Truck beds are the main draw of owning a truck, of course. They offer different degrees of versatility that cars can’t, whether you’re installing a DIY truck bed mod, using it for shelter while truck bed camping, or helping your friends move. And if you’re looking to upgrade your oversized vehicle’s cargo box, you’ll have a hard time finding ones better than CM Truck Beds.
As the company’s name suggests, CM Truck Beds makes high-quality, durable truck beds, offering kits and aftermarket parts to customers and businesses across North America. If you have driven in the United States, you’ve likely seen their iconic steel and aluminum truck beds hauling products on the interstate. They offer a variety of products, including steel skirted, utility body, and platform truck beds, but one of the most popular is the steel flat deck.
CM Truck Beds’ steel flat decks come in two options: the RD and SS models. To the naked or novice eye, the truck beds look virtually identical. They can also be installed on many of the same Ford, General Motors, and Ram trucks, making finding the difference between the two even harder. However, despite all of that, they aren’t the same truck beds, but you need to get into the finer details to spot the differences.
The similarities between the SS and RD truck beds
On the surface, CM Truck Beds’ SS and RD models look virtually the same. Steel is the name of the game with both of these products, with the strong and long-lasting material bringing that same durability to just about every part. They have a steel 1/8″ treadplate deck, built-in tubular headache rack, 4″ structural channel frame rails, and a 3″ roll-formed 3/16″ channel cross subframe. Plus, like all of its products, CM Truck Beds coats the SS and RD with a powder-coat finish, adding even more durability and protection.
Those looking for differences between the SS and RD truck beds in terms of hauling and pulling capabilities will also come up empty. Both beds include a 24,000-pound rated B&W bumper pull hitch, and a 30,000-pound rated B&W gooseneck hitch, the latter of which includes a 7-way round electrical plug. Plus, they sport a 5-way flat plug, an angled fuel fill, and LED lighting, including recessed tail, brake, and backup lights. And yet, even with all of those features, both truck beds still offer plenty of room for any cargo and cargo management solutions you may need.
So, where’s the difference?
At this point, it is fairly obvious why some may have issues finding a difference between CM Truck Beds’ SS and RD models. However, as we said before, the truck beds aren’t 100% identical — with two slight, albeit key differences. The most notable difference are the sides.
The SS truck bed has smooth sides, formed side rails, and stake pockets. These features are key for any job where you’ll be hauling serious cargo, giving you multiple strap tie-down points to ensure those items don’t move an inch during travel. On the other hand, the RD truck bed sports 3/8″ by 2″ heavy duty rub rails on its sides, along with plenty of stake pockets on either side. Again, very similar features on both basic flat beds, but the RD model has an ever so slight edge when it comes to straps and tying down cargo. A slight difference, but enough to perhaps sway the decision of anyone hauling plenty of heavy-duty cargo.
