Fleet flat bed vs Fleet reg bed

[shauniscndn]

Ok so a quick ? For anyone with a fleet or a fleet with a flat bed, did the flat bed give much more interior space so as to justify the flatdeck on the truck. Curious as both campers have my interest peaked.

& further for those with out flatdeck how many commute or DD with the camper on fulltime

 

[Martyn]

Loads more room in a Flatbed, plus a great floor plan. This album may help you make your mind up.

https://www.facebook.com/148004878564175/photos/?tab=album&album_id=610601772304481

Full disclosure, we are the Arizona dealer for Four Wheel Campers, we do more flatbed build than any other Four Wheel Camper outlet.

 

[ericvs]

My setup might be a bit different than what you are thinking, but I would def. do a flatbed again if I was doing a camper. I have full size storage boxes on each side of my setup, which I wouldn't get with a regular bed. I didn't end up with more interior space, but def gained tons of storage, which didn't force us to put stuff in the camper.

 

[adam88]

One problem with the flatbed is the increased height and center of gravity. For instance, the FWC flatbed that Martyn posted is really nice but it does sit higher due to the higher flatbed. It's not a deal breaker but it will cause a vehicle to handle a little worse. I personally like the idea of getting the heavy items in a camper (batteries, water tanks, etc) as low as possible to the truck frame and as far forward as possible.

 

[IdaSHO]

The COG seems to always crop up in these types of threads.

While it is true, that a standard bed floor is a bit lower than a traditional flatbed floor, Ill argue that the COG of a flatbed model could be just as or even lower than that of fleetside.

You simply have more options for placing things down low.

With a traditional bed, your options are seriously limited.

Quite often heavy things like the LP tank, and appliances like the water heater and fridge, as well as outside stowage compartments are mounted well above the bed rails, or behind the rear axle in the back wall due to lack of space.


With a flatbed, you can place them ALL down low if needed, and have much more control over front-rear and side-side weight distribution.

 

[Terra Ops]

Another thing to keep in mind is the even disbursement over the flat bed itself. Regular beds have the weight focused between the wheel wells, then go up and out.
Interstate 40 between TN and NC snakes through the Blue Ridge mountains. While my flat bed camper is over 3000 #'s, I can leave most cars behind on this stretch of Interstate.
Definitely love the space and versatility a flat bed offers.

 

[shauniscndn]

Thanks for the info - appreciated muchly

 

[IdaSHO]

I made a trip into the local les schwab today and saw the typical over-weight 1-ton with a huge Arctic Fox loaded up.

He was there having the batteries replaced


And sure enough, yet another HEAVY item that is stored above the bed rails.

The batteries were on a slide, but being that heavy and a good 5' off the ground the owner and the tire monkey had some serious fun removing the batteries. :Wow1:

 

[CBone]

Having run a Finch, which is the shortbed version of a Fleet, for several years, thousands of miles and three of us camping all over the west, the living space you get in the Flatbed can't be beat. There's a ton of room for storage, as well which you'll find you want. Additionally, with the dinette at the other end of the camper, you have advantages that the regular bed camper doesn't provide. In fact, the flatbed is so great, and since Toyota makes and sells a lot more short bed Tacomas, I'm wondering why FWC hasn't made a slightly shorter flatbed camper for those us with shortbed trucks.

 

[calicamper]

I recall reading that FWC really liked the Flatbed design given it let them position the heavy stuff farther forward in the camper, further improving the weight distribution that is typically a big challenge with slide in campers. Given pop up campers like FWC dont carry weight up high I think COG height is far far less of an issue regardless of slide in vs Flatbed. I would argue larger tires and taller suspension have a far far larger negative effect than the Flat bed sitting over the rear tires vs slide in between the tires.

 

[PhilipE]

I have had many flatbeds of different MFG's. All of them only raised bed height 3" to 4" depending on who made it. A quality flatbed gives you better options that a P/U (peeeuuu) bed will never give. Skirted with lower boxes means you can drop all heavy items below frame height. You have full width to work on the camper instead of fight a set of 4' inner wheel wells. Remember those wells control how the inside of a camper is layed out. With a P/U bed you loose all the area around the wheel wells do to no access. So your hauling items in the camper.

This bed raised the floor 3" over the original peeuuu bed. I normally have about 400 lbs of misc items in those 5 tool boxes with most of it in the lower boxes.



Remember you pay for what you get with a flatbed. If you want cheap buy one with no boxes. It isn't much better than a peeuuu bed other than its wider. Add skirts and boxes and the bed becomes use full.

Also remember on a flatbed. It is self cleaning. If it isn't strapped down it is gone. :agree:

 

[Freebird]

Is the flatbed lower on a cab chassis, or a PU with the bed removed?
To clearify, lower in relation to the ground with stock suspension and stock tires.
If so, approx how much difference?
I have a guess, but figure someone out there KNOWS.....

 

[PhilipE]

A C&C is a different animal. Most later models have flat frame rails compared to a pickup having a frame made to fit the bed. C&C are normaly sprung heavier. On C&C's you need to lock in on a model to do any comparision. Finding a C&C 4x4 is like looking for hens teeth. Very few made and on the market.

On my model truck a C&C the frame height is the same as the P/U model. The flat frame rails mean you do not have to space the bed higher to clear a unlevel frame the P/U use.

The deck height on my bed is 41". I have a 3" lift in the front. I use my air ride to level the rear. I my chassis had been a C&C the bed would have been at least 3" lower.

 

[PhilipE]

Now another thing to think about. A flatbed will stiffen up the rear of the truck. With a P/U bed the frame and bed will flex around some off road. With 1k+ flatbed mounted in 4 to 6 places. The frame looses it flex capability. It becomes a stiff member. Which means your ride will suffer some. The designers made everything in a package. The flatbed moves the chassis out of that design package a little for a P/U chassis.

BTW a aluminum flatbed with no tool boxes makes the ride rougher. It weights less than a P/U bed.

 

[Freebird]

Hey, thanks Philip!