Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey Guys and Gals,
I thought I would share my bed build with you and ask for any suggestions in the process.
As stated in the title, I already have a CM Flatbed mounted onto my truck so considering the fact that I do not have the time to build a full bed like I would like to, I am just going to use this bed and build out of it. I just finished a staircase/handrail job for a fire station here in Utah with my flatbed and the underbed boxes that came stock with the bed. To say the least, I struggled with organization and staying efficient on that job because I just wasn't set up to work off of my truck at that time.

You can see in the Sketchup drawings, I have built this around my beds current dimensions.
-I am not a huge fan of reels for my leads so on the passenger side of the bed at the front i will have a roll out "shelf' that I can hang my leads, extension cords, and torch hoses on. This also gives me the possibility to lock things up while out on the road.
- My Oxygen Bottle will go underneath the lead cabinet.
-You can see a small 4" X 10" compartment next to my Oxygen cabinet on the passenger side. That is just for scrap steel on jobs.
- Next to the scrap bin and behind the Lincoln Ranger MPX is two pipes dropped below the bed for Acetylene and either Argon or mix depending on the job.
- The larger/taller cabinet at the front of the drivers side will be for all of my PPE, Helmets, gloves, etc....
- There are symetrical boxes on the rear of each side. The very rear of the two drop below the bed almost the full depth of the skirt.
- The front of the two boxes only sits on top of the original bed as to not obstruct the wheel well.
- All four of the original side/underbody boxes will be removed and capped on the outside. they are just built to a weird size and i have yet to find a combination that fits in them comfortably.

I am sure i missed some things but if you have any questions or can think of anything that I should look into let me know!

Nice CAD drawings! Even if it is just Sketchup.

nice drawings. You stated that the rear compartments are deep...I couldn't get around that, due to being short on one end. Can you connect them across the rear of the bed and keep long bars in there and keep the symetrical boxes all the same depth thru the top? I like how you planned to have the slide for leads, etc and ability to lock 'em up. I just hate when stuff "walks".

I wouldn't abandon the skirt side boxes, storage is essential on a work truck. I helped my buddy build out his work truck with a prefab bed, skirt boxes. We also installed boxes on top at the rear on the sides as you have, difference is they open outward, not up. Shelf running length wise. He used reels on both sides of the truck for his work leads and electrical extension cords. Other side has his Oxy setup with reels

His argon, extra oxygen or MIG bottles run flat behind his bed in channel rails. This makes the entire interior of his bed "cargo space". We added a removable tailgate made from ally box tube with perforated screen that drops in between the boxes if he needs to keep small prebuilt or material from sliding off the bed.

A plug-in receiver for a pipe roller in the end of the skirt, and the stock hitch received his Job slides into (we mounted in on a frame with outdoor casters.

Quick connects for his gas leads and torch setup, and he has not has a single issue. All boxes lock up and are weather tight. Those side skirt boxes? He stores 50# tins of stick rods in them. And large Bessies.

Oscar wrote:Nice CAD drawings! Even if it is just Sketchup.

I try not to get to crazy. If I need stamped drawings I will just pay to have them done. I do find that drawing everything up in sketch-up first helps me find any possible issues that i may run into while building things. Thanks!!!

cj737 wrote:I wouldn't abandon the skirt side boxes, storage is essential on a work truck. I helped my buddy build out his work truck with a prefab bed, skirt boxes. We also installed boxes on top at the rear on the sides as you have, difference is they open outward, not up. Shelf running length wise. He used reels on both sides of the truck for his work leads and electrical extension cords. Other side has his Oxy setup with reels

His argon, extra oxygen or MIG bottles run flat behind his bed in channel rails. This makes the entire interior of his bed "cargo space". We added a removable tailgate made from ally box tube with perforated screen that drops in between the boxes if he needs to keep small prebuilt or material from sliding off the bed.

A plug-in receiver for a pipe roller in the end of the skirt, and the stock hitch received his Job slides into (we mounted in on a frame with outdoor casters.

Quick connects for his gas leads and torch setup, and he has not has a single issue. All boxes lock up and are weather tight. Those side skirt boxes? He stores 50# tins of stick rods in them. And large Bessies.

The way that i have these boxes designed actually gives me more cubic inches to work with and a larger opening to get into them. I'm not super apposed to the side boxes but I just don't like these specific ones.

BillE.Dee wrote:nice drawings. You stated that the rear compartments are deep...I couldn't get around that, due to being short on one end. Can you connect them across the rear of the bed and keep long bars in there and keep the symetrical boxes all the same depth thru the top? I like how you planned to have the slide for leads, etc and ability to lock 'em up. I just hate when stuff "walks".

I will post another picture to show you how the back box is set up. it has a flat bottom so it will have the same depth from front to back on the rear box's.