Idea for Pickup Bed

Still working on my newly acquired pickup and thinking about ideas for the bed. My bed was used by the previous owner for storing large engines from other vehicles. Needless to say, it's somewhat beat up. It actually has waves in it. While looking on ebay, I found a company that sells large sheets of aluminum diamond plate material for $200. Has anyone ever looked at this as a solution to hide an ugly bed surface. If weight was an issue, which I don't think it would be, could that big metal weight in the back be removed to compensate the difference?
Would love to see and hear everyone solutions for fixing ugly beds.
THX Mike

http://bedwoodandparts.com/



expensive water trap.

yes -u can remove the weight!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twinpilot001 wrote:yes -u can remove the weight!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a weight?? Like a counter balance for extra weight on the rear wheels or something? I have a 64 Econoline pickup. Does mine have one? I'm not home at the moment or I'd go look. Where is it? I have extra weight already in back so I'll take it out if I have one.

Thanks
Brad

66mnecotruck wrote:https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t14931-x-tra-weight-over-the-gas-tank?highlight=weight

Awesome thanks! Mine's comin out!

That weight is there for a reason. I wouldn't be so quick to remove it. It will affect the handling if you take it out.

Duane in Tennessee

econopoor wrote:That weight is there for a reason. I wouldn't be so quick to remove it. It will affect the handling if you take it out.

Duane in Tennessee

Yeah I hear ya but I've already modified the weight rearward so I think I'll be ok. My truck CG isn't stock any more.  I moved my V8 half way out of the cab back into the bed. Radiator also going in the back behind the motor. I'll be sure to keep the weight in case I do have to put it back.
I think my CG will be closer to stock without the counter weight if the mods I've made are considered.

What ever or which ever you were to cover the bent bed will take a REAL BIG risk of it rotting out. Even if you were to drill holes in the hollow areas so it could drain and breath the flush ones that are making contact are going to rust. Thought I was going to be a smart alick on a truck a long time ago and filled it in and sealed some plywood down. Figured I had it leak proof and painted it all with epoxy. Looked great until a few years after I pulled the plywood,,,,it wasn't pretty at all.
IMO,, I REALLY like the wood bed in that one pickup however wonder if the steel floor was removed under it? Then it wouldn't rust and it could breath,, BUT,, if the floor is gone, there is nothing to hold the truck frames in a unit like it did?
I don't think I would like the tinny sound of the diamond plate? Perhaps a complete spray in liner or seal the high spot ridges REALLY GOOD so no moisture could get in between the two surfaces??
Cant get how good that wood bed looks,,,,
Vic
Vic,,,,,,,,,stumped

yeah, trucks that came with wood beds didn't have any sheet metal underneath, I think if you wanted to go that route you'd have to commit to doing it right.

I was thinking about using the same Trex planks I used on the deck off my house. Trex looks like wood, but won't rot.

doing my 56 chev truck=30 years back=I selected some yellow pine in 1/2 x4 & 1/2 x 6 sizes=cut to fit to length. Then coated all -top & all over with a clear poly urethane coating-brushed on!! its now ready for replacement only after 30 years of use!! the wood grain showed thru & was beautiful over 25 years too!! it has always been strored outside too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe costs me 25 bux back then.  

Short note,,, first of all Trex is very thick and made of a composite. When installed you design it in order to try and hide all of the end cuts because of it. In addition to thick, VERY heavy. AGAIN my original point was that if you simply cover your metal bed with it you are creating a rust issue that will be worse than what you are trying to hide in the 1st place and IF you remove the metal for the bed you now will have nothing to hold the truck together............ SO,, it sounds like not only in the same place of the original conversation but however getting deeper perhaps?????????? LOL
vic

Composite has a propensity to shrink as well ... and costs more than a good cedar or redwood ... if the bed is toast it might be a good way to go ... would look sharp as well

I wouldn't go with redwood or cedar, both are really good for weather and bug resistance, but they are both soft woods and ding and dent very easy, you can scratch and indent them with a finger nail.

the composite doesn't solve the main problem either, the problem isn't so much with the wood rotting, it's with the metal underneath the wood rusting away since the mouisture won't be evaporating as well. It also doesn't look like real wood and will give a cheap looking appearance in a show truck. Like another member said, a good quality wood installed in the bed itself will last and look good for a couple decades, even longer if someone was willing to remove the wood planks, sand or plane em down and refinish every 5-7 years or so. But really the cost of the wood to DIY isn't that much unless you're going very exotic. the company selling those bed kits has a huge mark up on it. If you could buy the strips and hardware by themselves and then cut and finish the wood yourself you would probably save a lot of cash.

I agree with LongbeachCA66 those guys are making plenty of money. I'm a professional woodworker and I charge for my work too. There's nothing wrong with what they're charging BUT... You will save lots of money to just buy the wood and do yourself. If ever there was an easy woodworking project this is it. Finding the hardware would be the hardest. The woodworking is just straight cuts.
Teak is the ultimate outdoors and very hard. Mahogany would be a good choice.  
Vic is also very correct about putting wood over a sealed cavity. It won't matter what kind of wood you use it's going to get ugly inside. I make hollow wooden surfboards as a living so I know what the hazards of encasing air inside wood and putting it in the sun. Water gets in from who knows where. Condensation even if perfectly sealed. Lots of stuff happens inside. Rot, mold, pressure as air expands in the sun. Just better to avoid trapping any air under wood.
Sealing the heck out of it would help but still it's asking for problems.

Even though I'm a woodworker and love the look of those wood beds I think if it were me I'd cut the wavy bed out and replace it with a stock looking corrugated metal. i.e. just make it stock again.
If it's really beat up replacing would be easier than pounding it out. Weld in some diamond plate might look cool and function well.

My 2 cents.