Home brew light duty bed slide

[cwood]

I recently switched vehicles to a 2012 Fx4 Super Crew

I do a lot of kiteboarding and other outdoor stuff and with a hard tonneau this is the perfect vehicle....except having to dive for stuff at the back of the bed.

I spent a ton of time looking at options for a slide. Commercial are way expensive and overkill so I decided to make my own. I also wanted it quickly removable for heavy or dirty loads.

Giant drawer slides are very expensive and thanks to this forum and this thread http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/47516-LATEST-PROJECT-Truck-Drawers-Sleeping-Platform by Roadtripcrazed I found some ideas on line for using skateboard bearings and square tube as slides.


Worked out really well. Still have to coat it in bed liner but want to make sure all is good before that investment.

Note the extended picture it is resting a bit on the tailgate because I have not added ballast at the front of the base. Will do that today.

Laying out base. Needed notches. 3/4" ply.

Showing 1 1/4 x 3 1/2 poplar rails

Hole drilling. Precision important!

Testing spacing. Went a bit too tight.

Close up showing bearing and washers

Bearings in place

Rails in place

Sliders test fit

Basically complete in place with a symbolic load

Extended

 

[Wilbah]

Looks good. And as you say easy to put in/remove quickly if you need to haul something much heavier. Good job.

 

[rayra]

Nice clean and simple. You going to add a gap filler to the top of the side rails to cover / conceal / shield the bearings and steel tube? Look even cleaner, then. And keep random junk from dropping on your rail and jamming things.

 

[cwood]

Nice clean and simple. You going to add a gap filler to the top of the side rails to cover / conceal / shield the bearings and steel tube? Look even cleaner, then. And keep random junk from dropping on your rail and jamming things.

I was thinking of that but probably won't.

I used Behr Deckover in rough finish and like the results.

 

[GregSplett]

You nailed it as far as I am concerned.I have the F150 with a ARE cap and HATE climbing in and out to load unload.I built a platform and a couple of drawers and tried to keep it simple to remove.I am residential contractor and use the truck for work too.Ended up repurposing the shelf and door.To much hassle and bulky to store.

Thanks for sharing.