For the rear deck I went back and forth on what I wanted to use for decking material. Metal would be easier, require less supports and maintenance, but wood would be cheaper, easier to replace and most importantly to me was to give it a more custom look. I looked into several exotic woods like oak, Ipe and teak but in the end, I planned on using the truck to for hauling other cars and not just for going to shows, so I went with 2X6 fir tongue and grove car decking. It is readily available and I could get it in 16' lengths so I wouldn't have any intermediate joints. This told me what I needed for a sub-frame to support the deck.
In the area between the hoist rails, I wanted to be able to easily access the hydraulics. So, I built a frame out of 1" tube steel and covered it with 12 ga. Sheetmetal the same as the removeable ramps at the back of the deck. At the front I welded a piece of 1/2" plate across from rail to rail to mount the winch to and it also added a lot of shear to keep everything square. That left two small areas not covered between the rails and I covered them with some 1/8" plate I had laying on the floor of the shop.
On the outside of the rails, I started by completing the 2X6 tube steel perimeter that will stay fixed and the hoist will operate inside it. At the front corners I couldn't decide if I wanted to do 45 degree angles or Radis corners. I mocked-up one each way and looked at them for a couple weeks while I was working on other things. In the end I decided on radiuses because there isn't any other sharp corners anywhere on the truck and they just fit better. For the tilt deck I welded 1 1/2" X 2" tube steel held down an 1 1/2" so the wood would flush out with the center to the C-channel hoist rails at 16" centers and a 1 1/2" angle on the outside edge along the 2x6 tube steel perimeter. I held the angle 1/2" off the tube steel so it wouldn't hang up. Then I welded a couple short pieces of 2"x2" angles below the edge angle to the tube steel for support on the edges when going down the road and the deck would land on them. That got me to where I was ready to install the wood but I didn't want it to get beat up so I will wait on that.
I had taken the cab off the frame while I was working on the deck so it was easier to get around and I wanted to paint the bottom of it. It sure is nice having a bridge crane to do all the heavy lifting.
I still have quite a way to catch up to where I am at so stay tuned and please your comments would be welcomed, and I have thick skin so don't hold back. But I reserve the right to use or not use any suggestions. Thanks, COCOE
