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I would like to add side rails to my flatbed. I was thinking of using 5/4" pressure treated lumber and having it easily removable. I would like to see what some of you have done.

im in the same boat and would love to see other peoples ideas!

....just be sure to use plenty of screws to keep it from warping.

I recently completed an upper tail gate for my '57 2 ton grain box, I wanted to use 5/4 'cuz the lower gate is 1 inch, I'm glad I ended up using 3/4 weathered barn wood. With the gate at 7 feet wide and 32 inches tall, 2 inch wide steel straps, 2x2 hickory stiffeners, stake rack hardware on the corners, it's heavier than I expected.

I used 2 x 12's on mine, with 2 x 4 uprights in the stake pockets. There are pics in my gallery postings. The headboard on the '59 is 3/4" tongue and groove car siding. The one on the '47 is heavier than that, possibly 5/4". It was part of the original grain box.

I see no reason why 5/4" would not work for yours. Mine were definitely overkill!

Just sayin'

Just to refresh your memory Craig, you and Alvin viewed this truck last September.
I used rough sawn white oak that was in a barn that my wife inherited. It was harvested over 40 years ago and still looked new but, it was harder than wood pecker lips. It’s ready for a coat of old school water repellant, diesel fuel?
I like the old looking grey color also.

Don

Craig, how about some sides with a lot of natural patina?
Say the word and I’ll load these up and bring them to Townsend in two weeks. Buy me a cold one Saturday night and we’ll call it an even trade!

Don

You talkin' to me???

When I finally get my truck back on the road I plan to make new side boards and probably a gate but plan to make them removable with my skid steer and some forks perhaps in two sections due to my bed being about 15ish feet maybe more or less so any sides that I make will be really heavy.

WOW Don.. I remember that AD, she was pretty rough... I would hate to put you through all that work. Let's just say I'll buy you a "Cold One" anyway...

Tall grain sides require chain stiffeners inside to keep the sides from bulging out. Not that you will haul 250 bushels... just saying... we had sides like 78Buckshot's... 1 chain for the low sides and another for the slip-on top sides.
They made themselves handy for climbing inside with the bed raised to get all the grain out too.

Ah ... yes John was.

We were over at the farms yesterday and we had two flat beds we mentioned to get pictures of but we ran out of time. After seeing Don's, we really need to get at least the one. Craig, it'll be more like, "It's gonna be better than this!"

You are correct,my grain box still has 3 chains, I haven't had any grain in her but did have 110 bales of hay a few times.

He should have read my entire post. It stated that my pics were in the gallery, and the links to them are in my signature line.

It was just a gentle, casual suggestion to all who might want to add something to this conversation. I wasn't singling you out personally, Rich.

Although I can if you like. Is there something I should berate you about?



Anyway, here are a couple of ODSS trucks showing some non-stock ideas.

Some close ups of Billy's Bed. Photos by Erik Hildebrandt (used by permission).

Here is a link to a pretty sweet looking truck. https://www.vaultcars.com/1940-chevrolet-stake-bed/

Paul, that is a great looking truck. Hope you don't mind that I added a few of the images from that website to your post. Look at the entire bed even. Wow! The other images on that page are also amazing. As one caption said, "If they had a commercial truck class at the concours this would win!" That webpage is a nice post. Thanks!

That looks newer than 1940.

‘41-‘47 body style.

Ed

Here are some pictures of the bed of my '50 COE. The bed is made of reclaimed 60+ year old Arizona power poles. These were shiplapped (overlapped) as we found replicating the original tongue in groove was too difficult on a small table saw. The picture shown is around 12 years old and the bed has held up well despite hauling pine needles, branches and firewood. The maximum load was me and 27 of my son's friends to town for the fourth of July.

The bedside verticals are an odd size, so they were custom made, as well. I copied the original dimensions which were tight to the sides of the stake pockets but about 3/8 inch smaller than the front to back dimension (see close up photo of bed side). This makes it easier to install and un-install the bed side.

Instead of chains across the top of the original bed there was old hardware that slips over the top of the bedside, connected to the other side by a board. This keeps the bed sides from bowing outward when fully loaded.
Kent

A couple more comments about my post above. The original bed sides were almost a foot taller and capable of carrying more grain. It covered the rear window and protected it but for safety reasons I lowered the bed and installed an in cab rear view mirror (like a 1/2 ton). As you would know, acceleration is not on par with modern cars and impatient drivers tuck in behind me in traffic, and I want to be able to see them.

Another story is after I completed the bed one of my neighbor's brothers came over to inspect it. The brother lived in Alberta and used to make grain beds with his father. After spending a few minutes looking it over he said I had done a fine job but I need to turn around all those carriage bolts. I had built it with the smooth bolt heads on the outside and boy did it look nice. He said you don't want the bolt ends and jagged nuts hanging up product or poking cattle in their sides. Well, I decided to just leave it be but the next day another neighbor came by, exclaimed that it was a nice looking bed but I needed to turn around those carriage bolts. That did it, later that day I turned around all 120 bolts. How was a city slicker like me supposed to know?
Kent