MARATHON DECKS CHANGED!!! Truckboss

[Stantheman]

I was given information today that Marathon will no longer be selling the classic style of sled deck(one with legs to take the weight). Apparently now they will be selling Truckboss decks. As you can see the deck itself is no longer plywood and is being claimed as water proof however I doubt it will be waterproof once we drill 30 plus screws through the deck to attach super glides. Without the super glides I dont see a snowmobile backing off this deck becasue of the horizontal ridges.

I've seen one in person tonight and im not impressed. Did I mention there are no longer legs and all the weight of the deck and sleds will be resting on the side rails of you truck box.

If my information is wrong please correct me - Linky

 

[Longhorn]

I was given information today that Marathon will no longer be selling the classic style of sled deck(one with legs to take the weight). Apparently now they will be selling Truckboss decks. As you can see the deck itself is no longer plywood and is being claimed as water proof however I doubt it will be waterproof once we drill 30 plus screws through the deck to attach super glides. Without the super glides I dont see a snowmobile backing off this deck becasue of the horizontal ridges.

I've seen one in person tonight and im not impressed. Did I mention there are no longer legs and all the weight of the deck and sleds will be resting on the side rails of you truck box.

If my information is wrong please correct me.

http://www.truckbossdecks.com/

Its just another model as far as I know...in addition to the regular decks

 

[Sledderglen]

Should be no problem with deck sitting on box. We first started making our decks that way back in the 80`s. Was no problem then but trucks are different now.

 

[Longhorn]

Should be no problem with deck sitting on box. We first started making our decks that way back in the 80`s. Was no problem then but trucks are different now.

Ya, back in the 80s we also hauled round bales in the box of a truck. Try that today...seriously you try it, I dont want to with my truck LOL

I like the concept, but Im sure not sold on it...would like to see it in person though. The rails arent that strong either, I have a canopy that I run half the year and the clamps wore through the metal in the first year. I know they say they reinforce the rail, but it would take a lot.

 

[oler1234]

I was given information today that Marathon will no longer be selling the classic style of sled deck(one with legs to take the weight). Apparently now they will be selling Truckboss decks. As you can see the deck itself is no longer plywood and is being claimed as water proof however I doubt it will be waterproof once we drill 30 plus screws through the deck to attach super glides. Without the super glides I dont see a snowmobile backing off this deck becasue of the horizontal ridges.

I've seen one in person tonight and im not impressed. Did I mention there are no longer legs and all the weight of the deck and sleds will be resting on the side rails of you truck box.

If my information is wrong please correct me.

http://www.truckbossdecks.com/

lol who the hell are you, first post and you are somewhat bashing a manufacturer and there product.....

 

[Longhorn]

lol who the hell are you, first post and you are somewhat bashing a manufacturer and there product.....

Well he is Stantheman dont you know...


Good catch LOL...

 

[rmkredneck]

that deck looks really good

 

[maierch]

I like the looks of them too. I emailed Marathon about the Truckboss decks on Tuesday morning... they still haven't replied.

 

[Stantheman]

Just came here to see what other people thought of the changes to a classic design that people seemed pleased with.

Through a conversation with Marathon themselves today I came away with the understanding that the classic design with plywood deck would no longer be available. When I asked about the extensions for the classic deck the guy said they had a few left and soon they would no longer have those either.

Fella on the phone told me that the truckboss is 10x the deck as before and that I would be convinced once I heard the sales pitch.

We shall see...

 

[Hillclimber]

it looks like its much lighter.

 

[imdoo'n]

lol who the hell are you, first post and you are somewhat bashing a manufacturer and there product.....

is there a certain amount of posts a guy should have before he has an opinion, sounds like you are from the old snowest forum mentality, give me a break your not high up on the post count either,

 

[goodngrubby]

Marathon must know something that I can't quite figure out. I have seen box floors pounded out from the weight of a deck and 2 machines. I just can't wrap my brain around the reasoning behind putting all that weight on the box rails. Marathon yatters about how "flimsy little trunbuckles and truck anchors" can't handle the weight, but you run an 800lb quad with a 250lb rider over the rear posts of the box sides and I would think they are going to fail long before a 1/2" turnbuckle. Just my 2cents, but being in the industry, I don't get it.

 

[Longhorn]

I agree, but I guess time will tell. I wont be the guinnea pig on this one though...

 

[Stantheman]

I agree with goodngrubby, im sure I seen marathon on youtube talking about how weak the side panels of a truck box are and that turn buckles may simply pull the tie downs out of the side of the truck box. Cant see how this arguement can be made and then say 1200-1400lbs of sled up on top with 400-500lbs of rider will be fine.

 

[shoppingcart111]

So youre saying that the classic deck will be no longer so their like fine art now, which if history dictates anything the price of a classic should be driving through the roof?


I will start the bidding on my Marathon Classic deck at $6000.:d


JK

 

[Shredder]

I will start the bidding on my Marathon Classic deck at $6000.:dJK

Mine has a Snow and Mud decal; and a Klim decal. I'll need around $7500.00 to part with this classic full mod model.:d:d:d

 

[Vaughn @ Marathon Decks]

Marathon will no longer be manufacturing the “Classic” style deck which started the atv/sled-deck market. We have transitioned to our new model, the TRUCKBOSS. Gone are the days when trucks were cheap and spartan, and home-made plywood tonneau covers or truck-caps were the norm. Truck accessories should not only be functional but also appealing. At Marathon we believe that the new deck, TRUCKBOSS, covers both of those requirements.

TRUCKBOSS is an all aluminum deck with no welds. Very rarely have I seen a welded aluminum product fail at any point other than a weld—be it a mountain bike frame, motorcycle frame, roof rack, bike rack, etc. We mitigated the strain on our “Classic” deck’s weld points as much as we could with bolt-on legs and headache-rack; but the problem is inherent in the metal after it is heated during welding. If a crack doesn’t occur at the weld it usuall occurs in the weakened metal adjacent to the weld. The only practical way around this is to heat treat the metal after welding—and I have only seen this done to pressure vessels.

The TRUCKBOSS deck surface is all aluminum—no plywood. There are little grooves running the width of the deck (think of the aluminum threshold under a door) that provide grip, but you will likely want to add SuperGlide or another brand of ski-runner to protect the surface if you are using it to haul snowmobiles (carbides + aluminum = scratches). If you were to rivet/screw SuperGlide down to the deck surface you would only be penetrating 1 of the decks 2 layers—still maintaining your “waterproofness.” Fortunately you don’t have to do this, as we have devised a little aluminum extrusion which acts like a track that the SuperGlide slips into. This extrusion is anchored down at the points provided every 18” along the deck.

I would like to comment on “waterproof.” Truckboss is not “waterproof,” very few things are. Since it seals against your truck rails at the front and sides, and since there is a hinged flap that seals against your tail-gate; TRUCKBOSS is very water resistant. It will withstand a rainstorm or a carwash, just don’t drive it into the lake like James Bond's Lotus!

With regards to the comments about using turnbuckles as a tie down...Marathon has always recommended against using turnbuckles. This was for 3 main reasons:
1. People buy turnbuckles that are too small or not forged (Ie. The bent-wire hook models)
2. Truck mfgrs won’t publish pull-out ratings on their factory tie-downs, which are usually held in place with 6mm bolts (Ford)
3. Turnbuckles don’t secure the deck in place; they just pull down on it. It can still shift and often does. “Set it and forget it” isn’t something you can do with a turnbuckle, they often loosen.

Marathon has always recommended thru-bolting as opposed to using a turnbuckle, our provided bolts are ½” Gr8, much stronger than the 6mm truck mfgr supplied tie-down bolts and the bent-wire turnbuckle. Either way, it is no longer a concern as TRUCKBOSS requires neither method. We have often made reference to “flimsy truck box tie-downs,” and stand by that statement that the factory tie-downs are questionable...but the pillars in the 4 corners of the box that the tie-downs are attached to are quite strong. Infact, they contain the thickest metal in a truck box and are double walled (stake pocket).

Unlike the small “J” clamps canopy/tonneau covers use the TRUCKBOSS employs a massive 5” long clamp that employs two 3/8 bolts over 5 sqin of clamping area. We use 4 of these on each side of the truck (3/side on short box) for a total of 8 clamps spanning 40sqin of surface area. The clamps hold a 4.5” aluminum beam to the bed rail (only 2” is above the rail), onto which the deck is mounted. This beam strengthens the bed rail, allowing the weight to be evenly distributed along its length. We do have a rear support kit, for those of you wishing to have legs. This rear support drops straight down from the rail to the floor and doesn’t affect bed capacity.

For those of you who are queuing to be guinea pigs—its too late! I have put over 50 of these decks into service in the past 2 months and lots more on the way (I can’t keep them in stock). I have 3 major survey/geomatics companies currently using them. If you have seen the new Commander in person it arrived on a TRUCKBOSS. My testing was completed prior to release and all the data was very positive. If you plan on carrying 2500+ pounds dead weight (Ie a pallet of bricks) over a course of repeated 8”-12” holes/curbs at 50kmh+ then you may run into box-rail strength issues, but at that you will also run into suspension/frame issues regardless of what is mounted in your box!

For those whom are curios or want to see one in the flesh, stop by the shop at 7719-44a St in Edmonton. Better yet, come see me tomorrow at the Grassland Grass Drags in Grassland. We’re giving away an ATV Tub Trailer in the raffle. The ASA Edmonton show is also coming up in less than a month.

2 weekends ago I was in Minnesota at the HayDays grass drags/trade show. TRUCKBOSS was a huge hit. Following are a few shots I took during the weekend.

 

[UkrainianMudKing]

Can I put a 8' Truckboss deck on my Shortbox F350? Or will I have to buy Shredder's $7500 deck?

 

[Vaughn @ Marathon Decks]

Can I put a 8' Truckboss deck on my Shortbox F350? Or will I have to buy Shredder's $7500 deck?

Yes,

that is what is on the lifted SuperDuty in the above pics.

 

[UkrainianMudKing]

Do you have any pictures of superglides on the deck?