Question for a Friend (F550 Crew Cab)

[Furaites]

Good day folks,
My friend has a 2017 F550 Crew cab & Chassis (84" CA, 204" Wheel base, and 289" length overall). He is curious about getting a custom box built for the back of this so him and his wife can do some light off roading with a comfortable camper built on the back. He does not want an Over the cab design, and does not much like having a standard truck camper. He is planning on having a subframe with a torsion free mount, but where he hangs up and can not find much answer is How big of a box can he put on it (Safely) without stretching the frame? Should he stick to a 10' Box, or is he safe with a 12' or 14' box?

Insight on this would be appreciated, as unfortunately in the backwaters of Newfoundland we do not have to many with practical knowledge.

 

[CodyY]

That chassis will essentially handle whatever you want to put on it.

Whatever fits, fits.

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[Furaites]

I understand the chassis can handle it, but for example....if he put a 14’ box on it, roughly 10 is on the frame, and 4’ isn’t. Worried about the unsupported overhang of the box/subframe

 

[CodyY]

Not to be too curt, but as a fabricator, the answer is always time and money.

Anything can be done, but there's so many variables that can't be properly covered here without measurements, design requirements, intended usage, weights, and budgeting

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[Furaites]

Fair enough

 

[Furaites]

Well then, I will talk with him and see if we can give better ideas of what is desired, and what he has available to work with

 

[Furaites]

So, after talking to him more, and some long hours. He would like a 15’ total composite box on a 15’ subframe, then attached to the chassis via 3 pt mount. Is it safe to do so with out extending the frame?

 

[Victorian]

Allow me to chip in:

Ford has truck body builders guide available online. In there they will give you very specific dimensions about possible truck body sizes. I'm not 100% sure how they calculate this but there are different height and width restrictions based on the engine size.

 

[Furaites]

Thanks

 

[Furaites]

Alrighty boys and girls...so anyone know some reliable suppliers of FRP skins, epoxies and sandwich core material for the east coast of Canada .... he has looked at predone boxes, but shipping gets ridiculous

 

[Victorian]

Alrighty boys and girls...so anyone know some reliable suppliers of FRP skins, epoxies and sandwich core material for the east coast of Canada .... he has looked at predone boxes, but shipping gets ridiculous

So he is willing to safe on shipping by re inventing the wheel and hoping it will last?

 

[Furaites]

@Victorian After reading over this forum time and time again I have read numerous posts and threads about people building their own Composite Sandwich Panels, and their own boxes. Why do you feel the need to come off as insulting here?

 

[Superduty]

There are quite a few 16 foot box trucks HERE. Fifteen feet on an F550 should be no problem, so long as the subframe he builds is adequate and it is affixed properly to the truck frame.

 

[Victorian]

@Victorian After reading over this forum time and time again I have read numerous posts and threads about people building their own Composite Sandwich Panels, and their own boxes. Why do you feel the need to come off as insulting here?

I'm sorry if I came across the wrong way. My apologies. Good luck with everything.

 

[Buliwyf]

As you can clearly see, a short box on a 550 has a ton of room. Especially if the bed is convertible into a dinette. I would suggest right side entry like an RV. Keep all of your weight in front of the rear axle, and you can go as long as you'd like. But I wouldn't go any longer than the above pic. Fresh water tank, propane, and batteries should be as close to the front wall as possible.


Total Composites has nice kits. No idea on pricing.