BEDSLIDE QA mods etc

[ShapeShifter]

Yep, the 1500 needs a torx bit. Anybody have any idea what size it is? I have bits going up to T-40, and it's bigger than that.

Well, I got the BedSlide in. If anyone is following behind me, it's a T50 torx bit that is needed to take out the 1500's bolts.

I was a little disapointed at the quality control of the unit. When I opened the box, there were a handful of loose parts rattling around in the frame. Two bolts, two washers, two bearings, and two nuts. Looking at the frame, it was pretty obvious where these parts belonged. I didn't have any trouble putting them back, but I don't think that's something that I should have had to do.

I'm guessing that all the bearings where put on finger tight first, and then they were torqued down with a wrench afterwards. Maybe two of them never got tightened, and rattled loose during transit. I checked all of the other bolts, and while they were snug, a couple of them were not as tight as the others.

If you are doing an install, I would suggest you check the bolts before you put it in your truck. If you have one already installed, it might not be a bad idea to go out and make sure everything is tight.

The installation itself was rather uneventful. I was able to do it myself, but it sure would have been easier if I had some help lifting that thing into the bed. It is solidly built... and heavy.

The hardest part of the install was extracting the hardware from the foam packing block. The hold-down brackets were wrapped in a plastic sheet and then embedded in an expanded polyureathane foam block. I had to use a screwdriver and a prybar to break the foam away from the bracket!

Now that it's in, I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. This thing is solid, and it looks like it will make loading/unloading heavy and bulky things so much simpler. Groceries will also be a lot simpler: if a bag falls over and stuff rolls around, just pull out the slide and everything is easy to reach. No more climibing into "the cave" to get things out.

It seems that the past few weeks I've been carrying a lot of stuff in my truck, and spending a lot of time climbing in and out to load and unload. Now that the BedSlide is in, I just know it'll be months before I need to carry anything!

-- SS

 

[WVBubba]

Well, I got the BedSlide in. If anyone is following behind me, it's a T50 torx bit that is needed to take out the 1500's bolts.


-- SS

Can't wait to see this at the Ohio GTG, this might be the one thing to put on Santa's list for lil Bubba

 

[ShapeShifter]

Can't wait to see this at the Ohio GTG, this might be the one thing to put on Santa's list for lil Bubba

I'll be happy to show it to you. You want this.

-- SS

 

[ShapeShifter]

By the way, I only see a few minor downsides to the BedSlide.

• You loose a few inches of height: A 17 inch monitor still in the box just fit under the cover without the bedslide. It would not fit with the bedslide.
• The hardcover case no longer stores nicely along the side of the bed because of the lost height. But I was able to roll it up just the right way and it fits in a side compartment.
• The floor is no longer flat. This shouldn't be a problem for most bulky loads like lumber or plywood. However, it would be most uncomfortable for camping, and would probably damage the tent.

In those situations where the slide would be in the way (like camping) it would probably be less than 15 minutes to remove or replace the slide. Just need a T50 torx bit, and a pair of 9/16 wrenches:

• Remove the two torx hold-down bolts
• Loosten the four bolts in the front of the slide
• Slide the mounting brackets towards the center
• Lift the BedSlide out of the truck
• Replace the two torx hold-down bolts

Reverse this procedure to replace the unit.

I think these downsides are minor, and they are greatly offset by the upsides of the BedSlide. I'm glad I got it.

-- SS

 

[snowslide]

ShapeShifter, the BedSlide sounds great!! Now you need (I mean get) to change your sig to reflect your current mod status!!

 

[ShapeShifter]

ShapeShifter, the BedSlide sounds great!! ?Now you need (I mean get) to change your sig to reflect your current mod status!!

Yeah, I'm working on that. The system will only let me add 2 more characters to my sig text. I'm thinking about how to reword it, and will probably have to add some of the text to the picture like others have done.

Not just the bedslide, but I also put on the fuel door yesterday, and flag bowtie this past week.

-- SS

 

[Congelado]

SS, glad to have another BedSlide owner among us. You're correct, it takes about 15 minutes to remove the BedSlide. I've had to remove it a couple of times for hauling loose gravel or sand.

One thing that will make it a little easier as a first step is to remove the tray portion of the BedSlide. Mine comes out kinda like a drawer (slide it all the way toward you, then tilt it up to pull it the rest of the way out). This separates the tray from the frame and separates the weight to make the job a little easier. It's still best to do this with two people because of the weight. Mind the bolts that pertrude on the bottom of the tray so they don't scratch the cladding on the tailgate.

Also, while you have it out, it doesn't hurt to check the bolts you were talking about. The bolts on my BedSlide tend to loosen occasionally.

 

[ShapeShifter]

One thing that will make it a little easier as a first step is to remove the tray portion of the BedSlide. Mine comes out kinda like a drawer (slide it all the way toward you, then tilt it up to pull it the rest of the way out). ?This separates the tray from the frame and separates the weight to make the job a little easier.

Since I was working alone, I took it apart in order to do the initial installation. Mine had a bolt on the right side that I loostened with a 1/2" wrench. Once I backed this bolt out about 3/4 inch, I could release the left side catch and slide it out the rest of the way.

Working alone and on the floor, this was the way I saw to take it apart. Do you have this same "locking" mechanism, or something different?

Now that it's installed, I'll have to see if I can take out the "drawer" like you say by just lifting it up. That would simplify things.

Thanks for the tip.

-- SS

 

[Congelado]

Do you have this same "locking" mechanism, or something different?[/i]

No, all I do to remove the tray is turn the latch handle up, as I do when I slide the tray during normal use. It sounds like yours might be a high-tech upgraded model!

 

[Brett]

Just a few random replies to previous posts about the Bedslide. Ace Boggs is wonderful to deal with, I wish all ebay sellers were so good. The handle addition, and a few extra holes to lock the slide at various open positions are good mods. ( modding a modification? ) I found the storage bag for the rear cover panels folds in three and fits nicely under the left rear seat. I haven't had any problems with the support rails rubbing through the bed mat, but I run around with about 700 pounds of electronic test equipment loaded all the time. I haven't done it yet, but have been thinking os a pair of rubber bumpers on the rear of the bedslide, big enough to contact the tailgate before anything metal, in case the latch comes loose while driving. I would hate to have the tailgat get torn up by the bedslide handles banging in to it every time I hit the gas.

 

[ShapeShifter]

No, all I do to remove the tray is turn the latch handle up, as I do when I slide the tray during normal use. It sounds like yours might be a high-tech upgraded model! ?

Well, I just went and gave it a try, and it looks like that bolt is going to prevent me from removing the tray without tools. Having the bolt is nice, because the right side of the tray hits the "stop" at the same time that the left side latches in place. It prevents the drawer from getting crooked. Also, I would imagine if you were parked on a slope with the nose high, it would also prevent the tray from sliding too far back past the latch point.

Attached is a picture taken from the back of the truck. It is looking in past the tailgate, and at the back right corner of the tray (passenger side.) A couple of inches in you can see the bolt on the side of the lower frame. This bolt screws into a nut that is welded onto the inside of the frame. Since the nut on the inside is welded, only one wrench is needed to loosten this bolt. It is not necessary to remove it.

-- SS

 

[SteveTimm]

The bolts that held my Bedslide plywood in place were extra long and I kept snagging on them. ?It was a simple matter to gently hacksaw them flush with the nuts. ? They were further "safed" by applying a file to the burrs. ?This makes a nice, snagfree bottom to the drawer.

I keep checking the tightness of the nuts/bolts, but they haven't loosened yet.

Steve

 

[ShapeShifter]

ShapeShifter, the BedSlide sounds great!! ?Now you need (I mean get) to change your sig to reflect your current mod status!!

It's finally done. By moving the "fixed" text up to the pic, I have a lot more room to list mods. Of course, now that they're listed, I'm running out of characters... again.

-- SS

 

[Supermobile]

Just installed it today.

Wow, the bedslide has got to be one of the
koolest and most practicle things you can
add to an Av!

I got the carpeted one which has a very nice
professional look to it. A real quality item,
solid and well crafted. A winner.

I got it from Ebay, Ace Boggs who is a dealer for
Bedslide. Very professional, order with trust.

I removed the bed mat entirely so as to eliminate
any possible problems with water retention
underneath it.

Now very easy to dry any water that happens to
get on the bed, and no more hassle with removing the mat to do it! Any water will now just dry up on it's own,
as opposed to lifting the mat out for routine maintenance as suggested by the owner's manual.

Looking forward to many happy "slides"!

 

[dcs]

Just installed a Bedslide last night. I also purchased from Ace Boggs on E-Bay. Very smooooth transaction. He had me call Bedslide and order directly from them. It took two days to ship and seven days to deliver to Michigan from Oregon.
It's a great unit and I highly recommend it at this time.

 

[rclydly]

just got a bedslide and lovin it (except for the fact that it lost a few inches of vertical storage capacity) and hmmm....how about a notorized bedslide using a screw rod type actuators bolted to the rail and when ever the handle is operated it triggers the actuator and bed just slides out...or using an remote....hmmm....time to get busy....

 

[redaval]

i think that's a great modea ..i wanna check them out...trouble rolling up into the bed to get item's..

 

[ShapeShifter]

This was posted in another thread, but it seems to make more sense to reply here.

SS

Do you have the Bedslide XL or the straight Bedslide?
Also I see they have carpeted or a weather resistant.

Which do you have and if carpeted is it a problem cleaning or getting wet?

It is the BedSlide XL, which is specially designed for a no-drill installation in the Av. The other models may fit, but it would require drilling holes in the bed floor and the midgate in order to make it fit. The XL model is the only one you should consider.

I got the carpetdeck, which is a piece of low pile grey indoor/outdoor carpeting on a piece of exteior plywood. I have not gotten it very dirty yet, nor have I gotten it soaked. I did have a bit of snow melt on it to no ill effect.

If it gets really dirty, scrubbing it with a carpet cleaner should get most of it. They way I see it, it's the bed of a truck, and not the living room carpet. If it gets some dirt or stains on it, it'll just add "character."

If you are going to use it for very dirty or wet/greasy things, or use it haul fresh hunting tophies home to the butcher, you should consider the weatherdeck model, which is exterior plywood covered with a spray-on bedliner material. However, there is an added expense, and items on the tray will tend to slide around more.

Some have suggested getting the carpet deck, then replacing it with your own piece of plywood and roll-on bedliner material in order to save money. Sounds reasonable, but I have not done it myself.

Hope this helps! Buy it, you'll like it!

-- SS

 

[pktwatch]

Im just wondering if anyone has tried to fab one yet? I am thinking 2 peices of sliding barn door track, some rollers fab some brackets and a can or two of spray paint. Add the plywood & carpet and you might have one for about $125 or so. Of course I have not see the real one yet but I bet I could make it if I had a good look...........

 

[Congelado]

Im just wondering if anyone has tried to fab one yet? I am thinking 2 peices of sliding barn door track, some rollers fab some brackets and a can or two of spray paint. Add the plywood & carpet and you might have one for about $125 or so. Of course I have not see the real one yet but I bet I could make it if I had a good look...........

Before purchasing the Bedslide I investigated other options, like the Jotto and Kwikee. I didn't look into building one from scratch though because I don't have those Monster Garage abilities in me. If you can do it for that price, you could make a few extras and sell them to pay for future mods.

 

[jwilli49]

I recently had a Bedslide installed by Cap City, 3075 Fowler Street, Fort Myers, FL 33939 for $600 plus tax. I ordered it on Monday and they installed it on Friday. Very simple install was completed by two installers in 15 minutes. No holes to drill, it used the existing tie down claps. This is a great mod. It sure saves my old back. No more crawling up inside the box to retrieve items.

 

[Sunshine_Kid_01]

I like the Roll-a-Bed. Anything wrong with that one?

 

[ROCKY1]

I just got my av 2 days ago and was wondering if there was anywhere in the greenville nc area that has either of these two products and if the install it.........thanks

 

[SteveTimm]

Jwilli,

You're going to love your Bedslide. ?I've had one for almost a year now and it is just a super rig.

No more knee pads for you. ?

By the way, the Bedslide is rated for a maximum capacity of 1200 pounds or 500 pounds (unbalanced) at either end. ?I've had 1400 pounds in mine several times and WAY over 500 on the end (12 bags of concrete). ?Nary a whimper from the ol' Bedslide.

Maybe good old STEEL is sometimes a good thing.

Steve

 

[Chief]

I am really proud to announce a special deal through BedSlide that is going to knock your socks off. The folks at BedSlide have worked with CAFCNA to come up with a CAFCNA Edition BedSlide XL that has the features you want at a price that can't be beat.

The standard BedSlide XL comes with:

* Black painted aluminum deck
* 3/4" plywood CDX 5-ply deck with indoor/outdoor carpeting

The unit usually costs $699 and you have to pay for frieght.

The CAFCNA Edition BedSlide XL comes with:

* Black powder-coated finish
* TufDec - marine grade 3/4" 7-ply laminated top
* 1/4" removable rubber mat
* Chrome BedSlide and CAFCNA Limited Edition logos

That's right - you've asked for powder-coating, TufDec, removable mat, and the folks at BedSlide have heard your requests.

How much?

$699 with free shipping in the lower 48.

Want to find out more? Click here to learn MORE!