Bed question

[Denee007]

NOT that kind of bed!

I should be receiving much needed parts for my wood bed installation soon. I was just wondering when I go to wash stuff out of the new wood bed (though it will probably never see water or rain), do I incorporate drains towards the front of the bed? like holes, or something? How else will water escape?
curious
dne'

[1project2many]

I didn't put drains in mine and water will puddle in the back. That surprised me. When I wash the truck I park it so the tailgate is downhill.

[Denee007]

ah hah! So, I'm thinking between the widest boards, a couple long slots, maybe 1" x 4", or 3/4" x 4" then router the edge? or maybe not router the edge. or suggestions would be nice!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Try to make them unnoticeable!

[G&R's57GMC]

And seal all the edges ... sides ... bolt holes. Keep the water out of the wood.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Glen,

I've wondered if spraying the underside of the bed (after it's all assembled) with a Rhino type liner would be a good idea or a bad idea?

Obviously it would protect it from pretty much anything from the underside. But it might also trap water falling from the top...and of course it would make disassembly a pain in the butt if you needed to later.

[Denee007]

Glen, I've read nothing about sealing all the edges? Do you mean even between the metal strips up and down the entire length of every board? What do I use as a sealer? So like for instance, before I would put down a metal strip, I would run a bead of "sealer" down the grooves of the wood, then lay the metal strip on top of it, then when putting a bolt through the hole, I would put sealer around it~ like that kind of sealing procedure??

As for drain holes, making them unnoticeable would be almost impossible I would think Dan. Maybe I won't put holes, just do like 1projectomany, just raise the truck a bit to allow the water to run out. I was also "thinking", my husband hates it when I think! maybe an entire cover for the bed? a raise up? That way no water would ever get into the bed~
dne'

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

And seal all the edges ... sides ... bolt holes. Keep the water out of the wood.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by Denee007

ah hah! So, I'm thinking between the widest boards, a couple long slots, maybe 1" x 4", or 3/4" x 4" then router the edge? or maybe not router the edge. or suggestions would be nice!

Maybe a couple slots cut a couple inches along where the bed strips go. I would be easy to hide them that way.

[mknittle]

Duplicate post.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Glen,

I've wondered if spraying the underside of the bed (after it's all assembled) with a Rhino type liner would be a good idea or a bad idea?

Obviously it would protect it from pretty much anything from the underside. But it might also trap water falling from the top...and of course it would make disassembly a pain in the butt if you needed to later.

you may end up with a big bath tub or a small swimming pool though.
and if you ever had to take it apart you just might get an over dose of fun

I am thinking linseed oil or some sort of waterproof deck treatment.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Not to speak for Glen but I'm pretty sure he meant to put your varnish or urethane on all SIX sides of every board.

As for my drain hole idea, what I'm thinking about is some 1/8" x 1" slots a few places on the ledge at the bottom of the beds front panel & again at the rear most cross sill. Especially at the corners. You'd have to treat these slots with a good rust proofing paint - POR, KBS, or such with a Q-tip to get the edges completely.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mechanixman]

Yeah, varnish, urethane, or even a clear coat if you want a really slick bed (pun intended ).

If you first coat it with varnish, then drill a hole in the board, then that uncoated hole is a place for water to collect, and ruin the wood/coating.

Maybe this will help

Bed Wood [S1 Ep.14-3] - YouTube

[1project2many]

The ends are typically where most of the water will creep into the wood. But depending on the type of wood, some wood is equally happy to pull water in from the sides. Places under bed strips and under metal end channels are out of sight and out of mind so you don't even see the damage that's being done until it's done.

I just redid a trailer deck with 2" thick tongue and groove yellow pine. There are tougher woods, but the price for the wood rises above the value of the trailer pretty quickly. I was in way too much of a hurry and didn't have time for a proper sealer so I coated it with Rust-Oleum. Top, bottom, sides, and ends. After it dries for a bit I'm going to use good undercoating on the bottom and put a nice topcoat of traction paint on the top. I believe it will last because that's the way the deck was last redone 20 yrs ago.

For drains, maybe some half-round grooves perpendicular to the areas where the bed strips will sit? They'll allow water out and if placed correctly won't be that noticeable. You could maybe put matching notches in the bed strips. You won't need large drains and it only takes a few of them to let it drain.

Of course, the problem really boils down to whose side of the bed it's on.

[_Ogre]

cut your boards 1/8'' shy of the front panel and the rear sill to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood.
this will also be your drainage as you have a 1/2'' gap under every bed strip that will allow water to drain

[Daze57]

Ogre
I like that idea!!!!

[Denee007]

sigh~Thank you all for the advice and opinions, and thanks for that link Nick. When I bought my truck, the Oak wood was clear coated or urethaned already, both sides. Too bad there's not some chrome or stainless steel inserts which could go towards the front of the bed and look like they belong there instead of yours truly just making some slits/oblong cuts. My parts still haven't arrived.
However, I did purchase a small drill press from HF to make the off-center holes and a set of bits to make the 2" recessed spots for the washers. I'll play on my practice wood before attempting on the real wood. I know I'll have to seal those too being fresh wood and all. I know my truck will never see rain, but one can't help get the bed soaked when washing it!
Do folks put bed covers on? Like fiberglass?
Thanks everyone!
dne'

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Denee007

I know my truck will never see rain,

that's a shame
maybe you should keep it in an enclosed trail and transport it to shows

[OrrieG]

I think this was covered but on the wood make perpendicular cuts from the deeper groove the metal edge goes is to the edge so water does not have to go all the way to the ends to drain. Any wood that is painted of stained needs to have all sides done to keep from warping and cupping over time, I see it all the time on buildings I inspect where the painter took a short cut. I have had wood doors swell in the frames because they did not seal the top of the door.

[Denee007]

Silly! I don't drive my 67 Mustang either; it never sees rain. If it rains or even an attempt to rain at the Nifty50ees, classic cars scatter to leave like roaches!

Originally Posted by _Ogre

that's a shame
maybe you should keep it in an enclosed trail and transport it to shows

[Denee007]

Next bed question please,
I have all my parts now! woohoo! I'll start in the morning and try to finish by the evening. I doubt it, but I'm going to try. On Thursday, I'd like to drive it to my friends place of which I haven't seen in a long time~ he'd get a kick out of seeing the truck!

The main question are the offset washers. The washers are 1 1/2", the countersunk holes are to be 2" in diameter~ doesn't that seem large? at about 1/4"deep. Otherwise, does it matter which direction the offset washers are installed, do they all point the same direction? According to the instructions, I make a 1/8" pilot hole to drill the countersunk place which is 1/4" away from the main bolt hole.

The only way I can figure to make the main holes is to go underneath the truck and take a long pencil and mark the spot from beneath the truck. Then I guess drill that spot in the board with an 1/8" pilot hole too, then I can use that as a reference point for the offset washer.
Does this sound correct? I'm going to practice on a piece of 1 x 6 to make sure I got it down.
naynay! what my grandaughter calls me!

[solidaxel]

Have you thought of just bolting the cross sills to the frame and not thru the wood and then the boards to the cross sills.
You need to counter sink the bottom of the boards where the head of the bolt will sit.
Sort of "hidden" mounting bolts

[Denee007]

No, I haven't thought of that at all! I didn't know that was an option. So then the bolts that actually hold the bed down are the smaller bolts that run along the cross sills~ I like that idea! thank you!
dne'

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Have you thought of just bolting the cross sills to the frame and not thru the wood and then the boards to the cross sills.
You need to counter sink the bottom of the boards where the head of the bolt will sit.
Sort of "hidden" mounting bolts

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Have you thought of just bolting the cross sills to the frame and not thru the wood and then the boards to the cross sills.
You need to counter sink the bottom of the boards where the head of the bolt will sit.
Sort of "hidden" mounting bolts

I havent installed my wood yet although this is the direction I have went with mine.
So far I have the cross sills through bolted with carriage bolts to the frame, ground down the heads a bit, and will dab a lil paint on them during wood installation so I know where I need to countersink or router the wood out so they sit flush. Mine is a fleetside so i also shimmed the bed up 3/4" from the cross sills to give me the same spacing as the wood.
As OrrieG has posted about the grooves in the wood under the metal strips is perfect because no one will ever see it.
It may not ever see any rain although remember that you cant avoid city sprinklers or just water on the road sometimes that may splash up under your bed. This is why we finished the bottoms with as many coats as the top.

[OrrieG]

I am going to hid my main bolts under the wood too. less worry about getting them in the right location thru the wood.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Have you thought of just bolting the cross sills to the frame and not thru the wood and then the boards to the cross sills.
You need to counter sink the bottom of the boards where the head of the bolt will sit.
Sort of "hidden" mounting bolts

this is how i mounted my bed, big old ugly hex bolts with routed recesses under the board



since i have my whole frame boxed, i welded 2x2 angle clips on the frame and bolted thru the cross sills



one con of doing it this way is that you can't pre-assemble your bed.
nor can you remove the bed by removing the 8 bed bolts.
once you bolt on the cross sills, then every bed board must be installed and the strips bolted from underneath

not a problem for denee since her bed has never been off
though you will need to drop the tank to get at the bolts in that area