Dumb question about wood beds

[61_FL_Apache]

What is the history of wooden floors? I have had trucks all my life and im 43 now. This is the first I have owned in this series of GM trucks with wood floors.

For everyday use I see more cons then pros. For show, way more pros with looks.

In both my 65 and now 61, neither had the wood and im fine with that. I dont plan on building it into a 100pt show winner, just a clean DD.

I was curoius the history of the wood.

Thanks

[Clyde65]

All trucks had wood floors until about 1968 ( I think) steppers had wood all the way to 1987.

I think mostly it was a cheaper way to do a bed floor.

If your 65 and 61 doesnt, some PO changed them.

[jonzcustomshop]

I heard something about transporting livestock too... not slippery like steel...

[Clyde65]

i heard that too, we had wood foors in cattle cars when in the Army.

[Str8axle]

Optional in fleetside till '72, stepside till '87 if I'm not mistaken. I've never seen a squarebody fleetside with a wood floor.
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[64fleetside]

Camper Special fleetside trucks had the wood floor available all the way up to 1977 at least. I had a customer w/a 77 K20 camper special, loaded out w/the side mount brackets & bolt holes in the side of the bed, which had a wood floor.

[Captainfab]

I've seen 2 fleetside squarebodies with the optional wood bed floor

[Woogeroo]

wagons.

-W

[61_FL_Apache]

Very interesting.... Thanks for the info!

[61_FL_Apache]

Originally Posted by Woogeroo

wagons.

-W

Like covered wagons?

[SFTorange]

I have no real evidence to substantiate this, but someone told me recently that they used steel for some beds prior to WWII, but switched to wood during the war to save steel, and the habit stuck. The theory makes sense, but I don't know for sure if they used steel prior to the war.

[61_FL_Apache]

I could see that point. They changed a lot of things in the mid 40's for that.

[KVB]

I started pulling my bed apart, and discovered that the bolts that are in the middle of the holddown rails are splined. It seems the end ones are normal stovebolts. Does anyone have a source for the spline type bolts used.

Thanks

Ken

[kieth]

I do not know what you mean by splined, they are carriage bolts and go through a square hole in the rail......no splines in my 66......Kieth

[KVB]

I thought they were carriage bolts too, but my 65 GMC swb has just one square hole per rail, the rest are splined. The pics are not great, but you can see the round (splined) and square hole. Anybody else seen these. Any idea where I can get them?

Thanks

Ken

[VWBeamer]

A lot of box vans and semi trailers still have hardwood floors. As do a lot of open trailers, most often they have treated pine as decks.

I always thought it was good that you could drive a nail in it to secure a load, my dad did back in the day.

Plus wood was more durable with loads such as heavy rock. A steel bed would be dented, the wood would fair better.

I'm also guessing wood was cheaper and lighter than steel.

[KVB]

They are called Ribbed neck carriage bolts. See the link below, second row, second image over. Now just gotta find a supplier. I wonder why I have these. I am pretty sure the bed is original.

Ken

http://www.fastenersplusinc.com/bolts/bolts.html

[64fleetside]

Mar-K carries them also.