Do you need a very heavy duty bed cargo system for your Ram truck? One that gives you secured storage for all of your tools, easy access with a sliding cargo tray, and room on top of a versatile deck to mount spare tires, a high lift jack, and other accessories securely without having to worry about how much weight is on the deck, but you don't want the deck to be the same height as the bed so your rear view isn't obstructed. That's what we wanted, and after searching for a pre-existing solution for weeks, we couldn't find what we needed. So we made our own and now it's available for sale to other Ram truck owners (it should fit other full size truck beds too).
So here's the situation - we were going on a two week four wheeling trip, we needed to be able to keep a full size 37" spare tire on hand, but didn't want it to stick up too high above the top of the bed so visibility wasn't really affected. We needed a place to store a ton of different tools, jacks, straps, etc but they couldn't go in the cab, and if we just threw them in the bed of the truck, it could all be stolen or would get wet. And they would be hard to get - usually we jump on the tire, climb into the bed, and sort through everything back there while trying not to trip and fall out. We also wanted to make sure the rear suspension had enough weight on it to help with traction, because let's face it, these trucks are so nose-heavy that you can get stuck in wet grass if you don't use 4wd. Adding 500 lbs or more to the bed of the truck just gives the rear suspension enough traction to get you through most obstacles in 2wd. Here's what we came up with to solve all of these problems:
A heavy steel cargo system made from 2" x 2" x.120" wall square tube and 3/16" steel, lots of D rings welded on to secure different items, a CargoMaster sliding tray that holds up to 1000 lbs and allows one-handed access to all of your tools, coolers, straps, or whatever else you store on the tray, and a super tough steel spare tire mount that keeps the tire off the deck so it doesn't make any noise, but mounts it low enough that you can still see everything behind you (15" from floor to top of deck). This is a really simple design, but it's incredibly strong and versatile. And since it's all steel, you can modify it as needed - drill some holes, run some bolts through the deck, and mount anything you want. We made a custom Hi Lift jack mount on ours and it keeps the jack from rattling around. There are also pockets in front of and behind the bed fenders where you can stuff bags or individual tools that won't be on the tray. A 20 or 30 ton bottle jack fits nicely in one pocket, you can store all kinds of stuff there. The cargo deck can be bolted to your bed, but we just used ratchet straps to secure ours, that way it can be moved from truck to truck as needed. Built in forklift pockets make moving it easy if you have a forklift or tractor. The cargo deck fits very tightly into the bed, so it really can't move around much, but a couple of straps or a few bolts to secure it is just a good idea in case you ever get into an accident.
Because of the weight of this cargo deck, there are only two options for shipping - you can come get it, or we can ship it freight. Freight is going to be several hundred dollars to most commercial locations in the Lower 48, so keep that in mind. The site might not quote out shipping correctly so we reserve the right to adjust shipping charges as needed, for a real quote just call or email us before ordering. If you come pick it up, we'll load it for you and help you get it strapped down. Some trucks might need a little clearancing to make it fit, because we do build these as big as possible to make room for the cargo tray, and to minimize the gap between the deck and the side of the bed so people can't reach in there and grab anything. Come get it and we'll make sure everything fits the way you want it to before you leave. We can also do custom modifications quickly if you need a special mount or want to mount some lights to it. The deck will be bare steel, but if you're coming to pick it up we will paint it for you so you don't have to mess with it once it's in the bed of the truck.
The price includes a Cargo Glide CM1000 sliding tray ($1200 retail value), which holds up to 1000 lbs and will slide out 75% of it's length. Basically it will slide out about 4 feet, and 2 feet stay under the deck. Everything is easily accessible and the tray locks in place so you don't have to worry about it getting loose on you if you are parked on a hill. The tray uses sealed bearings and rolls very smoothly even when loaded down. The sliding tray will be attached to the frame of the cargo deck so the entire things lifts out of the truck as one unit, you do not have to remove the tray to remove the deck. That makes it easy if you use it like we do and go from truck to truck, we just keep our universal items on the tray at all times and then only need to add vehicle-specific tools as needed.
If you have questions, need something specific quoted out, just email us or give us a call and we'll be happy to go over anything with you. These are built to order and we can typically have them ready to pickup/ship in 3 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer if we're waiting on material or for the cargo tray to come in. If you need one by a certain date, check with us first before ordering. Don't assume we can knock one out by your deadline. We always do our best to get them built and shipped as quickly as possible.
