Dooitorbust
Active VIP Member
That's the Explore Pro? How do you like the super track on the sides? I have my heart set on one of those but again, some form of weather shielding around the bottom would be sweet.
sled deck brands
- Thread starter Absledder
- Start date
That's the Explore Pro? How do you like the super track on the sides? I have my heart set on one of those but again, some form of weather shielding around the bottom would be sweet.
johnnytrail
Active VIP Member
I have owned several brands of decks over the years, here is my take on what available in the market :
Marathon Classic ( no longer produced ) good deck all around - prone to cracked welds with HD use / telescopic ramps can bend at the intersection point mine bent frequently . Sides can freeze in in cold weather - ui used to carry a rubber mallet to bang them out
STF (no longer produced) - solid decks, but a 2 pc ramp that isnt the strongest
Cross Trax - good decks although IMO not the best looking . Poor quality wood, sides of the wood very prone to warping . good wiring . 2 Pc ramps are strong but a PIA to put together before use
Marlon Decks - decent looking , poor wiring - powdercoating fades after a couple years , poor frame design many cracked welds - ok ramp setup
Denali Decks - Terrible wiring ! horrible 2 pc ramp setup . wood that looks like wet cardboard after a year . Basically a very bad copy of the Marathon classic decks unless your only using your decks 1 or 2 times a year stay away
Titan Decks - better than the Denali, decent telescopic ramp - marginal quality wood . looks very nice . wiring is junk . decks are built decent and mine did hold up very well after i Rewired it and coated the wood
M Line decks - very very pricey , great decks if your budget is unlimited . I wouldnt own one unless i was using it for work and able to write off
Full Lotus Decks - well built and way too expensive . I am not a fan of how they look but i know some people like their looks . good telescopic ramp . Very heavy deck even heavier than a lot of steel decks out there . careful on your payload capacity
Marathon Truck Boss - looks very nice ! Like the idea on a sealed box - very pricey - I really wanted one of these for my latest deck . did a lot of research , talked to a number of owners of these and looked at them many times . i did get one common complaint from owners that was the sides were very difficult or even impossible to slide out in cold temps . this was a deal breaker for me as i have experience with al older marathon with this issue. after looking how they are constructed i could see how they were easy to freeze up . Also they still use the same old marathon ramp design , i knicknamed mime " ol Bendy " as every few times of use i would have to flip it over and bend it straight. I will keep an eye on these deck if they can improve it may be my next deck purchase
X truck deck - (my current deck) good design, they way they are put together is very good . a lot of thought in how they are made instead of just adding more material till they are strong . the most simple and best looking deck IMO . awesome ramp design for loading . safest angle especially for lifted and 1 ton trucks ! the ramp is super strong but a bit heavy and cumbersome to deal with especially at first . the wiring is good but the connectors they use corrode out after a year ( i just soldered and heat shrinked mine ) Overall a very good deck expecially considering the price . they are very reasonable if you call around and check a few dealers
Marathon Classic ( no longer produced ) good deck all around - prone to cracked welds with HD use / telescopic ramps can bend at the intersection point mine bent frequently . Sides can freeze in in cold weather - ui used to carry a rubber mallet to bang them out
STF (no longer produced) - solid decks, but a 2 pc ramp that isnt the strongest
Cross Trax - good decks although IMO not the best looking . Poor quality wood, sides of the wood very prone to warping . good wiring . 2 Pc ramps are strong but a PIA to put together before use
Marlon Decks - decent looking , poor wiring - powdercoating fades after a couple years , poor frame design many cracked welds - ok ramp setup
Denali Decks - Terrible wiring ! horrible 2 pc ramp setup . wood that looks like wet cardboard after a year . Basically a very bad copy of the Marathon classic decks unless your only using your decks 1 or 2 times a year stay away
Titan Decks - better than the Denali, decent telescopic ramp - marginal quality wood . looks very nice . wiring is junk . decks are built decent and mine did hold up very well after i Rewired it and coated the wood
M Line decks - very very pricey , great decks if your budget is unlimited . I wouldnt own one unless i was using it for work and able to write off
Full Lotus Decks - well built and way too expensive . I am not a fan of how they look but i know some people like their looks . good telescopic ramp . Very heavy deck even heavier than a lot of steel decks out there . careful on your payload capacity
Marathon Truck Boss - looks very nice ! Like the idea on a sealed box - very pricey - I really wanted one of these for my latest deck . did a lot of research , talked to a number of owners of these and looked at them many times . i did get one common complaint from owners that was the sides were very difficult or even impossible to slide out in cold temps . this was a deal breaker for me as i have experience with al older marathon with this issue. after looking how they are constructed i could see how they were easy to freeze up . Also they still use the same old marathon ramp design , i knicknamed mime " ol Bendy " as every few times of use i would have to flip it over and bend it straight. I will keep an eye on these deck if they can improve it may be my next deck purchase
X truck deck - (my current deck) good design, they way they are put together is very good . a lot of thought in how they are made instead of just adding more material till they are strong . the most simple and best looking deck IMO . awesome ramp design for loading . safest angle especially for lifted and 1 ton trucks ! the ramp is super strong but a bit heavy and cumbersome to deal with especially at first . the wiring is good but the connectors they use corrode out after a year ( i just soldered and heat shrinked mine ) Overall a very good deck expecially considering the price . they are very reasonable if you call around and check a few dealers
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Vance Matheson
Active VIP Member
I have a crosstrax and its heavy duty. Not a thin lightweight cheapo. 2 piece ramp I think is 10'6 long. The black stain is starting to fade but no issues yet. And not to expensive.
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Bnorth
Active VIP Member
I've had a sky-hi and an old style fixed side marathon and now a full lotus. Full lotus is the tits but not cheap and damn heavy. Love everything else about it.
Dooitorbust
Active VIP Member
Good review. You weren't kidding, you have owned a few lol.
Buddy of mine has a cross trax as well and loves it. 4 years, zero issues. Not a crack anywhere.
They are nice aren't they..
johnnytrail
Active VIP Member
C of Red
Active VIP Member
Love my TruckBoss but like mentioned above the sides are guilty of freezing out / in. When this happens I take it to the car wash to spray water on it and warm it up quickly and move them in / out. The sealed box is fabulous but a pain to take off the truck seasonally. I now keep it on year round. That being said sure glad I bought a TruckBoss.
vodoo103
Active VIP Member
I've had a lot of issues with my Cross-Trax from day one (wiring, lights and powder coating). Jury is still out on whether they're going to make it right or not. I'll post an update here once it's resolved.
broke'n'nuts
Active VIP Member
Four years on a Full Lotus. Really happy with it. Got lucky and bought one before they had the prices jacked up. A few minor problems but I love the composite decking.
Team Pigeon
Active VIP Member
I bought a used Crosstrax in 2005 and it was a great deck. But definitely had some wear and tear on it. Friend of mine bought it as a project.
Subsequently bought a used Marathon truck boss and couldn't be happier.
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Subsequently bought a used Marathon truck boss and couldn't be happier.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Switch
Active VIP Member
Give Mark a shout at M-Line in GP, they build a well made deck both for work and play.
AreWeThereYet
Active VIP Member
c_nelson99
Active member
I have never seen worse welding than on an x-deck. Both guys I know that have them have had major problems with the welds snapping in half. Nearly no penetration in the welds it looks like they used JB Weld. My stf deck on the other hand has never had a single issue, but hey it also wasn't welded in china by a 12yr old in a sweat shop.
TKrebs
Active VIP Member
Anyone have any feedback on the new Marlon Xplore Pro decks? Ive got a pre 2014 Marlon deck and was thinking about upgrading!
johnnytrail
Active VIP Member
Mis post plz delete
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johnnytrail
Active VIP Member
Wow that's quite an ignorant comment !
Maybe you should check the tags on most of the chit you own !
Nevermind China a where the workers are in control and there is nil child labour ( yes my job takes me there for 2 months a year for the past 20 )
Your clothing and other goods are now coming from Bangladesh and Pakistan with much much worse human right issues !
Hi folks, first time poster, long time lurker. Looking to purchase a 7 foot deck in the next few days. I can get a new Marlon Xplore Pro installed at an all-in price of 5000.
Does anyone have one of these new decks? I can't find any reviews on them.
I have two quads I will be hauling around and the deck will be on top of a short box Ram 3500.
I can the same deck in the older Marlon style for 3650 installed. Does anyone know if the build quality is any different between 2015 and 2016 models?
Does anyone have one of these new decks? I can't find any reviews on them.
I have two quads I will be hauling around and the deck will be on top of a short box Ram 3500.
I can the same deck in the older Marlon style for 3650 installed. Does anyone know if the build quality is any different between 2015 and 2016 models?
TKrebs
Active VIP Member
Ive got the pre 2015 model, all aluminum, only issue ive really has was with extension being a bit of a bitch sliding and out and the powdercoating chipping, im also looking at uprading to an XPlor Pro, they look nice.
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