Does the bed flex, due to unibody construction?

[Trucklet]

I'm still waiting on the truck, but I'm planning on building an "overland style" box camper for the Maverick. I was wondering if I need to get complicated by isolating the camper from the bed to prevent any significant flexing of the camper shell, or if clamping to the bed rails is the proper way to go.

Normally in a body-on-frame pickup, any camper shells or even those truck topper shells wouldn't see any flex because the bed is independent of the cab and they're both independent of the frame. So you clamp the shell to the bed rail and you're fine.

This may be applicable to anyone who got one of those hard shell bed toppers that were an option for the Maverick...

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[Naranjita]

I'm still waiting on the truck, but I'm planning on building an "overland style" box camper for the Maverick. I was wondering if I need to get complicated by isolating the camper from the bed to prevent any significant flexing of the camper shell, or if clamping to the bed rails is the proper way to go.

Normally in a body-on-frame pickup, any camper shells or even those truck topper shells wouldn't see any flex because the bed is independent of the cab and they're both independent of the frame. So you clamp the shell to the bed rail and you're fine.

This may be applicable to anyone who got one of those hard shell bed toppers that were an option for the Maverick...

So far, in my observation after 3,000 miles is that it seems more rigid, if anything. Probably since it cannot flex between the cab and bed at all. I have not put more than about 800-900 lbs in the bed so far. But nothing feels flexy. But I have not weighted down bearing weight on the top of the sides with anything but a tonneau cover.

 

[Transplant]

How do you plan to fit a bed in your build considering the truck only has a 4.5 foot length to it? Are you planning to build over the cab? I've been considering options for a similar build eventually, I'm still not sure what the best route will be to allow for it to function well without having a massive effect on fuel mileage.

 

[Trucklet]

How do you plan to fit a bed in your build considering the truck only has a 4.5 foot length to it? Are you planning to build over the cab? I've been considering options for a similar build eventually, I'm still not sure what the best route will be to allow for it to function well without having a massive effect on fuel mileage.

The Maverick is 6.5 ft if you have tailgate down. (You'd need to get trailer brakes/signals but if you have the trailer pins that's easy). I'd also go overcab bed. The cab is nearly as long as the bed is!

 

[jmav]

I'm still waiting on the truck, but I'm planning on building an "overland style" box camper for the Maverick. I was wondering if I need to get complicated by isolating the camper from the bed to prevent any significant flexing of the camper shell, or if clamping to the bed rails is the proper way to go.

Normally in a body-on-frame pickup, any camper shells or even those truck topper shells wouldn't see any flex because the bed is independent of the cab and they're both independent of the frame. So you clamp the shell to the bed rail and you're fine.

This may be applicable to anyone who got one of those hard shell bed toppers that were an option for the Maverick...

Less likely to flex than a body on frame IMO. Keep in mind this part of the truck supports the rear suspension and there are no rubber isolation spacers between the bed and frame like a body-on-frame vehicle. Basically, the body/cab/bed is all one piece.

 

[Gulfcoast]

I've been considering a 4x8 box that would rest on the wheel wells (probably with some storage underneath) and on the tailgate...not sure about height - maybe keep the front cab height and elevate the rear for some greater headroom? Would use basically as a hard sided "tent" enroute to destinations with the option to offload if staying in one place for a few days...

 

[K8o8]

I'm still waiting on the truck, but I'm planning on building an "overland style" box camper for the Maverick. I was wondering if I need to get complicated by isolating the camper from the bed to prevent any significant flexing of the camper shell, or if clamping to the bed rails is the proper way to go.

Normally in a body-on-frame pickup, any camper shells or even those truck topper shells wouldn't see any flex because the bed is independent of the cab and they're both independent of the frame. So you clamp the shell to the bed rail and you're fine.

This may be applicable to anyone who got one of those hard shell bed toppers that were an option for the Maverick...

Want to see flex I drove next to a 2022 tundra the other day over some slightly bad pavement and boy did its bed bounce and move a lot independently from the cab probably due to them making the inside of a full-size bed out of the same plastic as the tacomas

 

[B_kiz]

Kinda off topic but I noticed today that there was visibe light coming though where the wheel well meets the floor of the bed. Is that normal? I sort of thought it would be one piece like a tub

 

[bgn]

Kinda off topic but I noticed today that there was visibe light coming though where the wheel well meets the floor of the bed. Is that normal? I sort of thought it would be one piece like a tub

It's not one piece. Water and dirt come up through there on mine.

 

[Big_T]

Kinda off topic but I noticed today that there was visibe light coming though where the wheel well meets the floor of the bed. Is that normal? I sort of thought it would be one piece like a tub

It is normal, in other words, all Mavericks (including mine) are like that.
Previous discussion here -
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...on-gap-from-side-of-bed-normal-or-issue.4950/

 

[Trucklet]

Want to see flex I drove next to a 2022 tundra the other day over some slightly bad pavement and boy did its bed bounce and move a lot independently from the cab probably due to them making the inside of a full-size bed out of the same plastic as the tacomas

That's the thing though; all body-on-frame trucks have a bed that moves independent of the frame, so even though that box is moving all over the place, the actual box itself is not flexing (so any topper on it won't see flex.) If the Maverick is built solid as a unibody, then if you twist the truck the bed would have to flex and I wonder if this is a problem for both slide-in campers as well as those hardshell toppers that they were selling as options. I heard they aren't selling those toppers anymore and I assumed it was due to supply, but let's hope it's not because they didn't think of this...

 

[Delbert]

I have concluded that this vehicle is muck stiffer than most body on frame designs. Especially the movement between the cab and truck bed.

Given that, I am going to put a crossbar on the cab roof and two mounted to the bed to act as a ladder rack and canoe carrier. The flex of body on frame trucks require the ladder rack to cantilever over the cab. IMHO this makes the truck much better for caps and racks.

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