The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk My bed floor is gonna rot out

Hey guys,
I didn't post this in bed-building because my bed is built. And now I've got the truck in storage around the back of the apartment house i'm at. Haven't got a roof to cover it, so I bought a truck blanket from LMC. But I've noticed that the whole truck is getting saturated under the cover, I guess the cheapo was a poor choice. Anyway I'm a poor person and it's what i've got. Question is, with my bed floor still getting soaked, do you guys reckon it would be worse to be kept damp under the cover, and maybe I should just ditch the cover and give the wood a chance to dry out? Whattya think?

The two most destructive single elements in the universe are wind, rain, and sun. Just check out the Grand Canyon for a great example.
They are also the three hardest elements to avoid for any period of time. Whatever you use to protect the bed will last only a period of time depending on what product or trick you use. You might try a oil coated tarp but even that will need to be adjusted, replaced etc. from time to time.

I think you would be better off to leave the cover off. A vehicle setting outside covered can get the paint rubbed through on the high spots from the cover blowing in the wind. They also trap moisture as you have found out. You could cover it with a big plastic drop cloth under neath the cover to keep the moisture out. But you will still get condensate problems. IMO
Cleon

In the 50's and 60's we treated truck and trailer floors with linseed oil. We mopped on a generous amount on a hot sunny day. I would then park it with the front end raised so water runs out the back. If you park it under a tree make sure to keep the leaves out of it because most leaves turn to acid as they decay.

Linseed oil is absolutly the best treatment. It seals the wood, and lasts the longest. My compliments to the suggester..Sepp22

Hey thanks a lot guys, i never considered linseed oil. I originally treated the floor with spar urethane, and that was shot on the topside after a couple of months of rain and sun. Then I dumped a bunch of thompson's waterseal on it. i'll slav on some linseed oil just as an extra precaution.

If the cover is saturated in water I think I would be more worried about the sheet metal then the wood. You can replace the wood fairly easy.

i had a perfect wood bed in my 57 when i bought it back in march.
i also leave my truck outside, and have one of the best covers from lmc.
well, after time it did leak rain water onto the wood bed floor.

it was a new wood bed with some sort of oil on it, no urethane.

from the water leaking through the cover, and the hot florida sun, it started to mildew, and now sooner or later i have to fix it.

leonard

Take some 1" pvc pipe and stick the ends in the stake pockets on the bed sides to form an arch. This will hold the tarp up so the rain will run off of the tarp. I got 2 tee's and put them in the top of the arch and ran a 1" pipe between the front and rear arch. I think I am gonna put a tee in the middle of that pipe pointing down for a brace to the bed floor. In my case to the ground since I have no wood. I will be so happy to finish the shop. Not a perfect solution but it seems to keep most of the water out and lets the air move around under the tarp better. I made the arch as short as I could and still get the rain to run off. Cheap and I can sit under it and work on the frame. With a box fan blowing and the added shade knocking off the Mississippi August sun it is still darn hot. Under $15.

Neil

Neil

I wonder if anyone sells pre-cut teak for the bed. Teak should do very well against the weather.

Hey Bluto, I'm not sure how well linseed oil will still soak on after you have put other stuff on it. Be sure not to put anything on the bottom. It needs to be bare wood so that whatever water does soak in can drip out the bottom.

Neilroy, that's a clever idea about tenting the cover from the stake pockets - thanks.

Crenwelge, thanks for the advice but i've already shot myself in the foot on this one. When I first treated the wood I coated it all-around with urethane. The bottoms of the boards see little exposure to the elements and their coat is holding up real well - oh well.

You think just a few months under the tarp would do much harm? The area it's stored at is pretty well shielded from wind. My paint isn't any real prize, and I'm figuring on some body work in a year or so anyway.

Having the cab under cover wouldn't be bad, but I think the wood floor would probably be as well left uncovered with the tailgate open and the front facing east so the wood gets the afternoon sun. Of course this is not always possible. I would certainly elevate the front as much as possible so the water runs out quickly and doesn't have a chance to soak in.

Bluto....If you use linseed oil make sure its "boiled Linseed oil". "Raw" linseed will never dry and will make a sticky mess. Also two light coats with a brush are better than flooding it on....have fun.

Ipi is the best wood. Also called Brazillian ironwood.

You don't have to go so far for Iron Wood. It grows everywhere in Mexico.

There is a flooring manufacturer here that has Brazilian iron wood. I don't know where he gets it. I put it in an 18 ft bumper hitch trailer. Expensive, but I think it will be worth it.

I went with red oak, there was a lot of that around my corner of Missouri. The boards have developed a couple of cracks from swelling, but hopefully I can keep the rot out and refinish the wood sometime. I'm in North Carolina now, and sentimental for the old boards, since they were cut out of the woods around my old stompin ground.

I am familiar with red oak. It will crack, no matter what you do to it, but don't let the cracks worry you, it is tough , not prone to rotting and will last a long time.

crenwelge
Where in Texas did you find the Iron Wood?

and as Radial once said.....he stands the ends of the boards in a pan of what ever he is using (linseed oil for example) and lets the ends of the boards soak up all they can. This is where most boards soak up any moisture and letting them stand in a pan of the finish will definitely help stave off the rotting process.

Big Chevy 3600

A flooring manufacturer here in Fredericksburg is where I bought mine. We haul green oak in for him and he dries it and makes high dollar flooring. Quality Hardwoods, Clayton Itz, owner 830 997 6503. Tell him Kenneth Crenwelge referred you.

Thanks Ken, I have a place in outside of Blanco and will check him out. I wonder if he could cut the pieces to fit?