The Australian-built MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray (a "tray" is Aussies call a flatbed) ticked all our boxes. The aluminum construction is lightweight, won't rust, and the side rails are easy to fold down or remove when necessary, for hauling hay and other loads that made us want a flatbed in the first place. And unlike the Home Depot bed, the MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray is the appropriate length for our shortbed 2007 Dodge Ram 2500, and has side boxes that not only provide lockable storage but make the bed look much more refined than a traditional flatbed. Perhaps the best features for a ranch truck like ours are the standard 30-liter (8-gallon) water tank behind the headboard, and the optional 60-liter (16-gallon) water tank under the bed that has an integrated water pump. This system makes it easy for chores like washing and watering livestock. Think of the MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray as a hybrid, a cross between a utility bed and a flatbed with the best features of both combined into one truckbed that is perfect for everything, from ranch work to overlanding to chasing race vehicles in the desert.

Mule Expedition Outfitters has two locations in the Pacific Northwest, serving the greater Seattle and greater Portland areas. We headed to their Tualatin, Oregon, store for the installation of our new tray bed. Typically the beds come powdercoated black, but we opted for raw aluminum.

Mule Expedition Outfitters put the MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray on a two-post lift to align the bed with the chassis and check for fitment. Installation typically can be performed in one to two days, depending on the complexity of the installation. Variables include things like wiring, fuel-fillers, and any rust that might result in broken bolts.

Mule Expedition Outfitters receives containers full of MITS Alloy trays and canopies from Australia. The trays are available to fit midsize and full-size trucks in longbed and shortbed lengths. Fit kits specific to each make and model are then used to fit the tray on the truck, and the boxes are attached to the sides.

The rear drawer is shorter than normal due to the optional water tank, but still big enough to hold quite a bit of gear. We lined the drawers with industrial carpet that we sourced from our local hardware store, to decrease noise and prevent the drawers from getting beat-up. We used cardboard to make templates of the side drawers and then transferred them to the carpet.

With the 7-foot bed, the front boxes are rather small. We put our water hose and nozzle on the driver side and our air compressor on the passenger side. The rear boxes are larger. We put our tools and recovery gear on the passenger side and our More Power Puller and tie-down straps on the driver side.

The MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray needed some work after delivery to be a finished product in our opinion. After returning home to Reno, we took the truck to Nate's Precision in Sparks, Nevada, to raise the exhaust tailpipe and receiver hitch to match the lines of the tray bed. Nate and his staff also installed the gooseneck hitch that allows us to pull our horse trailer safely.

Nate's Precision mounted an ARB Twin Air Compressor in the front passenger storage compartment. This is a useful tool, not only for airing up tires and the airbags on our 2007 Dodge Ram 2500, but also for blowing hay and dust off the tray and powering our ARB Air Lockers.

Although the water tanks were a huge selling point, the 60-liter tank under the tray occupied the same space as our gooseneck hitch. We were able to remove the water tank and have it shortened by a local plastics company to allow fitment of the gooseneck.

The MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray is a flat, smooth surface, so we opted for a MITS Alloy rubber floormat to keep things from moving around and protect the bed. Along the sides, Nate's Precision added Mac's Custom Tie-Downs VersaTie Track so we have anchor points all along the length of the bed. The tubes along the side below the deck also make great lashing points for larger straps.

Think of the MITS Alloy EVO2 Tray as a hybrid between a utility bed and a flatbed, with the best features of both combined into one truckbed. This makes the unit quite versatile, and suited for a wide variety of tasks.

Sources

ARB USA; arbusa.com
Mac's Custom Tie-Downs; macscustomtiedowns.com
MITS Alloy; mitsalloy.com.au
Mule Expedition Outfitters; dasmule.com
Nate's Precision; natesprecision.com