Which is taller?

[38-72]

Which truck / camp rig is taller (to the top of the camper including roof top equipment) and hauling the same camper:

1. F450 Cab and Chassis with a flat bed, or

2. F450 with pickup style box?

[ticki2]

HMS Beagle wrote:
Look at the upfitter guide, it will tell you everything you need to know. The wheels and wells for them aren't the problem, they are in the same place whether CC or pickup frame. The problem is the frame itself. With wheel wells on the flatbed - and this is certainly not unheard of - you can get it lower, but very hard to get as low as a pickup.

I have not found that to be true . The wheel wells are not in the same place . The CC version has a 60" CA dimension , the pickup version has 56" CA dimensions . Width of frame rails on CC is 34" , on pickup it's 38" . The rear axle on a CC is also narrower by 4" . Knapheide list the floor width on their utility bed for a 1ton dually at 49" for CC and 54" for pickup box delete .

[okan-star]

HMS Beagle wrote:
Even with a custom flatbed, it's pretty hard to keep it as low as a pickup. Look at the profile of the frames in the upfitters manual and you will see why. The CC frame usually has flat rails with no hump over the axle. The crosswise structure has to fit on top of that. The pickup frame has a hump over the axle, and the rails are lower elsewhere. The pickup bed has almost no structure in the area of the hump to keep it as low as possible.

A hauler bed has the bed between the wheel wells and can be as low as a standard bed , especially if its on a CC frame

[HMS_Beagle]

Look at the upfitter guide, it will tell you everything you need to know. The wheels and wells for them aren't the problem, they are in the same place whether CC or pickup frame. The problem is the frame itself. With wheel wells on the flatbed - and this is certainly not unheard of - you can get it lower, but very hard to get as low as a pickup.

[Bedlam]

I thought about a deck with wheel wells but then you need custom boxes under the wings instead of standard dimension ones like mine.

[valhalla360]

38-72 wrote:
Thanks for all the comments!!!

I have another question.

Is there enough room between the inside dually tires on the cab and chassis to allow a camper to sit down between them so it would be closer the frame rails?

This is assuming that a custom flat bed would be designed (if possible) to allow a lower sitting camper

Sure cut out the area around the wheels and mount lower to the frame...then add wheel wells above to protect against debris kicked up by the tires. It won't be a "true flat bed" in the sense that the entire deck is flat but otherwise is very much viable.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1f/07/4b/1f074b7114f10b9671112f5a4f572a38--manual-google-search.jpg

[Reality_Check]

38-72 wrote:
Thanks for all the comments!!!

I have another question.

Is there enough room between the inside dually tires on the cab and chassis to allow a camper to sit down between them so it would be closer the frame rails?

This is assuming that a custom flat bed would be designed (if possible) to allow a lower sitting camper

Sure..anything is possible. But why? I've built a 1/2 dozen beds of various types, and that would be weird..as in, lot's of parts and a lot of work if you wanted it to be strong. Purpose built for only a camper sure, that would be ok...weight on the rails.

But why? Return on investment is where I'm going with that.

[38-72]

Thanks for all the comments!!!

I have another question.

Is there enough room between the inside dually tires on the cab and chassis to allow a camper to sit down between them so it would be closer the frame rails?

This is assuming that a custom flat bed would be designed (if possible) to allow a lower sitting camper

[Bedlam]

Pickup beds are usually around 3' and flat beds are 3.5' due to no wheel wells.

[HMS_Beagle]

Even with a custom flatbed, it's pretty hard to keep it as low as a pickup. Look at the profile of the frames in the upfitters manual and you will see why. The CC frame usually has flat rails with no hump over the axle. The crosswise structure has to fit on top of that. The pickup frame has a hump over the axle, and the rails are lower elsewhere. The pickup bed has almost no structure in the area of the hump to keep it as low as possible.

[okan-star]

I have a flatbed , its 4 3/4" taller

If you have the money get a custom hauler bed , it can be about the same as a standard bed

[Reality_Check]

Quick answer.. yes, flatbed will be taller.

We're 12'8"..

Possible to make it same? sure, but the structure of a flatbed is inherently different because of the assumed use, and, as pointed out, a 'bed' gains overall strength through the quarter panels (think unibody).
Different beasts.

I'd never go back.

[valhalla360]

JIMNLIN wrote:
Fleet Ford specs shows F450 pickup shows 38.3" ground to open tailgate with a small 9900 rawr.

Same specs shows the F450 cab/chassis 34.8" ground to top of the frame rails with a much larger 13660 rawr.
Specs does say these dimension may vary a bit with options

You will have to look at each upfitters bed assy to figure any differences.

Open tailgate should be roughly the same as the bed where the camper bottom sits.

Frame Rails typically sit 6-8" below the top of the rear tires and must be built up such that the bottom of the flatbed sits far enough above the rear tires that the tires do not contact the flatbed when the suspension flexes.

[SidecarFlip]

With a tall TC or roof air and a tall TC, You might be pushing 13'6". Me, I don't like looking up so I run a pop up on my 6 over stock 350.

[Lwiddis]

And the COG moves up. Not what I'd want.