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hawk shell slide-in/aluminum flatbed: hybrid buildout

hawk shell aluminum flatbed hybrid buildout

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#1 ri-f

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Posted 14 January 2021 - 06:08 PM

hawk-shell-slide-in-aluminum-flatbed-hybrid.jpg

 

Hybrid buildout: minimal FWC Hawk shell slide-in model and aluminum CM flatbed, sitting on a 2001 Cummins 2500 turbo-diesel platform. There are a few photos, some basic details about the rig, some of our systems modifications, and initial thoughts about performance over the last year based upon a few of our shakedown runs.

https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/


Edited by ri-f, 20 October 2021 - 05:58 PM.

  • 5

- 2001 Cummins 2500 quad cab 4x4 turbo diesel; NV4500 5-spd manual transmission; CM aluminum flatbed, '20 FWC Hawk shell - hybrid buildout.  https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/

- 2004 Jeep TJ - Rubicon

 

 

 


#2 Vic Harder

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 02:51 AM

Nice rig and write up.  


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#3 ri-f

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 06:17 AM

Nice rig and write up.  

Thanks, Vic. Appreciate it.

 

Rich


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- 2001 Cummins 2500 quad cab 4x4 turbo diesel; NV4500 5-spd manual transmission; CM aluminum flatbed, '20 FWC Hawk shell - hybrid buildout.  https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/

- 2004 Jeep TJ - Rubicon

 

 

 


#4 Dessmo

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 06:54 AM

Nice rig:) Seems like you have thought well through the details building this rig. 


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2019 Fleet shell build.

2006 RAM w/5,9 Cummins

#5 Machinebuilder

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 01:31 PM

NIce, similar to my plan.

 

I've got a 2021 F350 coming and want to put my Granby on a flatbed.

 

Are you satisfied with the CM bed?


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2021 F350 SCLB

FWC Grandby,

EBY Big Country Flatbed, Buckstop Outback front Bumper

Gabby (GSP), Sox (GSP/American Bulldog)

2011 F150 SCLB HDPP


#6 ri-f

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 05:53 PM

Nice rig:) Seems like you have thought well through the details building this rig. 

Thanks for that, Dessmo. Yes, the devil is definitively in the details. Tricky part is finding the balance between thinking something through and taking a chance on it, or overthinking it and getting stuck..

 

Rich


  • 2

- 2001 Cummins 2500 quad cab 4x4 turbo diesel; NV4500 5-spd manual transmission; CM aluminum flatbed, '20 FWC Hawk shell - hybrid buildout.  https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/

- 2004 Jeep TJ - Rubicon

 

 

 


#7 ri-f

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 07:30 PM

NIce, similar to my plan.

 

I've got a 2021 F350 coming and want to put my Granby on a flatbed.

 

Are you satisfied with the CM bed?

Thanks, Machinebuilder. I looked at a lot of truck bed manufacturers and thought about custom building one, and in the end settled on the aluminum CM for a few reasons. They are an excellent build; the construction is both lightweight aluminum and reinforced with steel in the critical spots where it attaches to the truck's steel frame. There's a lot of attention to detail, and TIG welding is remarkable for a mass-produced flatbed. The deck paneling I went with was a rugged, reinforced, ribbed aluminum vs wood slat.They have a good selection of models and configurations, and you are bound to find one that will fit your new F350 as if it was an OEM design. You can trick it out any way you want. There's a lot of flexibility.

 

I kept to the bare bones basics when buying the flatbed and fabricated my own aluminum side rails and boxes, both to keep the costs down, and to work as I had intended. The boxes that you can typically buy, as add-ons, are extremely expensive and wouldn't have worked as well for what I had in mind, so I could save some money there by configuring and building out my own. Since I was building a hybrid, that is, a Hawk slide-in shell vs Hawk flatbed model, onto an aluminum flatbed, I could take advantage of the valuable space on the outside of the shell, on the sides, that on a pickup body simply goes to waste. You can have a lot more exterior space with a flatbed with side rails/flip down gates, in the same foot print as a pickup. The prices of a CM depends on the flatbed model you want. Relatively speaking, it will probably run you about half the cost of a Norweld, which are very nice, but much more expensive, and no better built. And for my purposes the CM was better suited to the build I had in mind, anyway. There are other manufacturers who are also competitive with CM's prices and quality of build, for instance, Bradford Built, and others like ProTech who are semi custom and more expensive than CM but less expensive than Norweld. But in the end, there was a CM distributor, local to where I live, and so it was convenient for me to run over there and see what they had in stock, in their yard, and to sort out in person, what I had in mind. I liked what I saw when I got there and decided to go with a CM.

 

A basic CM model, like what I put on -  the AL RD Aluminum Flat Deck Body - will probably cost around $4K+. You can find new aluminum flatbeds for $3K or perhaps even less, but at that price point I'd be a little concerned about the build quality, fit, or dodgy construction. Hope that helps.

 

Rich


Edited by ri-f, 15 January 2021 - 07:36 PM.

  • 1

- 2001 Cummins 2500 quad cab 4x4 turbo diesel; NV4500 5-spd manual transmission; CM aluminum flatbed, '20 FWC Hawk shell - hybrid buildout.  https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/

- 2004 Jeep TJ - Rubicon

 

 

 


#8 Machinebuilder

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 10:13 PM

Rich

 

   Thank you for your detailed response.

 

I've been dreaming of this since before I got my FWC.

 

I saw one at an Overland Expo that use tool boxes and really liked the Idea.

When I saw the Sherptech beds I liked the idea of the fold down sides.

I haven't been to the CM dealer near me, I don't think they stock anything. so it great to here the feedback on them.

I like the aluminum plank floor better than a diamond plate most use,

 

I would like an under bed box on both sides and will now think about the fold down sides.

 

I'm getting the pickup bed so I am not in a rush.

 

I like the way you did the inside with the 2 floor chairs, I have the rollover couch, and moved it to across the front, but I don't find it comfortable to sit on.

 

Dave


  • 0

2021 F350 SCLB

FWC Grandby,

EBY Big Country Flatbed, Buckstop Outback front Bumper

Gabby (GSP), Sox (GSP/American Bulldog)

2011 F150 SCLB HDPP


#9 Kolockum

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 10:56 PM

Thanks for that, Dessmo. Yes, the devil is definitively in the details. Tricky part is finding the balance between thinking something through and taking a chance on it, or overthinking it and getting stuck..

 

Rich

 

Well said. That is the black hole a lot of people seem to fall into. Especially over at Expedition Portal.

 

I really like your rig. It is capable and well equipped while being very simple.


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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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#10 ri-f

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 10:57 PM

Rich

 

   Thank you for your detailed response.

 

I've been dreaming of this since before I got my FWC.

 

I saw one at an Overland Expo that use tool boxes and really liked the Idea.

When I saw the Sherptech beds I liked the idea of the fold down sides.

I haven't been to the CM dealer near me, I don't think they stock anything. so it great to here the feedback on them.

I like the aluminum plank floor better than a diamond plate most use,

 

I would like an under bed box on both sides and will now think about the fold down sides.

 

I'm getting the pickup bed so I am not in a rush.

 

I like the way you did the inside with the 2 floor chairs, I have the rollover couch, and moved it to across the front, but I don't find it comfortable to sit on.

 

Dave

Dave,

The CM deck consists of series of tongue and groove, ribbed aluminum panels. The are really nice. Waterproof, corrosion resistant.I laid a thin but heavy-duty piece of standard truck-bed rubber matting down, on the deck, to prevent the camper from slipping or vibrating. It provides some cushioning, protects the deck (not that it needs protecting) and works very well. Probably a good idea when you eventually get your flatbed.

 

The two seats, inside, are made by Sport-A-Seat. I originally used them on a cruising boat, in the cockpit. So they hold up to salt spray, UV, and anything else an outdoor, marine environment can throw at it. They are also very comfortable, even on a hard teak deck. So I thought they would practical in the camper. Inside a camper they can fold flat and stow easily and take up very little space. There are copies of this seat that are sold at big box stores that are cheaply made and cost a bit less, but they really don't compare at all in quality or comfort.

 

Rich


  • 1

- 2001 Cummins 2500 quad cab 4x4 turbo diesel; NV4500 5-spd manual transmission; CM aluminum flatbed, '20 FWC Hawk shell - hybrid buildout.  https://ian-frese-of...r.blogspot.com/

- 2004 Jeep TJ - Rubicon

 

 

 






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