NOn benz, source for used 03 dodge short bed?

[t walgamuth]

I am looking to replace the damaged bed on my 03 dodge ram 3/4 ton quad cab short bed. I would like to buy a nice clean straight used bed with tailgate for a good price. Anybody know of a good place to check?

silver would be perfect.

Tom Walgamuth

[davestlouis]

Call around to Knapheide, or other places that sell utility bodies, they may have a take-off. Salvage lots also sell whole bed assemblies.

[iwrock]

Locally??



Subway Truck here in Sacramento, CA sells them, and I know they have a silver one.

[t walgamuth]

I am looking as far away as texas. A road trip to someplace warm wouldn't be a bad thing now!

Tom W

[thorsen]

Did you try car-part.com ? It lets you search junkyards. It worked well when I needed a new window for my W114.

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I am looking as far away as texas. A road trip to someplace warm wouldn't be a bad thing now!

Tom W

Obviously not warm, or even remotely exciting, but Hartford Truck Body has lots of take-offs in their yard. Dave's suggestion of the local flatbed/rack body dealer would be a good place to start.

[t walgamuth]

Thanks for the tips so far. I will check them out. If anybody has other ideas, please post them too.

While the utility bed dealer is a good concept I suspect most folks getting utility beds have long bed trucks.

Tom W

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Thanks for the tips so far. I will check them out. If anybody has other ideas, please post them too.

While the utility bed dealer is a good concept I suspect most folks getting utility beds have long bed trucks.

Tom W

Long beds are certainly the majority. However I've seen a sizeable number of short bed, extended cab utility bodies on the road. At least around here. Still worth a shot.

[t walgamuth]

OK, thanks.

Tom W

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by thorsen

Did you try car-part.com ? It lets you search junkyards. It worked well when I needed a new window for my W114.

Using car-part.com I found a bed of the right color at Benny's parts in Sterling ht. Kentucky. I went down today and found that it was exactly as described by Dana with one smallish ding in the back of the tailgate and a full bed liner. I paid $1500 plus tax which seemed pretty good compared to lots of other places.

After I paid for that I asked if they had any old mercedes (I had to, right?). Dana said no but they used to have about a hundred.

So I got back into Lafayette just as a tremendous cold front came in with up to 70 mph gusts, freezing temps, snow and rain. The roads did not get really slick until I hit the city limits of Lafayette. The wind was so strong though that I spotted two semis in the median strip just north of Colombus Indiana.

The Dodge is really a stable truck in the wind. The slick shape of the cab must help, and the suspension and steering geometry too.

My Rancho (made by KYB) nine way adjustable shocks are shot after about 45K miles. I am going to replace them with Bilsteins (not available when I bought the Ranchos).

Looks like I got about 15 pulling my trailer in the heavy cross winds. I went 75 to 80 on the way down and seldom got above 70 on the way back. It turns out keeping a truck bed on the trailer is a little tricky unless you know exactly what to do with it and have the right straps. I nearly lost it in the first ten miles but adjusted and tightened everything about three times before getting it cinched down solidly. When it started raining I had to stop and tighten the straps again as always, when they get wet they stretch.

Tom W