This weekend I will try to assemble the bed on my '41 3/4 ton. There are many pieces from around the country and some fabricated locally and a few of the original in various degrees of "rebuild". It will be the first time they have all been connected.

The purpose behind this "exercise" is to determine how long the bed boards should be and where the holes for the hold down bolts to the frame are supposed to go.

I have the new wood, some good looking White Oak, all nicely plained and datoed on the edges. However the boards are not yet cut to length. I'm thinking that determining the overall length from the bed front panel to the edge of the recess in the rear cross member should not be too difficult once the bed sides, front and cross member are assembled. My question is...should I allow some extra room at each end for the boards to expand in the heat of the Michigan summers?? Or in the case that the truck gets South to some place with real heat. I sure would not want the boards to push the panels into some sort of a bow shape.

1941 Chevy Master 3/4-Ton
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Born to fish, the truck is only a hobby.