New to this forum. Have an interesting topic.

Recently I found a good deal on a super camper special box. It is in good shape just missing the door for the spare tire. I have a 1977 F150 regular cab long box (133" wheelbase"). I was wondering what you guys thought of having the frame lengthened to a 140" wheelbase for the super camper special box? I'm aware that cutting and adding to a frame may weaken the frame.

Would it be worth the time and effort of getting it done? Or should I just try and find a regular longbox for my truck.

If I dont use the box will it most likely sit around for quite a while until I find a buyer. The camper/trailer special boxes aren't plentiful so I would have to find the right buyer.

Keep in mind I am in the process of restoring this truck.
Any thoughts guys?

 

I have a '77 F-150 4x4. My BIL used to have a '77 F-250 4x4. I once had both in the driveway side by side and did a lot of looking and measuring as frames looked to be near same .... and I found that except for frt suspension, they were same in every way I could measure including thickness. Rear springs even had same numbers, etc. His brakes and rear axle (D-60) were bigger though.

The longer camper box has a different look for sure, but it will enable you to haul some loads with a better balance towards front of bed (which is why it was made I guess). Only adding 7 inches, but you'll need it in driveshaft and parking brake cables too as well as a few wires .... and I forget where the fuel tank goes with the longer WB bed? I think you'll run out of room at rear for the tank unless you stretch the rear of the SC bad to cover the tank ..... 'cause I think they are shorter back there????

No question, if done right, 7 inches is no sweat for the frame.

Back in the '70s I drove mail trucks part time for a neighbor, all weekends and anytime someone was sick. Private "Contract Carrier", most of his trucks were F-350s and one '76 Chevy C-30. Every truck had a longer box than normally seen on a ton truck.
He stretched every frame. Where he butted the pieces he welded the new piece (formed to match profile at a truck frame and spring works place) in place and then he fish plated the joints inside using horizontal welds only with same gage steel, no welding across the frame members when attaching fish plating. I've seen those F-350 loaded with some heavy loads of Sears Catalogs leaving Lynchburg headed south with stops at Evington, Lynch Sta, AltaVista, Hurt, Gretna, Chatham, Dry Fork, Blairs, and Danville with the front wheels bowed up inside the fenders from the weight and we never ever had a frame issue and several went over 500K with only a motor swap once in a while.

 

Thanks for the reply. I know I will most likely have to have a custom driveshaft made and will need to find longer parking brake cables. The F250's and F350's that came with this box were all 2WD. Not sure if any of the parts company like LMC carry parts for the trailer/camper special as in tanks, driveshaft, parking brake cables. The wiring that I have now is shot. I plan on replacing all the wiring anyways.

Any idea on what that would cost me to have a shop lengthen the frame for me? I'm trying the weigh the options of either making this work which would make the truck one of a kind or go the stock route with an original bed.

The rear tank would have to go as the back of the frame would need to be shortened. The overall frame length from a 140" wheelbase truck to a 133" wheelbase truck is the same length. Although I do like the idea of splicing into the end of the camper special bed to make it even longer.