I just purchased a new medium duty truck (GVW = 26,000 lbs) and am
going to be mounting a damn heavy knuckleboom on it.

Right now, as cab and chassi it weighs in at 10,000 lbs and the boom
will come in around 6,500 including frame stiffening)... and I was
just told the 19' bed will weigh around 2,850 lbs (150 lbs per foot).

Add 'em up, and I have a 19' bed that can only carry 6,600 lbs!!!


Does anyone know what an aluminum bed would weigh?

Anyone have a handle on someone who builds beds? What does a steel
bed cost per foot? What about an aluminum bed?

Thanks,

James, Seattle

Why not a wood deck? Normally cross members are three inch channel which
runs around five pounds per foot. You will need 14 pieces across say an
eight foot deck makes for 560 pounds. Your perimeter angle should be at
least three inch angle. I prefer four inch. That would put you at another
300. For a thousand pounds you would have your steel framing then drop in 2
by 6 or 2 by 8 planks tucked under the angle iron on the edges and ends.
The key plank goes down the center and all are carriage bolted down.
The aluminum deck would look really nice.... for awhile. You could
build aluminum and wood deck. Aluminum is very expensive and prone to
fatigue cracking. I wouldn't think about an aluminum deck unless you are
carrying something soft like lumber.
Randy

"RainLover" wrote in message
...
I just purchased a new medium duty truck (GVW = 26,000 lbs) and am
going to be mounting a damn heavy knuckleboom on it.

Right now, as cab and chassi it weighs in at 10,000 lbs and the boom
will come in around 6,500 including frame stiffening)... and I was
just told the 19' bed will weigh around 2,850 lbs (150 lbs per foot).

Add 'em up, and I have a 19' bed that can only carry 6,600 lbs!!!


Does anyone know what an aluminum bed would weigh?

Anyone have a handle on someone who builds beds? What does a steel
bed cost per foot? What about an aluminum bed?

Thanks,

James, Seattle

Hey James,

How about a trailer for the heavy stuff? Or even a set of tag wheels.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:24:36 -0700, RainLover
wrote:

I just purchased a new medium duty truck (GVW = 26,000 lbs) and am
going to be mounting a damn heavy knuckleboom on it.

Right now, as cab and chassi it weighs in at 10,000 lbs and the boom
will come in around 6,500 including frame stiffening)... and I was
just told the 19' bed will weigh around 2,850 lbs (150 lbs per foot).

Add 'em up, and I have a 19' bed that can only carry 6,600 lbs!!!


Does anyone know what an aluminum bed would weigh?

Anyone have a handle on someone who builds beds? What does a steel
bed cost per foot? What about an aluminum bed?

Thanks,

James, Seattle

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 11:47:56 GMT, "R. Zimmerman"
wrote:

Why not a wood deck? Normally cross members are three inch channel which
runs around five pounds per foot. You will need 14 pieces across say an
eight foot deck makes for 560 pounds. Your perimeter angle should be at
least three inch angle. I prefer four inch. That would put you at another
300. For a thousand pounds you would have your steel framing then drop in 2
by 6 or 2 by 8 planks tucked under the angle iron on the edges and ends.
The key plank goes down the center and all are carriage bolted down.
The aluminum deck would look really nice.... for awhile. You could
build aluminum and wood deck. Aluminum is very expensive and prone to
fatigue cracking. I wouldn't think about an aluminum deck unless you are
carrying something soft like lumber.
Randy

Thanks for the suggestion, Randy.

I'll normally be carrying either 4,000 pound pallets (2 of them if I
can) or stainless steel sculpture (quite bulky, but not very heavy).

I never thought about the aluminum fatigue cracking, but I should be
fairly safe from that. The aluminum deck people I talked to online
rated the bed at 1,000 lbs per foot and I'll NEVER be up that high for
more than a local delivery.

Because it's a Medium duty truck, and I'm attaching such a huge boom,
My primary concern is keeping the weight down. I'll look more into
the total wieght of a 8' x 19' Steel Bed with wood decking.

James, Seattle



"RainLover" wrote in message
.. .
I just purchased a new medium duty truck (GVW = 26,000 lbs) and am
going to be mounting a damn heavy knuckleboom on it.

Right now, as cab and chassi it weighs in at 10,000 lbs and the boom
will come in around 6,500 including frame stiffening)... and I was
just told the 19' bed will weigh around 2,850 lbs (150 lbs per foot).

Add 'em up, and I have a 19' bed that can only carry 6,600 lbs!!!


Does anyone know what an aluminum bed would weigh?

Anyone have a handle on someone who builds beds? What does a steel
bed cost per foot? What about an aluminum bed?

Thanks,

James, Seattle

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:37:39 -0400, Brian Lawson
wrote:

Hey James,

How about a trailer for the heavy stuff? Or even a set of tag wheels.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

Hi Brian,

Here in the States, the Weight between "medium duty" and "commercial
is 26,001 pounds, one pound more and I need permits, licenses and
medical exams, not to mention the insurance requirements... I'm at
26,000 with this truck, but even if the total weight for truck was
under, and I had a trailer that put me at 26,001... I'd be
commercial.


I'm pretty much resigned to having a huge truck, with a small payload
capacity.

James, Seattle


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:24:36 -0700, RainLover
wrote:

I just purchased a new medium duty truck (GVW = 26,000 lbs) and am
going to be mounting a damn heavy knuckleboom on it.

Right now, as cab and chassi it weighs in at 10,000 lbs and the boom
will come in around 6,500 including frame stiffening)... and I was
just told the 19' bed will weigh around 2,850 lbs (150 lbs per foot).

Add 'em up, and I have a 19' bed that can only carry 6,600 lbs!!!


Does anyone know what an aluminum bed would weigh?

Anyone have a handle on someone who builds beds? What does a steel
bed cost per foot? What about an aluminum bed?

Thanks,

James, Seattle

It is time to take a look at other trucks when they are parked. It has been
a long time since I remember unloading material from a metal deck. Things
slide around too easily on metal.
Better price out the lumber... Chances are it will cost more than the
channel framing. The price of lumber is only going one way after Katrina.
Randy

"RainLover" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 11:47:56 GMT, "R. Zimmerman"
wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion, Randy.

I'll normally be carrying either 4,000 pound pallets (2 of them if I
can) or stainless steel sculpture (quite bulky, but not very heavy).

I never thought about the aluminum fatigue cracking, but I should be
fairly safe from that. The aluminum deck people I talked to online
rated the bed at 1,000 lbs per foot and I'll NEVER be up that high for
more than a local delivery.

Because it's a Medium duty truck, and I'm attaching such a huge boom,
My primary concern is keeping the weight down. I'll look more into
the total wieght of a 8' x 19' Steel Bed with wood decking.

James, Seattle