Features to look for in a sled deck??

[Toad face killah]

So I am ready to finally bite the bullet on buying a sled deck. I had one 2 years ago that was steel, home made and total junk. I won't do that again. I want to make sure to buy one I'll be happy with for years to come. What features should I look for? What truly seperates the good decks from the bad? Are superclamps worth the $$$? I think probably yes.What should I look for in terms of ramps? Is it worth buying a deck that seals to the bed? Are the Marathon decks safe to use with no support to the base of bed? I dont trust all the weight sitting on the bed rails....

I definitely want an aluminum deck with expandable sides and headache ramp. I just don't get the dovetail thing. The only experience I had with one, I couldn't even fit my gear bag under the dovetail and into the bed area. Although that might not be the case with all, I don't think it's what I want.

My truck is a 2008 Tundra with 6.5' bed and airbags. I know the argument of being overweight but thats not my concern. Also not concerned with brand bashing. Just want good opinions and to get steered in the right direction.

 

[boondocker97]

Definitely get one that sits down close to the top of the box. It's not much fun digging things out of a pickup box that's wet and full of road grime. Superclamps are worth it. The Mission deck my friend has is ok for a mid-level deck. Sometimes the sides freeze up if you are in freezing wet conditions though. His is a few years old and the original ramp had some issues. They replaced it with an updated design and it is much better now.

 

[adamg]

There was a thread on the same topic a week ago, you should be able to find it in this forum.

 

[SRXSRULE]

lots of info if you search but I will mention a few things. The aluminum decks range from about 2500-5500, the low side of that is very cheaply made and have issues with slide outs and ramps freezing or just designed poorly and are a struggle to use. plywood decking will always need attention and the ones with the rubber coated plywood flakes right off. As for the decks that sit on the box sides, they do come with leg supports that mount all the way to the outside.....but I have a Marathon Truckboss sitting on my bed sides (2014 chevy) without the supports installed and I'm not worried about it at all. Just think about all the construction companies that have racks on there trucks loaded down with lumber, rebar, tools and the large steel rack itself.
The sealed off deck is nice, it keeps everything dry and if you have a locking tailgate you can put stuff in there and know its secure.
Super clamps are a must, super glides or a similar product is also nice for solid footing. A winch is a nice feature for loading a dead or wrecked sled, or loading in an icy parking lot.
The thing I recommend the most though is to try and look at them in person, operate the slide outs and the ramp. Eric

 

[fc8464]

I have a Truck Boss sled deck that I have had for about 5 years. Works really well. Fred

 

[Toad face killah]

What are the reasons one sled decks slides would work better than others? I mean why wouldn't one freeze up when the slides get water on them when others will? Is there a better design that I should keep an eye out for?

 

[SRXSRULE]

What are the reasons one sled decks slides would work better than others? I mean why wouldn't one freeze up when the slides get water on them when others will? Is there a better design that I should keep an eye out for?

Thats easy to answer..... Quality and engineering. I'll give you 2 examples. Alcom Manufacturing sells sled decks under several names. Mission is one of those names and is also the brand that Polaris puts their name on. Go look at a brand new Alcom deck at your polaris dealer and see how it works, its going to take some effort and fighting end to end to get the sides out and back in. Its even worse in the winter with snow and ice. Try the ramp too while your at it.
Its aluminum welded together in a jig, its not perfect and each one is slightly different.
A TruckBoss deck is all extruded aluminum bolted together. The slide outs have UHMW inserts they ride on and each cross bar can be adjusted. All you do is loosen 3-4 bolts in the rail and it allows each cross bar to adjust perfectly to the piece it slides into. Now you can slide it in and out with one hand, summer or winter.
Thats only 2 examples, they are all built different and some are better then others. I use my deck 50+ days a winter and I'm not going to be fighting it to use it. Search around, look at pics and see what you want to spend. Eric

 

[Toad face killah]

Thanks guys. Lots of questions answered. I look forward to not using a trailer again this winter