The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Custom flatbed for a 41' COE?

Sorry, there aren't any pics yet, but there will be! I'm really trolling for some info. I spent the day combing through the local junkyard looking for beds, but coming home only with ideas. I found a bed with a really cool stamped outer edge, looks like two half circles running down the side. I want to duplicate this look on my bed as I think it would look better than flat box tubing. I'm also looking for stamped fenders with the rolled edge that are heavy duty and wide enough to cover 20" duallies. Anyone have any good pics of old headache racks off of an old logging truck? Last but not least does anyone make mudflaps with the old GMC script on them? I'm abviously still trying to source on my own just figured I'd ask the people who have been looking for years? The bed will be 9'-10' long,I assume someone is making bed strips that long?

I like to look for flatbeds/stakebeds for sale on ebay for ideas. Also most towns have truck body dealers with all kinds of set ups for various needs. Our local one has a big yard with all kinds of take-off bodies from previous rebuilds, fun to look at for ideas.
Best of luck

Hey Straightjacket,
I like the look of your COE, keep us up to date on what you come up with on the back half. That is one cool looking truck.
Steve

#43 - Ya, I'm looking everywhere at idea beds, just keep hoping I'll see the perfect one and bolt it on for $100. Ya right!

ss - Thanks and I'll post pics as I go. Need to put some parts that I have in-stock on first then off to the metal shop to pick up supplies.

Our illustrious leader, John Milliman, built a nice wooden bed for one of his rigs. Maybe a search by you can locate it or perhaps another member or John will post a link.

My brother and I made my bed, works well and Iam pleased with it. Good luck with your's.

Pretty cool! I checked out your gallery page. I had thought about a bevertail bed but haven't decided yet. What type of stack are you using and where did you get it? I'm a little worried about the speed of the truck as well and had planned on modernizing it down the road. The more I work on it the less I want to cut it up?

If by "looks like two half-circles running down the side" are you referring to a top and a bottom reinforcement rib on the side rail?(rubrail) If you are and it is a factory built body it could be a Knapheide brand. One of their models, std HD model, has that feature. It could have a wood, smooth steel or tradplate floor. It would have formed crossmembers. There are various bulkheads available to fit them. As for fenders to fit duals I would look to a semi-trailer dealer or a truck body distributor for drive axle fenders.

53 - That sounds like the bed I saw. It was a wood bed. It looked to hard to change into what I want, but gave me some good ideas.

Rummaging through a local salvage yard I came across a candidate for my truck. It appears to be very straight. The wood is long gone, but it has the stamped sides that I like. I think this style bed will fit in with the Art Deco cab. I was going to make my own bed but I can't even buy metal for what this cost. I may change it up a bit later,but for now it looks like it will just bolt on. It should be delivered today.I will post more pics as it gets torn down and cleaned up.

I have pics of the new donor truck/bed in my signature now. Was able to pick up the bed for $300. All of the metal is good and usable. It sets on the truck pretty good as is, but I'm thinking about possibly shortening and or narrowing for a different look.

Looking at the bed while paint is drying on other parts I've noticed a couple of issues. The bed has a wider gap (between cross supports) where the rear tires are supposed to be centered. I'll have to slide the bed back on the frame rails to make this work. The bed is already hanging over the rear of the frame,so I will have to cut a section out from behind the rear wheels and put it back in, in-front of the wheels to make it back up. Not quite sure how this is all going to pan out with stake pockets and such?