Anyone ever made a decent wooden truck bed ?

Or does anyone got any ideas on making a useful wooden bed?

i git a 1976 J10 that i pulled the bed off cause it was rusted to crap, and need to make a useful wooden bed for it

UPDATED OCT 2010 I made one and it is done click link below
www.shtfm.com/trucks-cars/topic7986.html

While I personally haven't made one, I do have an ex and several friends who did. They loved them! I believe they used 2x6 pressure treated.

How much of the original bed is left, as in the support members and such. I had a 1 ton dually with w 12' flat bed that the wood rotted out and I ended up using 1" plywood that I treated with a wood preservative. I had to place some shims at the cross supports to make the plywood flush with the surrounding steal frame. The frame was a Truckstell bed. Using plywood was much easier to work with than the 2"x6" lumber that used to be on it. Plus there is less grooves for dirt to get in and cause rot. I used to be do landscape construction before I started working on puters.

Did almost that to the '75 Powerwagon I had. The floor of the bed was wasted but the sides and stringers under the bed were intact. Used an angle grinder and cut out the old bed floor and replaced with Tung wood, lasted about 5 years or so before the sides rusted out. Then built a 2"x3/8" angle iron frame with stringers placed over the original bed mounts and filled it with the Tung wood from the first bed. Had it on until I sold the truck, don't know if it still exists or not.

Kiln dried oak is your best bet for strength,and durability.Helped my dad in 81 redo the bed of his 65Chevy P/U in oak 2"x6"'s.The original oak was still strong but dried out and splintery.Oak is what is usually used for heavy equiptment,and livestock trailers even today.I've redone quite a few for people to make extra$$.If I do one now and the person can afford it it I'll coat both the frame and boards with roll-on bedliner before final assembly.That will make the bed outlive the truck.I will also use stainless steel lag bolts.It adds to the cost quite abit,but in my book it's worth it.Matt

I guess it depends on what you're fixing the bed for. Are you restoring the bed to look like the original or is it going to be used for something specific.
My choice for 1 inch plywood was because I was shoveling dirt, bark, rock and such from my flatbed. I didn't want all of the grooves of 2x6 tongue and groove catching my shovel. Plus I needed a slick surface so that I could move balled burlap plants around easily.

A while ago on spike tv, they rebuilt a wood bed.
I love that show, trucks.

http://cheaprvliving.com/BuildYourOwnCamper.html

http://www.customclassictrucks.com/tech ... index.html

All I could come up with The top one is an idea and the bottom outlines. I know you don't like following sites
I would like to see what you end up with. Hope this helps

Thanks guys for all the replies!

d80bill wrote:I guess it depends on what you're fixing the bed for. Are you restoring the bed to look like the original or is it going to be used for something specific.
My choice for 1 inch plywood was because I was shoveling dirt, bark, rock and such from my flatbed. I didn't want all of the grooves of 2x6 tongue and groove catching my shovel. Plus I needed a slick surface so that I could move balled burlap plants around easily.

I was thinking bout making a small compartment under the actual flat bed for spare tire, tools, etc..

Then will be flat bedding it and adding removable dog crates.

This will be a BOV specific. So may add a removable sleeper or make the dog crates and sleeper one unit.

All the traveling i am doing for work right now is keeping me from doing to much and it is getting really frustrating.

Take a look at what this guy did to his J truck:
http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/body/j10flatbed/

I have a 1980 J10 and am thinking about something like this once my bed rusts completely out.