Well this is pretty dumb, but I found a 12 foot Reading flatbed for basically free. It would need some new wood, and lights, but thats a perfect opportunity to put LEDs on it. Question is how ridiculous would this bed be on my truck. I think be a full 7 feet sticking back behind the wheels. 144" - 58" cab axle length. Seems like it'd be a little bit too hokey... and not safe.

 

Your rear would be swinging like a school bus...

 

If it is otherwise good, it is very little work to bob one off to a shorter length.

Look it over and decide if it is easier to shorten it from the front, or the rear.

Cut off whichever end, cut off the un-needed length, and weld the end back on.

Put a tread-plate deck on it and burn the wood in the stove.

 

http://www.bradfordbuilt.com/

Check these guys out for flatebeds, this is who I am going to go with here in a few months when business slows down and I get some time. Have seen these up close and they are NICE and very well built. There is a mchine shop here in Cody that quoted me a price of 1800 i believe. Another 200 for the wiring harness and 500 for the install (which i will do myself ). Comes with the gooseneck built into the flatbed (most do I believe) and an important one to me is that the rear is a bumper built in already.

 

You were right, the goodyears SUCK. Less than 2500 miles on them, lost a 28" chunk of tread yesterday on the highway, while pulling a dump trailer. I've got the worst luck with tires. The Kumho road ventures that I put on in February, with 19,000 miles on them now, are shot. Lost the first two when they failed, at the beginning of this thread, and the other two are out of tread. Replaced all four Fing tires yesterday (Saturday, 4:30 pm, of course) with E rated Dueler Revos for the winter, as I won't be towing as much. Gonna either buy a dually or convert mine next spring, I'm sick of losing tires all the time. I did spend the $$ to get a garuntee on these new tires, if they fail for any reason they'll replace or repair for free. We'll just see about that one, they're probably gonna regret that policy, with my history.

I'm putting solid tires on it from now on. Or XXX rated tractor trailer tires, one.

 

I think you're going to be surprisingly happy with those Bridgestone Revos. I LOVE mine.

 

good grief! sure sounds like you need a dually.

for the cost of conversion, especially if you throw in a flat bed.
you're much better off purchase a different truck already modded to flat bed with duallys.

I've notice low miles flat bed duallys sell for much less than regular 3/4 or 1 ton CTD's. you see em on autotraders all the time. usually listed at 30%+ less money than stock with low miles to boot.

 

Check out the pics of what happened to my truck when my goodyear Wrangler bit the dust.

10 ply tire............

The pic is in my gallery.

 

I think too many folks blame tires when tire failure are thier own fault. How many times have we heard "Uh, I just hauled 40,000 pounds 12,000 miles,and these sorry good for nothing tires just blew up and messed my truck all up."

Hmm. Should we ask if the tires we're rated for what they were asked to carry? Did they have enough air in them? Have they been driven thru the woods a week earlyier over stumps and through creek bottoms?

Sorry folks, but tires are wear items. you have to watch them and religously maintain them. You have to know thier limits.

"For free tires, the Goodyears were fine (mine were Zamboni take offs) " Is this someone saying they got free tires from and ice scrapping machine?

Tires do fail, no doubt, but I just think more failures are blamed on the tire instead of the user, where the blame should really be going.

 

The goodyears suck bad. This cannot be overstated. I agree that the kumhos are a wear item, they wore slap out in 19,000 miles. I'm switching to duals, and I sure ain't running either brand ever again.

 

Well...... Given that my 10 ply rated tire, at proper inflation with 40% +++ tread wear remaining came seperated from the case on an EMPTY truck at highway speed!!! wailing the snot out of the side of the box, putting the truck into a skid, nearly rupturing the fuel tank etc etc.

Meanwhile the case from which the tread seperated was still, fully in tact un dammaged and holding air at proper inflation pressure.

Since this tire was returned to Good Year's Dayton Ohio Lab for analysis and they cut me a cheque for dammages. I'm pretty sure it was the tire's fault.



Tires aren't supposed to do that.

Oh yeah, the tire had been in service for... 15 months?


Go to my gallery and check out the pick of the offending tire I have on there......

 

I second the bradford built flatbed!

 

Looks very nice and pricey $$$

 

I agree. Saw someone sell them (new I think) on ebay for under $2000.