# utility bed on standard F350 - what do I need to know?



## unclemoustache

Howdy,
Looking to replace my standard bed with a utility bed. I'm completely ignorant about doing this, but it seems a fairly simple switch.

Anything special I need to know? The seller says he took the bed off a 1-ton, and I'm putting it on a 1-ton. Are there potential problems I should consider?
Thanks in advance!
Josh


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## A W Smith

many many years ago a contractor buddy of mine (actually he was my third boss) told me the reason he bought a chassis cab ( f-37 was the designation for a chassis cab f-350) instead of a pickup was that the motor vehicle department wouldn't allow him to modify a pick up by removing the bed and installing a utility body. When he got a new utility chassis cab truck and I bought his old chassis cab, i noticed the filler neck for the fuel tank was external on his, and inside one of the compartment doors on mine. I questioned him and he told me fillers inside utility bed compartments were now illegal, Of course nowadays motor vehicle departments in my state no longer seem to enforce the old laws. 

Two things i would pay attention to



does the addition of a body effect the gross vehicle weight of the vehicle?"
Wheres the fuel tank filler neck going to be?


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## slowforthecones

You know with fuel theft going on often, a fuel neck behind a locked compartment door with a fuel here sticker works rather well. I noticed a lot of the municipal govt trucks now have locking aftermarket fuel doors AND fuel caps installed on their trucks.

Back on topic - consider a alum utility bed. It will be lighter allowing you to carry more actual tools and when empty it is slightly more economical to run (fuel savings shaved off weight alum vs. steel)


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## newfy

We have done this all the time in the past,
ordered pickups & just swithched over the bodies,
at least we could now sell the old truck complete with a new p/u body, biggest problem was the fuel mount in the body, not really much of a problem.


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## slowforthecones

The cost difference MSRP is about $3000 less on chassis cab than a pickup cab with a factory. With invoice pricing and buying on the internet, you can get a new truck with a bed from the dealer cheaper than a chassis cab unless you need factory options unique to a chassis cab. Most aftermarket upfitters charge $800-1200 to remove the old bed and install your new utility bed.

The tail lights and tail gate on your new unused factory bed could be sold as parts and the bed is sold or as scrap metal. Yielding some return as well.


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## smitty58

I have a 2005 F-350 that was a normal pickup and now has a flatbed on it. There were really no problems doing it although as mentioned the fuel neck is kind of wierd. They basically left it where and how it was so now I have to reach up under the flatbed to fuel it up. Only issue there is some pumps wont work very well, it just keeps clicking off the pump. I think it because the angle is too flat going in and it backs the fuel up causing it to click off. There are some gas stations that work fine and of course those are the ones I go to. I would like to change the neck to fix this problem. Anyway that is one thing to consider. I think the actual pickup bed to utility bed would be fairly easy.


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## bwalley

slowforthecones said:


> You know with fuel theft going on often, a fuel neck behind a locked compartment door with a fuel here sticker works rather well. I noticed a lot of the municipal govt trucks now have locking aftermarket fuel doors AND fuel caps installed on their trucks.
> 
> Back on topic - consider a alum utility bed. It will be lighter allowing you to carry more actual tools and when empty it is slightly more economical to run (fuel savings shaved off weight alum vs. steel)


It isn't the weight of the utility body to have to worry about, it is all the stuff we put in them.

I have a steel utility body on my F250 and it is not a problem, an F350 will not have a problem with a steel utility body.


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## slowforthecones

Right... what I'm trying to say is a F350 with a light weight alum utility bed means you can carry more weight without worrying your total load is over weight.

There are ways they can adjust the neck or adapt a new fueling neck, it would require some aftermarket or mechanic that specializes in upfit/body building to do. Usually the professionals that mount and upfit can do this.


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## bwalley

slowforthecones said:


> Right... what I'm trying to say is a F350 with a light weight alum utility bed means you can carry more weight without worrying your total load is over weight.
> 
> There are ways they can adjust the neck or adapt a new fueling neck, it would require some aftermarket or mechanic that specializes in upfit/body building to do. Usually the professionals that mount and upfit can do this.


My utility body weighs 1100 lbs, the bed they took off weighed 600 lbs, the difference was only 500 lbs, not sure how much lighter an aluminum body would be, but it will definately make his wallet lighter.

The only aluminum bodied I have seen are for small trucks like Rangers and S10's, i think putting a utility body on a 1/2 truck is a bad idea as it makes it easy to overload the truck.


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## slowforthecones

Alum approx 40% lighter and last longer, less rust potential. I think with today's high fuel prices, people are giving alum body's a thought.


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## bwalley

slowforthecones said:


> Alum approx 40% lighter and last longer, less rust potential. I think with today's high fuel prices, people are giving alum body's a thought.


That is true about the weight reduction, but it is less ridgid than steel, so it requires more structural support, I would compare the actual weight difference between a steel and aluminum body as well as the difference in price.

I have a steel Ready Utility body, my F250 weighs about 9,000 lbs, and gets about 10.5 MPG, not sure if shaving a few hundred pounds off the utility body would make much of a difference.


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## slowforthecones

you probably know it best, so far I only have 1 steel and 1 alum utility body in my small fleet. I am speaking from my personal experience and I prefer my guys run around in a F150 rather than a 250 when using the truck for transportation to/from sites. Saves me a few bucks here and there for fuel which all adds up espcially if gas goes up to $5 gallon in california again


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## bwalley

slowforthecones said:


> you probably know it best, so far I only have 1 steel and 1 alum utility body in my small fleet. I am speaking from my personal experience and I prefer my guys run around in a F150 rather than a 250 when using the truck for transportation to/from sites. Saves me a few bucks here and there for fuel which all adds up espcially if gas goes up to $5 gallon in california again


Where I bought my utility body from, they said they will not install a utility body on a F150, only F250 or larger.

they said due to liability for when the truck gets overloaded, so i can see wher aluminum may be a good idea on a F150.


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## StreamlineGT

The first thing I would check is to see if it will fit. Just because it comes off a 1-ton, and going on a 1-ton, doesn't mean it is a slam dunk. Cab and chassis's don't come with a wheelbase for an 8' bed. They use 9' bodies with a 60" cab to axle measurement. The pickups have a 56" cab to axle for an 8' bed. Make sure that the truck it was coming off of was a pickup to start with. Also, the frames are different on some models also. Some might have a hump over the axle, while cab and chassis frames are flat all the way (at least on mine). There are bodies for all configurations of cab and chassis's and box delete trucks, so just make sure you are comparing apples with apples.


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## ssamco1

*F350 utility swap*

Hi All:

I know you stated f-350 but I thought I would throw this in for FYI. Some Dodge models will lose their warantee if you put a utility body on them.Something to do with frame. Consquently Cummins West in Californias service trucks have f-350 Fords w/power stroke diesel eng. going out in the field to service cummins powered trucks. Go figure!:furious:

ssamco1


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## slowforthecones

Wow.. now ain't that embarassing? Then again Dodge and Cummins don't have a great relationship anyway.


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## A W Smith

bwalley said:


> Where I bought my utility body from, they said they will not install a utility body on a F150, only F250 or larger.
> 
> they said due to liability for when the truck gets overloaded, so i can see wher aluminum may be a good idea on a F150.


The main concern is GVW, That's why body companies wont install on a f150, Take the rear axle for example. Even if you add leafs, the axle itself wasn't designed for the weight (I should know as Ive overloaded many and had to change bearings and axle shafts) The axle housing on a heavier truck carry's the load on the housing itself. With the axle doing the driving of the hub, This is called a full floating housing. On light trucks the load is carried on the axle shaft instead. 

http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14050/css/14050_275.htm


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## unclemoustache

Thanks for your help. I'm still having difficulty in deciding what I want/need. I looked at a dually-size bed the other day, but I'm not sure I want that width on the truck, even though I like the idea of the deeper boxes. I recently saw a flatbed with boxes fastened at the edges- I kind of liked that idea. I also like the idea of a utility topper that can keep the contents of the bed dry and/or locked up, but at the same time, I like the open bed for hauling firewood. Ladder racks are high on the list also. Can't seem to make up my mind.


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