How strong are pickup bed sides?

[follow maggie]

I’ve been thinking a little bit about doing a Alu-Cab or Go Fast Camper type camper setup on my pickup. A concern I have is the weight sitting on top of the bed sides. I’ve spent most of my life in construction, so I’ve seen a lot of lumber/ladder racks on pickups. I’ve also seen a lot of pickup bed sides splayed out from too much weight on them.  I have a lot of hours searching on the inter webs and haven’t found anything. Does anyone know how much weight the typical pickup bed sides can handle?

[jackelope]

I’m not familiar with the campers that you’re talking about, but I always thought they just sat on the floor of the bed. Overhanging the size, but not actually sitting on them.
Ford does not publish anything like that.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Can’t see where this type camper is that heavy.

https://www.alu-cab.com/products/alu-cab-canopy-camper-deluxe/

https://gofastcampers.com/pages/gfc-platform-camper-v2?srsltid=AfmBOorThuztUfS8tbuMr2T_5bKGCnwIgh-VS6dOIszyMSl-IeRJLbRn

[Stein]

You could always put a thickish aluminum plate in the bed and weld up to the frame creating a shelf the camper sits on so the weight is transferred to the bed and you don't loose any real estate in there.

[30.06]

I used a horse mat to get the camper overhang up above the truck cab. Seemed like the best solution. I have also used several 8' 4"x4" and plywood sheets to gain height.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I used a horse mat to get the camper overhang up above the truck cab. Seemed like the best solution. I have also used several 8' 4"x4" and plywood sheets to gain height.

The hard blue sheets of styrofoam is what I used when I had an in bed camper. Much lighter.

[follow maggie]

I’m also tinking of going in the slide in route. It seems like my mind changes with the day. This particular style I’m wondering on site on the bed rails hem selves, like a leer canopy. I think their empty weight is about 300 pounds, with my & my stuff in the cab over bed would be a little over 500. Here’s a picture of what I’m thinking. The reason I’m contemplating this style is I think it would be easier to build.  I think stein has a really good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.

[CP]

Here's another option.  You're almost there anyway. 

[Jpmiller]

I’ve had a ladder rack on at least one of my pickups forever. I’m pretty sure there’s reinforced spots in the corners that are made for the weight, and I’d bet there’s some in the middle too if you looked but not sure. I’ve had ALOT of weight on them a time or two. Enough to make me nervous but never enough that I damaged my truck 

I too have seen trucks with blown out sides but I always assumed they had to have been doing something super goofy to do that or had a weird freak accident. Even a lightweight ford ranger we used for a while seemed to be able to take as much weight on the rack as the suspension and axle could take.

[blackpowderhunter]

I’m not familiar with the campers that you’re talking about, but I always thought they just sat on the floor of the bed. Overhanging the size, but not actually sitting on them.
Ford does not publish anything like that.

yep exactly, they rest on the bottom of the bed not on the sides.
what truck do you have? some trucks are surprisingly not rated for truck bed campers at all.

[MR5x5]

The easiest thing to do for a bed rail mounted set up is to add bed stiffeners to the back of the end of the bed as that is where it will splay out.  Basically a gusseted corner bracket that ties the bed to the sides. The distributed weight along the bed rail is otherwise not significant.

Here's a reference. Note that the Tacoma's plastic beds are notoriously week.

https://tacomabeast.com/products/2005-2023-toyota-tacoma-bed-stiffener-kit

[follow maggie]

Here's another option.  You're almost there anyway.

Hah! I’d actually love to do that if I could ever hope to afford it!

Lots of good input here. I appreciate it, everyone.