How to transport a truck bed

I need to transport a same sized bed as the intact one that I have on my truck. Has anyone experienced this? Any ideas. I'm looking at a 200 mile trip one way. I really don't want to drag a trailer that far as mine are enclosed and too narrow. I am thinking about turning the load around 180 so that the tailgate in towards the rear glass and also loading upside down on top of the truck mounted bed.
What say you smart people?

 

I feel like a trailer is better than your idea. U-Haul has ones they rent. I wonder if that would work. 200 miles isn't that bad.

 

I'd definitely get dimensions on the bed and see if a trailer woould work. And have lots of moving blankets on-hand.

 

It will take a car hauler to fit a DC bed. Basically 7 x 7. Would have to load and strap it down in about the same fashion. Could one way it for sure..

 

This is what I did: I put two sturdy sawhorses in the bed of my truck, put a big used tire on top of each sawhorses, and then strapped the new bed upside down and backwards (tailgate towards the cab). Worked well for me.

 

It's to outside edges and longest points to a degree with a trailer. It won't fit less than 7 foot in width on a trailer that has any kind of sides or wheel wells. yall haul only has a dolly or two axle car hauler.

 

That goes well with my ideas.... How did you strap it down? How long of a trip as speed/forces concern me?

 

Hmmm... Why not remove your bed, drive to where the other bed is, install it, and drive back? Rigging up temporary stop lights etc shoudl be easy enough, just fab some makeshift brackets to hold the OEM tail lights in place.

 

Just go to harbor freight and get some magnetic tow lights. Also zip tie them in place. Get where you are going and put the bed on.
Otherwise, flip the bed upside down and clamp the rails together. When I hauled a bed like that (was not going on my truck), I put the tailgate to the back.

 

At this point, I only want the tailgate, but I know that my northern bed is a bit salty.. will want to replace later as the inner fenders are mostly gone.

 

I am planning to one day use the bed. I have the drop in plastic liner in my present bed. I can run a rope or strap through the stake pockets on both.. I am figuring that I can take some rough lumber that I cut and make a lattice on top of the bed that will allow me to tie into the existing bed and also lap over the top load with straps that go to the frame and bumper. The way I see it, I am going to use something to cushion the new bed and strap it down too. No matter if I put it on top of my bed or pay for the trailer rental.

 

Flip it upside down, and put it on your existing bed like a topper.

At least that's how I've seen people do it around here.

 

I'd straddle the current bedsides with 2 pieces of 2x8 to create an 1 1/2" space (finger gap) between the bed rails and the load, piggy back it right side up on the 2x8's with the tailgate removed (to lighten what must be handled) and laying on cardboard in the current bed.

 

Two big, wide ratchet straps, using the tiedowns in each corner of the bed. I strapped the bed down enough to squish the tires (on the sawhorse) a bit and it never moved an inch. I drove probably 70 or 80 miles at highway speeds with no trouble.

 

If you keep it right side up, there will be much less chance of causing damage trying to flip it twice. Just can't see any good reason to go through all of that.

 

My thoughts was to hold bed rail against bed rail or better a lattice frame. Ratchet strap it in place so that the thin sheet metal bottoms and sides are not bearing load. No worries about turning the bed over to unload as I have that covered. Loading could be an issue to address..

 

If you just ratchet strap the 2x8's in place and throw an old tire on top of each one or you could use two 4x4's running length wise similar to the frame rails to sit it on, then the sides will be in open air, just like it is when on the truck. Simple on, simple off, minimized risk. Just my .02. As a bonus, you get a set of scaffold planks that you can use to stand on when you wash and wax the roof of the truck in the future. I would even just buy, use, and return the 4x4's as they would still be new.

 

Flip it over, strap it down & have ratchet straps kriss krossed across the tiedowns. Just gotta be nimble enough to slide in there and hook em up. Maybe 6 total straps, & keep it under 55.

 

Put 4 square tubes in each stake pocket. Flip bed upside down, tailgate to tailgate, and place into corresponding stake pockets. Ratchet strap to keep the bed from moving up/down cuz it ain't going anywhere else.

 

But what if you have a 6.5' bed & want an 8' bed for nefarious porpoises. Just use 2 2x2's for the front 2. They're smaller than 2x3.

 

Hehehe, he said porpoises.

 

Man... I can't drive 55.

 

Not sure that the curve of the lower bed front is a match to the cab when inverted.

 

Will the stake pockets on the two beds line up if the top one is inverted? If so, cut 4 wooden stakes about one foot higher than the bed edge, stick them in the stake pockets of your current bed, invert the new bed, and drop it on the stakes. Clamp the bed edges together (like you would a topper) or use a couple of ratchet straps, and Bob's your uncle.

 

How many people would it take to flip a bed upside down without damaging it? What does it weigh? 300-400lbs?

 

I pulled my rangers bed by myself, tundra bed might take 2 people. The hard part was getting it back over the wheels.

 

Use longer, steel stakes, to elevate the bed to clear it.

I’m looking to buy another 5.5’ bed and will do the same thing.

 

Using my suggested method, it took 4 of us to flip it over, carry and place on the sawhorses; same when I got it back to the shop. It went smoothly without damage. When the time came, I installed it myself using an engine hoist.

I think your estimate of 300-400 lbs is probably close.

 

This sounds like a job for Jared from shipping wars.

 

Get some bigger friends? 300-400 is a couple person job where I'm from