SO I work at this place and we build full aluminum utility beds. My bed on my 94 pu has seen better days and we are gonna build one for my truck. So here is where this thread is goin. If mine turns out good I may start making them for other ppl. WOuld anyone be interested and what would you be willing to pay? I could customize it to some degree also. I am posting a link of one we build for dodges to give you an idea of what we do. All this is still kinda up in the air so we will see what happens

http://www.tgsales.com/dodge.html

 

While this seems like a good idea.

I would bet it will be way to expensive for most of us poor Toyota owners.

I myself can`t see spending all that much money to put a nice new bed on a $900.00 Truck.

 

I think its a great idea I always wanted an aluminum service body or flat bed with a headache rack for my Toyota. I ended up getting a fiberglass bed on mine, but they are not cheap either.

 

I could really only see this benefitting east coasters ( or other areas effected by rust ). A replacement bed in california is only 250-600 bucks. that depends on if its for a 1st gen pick up or tacoma. plus theres fiberglass options that you would need to compete with.

 

Having welded up my own steel flatbed....then later added some steel sides to keep stuff from falling out, I know how fast the weight can add up. I can see the utility of a well designed bed.....removable side rails would be nice. Corners wacked off at a 45 degree angle so rockcrawlers backing up wouldn't catch them as much. A hoop(headache rack) behind the cab that follows the general contours of the cab....a place to have a truck flap that pins and unpins easy. I like the "deflectors" / nerfs that you have on the side in this pic.
Aluminum tool boxes can be added from pepboys as needed. This is close to a good overall design for the Yotas....

 

my buddy has an aluminum flatbed and that thing is friggin SWEEET!! also has an aluminum dog box that can be attached to the back wich is also awesome...ide like to see forcasted prices at least..

 

I'd take steel over aluminum. I can weld steel at home, not aluminum.

 

The salt will eat through the aluminum body faster than if it was steel. Nice beds though!

James

 

here in VA all the yota's you see have cheap built wooden beds that look terrible and arent functional at all. A good bed goes for about 800-900 since they are so hard to find from the rust.

 

We sell these beds to companies from all over.... We have had some come back as insurance repairs from Michigan after 7 years of driving through the winter muck it was still in great condition all welds still in good shape no visual damage.

 

SO I will be starting on this soon be posting pics and try to keep price as low as possible. I know off roaders dont have as much to dump into a bed as a company for a work truck. Will also be making shackles, rock sliders, and some skid plates and other armor. Not sure if I want to build rock sliders out of the aluminum or steel

 

rather interesting... subscribed...

 

subcribed!! I built a alum flatbed for my shortbed S-10 back in high school. BEST thing I've ever had and I've had a couple different flatbeds.

Price will be kinda high after all it is alum but well worth it!

I sold mine for a profit when the truck was wearing out and a local farmer asked me to price it (stupid on my part).

wish I had it back for my yota now! no longer have access to a TIG to build another

 

Well good luck on selling them to people in the northeast. I would hate to have a nice aluminum bed I paid a lot of money for to get corroded by the salt. Besides the frames will rot out before the aluminum bed corrodes away

James

 

seems like neat idea. i'd like to see a finished off road version. subscribed...

 

Everybody seems to like the aluminum/wood combo I got on my truck. Bought mine for $225 used and it came off a yota. All stainess steel hardware on it too. I wish it had a headache rack on it though so I had a place for some lights up there.

 

this bed on my toyota truck is made of 3/16 aluminum checker plate all around and is tough as nails , the fender flare sections are made out 1/4 flate plate of 1 inch solid round stock and were heated and rolled into position, i have rolled my truck 2 times over the years and the box has never had so much as a paint scratch, an excavator hit it once ( turning slowly ) and it lifted the truck off the ground and only took off some paint (idiot operator) ill post some more pictures of it , i figure one is worth about $3000 but they are seriously worth it , mine is 15years old and it still isnt rusty LOL

 

im not sure how to add photos LOL i have a couple on my profile though

 

wonder how this project is comin...