Service bed that looks like a normal bed

[starflyte1]

We paid about $800 installed. That was about $500 less than the other place we called.

[DesertDog]

Originally Posted by Goin camping

A few weeks ago I was passed by an F 250 and it took a moment to register that it had a service bed on it.

The exterior sheet metal had the same body lines as a stock bed and it was the same width and hieght. It had access doors on the outside. The inner bed was narrower.

I have not been able to find that bed on the internet. Anybody have any ideas or knowledge?

I think this may be what you are looking for. The Royal Summit/Sport Utility Truck Body

[Goin camping]

Originally Posted by DesertDog

I think this may be what you are looking for. The Royal Summit/Sport Utility Truck Body

Thats it! Thank you very much.

[2airishuman]

didn't see the o.p. till now.

i've been considering the royal/summit sport/utility bed for more than a year.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/441866-post28.html

it is a cali product so purchase and install should be relatively easier for u.

i met a camper with one last year and fiddled with it up close, also a ford.

then a few months later met someone with the ge'em version.

there IS adequate space for a genset and aux fuel and compressor in the forward doors...

the compartments aren't as deep as the typical flat side models...

and it is NOT as well made as the other 3 top/common brands.

but it looks GREAT upclose and ON the truck.

the royal is just a few inches taller than the stock bed as i recall.

it does weigh significantly more than a stock bed even with a shell...

and the load is further away from the truck center, which is bad for handling

so IF you are anywhere close to rear axle/payload limits already, that becomes an issue...

not so much on the 350 but on the 250s.

i couldn't reduce my payload enough to make it work.

and didn't want to loose the dollar value of my current bed and shell.

also,at the time i corresponded with royal, they did NOT have a good solution for covering the center section (like a little shell) where bikes can fit

and they weren't sure how much longer they would produce this model, they were waiting for info the 2008 trucks...

on the ford side the 2008s use exactly the same side contours as the last model...

so royal would NOT have to change much with this unit for new the new superduty (exhaust heat would be a big issue)

so g-c, if you follow up with them please let me know...

i still really really like this utility bed...so much so that i've considered ordering a new 350 truck sans bed.

and doing the royal addition up front.

cheers
2air'

[Goin camping]

2Air,

I'll be checking the quality, price, requirements for installation, wieght and whether I can purchase from the Manufacturer.

A cap is not an option for my usage. Thus my interest in this truck bed.

[clancy_boy]

Originally Posted by Goin camping

2Air,

I'll be checking the quality, price, requirements for installation, wieght and whether I can purchase from the Manufacturer.

A cap is not an option for my usage. Thus my interest in this truck bed.

I can only speak for the one Royal replacement bed I saw and the quality was poor.

All the door latches were plastic and thus had been replaced with pad lock hasps from a hardware store. Not my idea of quality. It was rusting badly, the metal was not treated on the underside and from what I saw was only primered (a guess as I had to look past the surface rust to spots that still had paint and it was grey) The right side lower compartments had holes the size of some tools and were not useable - my pest control guy used them for large bottles.

I do like the design and functionality of the bed - just quality is a concern with it being aftermarket. I would keep the original bed as a resale value item - tough to store but so is an Airstream..........

[Goin camping]

I called Royal and spoke to a nice person in sales. I was prepared with my list of questions and never got past the first one. They stopped making the bed several years ago. Oh well.

[2airishuman]

thanks for the update g-c

there are others that have contoured sides, the grand challenger (gcx) is one example...

Stahl :: Grand Challenger

go to the pdf document "build your own truck body" it has a ford version on the cover....

not exactly the ford profile but less boxy than the typical flat sided models...

the kss from knapheide is similar...

Knapheide - Products


many of the 5ers use a steel with fiberglass model produced in the pacific n.w.

very well made and plenty of room.

reading, stahl, and knapheide are some of the widely available brands....

and jomac makes some with SHINY ALUMINUM sides, cool!

keep up the hunt...

2air'