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Kevin Mooney, Nimpo Lake, British Columbia
DIY Wood Flat Deck
2022 Ford F-550
2016 Eagle Cap 1200
I recently upgraded to a 2022 Ford F-550. They do not come with a box on the back, and I needed a bed to carry my camper.
My previous truck was a flat deck. I had added lower and upper deck boxes to it and I wanted to replicate that. The setup gave us an immense amount of storage space and is simply way handier than a regular box-style truck for day-to-day use and camping. Once you have tried a truck like this, you will not want to go back. There are too many benefits.
People are starting to use larger trucks for hauling today’s biggest triple-slide campers, so buying a flat deck for it, or one with boxes incorporated, is nothing new. They can be quite expensive. If you want full custom, you will need to drop off your truck and camper to ensure a proper fit.
I decided that I could do the same thing at a more affordable price. I could also design the flat deck to the exact dimensions I wanted, there was no need to move the camper back six to twelve inches because it didn’t quite fit with what the factory thought was the right size deck.
I ended up using Douglas Fir to build my deck. It’s plenty strong, and I have been using it for a year during the summer and winter with no issues.
The flat deck was not a difficult thing to build. Bear in mind that you are using large chunks of wood. It’s not a real fussy construction. The hardest part was designing it. The project was very satisfying, and even more so when it all came together as planned.
I live in northern British Columbia, and we use a lot of salt and calcium on our roads in the winter. It’s pretty brutal on anything steel. My last flat deck was made of steel. After a couple of winters of use, it looked pretty horrible with lots of surface rust. To redo the paint job meant removing the entire deck; not something I wanted to be doing on a continual basis.
The Fir deck on the other hand does not rust, always looks pretty good, and is easy to maintain. Just get out your sander and stain. The wooden deck may deteriorate faster over time, but we’re talking many years here.
If a beam or board needs replacing, it’s a pretty easy job. If you ever decide you want to change something, it’s not a huge issue. Everything comes apart piece by piece. You don’t have to remove the deck all at once, but you could if you wanted to. Six fasteners hold the deck to the frame; the same as steel or aluminum decks.
All in all, the wood deck has worked flawlessly; every bit as good as steel. It also looks better, costs less, and will probably outlast me.
As for the price to build something like this, here is my rough breakdown:
Wood for the deck – $500
Steel, bolts, structural screws – $300
Lighting – $250
Hitch – 2 1/2-inch model with a stupid amount of towing capacity – $530
Aluminum under deck boxes from Amazon – $2,660
Upper wooden boxes for both sides – $500
Spare tire hoist and receiver for old farts with bad backs – $180
For a little sweat equity and a great feeling of accomplishment when you’re done, you too can make your very own wooden flat deck for your truck. Now how cool is that?
It took me about a week straight to do this modification, not including the upper boxes. The upper boxes were a separate build. At the time of the build, the mod cost me $4,920 CDN ($3,600.00 US). In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is medium. Only basic tools were needed for the job. You can weld the brackets yourself or order them.
If anyone is interested in more information about this build, feel free to contact us and we’ll forward your request to Kevin. He is happy to email you back and answer your questions.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
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