Looking for Bed Supports

[stickshifter]

I'm looking for a set of bed supports for a 2024 Power Wagon.

CJC sells bed supports, but they have a diagonal bar that "closes the triangle" and would be in the way when loading/unloading the truck. Yeah, you can remove it, but I want to buy a set that do not have that diagonal piece.

The first photo is of the bed supports with the diagonal piece, and the second photo is of bed supports without a diagonal piece. The second photo is from Godz Manufacturing, but it seems like they have gone out of business. Godz is in my home state of Colorado, and they were making some great skid plates and other accessories, but everything on their website has been "sold out" for months, and they do not return phone calls or emails. Its too bad - they seemed like good people, and I like buying close to home.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Any fab shop that can cut and bend 1/2” plate could make an L that would not need the gusset. Then some nutserts installed into the bed to hold it in place. Or making that one like you pictured is easy to have done with any local fab shop that has a cutting table and a brake.

I could make a set in about 1hr plus paint

 

[el_barto]

Why do you want/need bed supports? Typically they are to stiffen up the bed when offroad so the tailgate can still open/close even when flexing… I haven’t heard of people having issues with their tailgate when offroad on rams (I know it’s an issue on Tacomas)…

 

[AH64ID]

Why do you want/need bed supports? Typically they are to stiffen up the bed when offroad so the tailgate can still open/close even when flexing… I haven’t heard of people having issues with their tailgate when offroad on rams (I know it’s an issue on Tacomas)…

I’ve bound up my tailgate a couple times to where it wouldn’t open when parked. Not even anything crazy, just some rough USFS roads and uneven parking.

Not sure it’s worth the annoyance of bed supports, but it has happened to me.

It could definitely be a limitation of the electronic tailgate release.

 

[el_barto]

I’ve bound up my tailgate a couple times to where it wouldn’t open when parked. Not even anything crazy, just some rough USFS roads and uneven parking.

Not sure it’s worth the annoyance of bed supports, but it has happened to me.

It could definitely be a limitation of the electronic tailgate release.

Interesting…I’ve never had any issue, even when parked on rough / steep terrain. Looks like you have a Laramie(?) not a PW…the PW does have softer suspension, meaning uneven terrain will be more easily absorbed by the suspension springs and articulink arms, rather than torsion transferred into the frame

 

[AH64ID]

Interesting…I’ve never had any issue, even when parked on rough / steep terrain. Looks like you have a Laramie(?) not a PW…the PW does have softer suspension, meaning uneven terrain will be more easily absorbed by the suspension springs and articulink arms, rather than torsion transferred into the frame

That's a great point, as well as the differences in the frame for the leaves vs coils.

 

[el_barto]

Ah yeah didn’t realize you have a 3500 that’s going to be even stiffer, and yeah leafs don’t handle flex as well as a link/coil suspension does

 

[oppizzippo]

@NHOverland makes one: https://www.nhoverland.com/products/ram-bed-stiffies?variant=48248930074808

Although I don't have personal experience with his specific part, I do have a few of their products, and they're all well-engineered and of top-notch quality.

 

[stickshifter]

Why do you want/need bed supports? Typically they are to stiffen up the bed when offroad so the tailgate can still open/close even when flexing… I haven’t heard of people having issues with their tailgate when offroad on rams (I know it’s an issue on Tacomas)…

For me - a couple of reasons - but maybe most important: its easy to add bed supports, and they are worth the modest cost if it prevents long-term damage to the truck. Plus, I like the extra tie-down points provided. I used those all the time in my Tacoma (and yes, my last truck with bed supports was a Tacoma ).

Its not that hard to get off-camber enough that the tailgate gets a little bound up. I don't usually try to open the tailgate when off-camber, but my recovery gear lives in the bed, so there could be a time I have to access that stuff when off-camber. If I can't open the tailgate I'd have to go in through a flip-up side panel on the Go Fast camper; not a terrible option, but those side panels are pretty high off the ground with a PW.

My Go Fast camper is only 400 pounds, but that is about twice the weight of a fiberglass topper. That is weight on the bed rails. If you are tossing around in the rocks - and I'm not talking about the Rubicon Trail, but any "moderate" trail here in the Rockies - the force of that extra weight is greater than when driving on smooth roads. Also, driving really corrugated dirt roads (which I do everyday) is hard on bed rails with a camper. I added bed supports to my Tacoma and put a fiberglass topper on it (maybe 175 pounds). I wheeled that set-up on trails rated 4-7 (using the On-X scale of 1-10) and never had any deformation to the bed rails, and never had trouble with the tailgate.

So for my labor (about 45 minutes), and a moderate cost ($275), I get peace of mind, and some good utility with extra tie-down points. Maybe it also prevents any deformation to my bed rails, which keeps me happy in my new truck, with my new Go Fast. That's an insurance policy I can get behind.

 

[stickshifter]

@NHOverland makes one: https://www.nhoverland.com/products/ram-bed-stiffies?variant=48248930074808

Although I don't have personal experience with his specific part, I do have a few of their products, and they're all well-engineered and of top-notch quality.

Thanks! I found these after I made my initial post. I'm luke-warm on the design - I've seen other designs that are a little "sleeker" - so I might look for a fab shop around here. But I'd prefer these to the ones with diagonal bars.

Any fab shop that can cut and bend 1/2” plate could make an L that would not need the gusset. Then some nutserts installed into the bed to hold it in place. Or making that one like you pictured is easy to have done with any local fab shop that has a cutting table and a brake.

I could make a set in about 1hr plus paint

Too bad you live in Canada, or I'd be knocking on your door

 

[el_barto]

For me - a couple of reasons - but maybe most important: its easy to add bed supports, and they are worth the modest cost if it prevents long-term damage to the truck. Plus, I like the extra tie-down points provided. I used those all the time in my Tacoma (and yes, my last truck with bed supports was a Tacoma ).

Its not that hard to get off-camber enough that the tailgate gets a little bound up. I don't usually try to open the tailgate when off-camber, but my recovery gear lives in the bed, so there could be a time I have to access that stuff when off-camber. If I can't open the tailgate I'd have to go in through a flip-up side panel on the Go Fast camper; not a terrible option, but those side panels are pretty high off the ground with a PW.

My Go Fast camper is only 400 pounds, but that is about twice the weight of a fiberglass topper. That is weight on the bed rails. If you are tossing around in the rocks - and I'm not talking about the Rubicon Trail, but any "moderate" trail here in the Rockies - the force of that extra weight is greater than when driving on smooth roads. Also, driving really corrugated dirt roads (which I do everyday) is hard on bed rails with a camper. I added bed supports to my Tacoma and put a fiberglass topper on it (maybe 175 pounds). I wheeled that set-up on trails rated 4-7 (using the On-X scale of 1-10) and never had any deformation to the bed rails, and never had trouble with the tailgate.

So for my labor (about 45 minutes), and a moderate cost ($275), I get peace of mind, and some good utility with extra tie-down points. Maybe it also prevents any deformation to my bed rails, which keeps me happy in my new truck, with my new Go Fast. That's an insurance policy I can get behind.

You do you...In my experience I have not had any issues with the tailgate due to frame or bed flex....but i guess if you want it for the tie down locations at least thats an addtional benefit for you! (I feel like they would be in the way, more often than no though).
The Ram has a fully boxed frame vs the C-channel on the Tacoma, and the Tacoma also has the composite bed vs steel bed, which is designed for a much lower payload. I would also expect the GoFast canopy to potentially stiffen the bed a bit even.