2500hd truck bed

[Ihfan4life]

8 hours ago, stronger800 said:

300-400k trucks don’t exist in the northeast. Essentially. 
 

200k’s pushing it 

My ‘09 is around 180,000 and I don’t want to put a lot of money into it, yet it still has some life as a farm truck… the dilemma is once you start, where do you stop?

[yellowrosefarm]

https://harrisonburg.craigslist.org/pts/d/capon-bridge-silverado-ft-bed-no-rust/7900100182.html

[hobbyfarm]

11 hours ago, stronger800 said:

Wow that is impressive.  
Also for the tank brackets/supports and the spare tire thing to have (presumably rotted off) but the rest of the frame to be that good still. I still think I’d just patch it up. 
you could  add irons and put tailgate hinges back on if you wanted too.

 

Yes rotted badly.  The spare tire mounts to that crossmember and helps to make it a collector and cause rust.  I never put the spare tire back on after replacing the cross member.  On a 95 ram the tire actually fell off on me once.  Luckily it was off road and not going down the highway.  They was actually someone killed locally a few years back when I spare tire came off a pickup and caused a wreck for the car following.

[stronger800]

I remove my spare tires and oil undercoat those brackets from new, yearly, but I’ve been told I’m a bit OCD too

[hillman]

4 minutes ago, stronger800 said:

I remove my spare tires and oil undercoat those brackets from new, yearly, but I’ve been told I’m a bit OCD too

you sound like me. I don't mind driving older trucks but I won't drive rot box junkers or banged up trucks

 

little hijack( sorry hobbyfarmer)

local guy sells new take off boxes and southern boxes. He has put newer boxes(14-19) on the 07-13 style trucks and they look great

[hardtail]

11 hours ago, yellowrosefarm said:

https://harrisonburg.craigslist.org/pts/d/capon-bridge-silverado-ft-bed-no-rust/7900100182.html

This would be the cheapest option

[New Englander]

It seems most new PUs have only 6' boxes. something that puzzles me as I find a short bed useless. Perhaps I'm just seeing the what the locals buy with 4 doors to haul the trash out or tow the boat. 

Yeah, a good takeoff would be my way, a flat bed is attractive  but pricy too.

[Ihfan4life]

52 minutes ago, New Englander said:

It seems most new PUs have only 6' boxes. something that puzzles me as I find a short bed useless. Perhaps I'm just seeing the what the locals buy with 4 doors to haul the trash out or tow the boat. 

Yeah, a good takeoff would be my way, a flat bed is attractive  but pricy too.

Suburban warriors… gotta have a pickup but need a parking lot queen.

The big pickups just don’t fit in a lot of parking lots, aka shopping plazas or movie theaters.

My ‘09 is a 6’-5”box. My ‘21 is a touch bigger at 6’-8”(?) I miss the 8 foot boxes but in reality these serve me well.

Both extended cabs. The ‘09 has suicide rear doors that close at the front door strike plate, meaning there is no center post. The ‘21 is a true 4 door cab. As you would expect it seals so much better than the older truck.

[oleman]

We  have an old  93 Suburban with the 8600# hauling capacity. With the 3 row removed and the 2 second row folded down. There is 9' length  of enclosed space, with the full sized spare inside.  We use 2 bumper pull trailers, and enclosed 2 axle 9000 LB  utility toy hauler and a 2 axle 7000LB   flat deck for the tractor.

The sub weighs 6700# with tools and misc loaded, with muscle and mass, makes a fine trailer puller on and off road with it's 4 X 4 chassis, manually shifted transfer case, 10.5" differential with 4.11 gears, FFRE, 4L80 4 speed and a 454 CI engine 2 ac units and 2 heaters.  It is the only 8 lug Sub 4 X 4  that I have seen in years. 

Our other vehicle is a purchased new, Nissan Versa, in 2013 with 34,000 miles on it today. 100 CI engine automatic 4 doors and a pass to park in any space anywhere.

[hardtail]

2 hours ago, New Englander said:

It seems most new PUs have only 6' boxes. something that puzzles me as I find a short bed useless. Perhaps I'm just seeing the what the locals buy with 4 doors to haul the trash out or tow the boat. 

Yeah, a good takeoff would be my way, a flat bed is attractive  but pricy too.

Many boxes now are even smaller, I always say the cabs got bigger and the boxes smaller, a shortbox was 6'6" now they call it standard box, I liked it on my ext cab but as a working truck I value an 8' box, they are a pain to park, stalls have gotten smaller, I walk further than most when I shop 

[New Englander]

3 hours ago, Ihfan4life said:

Suburban warriors… gotta have a pickup but need a parking lot queen.

The big pickups just don’t fit in a lot of parking lots, aka shopping plazas or movie theaters.

My ‘09 is a 6’-5”box. My ‘21 is a touch bigger at 6’-8”(?) I miss the 8 foot boxes but in reality these serve me well.

Both extended cabs. The ‘09 has suicide rear doors that close at the front door strike plate, meaning there is no center post. The ‘21 is a true 4 door cab. As you would expect it seals so much better than the older truck.

Yeah, mine is 8’ on an extended cab. Parking can be sketchy.

[jeeper61]

A flat bed will stiffen up the rear frame as well 

Like Hiller said best to start with the flat bed before the truck gets to many miles that way the take off stock bed still has good value to offset some of the flatbed purchase 

[iowaboy1965]

I'd jump on that box yellow rose farm found and chose some more aggressive tires for better traction and call it a day.

[Chester5732]

On 12/27/2025 at 6:40 PM, hobbyfarm said:

Traction, stability, flat beds look much better with duals.  Given most of our vehicles we arent flashy and looks dont matter.  We have a 2wd 3500 dually cab and chassis.  Crazy the difference the duals make in traction.  The truck in the picture will get stuck pulling a hay trailer in soft ground very easily. 

I have the same truck in black fitted with Yokohama geolanders and have never had an issue with getting stuck in mud or snow. 

[sandhiller]

Some boxes that I have stiffened up over the years.

In every instance they outlasted the pickup. As I had to go to the boneyard to get these pics

No flatbeds on these as they were $500;pickups and I just run em till they died

[hobbyfarm]

14 hours ago, Chester5732 said:

I have the same truck in black fitted with Yokohama geolanders and have never had an issue with getting stuck in mud or snow. 

Bringing bales in on soft ground.  Just the truck is fine by itself. 

[hobbyfarm]

6 hours ago, sandhiller said:

Some boxes that I have stiffened up over the years.

In every instance they outlasted the pickup. As I had to go to the boneyard to get these pics

No flatbeds on these as they were $500;pickups and I just run em till they died

Thanks.  Used to be 80s Fords galore for under $1000 here.  Long gone now. 

[1256pickett]

8-10 years ago I had an 08 ford that the cross members of the box had rotted out. Spent 3-4 months trying to figure out what to do. Wanted a flatbed but couldn’t justify it for what life the truck had left (ny road salt). Went to a consignment sale and saw a flatbed frame that needed a new wood deck. That’ll work. Then saw a solid steel flatbed also. I bought it for $150. The frame sold after for $10 but this way I had less work to get it going. Moral of the story is keep your eyes open. I never thought id find a good used flatbed to buy. Especially that cheep. 

[stronger800]

Sandhiller:  The original Stifmeister?

[forwhldrv]

Ha ha reading this I am looking to replace my 2002 2500 I bought new it has had skins on the rockers for almost 8 years now they look like they getting ready to rot through again the Bedliner covers up the holes in the back for now the tailgate holds the bed sides from flopping around. There isn’t much left for crossmembers from the cab back I have a couple straps around the gas tank incase the straps finally let go. But it has been paid off since 05. I am looking for a replacement for it but the prices of used trucks is ridiculous for what’s out there and the amount of trucks for sale with the truck side of the plow is ridiculous or it’s got a snowplow on it that’s worth more than the truck. I’d like to find a 3/4ton gas hub not completely rotted out and without 250k miles on it for around 10-12k. The amount of extra cans or crew cabs is ridiculous I really don’t want to be trying to plow my driveway with a crew cab  8’ bed truck. I like my regular cab 8’ bed truck. I have a 21 crew cab gmc duramax I try not to run in the winter or just back and forth to work to park in a dusty dirty gravel pit. I have looked at a few flat bed trucks with aluminum flatbeds on them then wondered how much weight it would need to just drive around with a 8’ plow hanging on the front. Don’t even get me started on the whole V plow thing I’ve never used one  but every other thing that seems to be for sale with a v plow  it seems like a lot of extra moving parts and weight that isn’t necessary we don’t get 2-3’ of snow regularly so I don’t see the use of the V  everyone says they are good in scoop mode for cleanup  but I’ve always used a power angle Straight blade plow and done fine. 

[New Englander]

16 hours ago, forwhldrv said:

regular cab 8’ bed truck

I like an extended cab just to be able to keep my stuff dry not for the seats. I also want an 8' bed. They seem to be unicorns. I got real lucky with my latest one. I had been searching every where and willing to travel but local dealer came up with a '13 with 10k on it and a hardly scratched bed. I paid full book on it but it was way cheaper than a new one. That was probably four or five years ago. It still has less than 60k on it and looks good. Previous one was an '04 I found on Ebay. I recognized the dealer name from when I was based in PHL. I bought it, got a $100 ticket, they picked me up, it was exactly as represented, and I drove it home. It was a good truck but the rockers and cab corners were going and I decided I could afford something newer.

I wouldn't put a plow on it 'cause it's too long. I put a 9' on my C60 with chains on it and maybe 5 tons of stone in the back for my wife to use while I was on the road. It turns way better than my PU. Since retirement I plow with my loader and don't even bother to put the plow on the dump truck.

Look for retired fleet vehicles to find an 8' regular cab 2500. They seem to be the only buyers of them now. 

[forwhldrv]

2 minutes ago, New Englander said:

I like an extended cab just to be able to keep my stuff dry not for the seats. I also want an 8' bed. They seem to be unicorns. I got real lucky with my latest one. I had been searching every where and willing to travel but local dealer came up with a '13 with 10k on it and a hardly scratched bed. I paid full book on it but it was way cheaper than a new one. That was probably four or five years ago. It still has less than 60k on it and looks good. Previous one was an '04 I found on Ebay. I recognized the dealer name from when I was based in PHL. I bought it, got a $100 ticket, they picked me up, it was exactly as represented, and I drove it home. It was a good truck but the rockers and cab corners were going and I decided I could afford something newer.

I wouldn't put a plow on it 'cause it's too long. I put a 9' on my C60 with chains on it and maybe 5 tons of stone in the back for my wife to use while I was on the road. It turns way better than my PU. Since retirement I plow with my loader and don't even bother to put the plow on the dump truck.

Look for retired fleet vehicles to find an 8' regular cab 2500. They seem to be the only buyers of them now. 

Yup that’s what I’m finding and of course everything is white 

[hobbyfarm]

12 hours ago, forwhldrv said:

Yup that’s what I’m finding and of course everything is white 

Don't forget the orange ones.😂  Hauled this ugly thing home awhile back.  Not sure why looking back.

[Wes806]

On 12/30/2025 at 2:02 PM, forwhldrv said:

Don’t even get me started on the whole V plow thing I’ve never used one  but every other thing that seems to be for sale with a v plow

I plowed lots from 1996 to 2007 with straight blades.  In 2007 I brought a 8"2 Boss v-plow still have it and I just used it this morning. It is good for cleanup in scoop. THat blade is now on it's 6 th pickup truck.   5 Ford trucks and a Dodge dually.  The hoses I replaced once and changed oil in it..   To be be honest it has been a great plow and has cut my time down in places  but this summer I ought to start welding up some rust holes on it.   Mine is all steel.

[B.B.]

Southern Indiana