So, moral of the story is, the older and bigger the Pinus, the better! Anyhoo...
If you use softwood on your bed, it will rot and deteriorate much faster than hardwood with the proper coating. But, hardwood tends to be more unstable in that it cracks easier with humidity. That's just experience as a woodworker. I wonder if this isn't why Chevy made these beds with pine and then soaked them in a tar'ish solution to keep them from rotting too fast?
I used Douglas Fir on my ton and a half bed. But I used a really high grade weather coating too. Its lasted over 10 years and counting and hasn't lost its color. The plan for my next 1/2 ton resto is to use oak and tongue oil. The oak will be bleached with black paint then acetone to remove it before the tongue oil. Makes it look older than it really is. Always interested in better ideas!
