Buying guide
Flatbed vs stock truck bed for a camper
What changes when you swap the factory bed for a flatbed under a truck camper: usable width, center of gravity, storage, and the tradeoffs nobody mentions.
By Aluma Tray Team5 min read
A stock truck bed is built to haul cargo inside walls. A flatbed is built to carry a structure on top of it. Those are different jobs, and that difference is most of the argument.
You get the full width back
In a stock bed the wheel wells intrude into the floor, so a camper either sits above them or gets narrowed to fit between them. A flatbed puts a flat deck over the wheels, so the camper can use the full width of the truck.
On the HD-60 the vacant deck surface is 9 feet 2 inches long by 7 feet wide as built. On the HD-60-HC it is 8 feet long by 7 feet wide.
Storage moves under the deck
Every Aluma Tray model comes with four locking under-deck storage boxes. Each has a weep hole so trapped moisture can escape, and the doors seal with non-memory welded rubber to keep out dust and water.
That space does not exist on a stock bed. It is space you gain rather than space you trade, and it puts heavy items low and outboard instead of up in the camper.
Tie downs are engineered in, not bolted on
Aluma Trays include tie down points for securing a camper and anodized aircraft L-Track along both sides of the deck for gear. On the HD-60-HC there are four camper securement brackets on the deck surface, two front and two rear.
The honest tradeoffs
- Cost. A flatbed is a real purchase on top of the truck, and the required mounting and fuel kits add to it.
- Permanence. Pulling the factory bed is not a weekend decision, and you should keep the bed if you might sell the truck stock.
- Weight. The tray itself weighs several hundred pounds, which comes out of your payload before the camper goes on.
- Lead time. Typical build time is about 8 weeks and it moves with how busy the shop is, so it is not an impulse purchase.
Who it makes sense for
If you are running a hard side slide-in or a flatbed camper, travelling loaded, and you want the storage and the full width, a flatbed is the right platform. If you use the truck as a truck most of the time and camp occasionally, the stock bed may still be the better answer.
