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Truck bed campers come in two varieties: slide-in and flatbed. Slide-in campers are securely mounted via internal or external tie-downs inside the factory bed of a pickup truck. They “slide in” for installation and “slide out” for removal, hence the name. Flatbed campers require replacement of the factory bed with a flatbed tray, on which the camper rests and is usually secured to the tray via bolts. In this post, I’ll attempt to answer all of the questions you may (or may not) have thought to ask when considering whether or not a flatbed tray conversion is for you. This discussion considers only those who are interested in a flatbed tray conversion for the purpose of mounting a camper, not the myriad other uses for flatbeds to include hauling hay, construction work, etc. I also won’t be discussing the actual flatbed camper in detail - just the tray. Expect the camper post at a later date.
I owned a Ford F150 with a slide-in Four Wheel Campers Raven for a year and a half. My family and I grew to love the platform, more so than even our motorhome. The compact size, offroad capability and ability to access remote campsites sold us on it but for a family of three plus dog who travel with mountain bikes, hiking and backpacking gear, it was just too small. After considerable research and months of discussion we committed to purchasing a 2021 Ford F250 Tremor to support a Four Wheel Campers Hawk UTE that would be mounted on a Norweld Deluxe Weekender flatbed tray. Though I’d spent more time researching this setup than I care to admit, there were a few surprises that I hadn’t considered. It’s hard to ask questions when you don’t know what questions you should be asking.
How much does it cost to do a flatbed conversion?
It depends. Do you want aluminum or steel? Do you want a tray developed for the overland market or will you adapt a commercial tray? Do you care about aesthetics? All of these are legitimate concerns that impact the cost. On the low side, expect to pay around $4,000 for a basic commercial tray with no additional storage or features. From there, costs go dramatically skyward. The Norweld Deluxe Weekender retails for about $12,700 plus shipping and installation. A new player in the U.S. market, MITS Alloy produces a similar tray for about $1,000 less. Sherptek likely won’t save you any money but their trays have a distinctive design and offer even more customization options. The MITS Alloy, Sherptek and Norweld are purpose designed and built for overland duty and as such, they come with the “overland tax”, i.e. a premium price. For a less expensive option, companies like Alumline in Iowa, offer high quality trays that can be customized to include underbed storage boxes and a rear drawer.
Add to the price of the tray the shipping and installation fees and you should expect to shell out another $2,000 - $3,000. Using my Norweld tray as an example, total cost to purchase, ship and install the tray came to just over $15,000. Bear in mind that this is just the tray - the camper is an additional expense.
What are the advantages of a flatbed tray and camper versus a slide-in camper?
Primarily, storage. Generally speaking, flatbed campers have more storage and usable living space inside than slide-in campers, and with the storage boxes, pull-out drawers and in some cases, integrated water tanks, flatbed trays offer storage options not available in a factory bed.
Other considerations include improved floorplan designs and camper mounting options. Four Wheel Campers flatbed models are bolted to the tray whereas their slide-in models use turnbuckles that are awkward to access and demand vigilance to ensure they remain tight.
Some overlanders combine flatbed trays with slide-in campers, which provides massive amounts of storage as the trays typically have storage boxes mounted above and below. Jon Burtt has one of the most badass versions of this setup I’ve ever seen. If you don’t need the additional living space of a flatbed camper and you’ve got a lot of gear to carry, this might be your solution.
Many flatbed trays may improve your departure angle, thus allowing for improved off-road capability. They’re also a little less prone to damage than a factory bed as there’s less surface area and the areas that are exposed are generally of a sturdier build.
What are the disadvantages of a flatbed tray conversion?
Cost. Even the most affordable options are not cheap. As I’ve mentioned, a basic tray will run around $4,000 plus installation.
If you’re putting the tray on a newer truck equipped with all the electronic bells and whistles, expect to lose some of them. Backup cameras are generally mounted on the tailgate, blind spot sensors are usually in your tail lights and backup sensors are in the bumper - all three of which you’re going to lose when you install a tray. You might be able to keep the bumper but in my opinion, rigs with a flatbed and a bumper just look…not right. Some trays, such as the Norweld, have relocation kits for the backup sensors and perhaps even the factory camera. In my case, the sensors were plug and play. The camera, not so much. I’ll have to purchase an aftermarket camera and mount it on the camper. The blind spot sensors are gone and there’s no way to integrate them, which means every time I start the truck I receive a warning that they can’t be detected. It doesn’t impact performance, but it can be annoying.
Flatbed trays require that the fuel filler line be relocated and very often, this results in minor issues when filling the fuel tank. Primarily, you can no longer insert the fuel nozzle, pull the trigger and set the lock. You have to stand at the tank and feather the trigger to prevent it from cutting out. This isn’t a given but it is common and it is annoying.
Since flatbed trays are not a part of the factory truck and are generally more expensive than your stock bed, you’ll need to be insure it separately.
From time to time you’ll need to check all the bolts to ensure that the tray remains secured to the frame and that all the storage boxes remain in place. The consequences of failure to be diligent about this could be catastrophic.
Flatbed trays sit higher than your factory bed. This can be viewed as a pro or a con, depending on your needs and personal tastes.
If you use your truck bed for hauling, you’ll lose some of that functionality. Many flatbeds can be purchased with removable sides to return some of the carrying capacity but it’s usually an additional expense.
The storage boxes on some trays with below deck storage, such as the Norweld, are oddly shaped. They’re fairly roomy, but because of the shape it can be difficult to find the right packing solution.
Not everybody wants to look like they’re ready to haul a load of hay at a moment’s notice. I like the look of trays designed for overlanding. Farm/utility trays - not so much.
What are some other considerations?
If you’re purchasing a new truck with the intent of installing a flatbed it’s worth considering a “cab and chassis” rather than the standard truck. It may cost less, you won’t have to figure out what to do with the bed you just removed and oftentimes, the frame rails are straight which means that your flatbed tray would be lower, thus lowering the vehicle center of gravity.
I’ve spent far too much time surfing the internet to learn the weights of the Norweld tray and the factory Ford pickup bed. The tray weighs more - that’s a given, especially with the storage boxes, drawer and water tank, but how much more I don’t know. On any HD truck, the weight difference is likely negligible but on smaller rigs, like a Tacoma, that weight difference may reduce your payload significantly. While we’re on this topic, and I may take heat for this, I would never put a flatbed camper on a Tacoma or similar mid-sized truck. They just aren’t built to support that kind of weight and no matter what modifications you make to the truck, they’re just band-aids. I know it’s common and I know there are very few incidents in which there have been significant failures but in my opinion, you’re rolling the dice.
Lastly, I’m told that some of the farm-style flatbed trays use a mounting system that may reduce frame flex. There is potential for this to be an issue down the road as frames are designed to flex which reduces stress on the metal. Frames that can’t flex as they were designed could cause long-term damage.
Is a flatbed tray conversion worth it?
Only you can make that decision. For us, it is worth it. Having a year and a half experience in a slide-in camper, which is essentially like living in a very narrow hallway, the flatbed makes total sense for us. We carry a lot of gear and having the additional storage and the tray mounted water tank, will enhance our organizational strategy while on the road.
So, there you have it. The ins and outs of a flatbed tray conversion. I hope this is helpful but if you have specific questions I didn’t answer, please email them to me or leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them by updating this post. Thanks for reading!