unloading a truck bed from trailer; a one man job?

[GON]

Sometimes I ponder why I get myself into these situations ...

Chilly Sunday morning in New Mexico. Came across a 2015 super duty short bed with no rust in El Paso, picked up the bed late Friday night.

Having no friends or family in the area, have to unload the bed myself. Been avoiding this, but trailer needs to be returned to U-Haul today. I don't have any readily available tools like a ceiling mounted winch to help. In the past I tried to pay local guys to help move a refrigerator, and found nobody. So I will do this myself, hopefully be done in next hour.

Times like this I wonder why i get myself into these things .....

 

[spasm3]

Set the back of the bed on a couple of HF dollies and then lift the front and set it off?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Have you tried moving help from u-haul?

I have used it a bunch of times although admittedly not in a while. The guys that showed up were often the same guys that the pro movers used - they were just picking up extra work.

https://www.uhaul.com/MovingHelp/

 

[eljefino]

Put down adequate cribbing and moving blankets, flip it vertical on the forward part of the trailer, then roll it off the side.

 

[JHZR2]

You can crib it up somehow. May take more lumber and hassle than you would like.

Time to rethink your situation with a significant other/friends/etc. that said even with those,the time of year may make it tough.

My wife is good for help, sometimes that’s the best bet.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

Looks like the trailer tilts. Just get some 2x8's under the bed and slide it off on them.

 

[GON]

Came off easier than I thought. Blankets were the right tool.

 

[GON]

You can crib it up somehow. May take more lumber and hassle than you would like.

Time to rethink your situation with a significant other/friends/etc. that said even with those,the time of year may make it tough.

My wife is good for help, sometimes that’s the best bet.

You married well. I did also, but not when it comes to anything physical.

 

[Nukeman7]

Came off easier than I thought. Blankets were the right tool.

Whew! Glad you got it off without hurting your back. Is this a replacement bed for one of your other Super Duty trucks or just a spare for a future project?

 

[twouvakind]

Great accomplishment! Now get to work on that ceiling mounted winch Mike.

 

[JHZR2]

Came off easier than I thought. Blankets were the right tool.

View attachment 256245View attachment 256246

Nice work! backing that trailer into the garage would be more nerve-racking than the lift for me!

 

[AZjeff]

Too late to suggest back up and hit the brakes.

Blankets on cardboard slide like butter.

 

[GON]

Whew! Glad you got it off without hurting your back. Is this a replacement bed for one of your other Super Duty trucks or just a spare for a future project?

Back was killing me last night just from assembling and moving furniture. Barely got out off the couch.

I have a 2002 F350 with a little rust bubbling under the wheel well paint. Not noticable unless closely inspected. Just bugged me. Replacing the bed will not add any value or mechanical benefit, just that rust bubbles bothered me.

Here is the bed that will be replaced at a very later time.

 

[D60]

The wife's '08 F150 rear fenderwells are terrible. Odd for SW CO

@GON this is clearly why you need a CUT Even a little B-series Kubota would be useful. I use my L2800 as a forklift as much as anything....

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I'm thinking while it's up like that, perfect time to spray some AAP sale Blaster shield on it or Wool Wax/Fluid Film.

 

[Nukeman7]

I am surprised that a late-model 2015 bed will fit perfectly on a 2002 F-350 frame. Do the bolt holes line up the same on the frame? If so, kudos to Ford for maintaining that design standard on the F-series trucks.

 

[GON]

The wife's '08 F150 rear fenderwells are terrible. Odd for SW CO

@GON this is clearly why you need a CUT Even a little B-series Kubota would be useful. I use my L2800 as a forklift as much as anything....

@D60 , thanks for the suggestion. guess I will put a b series Kubota in my watch list..... And then I will have to build a shed to store it ..

 

[GON]

I am surprised that a late-model 2015 bed will fit perfectly on a 2002 F-350 frame. Do the bolt holes line up the same on the frame? If so, kudos to Ford for maintaining that design standard on the F-series trucks.

Yes, 1998 through 2016 super duty beds bolt in. seamlessly.

A aftermarket company makes a conversion kit so one can update a 1999-2004 front end to a 2011-2016 front end. I updated my front end on this truck a few years ago to a 2005-2007 front end.

 

[LazyDog]

I had to look up White Sands, NM. I was very close to you location on 86 Fort bliss / Basic Training.

 

[D60]

@D60 , thanks for the suggestion. guess I will put a b series Kubota in my watch list..... And then I will have to build a shed to store it ..

Ok, so one thing to consider is quite often you want mass more than hp. Say you're stuck in a ditch. Is it better to be strapped out by a Toyota mini truck with 400hp or an old F250 with I6?

If you can fit an L-series, you'll rarely regret the additional weight and mass when doing "tractor" things. However if you need compact -- perhaps for storage purposes or moving purposes-- the B-series is the winner.

When I was shopping you could get B's with nearly 30hp (same as my L, roughly) but keep in mind relatively high hp with relatively low weight may render much of that power useless.