Ed -- Thanks for the update on the bed repair. Actually, that was rather fascinating. Good write up, too.
Spartman -- I would not trust an original, all-wooden bed to haul anything heavy like a vehicle or a tractor. I took the original all-wooden bed off my '49 and took it apart -- the cross members were 3-inch oak and were pretty rotten on the tops where the deck boards attached, and in the centers. I might have been able to haul with it, but I probably would have had the wood frame fail under any weight. The bed mostly went onto the burn pile with a few cool pieces going to a friend who wanted to make a coffee table out of it.
My recommendation, for what it's worth, especially if you want to haul heavy stuff, is to go with a steel frame and a wood deck.
Regards,
John
