The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed bed "ideas" for the everyday driver user truck???

ok guys i have a 48 loadmaster with a 138in bed with the width of 88in, original bed made by LOADKING of berberich of sioux city iowa.

the original bed has afew bad spots but the under cross ties are also heavy approx 8in thick wooden beams that look perfect.

i plan on using the truck for everyday work, haul alittle hay and feed bags for my uncles ranchs.

looked at 10 gauge plate steel, will cost me over 500.00 to cover it.. then was thinking 3/4 plywood painted on the top and screwed down ontop of the original wooden bed.

will all be painted red, will also make new lover sides and tail gate out of 2x4's also red painted

im going for usage, not perty... if screwed down good all corners and on each side of the 3 seams the painted it should hold up alright huh???? thoughts.

It may hold up pretty good if you use Epoxy paint..use the good stuff, not the latex stuff. It will rot out faster than say,,,oak mahogany ect,,,but its a work truck so it dont matter. Follow the directions on the epoxy proceedure.

Why not run 2x8's or the like. Use some green treat and it would hold up better than plywood.

i would go Builders way ....it may add some weight but will hold up for WORK use

well. ive decided to bite the bullet and save up for the 10 gage sheet steel for the top of the orig. bed, will cost more but once welded along the sides and on the seams will totally seal in the top, and he plenty heavy enough to walk and stomp around on.

ill get pics soon as i get the 500.00 for the material... thanks guys...

on the idea on the 2x8 treated boards, were you talking about screwing them on top of the factory wooden boards???? never thought of that but it would raise the floor 2 in... ???? still think the heavy plate steel is best way to go, thoughts guys... longer to save the cash for it, but will outlast me once done

Pressure treated is real good..for a work truck that is.

I would think carefully about using steel only. If your bed was designed to have a wood floor the cross members are say 18" apart? And if it were to have a thin steel top as you are looking at then I would guess somewhere around 8 to 12" is a better spacing for the cross members. If you set something heavy that lands between the cross members and has a point load, like a heavy desk, or a machine tool with feet, then the steel will not stay flat for long.

Do you have any pictures of the bed and how it is constructed?

I would recommend white oak as a nice looking, strong, long lasting, and reasonably cheep floor.

Grigg

I gotta ask, what would it take to just "fix" the few spots that are a problem? I mean, IF all you are going to use it for is to "just" haul hay and feed bags. I'd just fix the bad spots (whole board?) and paint it every once in a while with some good wood paint so it would look decent.

mine has 1/4 thick steel plate welded in in for a floor ..

sw is this welded over the original wood floor???

STILL UNSURE ON WHAT TO DO

checked it out again this am, the wooden extra thick cross beams are solid as a rock, im thinking for a quick fix and for light usage kids on hay rides, hay bales, feed sacks and ect.. treated 2x12x12' bolted on top seams sealed with sealer then painted epoxy red would work thoughts???

You are saying that you want to use metal so it will last. How many floors did the original owner put in it? Those are probably original boards in the truck. New boards will most likely outlast a present owner too.

say builder can you call me at home? want to talk truck beds with you im here now call me collect if you like 512-894-4047 donnie in texas my truck came from sd!!

my buddy who owns the paint shop stopped by and we looked the bed over, we decided to use 1x6x12' treated lumber on the bed wont raise it as high as 2x then bolt it ontop of the old wood after we pressure wash and it dries. ill get some photo bucket pics up soon on it thanks all who answered

Here is my gallery page for when I installed a 3/4' Plywood bed in my truck, just four bolts. My bed was 3/4 inch too wide or the wood would have fit in there perfectly without the border. I think most beds would be ok mine is kinda "put" together :p It's a great cheap solution and it is very strong.

http://www.grossepointegothic.com/71stepside/woodbed/

[img]http://www.grossepointegothic.com/71stepside/woodbed/image/pict4218.jpg[/img]

Thomas

Just looking in on the discussion, but if you go with only steel bed you will end up with a very warped bed on your truck. It will be hard to clean and hard to keep loads level.

I would recommend a plank bed on the cross sleepers as per the original design. The outside of the planks were "wrapped" with edge planks top and bottom and bolted together. It was incredibly strong and lasts a long time. Finish with CPE finish...(clear penetrating epoxy) and go from there.

wood long gone ...1/4 plate .is welded in to the bed an cross members.
No warping an is tough an firm .
Gonna leave as is as mine wont be haulin anything other than the boat on the hitch .
after I install the fuel cell in the bed an my custom toolbox ...no room left ...lol

how much 10 gauge are you buying and where are you getting it at? I am up I35 in temple and can get 10 gauge pretty cheap. $65/sheet. Let me know and I can turn you on to some better resources.

jg