The Stovebolt Forums Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed What wood should I used for my 9' pickup truck bed?

Like I said I'm not a woodworker, I thought it would look great but wasn't sure about anything else. I do want to be able to use the bed so I guess the Cedar is out. This is why we ask questions 😃

Check around and I am sure someone who saws wood will trade your cedar for something that would work in your truck bed .

TuT, I like Oak but be sure to soak the ends very well before installing. I'd suggest standing the boards overnight in a pail of something like Sparurethane. Most boards crack from the ends and the "Spar" lets the wood expand some without cracking the finish....after soaking the ends at least 3 coats on the face and your good till your dying days!!!

Didn't read all the replies. I am convinced that composite is the way to go. Lowes has the right widths.

I'll know for sure in a few months when I lay mine in.

I used 5/4 composite deck boards. They have imitation grain on them which appears relatively realistic. They are 5 1/2" wide which is close to being too narrow for the bedstrips to cover the gaps. I cut short spacers out of the same boards to go between the boards at every bolt hole to keep the boards from shifting which could expose gaps at the bedstrips. It worked like a champ.

tuts 59 Could use hard yellow pine like chevy used,white oak would be durable,black locust,osage orange (hard to work) maybe treated yellow pine but not sure you want to be around it ! However they build decks out of it every day. Red oak is not very rot resistant if out in the weather.

Fixite7 has one very dense wood that is well known in my area. boisD'arc (osage orange). My great great Grand Father purchased 3 sections of land in south central Arkansas starting in 1849 and planted boisD'arc for fences. The community became known as BoisD'arc and is known by that name today among locals. It's one of the densest woods in the USA. It's also beautiful wood. Another off the beaten path excellent, dense wood is persimmon, it's in the ebony family. There used to be a mill in Brinkley Arkansas that paid crazy money for persimmon, it was used for golf club heads. That buslness died out years ago but if you can find a source, it's another beautiful, very hard wood that'll last just short of forever.

All that said, if I didn't want to go with a North American exoitic, I'd use white oak or post oak and not look back.

RonR