Maple For Truck Bed

[Ronno6]

It is gettin to the time when I have to consider what wood to use in the bed of my '85 C-10 Short Bed Step Side.
I got a line on some maple.........

Any thoughts or suggestions?

The truck is going to live in a garage when not being driver.

 

[AaronW]

I wouldn't if it were me. Maple doesn't do very well outside. If you want a light colored wood like maple, I'd go with pine. Not framing lumber, since the cathedral grain will come apart, but some planed roughsawn stock like from a lumberyard that caters to furniture/cabinet makers. Same goes for fir. If you want hardwood, I'd track down some cypress or white oak, either of those should do better in the weather. Maple might be ok, if you seal the heck out of it, but I guess that depends on how plasticky you're ok with it looking.

My two cents worth, anything.

Aaron

 

[Ronno6]

Mr. Aaron,
Thanks for that.
What I thought to be maple turned out to be cedar anyway.
Seems to me that I have seen some rough sawn cypress from sunken logs on FB somewhere.
I have a planer, so rough is no problem.
I have some red grandis' which is a eucalyptus that would work really well, but it is on oy 4"11" long........too short...GRRRR

 

[Shorty81]

Go to a sawmill and buy some 1" rough sawn white oak that has been kiln dried. Sand and finish it then don't seal it, brush on boiled linseed oil. You can tint the oil with stain if you wish. Or use Tung oil. Brush it on once a year, it will outlast the truck.

 

[Ronno6]

I just received an offer of white oak for $2.00/bf............that could work !
Thanky........

 

[Bennyt]

We used pine on my son's fleetside shortbed. Spent about $300 earlier this year. I would think a stepside would be about $200 as it's less wood and not as wide on the sides. I had to buy 2 12" wide boards that were $50 each. I made trips to multiple HD and Lowes to find enough pieces straight and flat enough.

 

[Ronno6]

Is it a good idea to make the planks thicker than OEM and dado the edges to fit under the side angles?
Seems to me that the original wood was pretty thin.......

 

[Ronno6]

We used pine on my son's fleetside shortbed. Spent about $300 earlier this year. I would think a stepside would be about $200 as it's less wood and not as wide on the sides. I had to buy 2 12" wide boards that were $50 each. I made trips to multiple HD and Lowes to find enough pieces straight and flat enough.

I have a line on saw cut white pine cut 5/4 thick for $80.00
I need to figger out the edge machining profile to mate with the metal strips....

 

[Shorty81]

White pine will rot quickly with any moisture. I had an old Hi-Boy Ford step side that had pine floor in the bed. Did not hold up well.

 

[Shorty81]

If you lived closer I'd mill whatever hardwood you wanted. It's my side operation soon to be full time when I retire.

 

[Ronno6]

OOPS..........I goofed.......The wood is white OAK........

 

[Shorty81]

I'd go with that! Wears like iron, looks great.

 

[Bennyt]

Is it a good idea to make the planks thicker than OEM and dado the edges to fit under the side angles?
Seems to me that the original wood was pretty thin.......

It would sit higher than the metal divider strips and get more wear. I did ours to sit pretty even with the valley of the strips.

White pine will rot quickly with any moisture. I had an old Hi-Boy Ford step side that had pine floor in the bed. Did not hold up well.

Yeah, I tt a bunch of woodworkers and while I wouldn't have used it on a truck that's going to sit outside or driven in the rain. I am in Phoenix so it's pretty dry and the truck is going to sit inside most of the time.

What I really wanted was to use old bowling alley or gym floor but I was advised that it would be a nightmare as it's a mix of osb and other underneath.

One other option is aluminum. There is a company that sells aluminum planks and prints whatever you want on them

 

[Ronno6]

Well, thicker planks would sit hither than the angles at the walls of the bed.
The strips between boards would only sit as low as the depth I to which machined the edges.....
I would just need longer screws....

 

[Ronno6]

Go to a sawmill and buy some 1" rough sawn white oak that has been kiln dried. Sand and finish it then don't seal it, brush on boiled linseed oil. You can tint the oil with stain if you wish. Or use Tung oil. Brush it on once a year, it will outlast the truck.

Should I coat both sides prior to fastening the wood down??