what about oak, if you really seal it good. i still don't have a wood bed in my 49, someone welded diamond plate in the floor, i never bothered to change, it looks good, but i think wood is much neater,
but if you want to make one that will outlast the metal in the truck, make the bed out of hedge, we use it for fence post here in kansas, you only have to replace them every 70-80 years, that is with no treatment
