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2021 Marlon Xplore Pro II Sled Deck

jeeper8650

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Premium Member
Oct 18, 2016
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anyone have one of those extensions? Cost aside, I have a ford with 6.75ft bed and I am debating a 7ft deck with extension or just standard 8ft bed. I have 150/160 mountain sleds. Does the extension work well, downsides vs. 8ft deck on short bed? Seems like a good idea, but the dealer tried to talk me out of it and to just put on a 8ft deck
 

Norona

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Lifetime Membership
Dec 17, 2007
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North Vancouver, BC
www.noronalife.com
anyone have one of those extensions? Cost aside, I have a ford with 6.75ft bed and I am debating a 7ft deck with extension or just standard 8ft bed. I have 150/160 mountain sleds. Does the extension work well, downsides vs. 8ft deck on short bed? Seems like a good idea, but the dealer tried to talk me out of it and to just put on a 8ft deck
I have either option and run a 6.6 box and the 7 foot sticks out a little but even with the bumper so it fits nice, for me the 8 foot sticks out too far and you can hit it with your head and just gets in the way, depends where you live too, if in the country you probably own a long box as space and parking in a big town is a non issue. For me I only flip the extension up before the season and maybe to wash the truck through the car wash the odd time and for the rest of the time it is down. I ride 165 and 175 so the extension is needed. You can easily run a 165 on a 7 foot deck I just tell guys to back up the front with a tie down to the front of the truck, as we have seen guy break their superclamps because they had too much track hanging off the deck. You can do whatever you want, but this is why i warn people and a simple back up of a tie down strap is easy and quick.

 
G
Mar 10, 2021
14
0
1
idaho
I have either option and run a 6.6 box and the 7 foot sticks out a little but even with the bumper so it fits nice, for me the 8 foot sticks out too far and you can hit it with your head and just gets in the way, depends where you live too, if in the country you probably own a long box as space and parking in a big town is a non issue. For me I only flip the extension up before the season and maybe to wash the truck through the car wash the odd time and for the rest of the time it is down. I ride 165 and 175 so the extension is needed. You can easily run a 165 on a 7 foot deck I just tell guys to back up the front with a tie down to the front of the truck, as we have seen guy break their superclamps because they had too much track hanging off the deck. You can do whatever you want, but this is why i warn people and a simple back up of a tie down strap is easy and quick.


How does the deck handle the automatic car wash? Any issues? Been thinking about getting a deck but hand washing the car in the winter sounds terrible
 
K

klarkkentster

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2020
307
77
28
Bremerton, WA
Deciding between a short box or a long box in a new Ram truck. If I go mega cab with the short - does that pretty much eliminate the ability to tow a smaller toy hauler with a sled on the back? (If I need to take three sleds)
 

Pickin’ Boogers

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Apr 5, 2013
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63
I'll bet one in the middle could work, but if you load two sleds on the deck, they'd interfere pretty significantly with your turning radius. Personally, I like the Ram in the long bed with the crew cab. The crew cab is big enough to be comfortable for passengers, and there's decent storage below the seat. If you need more storage, you can hack the rear seat brackets to access space behind the seat.
 
M
Mar 28, 2013
19
6
3
Houston B.C.
How does the deck handle the automatic car wash? Any issues? Been thinking about getting a deck but hand washing the car in the winter sounds terrible
I have either option and run a 6.6 box and the 7 foot sticks out a little but even with the bumper so it fits nice, for me the 8 foot sticks out too far and you can hit it with your head and just gets in the way, depends where you live too, if in the country you probably own a long box as space and parking in a big town is a non issue. For me I only flip the extension up before the season and maybe to wash the truck through the car wash the odd time and for the rest of the time it is down. I ride 165 and 175 so the extension is needed. You can easily run a 165 on a 7 foot deck I just tell guys to back up the front with a tie down to the front of the truck, as we have seen guy break their superclamps because they had too much track hanging off the deck. You can do whatever you want, but this is why i warn people and a simple back up of a tie down strap is easy and quick.


Hey Dave, I’m looking at buying a Marlon on Tuesday when the shop is open. I have a summit X turbo 154. I have a 6’5” box. I like the idea of having the 7’ deck over the 8 foot but concerned the deck will be too short. And would probably forget to add the safety strap. Any issues running without? I don’t really want to buy the 2 foot add on unless I really have to. Thanks
 

Norona

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Lifetime Membership
Dec 17, 2007
2,585
4,681
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54
North Vancouver, BC
www.noronalife.com
Hey Dave, I’m looking at buying a Marlon on Tuesday when the shop is open. I have a summit X turbo 154. I have a 6’5” box. I like the idea of having the 7’ deck over the 8 foot but concerned the deck will be too short. And would probably forget to add the safety strap. Any issues running without? I don’t really want to buy the 2 foot add on unless I really have to. Thanks
no issue with 154 on the 7 foot deck
 
M
Mar 28, 2013
19
6
3
Houston B.C.
no issue with 154 on the 7 foot deck
Another question… I have the deck on a 2022 Denali HD. Mounting inside the box was a bit of messing around with the new design in the box( you have to slide the leg back a couple inches to clear the tie down point. I’m not bolting it in box). But when I plug in to the trailer plug it’s throwing codes in the cab. Check left/right signal, brake lights etc. Does the wire harness they sell you fix that issue? My dealership was no help. They told me they have never heard of any issues or any wire harness lol. Thanks!
 
C

caper11

Well-known member
Nov 2, 2008
2,056
2,176
113
Northern alberta
Another question… I have the deck on a 2022 Denali HD. Mounting inside the box was a bit of messing around with the new design in the box( you have to slide the leg back a couple inches to clear the tie down point. I’m not bolting it in box). But when I plug in to the trailer plug it’s throwing codes in the cab. Check left/right signal, brake lights etc. Does the wire harness they sell you fix that issue? My dealership was no help. They told me they have never heard of any issues or any wire harness lol. Thanks!

Yes get that harness, it bypasses the trailer app.
I have a 2021 Denali HD. I don’t have a Marlon deck, but that Pluto harness they sell fixed my problems with the bonkers trailering app that GM has when you plug into the 4 pin or the 7 pin in the bed. The light strip at the back of the marlon deck is what that harness was made for.
 
M
Mar 28, 2013
19
6
3
Houston B.C.
Yes get that harness, it bypasses the trailer app.
I have a 2021 Denali HD. I don’t have a Marlon deck, but that Pluto harness they sell fixed my problems with the bonkers trailering app that GM has when you plug into the 4 pin or the 7 pin in the bed. The light strip at the back of the marlon deck is what that harness was made for.


Is it an easy install? I’m not much of a mechanic/ wiring guy lol. I haven’t seen any videos or pictures on where to plug it in. Also what is the white wire for?
 
C

caper11

Well-known member
Nov 2, 2008
2,056
2,176
113
Northern alberta
Is it an easy install? I’m not much of a mechanic/ wiring guy lol. I haven’t seen any videos or pictures on where to plug it in. Also what is the white wire for?

How is the Marlon deck wired?, does it have one plug for the light bar and another for the deck lights, or is it a 4 pin connection? That white wire is for your reverse light circuit for the rear lightbar.

Its a easy install, follow the instructions, it’s plug and play, but with all of the electronics on these trucks, I paid the GM dealer to do it, it was a hour labor. It plugs into the tail light harness by your spare tire.
Than I ran a extra wire down to the plug under the truck. My deck only has a two wire power supply, all I need is power.
 
Last edited:
M
Mar 28, 2013
19
6
3
Houston B.C.
How is the Marlon deck wired?, does it have one plug for the light bar and another for the deck lights, or is it a 4 pin connection?

Its a easy install, follow the instructions, it’s plug and play, but with all of the electronics on these trucks, I paid the GM dealer to do it, it was a hour labor. It plugs into the tail light harness by your spare tire.
Than I ran a extra wire down to the plug under the truck. My deck only has a two wire power supply, all I need is power.
It has the 4 pin connector and then has the extra white wire( not sure what that’s for). Not too sure my GM dealer will do the accessory wiring. I wish Marlon had a video on how to do it like they do with the fords. Would make things a little easier. Do you have any pictures of where they plugged the harness into?
 
C

caper11

Well-known member
Nov 2, 2008
2,056
2,176
113
Northern alberta
It has the 4 pin connector and then has the extra white wire( not sure what that’s for). Not too sure my GM dealer will do the accessory wiring. I wish Marlon had a video on how to do it like they do with the fords. Would make things a little easier. Do you have any pictures of where they plugged the harness into?

I edited my other post as I remembered what the white wire on the harness was for. The white wire is for the reverse light circuit.
That light bar is not a Marlon product. Go look at the Plutco Blade light. It will show the harness and the the wiring, and you tube vids.
I do not know why Marlon or the dealer do not know of this wire harness. It should be supplied with the deck.

When I explained what I wanted to do with Plutco, they are the ones that told me Marlon can get that harness I needed, When I called Marlon with the part number, they told me they never ordered that before.
I called lots of deck manufacturers, and they were clueless on how to get around the trailer app, one told me to splice into the taillight wiring.
 
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