truck and bed!

And here is the ENTIRE album on FB Facebook Linky

I've been running the Silverlake set up for over 5 years now. I pretty much brought my first sled deck through them and haven't ever felt the need to get ANYTHING else! The welds are top notch and the design suits the needs and style that us sledheads are looking for, in their flatbeds and their sled decks!

If you have any questions check out their website or feel free to message me directly for any 'user' input (I can't answer technical questions about it really but I can give you my experience with their product over the years!)

Hope you enjoy the pics of my flatbed! I can't wait to do a few more little trick things to it for the upcoming season!

Scott · Jul 18, 2012

Someday....

Oh BTW, didn't you say you were bringing that thing by next time you went to Helena? LOL

cwbyup_22 · Jul 18, 2012

Very nice!!! Someday i would like to have one of those beds on my pickup!!!!!

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

Skadi · Jul 19, 2012

Scott, i said MAYBE!!! I gotta try to line up a dealer in Helena that I could do a show and tell with to make the trip worthwhile. (or rather Mike does!) I go anyway for work but I usually take the commuter car and the extra I'd spend in driving the truck needs to be made worth the trip ya know? Anyone know of dealers in the Helena area who might be interested in something like this? I would pass the information along to Mike; I think he's pretty busy with builds right now but I'm sure If we get him a number he would arrange a show and tell and then I'd arrange to stop and meet you for a little looksie Scott!

Scott · Jul 19, 2012

That's acceptable.

HAHA

Blk88GT · Jul 19, 2012

Where do you put all your gear? Back seat?

Skadi · Jul 20, 2012

I gave a gear bag and my BF has a gear bin.... It's a little more of a hassle to loose your under sled deck storage with the flat bed but honestly I wouldn't trade it for the world! But that's me, the flat bed isn't for everyone! I will say though that my BF hated the idea of the flatbed until he started using it!! now he wouldn't trade it for the world! but, I do have a crew cab so there is tons of room in the back seat! Also, this time around I got the boxes and have dreams of wiring up power into those boxes and putting boot dryers in them so the boots can just live in the truck!

Scott · Jul 20, 2012

I see that Dan Adams has a big metal mesh roof rack on his truck. I saw it in the 509 Volumer 7 teaser.

I think that a rack like that is attached to the headache rack on the flatbead, it would be very cool. AND if it was made to be removeable just by pulling a couple of pins...that would be an option I would take for sure.

Hey.....I just made an idea that I hereby do claim as my own...no infringements are allowed.

Coldfinger · Jul 21, 2012

What do these cost, roughly?

Here is another idea - have an extension under track that can be pulled out once sleds are loaded to go back further under the track to provide more support, reduce weight on front of track/lugs and provide more peace of mind that track is more fully supported.

Skadi · Jul 22, 2012

These are listed on the website. I think base retail on them is 3600. You can add pretty much whatever custom stuff you want but for me personally I don't have so much stuff that I would want the headache rack bag carrier so I wouldn't want it to add to the cost of a base bed ya know? Plus, I have a long box and with the length of the sleds on that deck I have NO issues with concern about it hanging over. I have seen some people with short box beds and 174 tracks... that might concern me! But again, I wouldn't want to add to the base cost of a bed to deal with that in my case cause the average user doesn't usually have an issue! but really, I had mike do some custom stuff for me to suit my needs and he was very flexible with that, however, it will cost ya time and money so it just matters how custom you want to go you know??

but for day to day use and for 95% of the population the beds as they are work perfectly. Same with his sled decks... but yeah, you can always customize something to work just a tiny bit better for YOUR needs!

volcano buster · Jul 22, 2012

Nice Deck!

I would have done a couple things differently.

1. The LED lights on the edges of the fold down bed extender look like they would get smashed when the sides are up. I would move them to the outside of the extender so they are on the bottom when the extender is folded down. Better protected for long life. Or recess them into the tube so they don't get beat up.
2. The rear hitch angle supports need some black rubber bumpers (black in your case) to catch the ramp door when it is opened. In the long run, you will have road grime on both surfaces and they will start to get beat up and rusty over time (I assume this deck is steel).
3. I would put loading lights on the insides of the headache rack supports facing down and in to the deck. I think these would be very helpful when loading at night so you can see attachment points, cover clips, footing, or if you drop something on the deck.
4. I would put a small rubber flap in front of the tire so you don't end up sandblasting the back of the under-deck storage boxes. Again keeping them in good shape for the long run.
5. I like light. I would mount a small utility type light on the top of the headache rack on each side to illuminate the down the side of the truck. Very nice when loading in the dark.

Just my thoughts, enjoy your new deck.

VB

Mafesto · Jul 22, 2012

Nice.
Looks SO MUCH BETTER than a deck!

Skadi · Jul 22, 2012

just one quick FYI, I added the lights on the top of the fold up pieces because I wanted them on the VERY outside edge when I had those down. I get sketched passing truckers in the middle of the night when I'm really hauling on the the long trips... Honestly, even having them is a little overkill and required some custom work. Like I said, everyone likes different stuff so you can TOTALLY customize it to YOUR taste from a base bed, I personally don't want my bed TOO lit up and am willing to add things if I need/want them. I agree with Mike's decision to keep the basics bed meeting your needs and any custom stuff being up to you after that....

oh, and add gripper tape, that sandy stuff, to the rear bumper so that I can step on it and hop on the deck without having it be slippery at all! did that on my last flat bed and BRILLIANT! loved it!

SLDHVN · Jul 31, 2012

Emily, got any pics of the hidden gooseneck?

Skadi · Aug 1, 2012

You on FB?? Mike has a TON of pics on FB....

clicky

Skadi · Aug 1, 2012

Volcano... I have some other thoughts on customization and lighting but I want to be able to turn the lights on/off as I need them. I also want to wire up boot dryers in my side boxes so that when my truck is running my boots are drying! I think that will be KILLER but right now I HATE MY TRUCK and have some issues with it (but am stuck with it for the time being) so I might not want to mess with the electrical. Every now and then it has major electrical issues...

Plus, I might not be able to afford to get all of that stuff done the way I want it so I might wait.. but anyone else can take this idea and run with it!

Good idea on protecting the boxes, I'll have to look into a way to do that...

volcano buster · Aug 4, 2012

In a previous life I was an avid light collector, switched individually. It all takes time and money. I'll be curious to hear how the boot dryer works out though.

Scott · Sep 1, 2014

Yeah, I can already tell I'll add gripper take to the bumper.
Volcano, the rubber fender lumber is a great idea. I totally get what you mean by that.

Kcjepperson · Oct 6, 2014

Or you can borrow your buddies aluminum welder and go to town and design and build your own low deck bed, custom built to haul sleds

LoudHandle · Oct 6, 2014

Skadi said:
Volcano... I have some other thoughts on customization and lighting but I want to be able to turn the lights on/off as I need them. I also want to wire up boot dryers in my side boxes so that when my truck is running my boots are drying! I think that will be KILLER but right now I HATE MY TRUCK and have some issues with it (but am stuck with it for the time being) so I might not want to mess with the electrical. Every now and then it has major electrical issues... Plus, I might not be able to afford to get all of that stuff done the way I want it so I might wait.. but anyone else can take this idea and run with it!

Good idea on protecting the boxes, I'll have to look into a way to do that...

Skadi, Unless the boxes have some ventilation to let the moist air out. All you will have are warm wet boots. Most truck boxes are sealed well enough they are water traps from just condensation. I grew up in your neck of the woods so it may well be drier than I remember, having been in a coastal Alaskan climate for 35 years now. Although I like the thought, but making it a reality may well prove difficult to accomplish, at least on the cheap. FWIW

Silverlake Manufacturing does a SWEET custom flatbed!

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