Picking the right pickup truck is a careful balancing act between functionality and expense, among other things. A large factor in getting a truck for many people is the truck’s bed. This one piece of the vehicle adds so much utility that it’s a major function. A lot of people base their vehicle choice on the truck’s bed. However, even the biggest beds aren’t enough to carry some of the loads that people and workplaces need. That is why there are truck bed slide-outs, to add on the needed space. But there are a variety of different truck bed slides that do different things. So, you need to know how to choose the best truck bed slide for your pickup if you want the right one for you.
Load
Just as with a regular truck bed, a truck bed slide-out platform does have a limit to how much weight it can carry. This is very important to note, as going over this weight limit can damage the slide-out and even the truck itself. That is why you want to account for the weight of anything you are looking to move when buying a slide-out tray. If you are carrying only light equipment, you might get away with a lower limit, but most people load heavy equipment onto their trucks. If you do load heavy equipment, look for slide-outs that can carry 2000+ pounds for your truck.
Weight Distribution
Another common limitation of slide-out platforms is the distribution of weight of any equipment on the slide-outs. Typically, you must carefully place any equipment on the truck bed and slide out to evenly space out the weight of what you are carrying. This is very inconvenient for many people as it slows down the loading process and means that there is a limit on what you can actually carry, even if you don’t hit the weight limit. This is because it’s basically impossible to perfectly balance several thousand pounds of equipment unless you are transferring a load that is just the same item. Even just one piece of heavy equipment might throw off your weight distribution and limit your load. However, there are some slide-outs that don’t have this weight distribution limitation. So, unless you plan on only having light loads, get yourself a platform that doesn’t require weight distribution.
Length
The length of a slide-out is another factor you need to consider when purchasing the modification. Typically, you measure the slide-out of a truck bed by how much it extends the truck bed in percentage. This means that a 50% slide-out will extend your truck bed by about half of its current length, whereas a 100% slide-out would double your truck bed’s length. The length of a slide-out platform measures the extra space the modification gives you to load more items and how much the slide-out comes out of the truck. For most people, the higher the length, the better it’ll be for storage and carrying purposes.
Accessibility
Another thing to consider in terms of the length is how it affects the accessibility of the loaded equipment. One of the bigger benefits to a slide-out tray is how it makes loading easier. When you are pulling out the platform, it gives you easier access to the area and lets you load more without requiring you to climb over the vehicle. Once you start getting to higher lengths, you can load and unload a lot of larger equipment with easy access. Extendobed is the only one that extends over 110% – past the taillights, giving you complete access to any equipment you have without needing to step into the truck at all. You get to use those last few inches of your truck bed without struggle.
Risk Reduction
Along with this ease of access comes a variety of risk and injury reductions that can save you problems and even lower worker’s injuries. By having a tray that can load equipment without worrying about weight distribution, you can load for safety and efficiency rather than weight distribution. The extra extension of the platforms can be very useful for increasing safety as well. A lot of injuries occur during the loading and unloading process. This is because individuals must use improper techniques to move any loads from a normal truck bed. Climbing into a vehicle to get to a heavy item can cause a lot of injuries and generally isn’t safe. A long slide-out platform makes it easy to load and unload equipment and loads without needing to climb inside a truck bed by pulling out the load to you. This will greatly lower potential risks and injuries during the loading process. The 110% extension that the Extendobed platforms provide even allows the slide out deck to be loaded directly by forklift, making it even safer than other slide-outs.
Customization
Another benefit to many of the slide-out trays is the range of customization you can get on them. Many slide-outs are just simple platforms that hold simple loads, but some slide-outs can contain a variety of extra storage options. From drawers to specialty shelving, there are plenty of additions to slide-out trays. Not only that, but Extendobeds even offers fully customizable slide-out platforms and storage organization that can carry anything you need. This way, you can tailor the trays to fit your exact needs, no matter what business you are in or what you need to carry. This customization can increase every aspect of your truck’s bed, from space optimization to efficiency in loading and unloading. It can even promote worker safety—all it requires is some careful planning on your part, and you could have a custom slide-out tray for yourself in no time.
Now, by factoring all these different things to consider, you should be able to find a truck bed slide that works for you. All it requires is some careful planning and some knowledge about how to choose the best truck bed slide for your pickup, and you’ll be able to find yourself the perfect slide-out for your needs.
