Marlon or DuraDeck - Which would you choose?

[KhaosRipcord]

And why?

 

[North Dakota 322]

Cant comment for or against the Marlon,
I have a dura deck, I like the ramp assist for single person use, the ramp is very strong. it has held up to 1000lb sxs (think Kubota rtv 900 diesel)
the legs are adjustable in height, turn buckle tie down (no drilling holes in box)
Lights are bright, loading lights are very handy,
Super clamps and track straps included
Aluminum non slip deck option
Power adjust slide outs option (no more freezing in place)
Winch option.
Bought mine raw aluminum and polished it.

Until recently I used mine 365 days a year as a 8x8 flatbed in the summer hauling construction materials, semi truck parts, skid steer buckets, lawn debris.
and in the winter for sleds. no issues
(Bought a gooseneck equipment trailer)

I bought the Duradeck mainly as they are local to me, built exactly what I wanted at what I thought was a fair price.
Built by farmers, built strong but not overkill in Tower City ND


You wont go wrong ether way, but i will be buying another Duradeck when the time comes.

any questions, call them up and talk to Shayde or Hunter.

 

[KhaosRipcord]

Cant comment for or against the Marlon,
I have a dura deck, I like the ramp assist for single person use, the ramp is very strong. it has held up to 1000lb sxs (think Kubota rtv 900 diesel)
the legs are adjustable in height, turn buckle tie down (no drilling holes in box)
Lights are bright, loading lights are very handy,
Super clamps and track straps included
Aluminum non slip deck option
Power adjust slide outs option (no more freezing in place)
Winch option.
Bought mine raw aluminum and polished it.

Until recently I used mine 365 days a year as a 8x8 flatbed in the summer hauling construction materials, semi truck parts, skid steer buckets, lawn debris.
and in the winter for sleds. no issues
(Bought a gooseneck equipment trailer)

I bought the Duradeck mainly as they are local to me, built exactly what I wanted at what I thought was a fair price.
Built by farmers, built strong but not overkill in Tower City ND


You wont go wrong ether way, but i will be buying another Duradeck when the time comes.

any questions, call them up and talk to Shayde or Hunter.

Watching video it looks like the ramp takes up quite a bit of space underneath. What are your thoughts on bed storage or lack there of?

 

[Clark42]

Pretty similar product. I'd go with whatever is more visually appealing to you

 

[North Dakota 322]

Watching video it looks like the ramp takes up quite a bit of space underneath. What are your thoughts on bed storage or lack there of?

The ramp does sit a little lower and is a little thicker than most, but for me it still works as I can slide totes and gear bags under still.
The ramp assist bar hangs down the lowest but is easily removable.

 

[JH@CM]

I went through this same thought process last year and was torn between the same two options for a new truck as my old deck was tired.

Ultimately I chose Marlon (Explore II) because it worked out to be $2k cheaper for the most comparable product (omitting winch and power slides on the Dura Deck). The consumer is also responsible for freight on the Dura Deck since they don't have a robust network of dealers like Marlon, so depending on where you live vs. willingness to drive to ND to retreive, that may factor in.

So far the Marlon has been great. The rear LED bar is an incredible feature, and adds a ton of light for backing up. Ramp is heavy (good and bad). All aluminum construction is a huge upgrade from my last deck. The leg adjustments of the Explore III look better, but I'm happy as it's only an issue twice a year.

Dura Deck is a bit heavier weight (maybe 100-150lbs) than Marlon if comparing 8' decks based on my conversation with Justin, which may factor significantly if you're not using an HD truck. They are made with heavier materials in North Dakota.

It comes down to what you like more, and perhaps availability. Dura Deck is essentially built to order, while Marlon sends them in big batches from Canada. They are both great options and I doubt you'd regret either.

 

[PSI 800]

Limitless and Mammoth make great decks as well. But they are both from here in Canada so shipping might be an issue

 

[Daner1978]

I went through this same thought process last year and was torn between the same two options for a new truck as my old deck was tired.

Ultimately I chose Marlon (Explore II) because it worked out to be $2k cheaper for the most comparable product (omitting winch and power slides on the Dura Deck). The consumer is also responsible for freight on the Dura Deck since they don't have a robust network of dealers like Marlon, so depending on where you live vs. willingness to drive to ND to retreive, that may factor in.

So far the Marlon has been great. The rear LED bar is an incredible feature, and adds a ton of light for backing up. Ramp is heavy (good and bad). All aluminum construction is a huge upgrade from my last deck. The leg adjustments of the Explore III look better, but I'm happy as it's only an issue twice a year.

Dura Deck is a bit heavier weight (maybe 100-150lbs) than Marlon if comparing 8' decks based on my conversation with Justin, which may factor significantly if you're not using an HD truck. They are made with heavier materials in North Dakota.

It comes down to what you like more, and perhaps availability. Dura Deck is essentially built to order, while Marlon sends them in big batches from Canada. They are both great options and I doubt you'd regret either.

Marlon decks are built in Tacoma, Washington.

 

[JH@CM]

Marlon decks are built in Tacoma, Washington.

And here I thought it was Canadian meth heads building slides that have holes that aren't quite drilled to line up... turns out it's US meth heads!

 

[caper11]

A marlon Dealer told me the decks were built in China and assembled in the US, thats why I didn’t even consider a Marlon.