As far as simplicity and a straightforward build, this has got to be the best DIY truck bed slide I've seen. The low profile is definitely a plus. Thank you!
Thanks for the video! I just built this to go under the topper on my truck. The bearings are a great choice and it keeps the entire height profile tight to the bed.
Very nice build. Might i suggest a locking mechanism just to keep your load off the tailgate as it can have it fail. And perhaps one slight little tilt at the back end as well. It would drain water into the bed if perhaps one day you forgot to close to toneau or wanted to clean the entire thing out. Great build
Great build! It's clean, simple, and effective. Love the bearings; first time I've seen them used. Also love the idea of aluminum runners to prevent dimples, as well. I plan to get a camper shell and will have two drawers with this type of slide on top. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great idea and appreciate sharing this-I have a 2015 Silverado Crew with short bed also-like everything you did-simplest build out I've seen yet. Nice Job!!!
Very nice! Keep in mind that treated plywood is better, a good cdx untreated should last as long as you seal the edges and the sides with a good quality paint. The problem is that moisture penetrates the edges causing it to de-laminate.
Hi, Very well done video thank you. I've been searching and planning for my 2018 GMC and your build improves on the one I saw and liked using the same idea of surface mount bearings. More bearings, nice and low and simple. I will be also be building a side storage barrier quite high in spots to keep the side items from not falling and catching the main slide. One side dedicated to fishing gear and rods, the other emergency gear, straps tarps etc.
Hey man! Thanks so much for posting this build. I just finished mine today, without the black stain and seal. Overall it went well, I just uploaded a video on my channel showing it all come together. Thanks so much again!
Hey there, thats looking like a pretty good build there. One question that i didnt hear u address or be asked about - how do you stop the slide from sliding all the way out? Is there a stop, or do you just be careful not to do that? Thanks for sharing this video, and talking about your thought process. Your two initial characteristics that u wanted for it, told at the beginning, are also two of my biggest reasons why im gonna go diy, and w/a slide, instead of drawers. Some similar parts that ive considered using also. Anything you would change, if doing it all over again, or are easily able to modify rt now?
You could put rollers on the underside of the slide out towards the very end so that if u have alot of weight at very back of the truck. Rollers assist and give u spacing between ur slide out and the tail gate to reduce binding of the hinges.
Nice build, mine has different rollers mounted on decking frame so water proof. I used 2 coats of Sherwin Williams exterior duration paint. Stain is nit waterproof , you may find water will damage the build.
Great build! Thanks for sharing. I do want to build something similar for my RV. Do you think one could potentially undermount the roller ball transfer bearings on the base layer of plywood to save even more overall height? My thinking is that the drawer still sits on the bearings but because the bearings are under mounted one could save an additional 3/4” of height (assuming the base layer ply is 3/4”).
It's 4 years later. 1. Still have the truck? 2. Still have the bed tray? 3. How well has it lasted? 4. Have you done more than the 17 bags of wood pellets? 5.
I've been planning on building a bed slide and have seen numerous videos so far I like this one the best I already had figured on using those ball bearings (harbor freight carries them) only im thinking of using c channel screwed to the bottom of top plywood and align them up so bearings run in the c channel to keep straight and c channel will also be support for top plywood to keep it flat anyway thanks for the vid I enjoyed it
Let me know how the c channel works... good idea. We just returned from a 2800 mile trip down to Key West and back. We used the bed slide at least once daily, and most days many times. It is the best add-on I have ever added to a truck. It makes life so much easier. We rarely rolled up the tonneau cover and never had to climb into the bed to get something. The bed was packed full and the slide worked great.
@@davehubley5218 I will indeed and I'm glad to hear it worked well for you in fla. You passed right by me when you went through Central fla. I can't wait to get my slide built its got to be better than nothing which is what I've got now....truck bed bedlam
@full throttle service: so, didjya build it? One option i considered doing was what u mentioned, w/aluminum c-channels on the underside, using those HFT bearings. Idk though, since they arent rated for high weight capacity loads. I often have loads of copper ranging anywhere between 250-750lbs, and am skeptical that those will be adequate.
Nice video!! How’s it holding up? Wear ruts from the wood and bearings an issues yet?? Any chance your make an update video with some heavy stuff on it. I think I just found a new weekend project. Anything your would like to change on it??
Love the simple elegance of your design. Have you seen any tracks being made on the bottom side of the top piece of plywood? I had seen a few other designs that added a metal strip to the bottom of the top sheet for rollers to move along.
Great job, I am going to use your design for my ute. Seeing as I am in Australia, a link to the roller bearings would be great. Also is your roller setup fixed to the bed or just sitting on top. Hopefully you will save me about $1200 Aussie dollars, thanks you.
Did you copy my design? I used skate board bearings, set in 3/4” plywood like your ball style, I used angle iron full length the top shelf. I had a metal hook over each edge over the angle iron to hold it when extended. I had a roller bar that sat on the edge of the tailgate to support while extended. Draw backs, the bearings tend to eat into the plywood underneath, added embedded metal for bearings to glide over. The whole idea was to be able to extend further, and keep overall height to a minimum. The nice thing is the whole unit was only attached to the bed with 2 screws, and could be slid out as a whole.
Nice project. Just a quick question. Is it noisy when it's empty? I am thinking of doing one. I will just add hard rubber at the bottom and each end of the slides.
No rattling that I have noticed. The slide is heavy enough to minimize noise and there isn't much room for the slide to shift around. I did add a 1/8" rubber mat on top of the slide which I really like. Things did not shift too much without the mat but nothing moves now. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SUIX4W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Bearings on the wrong sheet of plywood - so, if they do get wet, they can drain easily. "Keep as much of you weight forward as you can" - sorta defeats the purpose of a bed slide, no?
Simon, the slide actually just sits in the bed at this point. I can easily add tiedowns to lock it in place but with over 4000 miles since adding the slide it has not wandered at all. With that said, it is pretty much locked in place between the wheel wells and the front and back of the bed. Not much room for it to roam.
@@dnasadventures8681 thanks Dave I’m going to follow you design as it’s within my scope and budget. I think I’ll secure it to the bed as we go off road and wondering about it lifting when going over sand and stuff. Thanks fir the j do. It’s great!
Nice slide works well and highly functional however, you probably had to drill into the bed to mount this. I want to get away from drilling into the bed at all costs. As that could be just another rust issue in the future.
I am looking to make this half as wide and to be able to pull it out and down like a ramp. Basically I will pull up my tool cart, clamp it to the ramp and then just lift the ramp and slide it back.
Iwen, the bottom plywood with the 1x4s together result in 49.5” of width between the wheel wells and the overall length covers the entire length available. There really isn’t a lot of room for the slide to move. I also have a spray on bedliner which doesn’t let things slide easily. I currently do not have it mounted but a lot of folks use an eye hook mounted to the 1x4 with a turn buckle to factory tie downs in the bed. So far I have about 1000 miles since adding the slide at it has not moved. I also have not had the bottom plywood slide when using the slide to load and unload. I think the “roughness” of the spray on bedliner helps hold it in place. We will put about 3000 miles on in the next 3 weeks and I will see if I need to add anything.
Hi, what stops the slide from going out too far? And what holds the bottom base down to the truck bed so if you pull the slide out about 3/4ths of the way and put something heavy on it, that it won't lift up in the back?
Gary, 560 lbs - fourteen 40 lb bags of wood pellets. I only did the build a couple weeks ago so no warping. The biggest question I have is will the bearings create dimples over time on the bottom side of the slide. If I left a load in the truck I could see that happening resulting in a less smooth slide. If that happens I will install 1.5” aluminum strips on the bottom of the slide where the bearing ride. I thought about doing that during the build but that would have added almost $80 to the cost so I decided to wait and see. If I need to do that I just need to slide out the top piece of plywood to get to the bottom to add the strips. I left enough space of clearance on top of the slide to accommodate an 1/4” of additional height if I need to add aluminum strips so no other modifications should be needed.
@@MJPeddler The spacing between the bearings is 8” with spacing at each end slightly less. There are four rows of bearings with nine bearings in each row. The load rating for each bearing is 110 lbs so with a total of 36 bearings the overall capacity of the bearings greatly exceeds possible payload on a half ton truck. I added more bearings to minimize the risk of dimpling the bottom of the slide overtime. That is my theory, time will tell. Currently the unit is not mounted in anyway to the truck. The unit has not moved at all but over the Holidays I will add a hook and eye turnbuckle near each corner on the bottom section and connect each to a factory tie down on the side of bed to make certain it is secure.
Richard, the first thing I decided was to put the bearings in rows in the event that the plywood used for the slide would get dimples over time where each bearing was located. If that happens I can add an aluminum strip mounted to the bottom of the slide for each row. I have enough clearance to add a 1/4” thick aluminum strip if needed. So far dimpling has not been an issue but in a year and several heavy loads it may be. I then decided to have 4 rows with the outside rows 2” in from the edge of the plywood. The two inner rows are at 17” in from each edge. My goal was to try to provide solid support across the entire sheet. Each row has 9 bearings with the bearings closet to the edge in about 3” and the remaining 7 bearings separated about 8”s. Each bearing is rated for 110 lbs so with 36 bearings the capacity of nearly 4000 lbs is serious overkill for my half ton pickup. My objective with all the bearings was to improve slide performance and reduce dimpling by spreading the load across more bearings. So far I couldn’t be happier. We just returned from a 2800 mile trip and the bed was loaded with camping and fishing gear. We used it several times each day and we only rolled up the tonneau cover twice in 16 days.
@@davehubley5218 would you be able to add a row of rollers to your tailgate itself for those times that it would collapse into the tailgate under load?
I think you did an excellent job on this! The only question I have is whether you have noticed any swelling during rainy times that might cause anything to bind? Also, how much clearance did you allow widthwise? I'm probably going to build one very similar! Great job and thank you for taking the time to make the video.
zaxter, At most there is about a 1/4” of play on each side so the slide doesn’t bind on the sides. With that said, the slide just lays on the bearings so there is nothing to force equal clearance on both sides. I have not had any issues with binding. The slide stays dry since I have a tonneau cover and since it is winter here in the Northeast humidity is relatively low. There has not been an issue with the wood swelling. If it does swell at some point I should have plenty of clearance.
George, each bearing is held in place by two 3/4” stainless screws. Even though the plywood is also 3/4” thick, the additional thickness of the mounting tabs on the bearings added enough thickness for the screws to work without going through the plywood. I had those screws on hand and was happy they worked. If they were too long I would have purchased 5/8” screws.
@@mikewestenberger7029 Here is my logic... The more rows of bearings you have the more you will spread the weight load. The heavier the load the more dimples you will get on the slide over time. Dimples will make the slide more difficult to slide. I went with 4 rows to spread the load to minimize dimpling where the slide sits on the bearings. So far (only a few months) I do not have any significant dimpling. If I do start to see that I will add aluminum strips for the length of each row so the bearings would ride on the aluminum and not the wood. Here is the good news, you can always add more rows and aluminum strips if needed. That would be an easy modification.
Hi Mike, no plans... customized to the size of my bed. The slide fits between the wheel wells and from front to back with only about 1/4" of play. So the slide does not want to move around as I drive.
As far as simplicity and a straightforward build, this has got to be the best DIY truck bed slide I've seen. The low profile is definitely a plus. Thank you!
Looks good. Would have been nice to have taken the top drawer out and show some of the attachments to the bed. Will have to look into this.
Thanks for the video! I just built this to go under the topper on my truck. The bearings are a great choice and it keeps the entire height profile tight to the bed.
Very nice build. Might i suggest a locking mechanism just to keep your load off the tailgate as it can have it fail. And perhaps one slight little tilt at the back end as well. It would drain water into the bed if perhaps one day you forgot to close to toneau or wanted to clean the entire thing out. Great build
Awesome Build. Saved me a lot of $$$ and made my wife extremely happy with the savings ☺.
Great build! It's clean, simple, and effective. Love the bearings; first time I've seen them used. Also love the idea of aluminum runners to prevent dimples, as well. I plan to get a camper shell and will have two drawers with this type of slide on top. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great idea and appreciate sharing this-I have a 2015 Silverado Crew with short bed also-like everything you did-simplest build out I've seen yet. Nice Job!!!
Im a Silverado owner, Thanks for giving me this idea!
Very nice! Keep in mind that treated plywood is better, a good cdx untreated should last as long as you seal the edges and the sides with a good quality paint. The problem is that moisture penetrates the edges causing it to de-laminate.
Hi,
Very well done video thank you. I've been searching and planning for my 2018 GMC and your build improves on the one I saw and liked using the same idea of surface mount bearings. More bearings, nice and low and simple. I will be also be building a side storage barrier quite high in spots to keep the side items from not falling and catching the main slide. One side dedicated to fishing gear and rods, the other emergency gear, straps tarps etc.
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for sharing this great idea. Best DIY truck bed slide I have seen.
Good build, and video on how you did it. Thanks!
Hey man! Thanks so much for posting this build. I just finished mine today, without the black stain and seal. Overall it went well, I just uploaded a video on my channel showing it all come together. Thanks so much again!
Sean, excellent!
Hey there, thats looking like a pretty good build there. One question that i didnt hear u address or be asked about - how do you stop the slide from sliding all the way out? Is there a stop, or do you just be careful not to do that? Thanks for sharing this video, and talking about your thought process. Your two initial characteristics that u wanted for it, told at the beginning, are also two of my biggest reasons why im gonna go diy, and w/a slide, instead of drawers. Some similar parts that ive considered using also. Anything you would change, if doing it all over again, or are easily able to modify rt now?
NIce build, I like your concept. I think I am going to build mine like that
You could put rollers on the underside of the slide out towards the very end so that if u have alot of weight at very back of the truck. Rollers assist and give u spacing between ur slide out and the tail gate to reduce binding of the hinges.
Nice build, mine has different rollers mounted on decking frame so water proof.
I used 2 coats of Sherwin Williams exterior duration paint. Stain is nit waterproof , you may find water will damage the build.
Do you have a link to the rollers you suggest? I was worried about the waterproofing while watching this
Great build! Thanks for sharing. I do want to build something similar for my RV. Do you think one could potentially undermount the roller ball transfer bearings on the base layer of plywood to save even more overall height? My thinking is that the drawer still sits on the bearings but because the bearings are under mounted one could save an additional 3/4” of height (assuming the base layer ply is 3/4”).
This is what i am thinking as well, because you lose almost 4 inch when said and done..
After three years. How's the truck bed slide holding up? For I'm considering building one myself. Thanks
It's 4 years later.
1. Still have the truck?
2. Still have the bed tray?
3. How well has it lasted?
4. Have you done more than the 17 bags of wood pellets?
5.
Great build! 1 Recommendation! Bolt a couple or three rollers/sliders/1x1 strip of treated wood across the top of the tailgate to help with the tilt
Awesome build
You should be proud That's a really cool project and very well known thank you for the content
Excellent plan. How did you mount it to the bed so it doesn't tip.
I've been planning on building a bed slide and have seen numerous videos so far I like this one the best I already had figured on using those ball bearings (harbor freight carries them) only im thinking of using c channel screwed to the bottom of top plywood and align them up so bearings run in the c channel to keep straight and c channel will also be support for top plywood to keep it flat anyway thanks for the vid I enjoyed it
Let me know how the c channel works... good idea. We just returned from a 2800 mile trip down to Key West and back. We used the bed slide at least once daily, and most days many times. It is the best add-on I have ever added to a truck. It makes life so much easier. We rarely rolled up the tonneau cover and never had to climb into the bed to get something. The bed was packed full and the slide worked great.
@@davehubley5218 I will indeed and I'm glad to hear it worked well for you in fla. You passed right by me when you went through Central fla. I can't wait to get my slide built its got to be better than nothing which is what I've got now....truck bed bedlam
@full throttle service: so, didjya build it? One option i considered doing was what u mentioned, w/aluminum c-channels on the underside, using those HFT bearings. Idk though, since they arent rated for high weight capacity loads. I often have loads of copper ranging anywhere between 250-750lbs, and am skeptical that those will be adequate.
Thank you for the video! Could you please post the link to the bearings in your description?
That would be awesome
Nice video!! How’s it holding up? Wear ruts from the wood and bearings an issues yet?? Any chance your make an update video with some heavy stuff on it. I think I just found a new weekend project. Anything your would like to change on it??
I like the lip song the side. That's something I was wondering about. Hope to keep it from flipping out. Thanks.
I bet you could drill holes and mount the bearings from the back side of the plywood to reduce height even more.
Love the simple elegance of your design. Have you seen any tracks being made on the bottom side of the top piece of plywood? I had seen a few other designs that added a metal strip to the bottom of the top sheet for rollers to move along.
Shaun, it has only been a few months but no tracks yet. I did leave space for a metal strip if needed
Can you tell me exactly what the bearings are and where you got them? Thank you
They are called roller ball bearings.
Only potential issue is debris obstructing the rollers. Overall, outstanding!!
Did you anchor the bottom to the bed of the truck?
They are cheap bearings. Plan on greasing often. Looks good.
Great job, I am going to use your design for my ute. Seeing as I am in Australia, a link to the roller bearings would be great.
Also is your roller setup fixed to the bed or just sitting on top. Hopefully you will save me about $1200 Aussie dollars, thanks you.
Great build!! Love the black paint, damn near looks factory!!
How did you join the 1x4 to the sheet of plywood?
Hi there bud great build
You could add some Bearing on the TailGate.
That’s exactly what I need!
Well done, sir.
Did you copy my design? I used skate board bearings, set in 3/4” plywood like your ball style, I used angle iron full length the top shelf. I had a metal hook over each edge over the angle iron to hold it when extended. I had a roller bar that sat on the edge of the tailgate to support while extended.
Draw backs, the bearings tend to eat into the plywood underneath, added embedded metal for bearings to glide over.
The whole idea was to be able to extend further, and keep overall height to a minimum.
The nice thing is the whole unit was only attached to the bed with 2 screws, and could be slid out as a whole.
Nice project. Just a quick question. Is it noisy when it's empty? I am thinking of doing one. I will just add hard rubber at the bottom and each end of the slides.
No rattling that I have noticed. The slide is heavy enough to minimize noise and there isn't much room for the slide to shift around.
I did add a 1/8" rubber mat on top of the slide which I really like. Things did not shift too much without the mat but nothing moves now.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SUIX4W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Could you please tell me which bearings those are off amazon?
Great idea, what kind of wood do you use? Great video thx
Forgive me if I missed it but did you screw the base to the bed of the truck.
Dumb question here, how did you attach the first piece of plywood to the bed? Second question how did you attach the ball bearings to the plywood?
Awesome question
Bearings on the wrong sheet of plywood - so, if they do get wet, they can drain easily.
"Keep as much of you weight forward as you can" - sorta defeats the purpose of a bed slide, no?
How did you secure it to the floor of the truck ? Looks great by the way:)
Simon, the slide actually just sits in the bed at this point. I can easily add tiedowns to lock it in place but with over 4000 miles since adding the slide it has not wandered at all. With that said, it is pretty much locked in place between the wheel wells and the front and back of the bed. Not much room for it to roam.
@@dnasadventures8681 thanks Dave I’m going to follow you design as it’s within my scope and budget. I think I’ll secure it to the bed as we go off road and wondering about it lifting when going over sand and stuff. Thanks fir the j do. It’s great!
Nice slide works well and highly functional however, you probably had to drill into the bed to mount this. I want to get away from drilling into the bed at all costs. As that could be just another rust issue in the future.
I am looking to make this half as wide and to be able to pull it out and down like a ramp. Basically I will pull up my tool cart, clamp it to the ramp and then just lift the ramp and slide it back.
Did you secure the bottom piece of plywood to the bed?
i was wondering about using the heavier gauge metal wall studs for my sides
Great ideas!
nice build, did you have to screw the bottom sheet to the truck's bed?
The slider is all great but none of the video's tell or show you how the bottom board is held down. I'm guessing it was screwed down.
What is the weight it can hold and move freely?
Do you find the 1x4 and 1x2 top edge is strong enough for the upward force when slide is out?? I was thinking aluminum channel would be much stronger.
Grate job.. where you found the wheel’s roller’s thanks
How did you attach the bottom to the bed? Great idea and build!!
I dont think there is any other way to mount this other than drilling directly into the bed. Unfortunate, because I would rather not do that.
Looks great! Loud though, IMO.. well done
How did you secure the barring on the base board?
What are the measurements you went with? I have the same bed and I like how yours fits!
Do you think you can get away with using half-inch plywood to lighten the load a bit
How did you attach the plywood to the bed?
Iwen, the bottom plywood with the 1x4s together result in 49.5” of width between the wheel wells and the overall length covers the entire length available. There really isn’t a lot of room for the slide to move. I also have a spray on bedliner which doesn’t let things slide easily. I currently do not have it mounted but a lot of folks use an eye hook mounted to the 1x4 with a turn buckle to factory tie downs in the bed.
So far I have about 1000 miles since adding the slide at it has not moved. I also have not had the bottom plywood slide when using the slide to load and unload. I think the “roughness” of the spray on bedliner helps hold it in place.
We will put about 3000 miles on in the next 3 weeks and I will see if I need to add anything.
How is the base connected to the truck?? Is it bolted down or just sitting in the bed? Any info is appreciated
How far can you pull it out before that 1x2 snaps?
Now let’s see it with some weight 😬
Do you have any issues with the base of this project? By that I mean does the base of the project ever move when you pull the top pice of plywood out?
Got a link to the bearings that you used?
Good one
What are the Bearings
Debra, here is what I used. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088LMJNH7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Do the bearings make a ratting noise while driving?
No, I have never heard any noise from the slide
Hi, what stops the slide from going out too far? And what holds the bottom base down to the truck bed so if you pull the slide out about 3/4ths of the way and put something heavy on it, that it won't lift up in the back?
How well does it run with weight on it?
How much does it bend?
Morning. Great job. How did you attach the bottom sheet of plywood to the truck bed? Thanks.
Good question I don't see answer 🤔?
He didn’t.
How did you anchor to the truck bed?
How much weight do you think it can hold??
How did you secure it to the bed of the truck?
How did you put the bearings
Link to bearings? How to install them?
1 year review?
Very clean look. How many lbs have you loaded on it so far? Have you noticed any warping on the material used? Btw..well done!
Gary, 560 lbs - fourteen 40 lb bags of wood pellets. I only did the build a couple weeks ago so no warping. The biggest question I have is will the bearings create dimples over time on the bottom side of the slide. If I left a load in the truck I could see that happening resulting in a less smooth slide. If that happens I will install 1.5” aluminum strips on the bottom of the slide where the bearing ride. I thought about doing that during the build but that would have added almost $80 to the cost so I decided to wait and see. If I need to do that I just need to slide out the top piece of plywood to get to the bottom to add the strips. I left enough space of clearance on top of the slide to accommodate an 1/4” of additional height if I need to add aluminum strips so no other modifications should be needed.
What spacing between the bearings? Is the base piece bolted to the truck bed?
@@MJPeddler The spacing between the bearings is 8” with spacing at each end slightly less. There are four rows of bearings with nine bearings in each row. The load rating for each bearing is 110 lbs so with a total of 36 bearings the overall capacity of the bearings greatly exceeds possible payload on a half ton truck. I added more bearings to minimize the risk of dimpling the bottom of the slide overtime. That is my theory, time will tell.
Currently the unit is not mounted in anyway to the truck. The unit has not moved at all but over the Holidays I will add a hook and eye turnbuckle near each corner on the bottom section and connect each to a factory tie down on the side of bed to make certain it is secure.
@@davehubley5218 thanks!!
@@davehubley5218 thats why I plan on using c channel on the bottom of top plywood just 2 inch channel one eight inch thick or maybe 14ga not sure yet
How did you decide on placement of the bearings?
Richard, the first thing I decided was to put the bearings in rows in the event that the plywood used for the slide would get dimples over time where each bearing was located. If that happens I can add an aluminum strip mounted to the bottom of the slide for each row. I have enough clearance to add a 1/4” thick aluminum strip if needed. So far dimpling has not been an issue but in a year and several heavy loads it may be.
I then decided to have 4 rows with the outside rows 2” in from the edge of the plywood. The two inner rows are at 17” in from each edge. My goal was to try to provide solid support across the entire sheet.
Each row has 9 bearings with the bearings closet to the edge in about 3” and the remaining 7 bearings separated about 8”s. Each bearing is rated for 110 lbs so with 36 bearings the capacity of nearly 4000 lbs is serious overkill for my half ton pickup. My objective with all the bearings was to improve slide performance and reduce dimpling by spreading the load across more bearings.
So far I couldn’t be happier. We just returned from a 2800 mile trip and the bed was loaded with camping and fishing gear. We used it several times each day and we only rolled up the tonneau cover twice in 16 days.
@@davehubley5218 Thanks, I have an 8 ft bed, will add more bearings,
@@davehubley5218 would you be able to add a row of rollers to your tailgate itself for those times that it would collapse into the tailgate under load?
I think you did an excellent job on this! The only question I have is whether you have noticed any swelling during rainy times that might cause anything to bind? Also, how much clearance did you allow widthwise? I'm probably going to build one very similar! Great job and thank you for taking the time to make the video.
zaxter, At most there is about a 1/4” of play on each side so the slide doesn’t bind on the sides. With that said, the slide just lays on the bearings so there is nothing to force equal clearance on both sides. I have not had any issues with binding.
The slide stays dry since I have a tonneau cover and since it is winter here in the Northeast humidity is relatively low. There has not been an issue with the wood swelling. If it does swell at some point I should have plenty of clearance.
Dave what for fasteners did you use to attach the bearings to the bottom sheet of plywood?
George, each bearing is held in place by two 3/4” stainless screws. Even though the plywood is also 3/4” thick, the additional thickness of the mounting tabs on the bearings added enough thickness for the screws to work without going through the plywood. I had those screws on hand and was happy they worked. If they were too long I would have purchased 5/8” screws.
Do you have a link for the bearings?
Mitch, here is the link to what I used:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088LMJNH7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@dnasadventures8681 what’s the layout of the 36 bearing you mentioned? Are they like 8” on center?
you said the bearing came from Amazon. Exactly what are they called?
1" Roller Ball Transfer Bearings is what I used. They are readily available on Amazon. They are also available at Harbor Freight.
@@davehubley5218 do you need 36 in 4 rows or could you use less in 3 rows?
@@mikewestenberger7029 Here is my logic... The more rows of bearings you have the more you will spread the weight load. The heavier the load the more dimples you will get on the slide over time. Dimples will make the slide more difficult to slide. I went with 4 rows to spread the load to minimize dimpling where the slide sits on the bearings. So far (only a few months) I do not have any significant dimpling. If I do start to see that I will add aluminum strips for the length of each row so the bearings would ride on the aluminum and not the wood. Here is the good news, you can always add more rows and aluminum strips if needed. That would be an easy modification.
Do you have a link to a basic set of plans to follow?
Hi Mike, no plans... customized to the size of my bed. The slide fits between the wheel wells and from front to back with only about 1/4" of play. So the slide does not want to move around as I drive.
@@dnasadventures8681 thanks. I tackle my drawer next week. Thanks for the video, it’s been part of the process.
Too much talking 😢
How did you anchor the bottom board to the tech bed ?
How did you fasten the bottom board to the bed?