The Silverado 2500HD is the most common truck we convert, and the decision is almost always the same: open flatbed or enclosed service body? Both bolt to the same frame after the factory bed comes off. The right answer depends on whether your day is about hauling or about carrying tools.

Side by side

Factor	Flatbed / skirted bed	Service body
Typical weight (8–9 ft)	~900–1,600 lb	~1,700–2,200 lb
Payload left on a 2500HD	~2,000–3,000 lb	~1,400–2,200 lb
Cargo style	Open deck, oversize loads, bales, pallets	Locked, organized, weatherproof tools
Gooseneck towing	Ideal — ball sits in the deck	Possible but deck space is limited
Security	Low unless you add boxes	High — locking compartments
Resale in Texas	Very strong (ranch/hotshot demand)	Strong with trades
Installed starting price	from $10,350	from $10,650

Silverado 2500HD numbers to work from

• GVWR: roughly 10,650–11,350 lb depending on cab and drivetrain
• Max payload (properly equipped): roughly 3,400–4,000 lb
• Gooseneck towing: up to about 22,500 lb; conventional up to about 20,000 lb
• Frame behind the cab: the 6’9″ standard bed takes an 8 ft body, the 8′ long bed takes an 8–9 ft body
• SRW only — order SRW-width bodies; DRW bodies are for the 3500HD

Buy a flatbed if…

• You pull a gooseneck — a deck-mounted ball and clean rails are worth it alone
• You haul hay, pallets, pipe, ATVs or anything wider than a factory bed
• You want the lightest option so more of your 3,500 lb payload goes to cargo and pin weight
• You work a ranch or farm where the tailgate and bed sides get in the way daily

Best picks: Bedrock Granite or Diamond for a proven steel deck at a real price, and Norstar SD/SR when you want skirted storage without going to a full service body.

Buy a service body if…

• Your tools live in the truck and need to be locked and dry
• You are a plumber, electrician, HVAC tech, or field mechanic
• You value organization and one-key access more than open deck space
• You rarely tow a gooseneck

Best pick: an RKI 8–9 ft steel service body, built in Houston. See the service bodies and flatbed bodies pages for current configurations, or read our flatbed vs utility bed comparison for a deeper look.

The middle ground: a skirted bed

If you genuinely need both, a skirted flatbed is the compromise most 2500HD owners land on. You keep an open deck and gooseneck capability while gaining lockable skirt boxes for hand tools and straps. It weighs more than an open flatbed and stores less than a service body, but for a one-truck operation it is usually the smartest buy.

One more consideration: payload honesty

On a 2500HD, adding a 2,000 lb service body plus 800 lb of tools plus fuel and two crew leaves very little margin. If your load list is long, look at a 3500HD SRW or DRW instead — the bodies are the same families, you are just buying capacity. We will weigh the numbers with you before you order.

Get a Real Quote — Installed, Not Estimated

Star Truck Equipment is at 2507 County Rd 231 in Wharton, TX, about an hour southwest of Houston. We stock beds and bodies from Bedrock, CM, Norstar, NXG, Pronghorn and RKI, and most in-stock installs are done in one business day. Call (979) 532-1486 with your year, make, model, cab-to-axle and wheel setup and we’ll tell you exactly what fits and what it costs installed — or browse current inventory.