Laminate Bed Boards?

[vintovka]

I thought i was very inventive using synthetic decking and stainless rails for my bed. Just got a vendors ad for Laminate over aluminum bed boards!! At nealy 2k delivered I like my $200 choice even more.

[Dan in Pasadena]

[vintovka]

Ad came from a major vendor (LMC) was unsure if posting their ad is a violation of forum rules.

[AZbent]

I was at the good guys in Scottsdale, AZ, and saw the laminated boards. They looked real good. Laminated onto aluminum, so they should be strong. My concern that I expressed to them would be, how long they hold up in the AZ sun. I agree the $ 2-300 price is a lot easier to swallow than $2000 plus.

[vintovka]

hot sun on plastic supported by aluminum - HMMMM?

[joedoh]

a couple years ago a guy on the 60-66 forum used aluminum bleacher treads for a floor and started a riot, it looked so good. I looked around for bleachers on craigslist for a while after that, and truthfully I still do haha.

you should patent your ideas vint!

[whitedog76]

Every once in a while, bowling alley wood comes up for sale. I’ve often thought it would make a nice truck bed. 2” thick and yearsof oiling.

Wood decking from semi trailers comes up every once in awhile too. Again, very thick, very durable.

[jayoldschool]

I used TREX facia boards. Looks good, has sat outside for over three years, looks like the day I installed it.

[Driver_WT]

Tiger wood looks great and not super expensive
https://www.advantagelumber.com/tigerwood_decking.htm

[mr48chev]

They make a synthetic (looks almost like the real wood) teak decking for boats http://www.flexiteek.com/ is one brand.

These guys might not talk truck bed but nifty stuff .https://www.plasdeck.com/

Those would have to be put on over another surface like a flat sheet of steel though.

[vintovka]

I did mine with Lowes Choice deck and stainless rails. Used the 11 1/4" trim boards. Under cutting edge boards by approx 1/8" x 1" helped to fit under fixed side rails and made a neater/easier install. Rail spacing was done to accommodate the 84 K10 chassis. Also use some additional cross supports to reinforce the Choice deck. These are not bolted thru and resist downward force only. Think it took 6 boards with lots of leftover. BTW Remnants are VERY useful for blocking under cab and anywhere exposure to elements require a non biodegrading material with limited compression qualities. I went with bolting bed directly to chassis. Used a Forstner Bit to make shallow relief holes in bottom of boards to clear carriage bolt heads. Ocean is just 200' feet away with all its corrosive effects so wood and regular steel was not even a consideration.

Getting tough to do pushing 70 on a truck only 5 years younger.

Damn upside down again but you get the picture.

[BKWDco]

I have about 50ft of bowling alley floor in my garage that I was planning on using for a couple of furniture projects. I get discouraged every time I think about working with it due to the sheer weight. It might as well be 1/2 in steel plating. It would make a beautiful STOUT truck bed, but i feel like it would require some extra reinforcements.

We have built some outdoor seating with Ipe, a Brazilian hardwood. It holds up extremely well outdoors, its low maintenance and its super pretty. I found this '61 chevy bed install using Ipe and it looks really nice.

https://www.timbertown.com/blog/usin...up-restoration

[J48chevy]

Originally Posted by vintovka

I did mine with Lowes Choice deck and stainless rails. Used the 11 1/4" trim boards. Under cutting edge boards by approx 1/8" x 1" helped to fit under fixed side rails and made a neater/easier install. Rail spacing was done to accommodate the 84 K10 chassis. Also use some additional cross supports to reinforce the Choice deck. These are not bolted thru and resist downward force only. Think it took 6 boards with lots of leftover. BTW Remnants are VERY useful for blocking under cab and anywhere exposure to elements require a non biodegrading material with limited compression qualities. I went with bolting bed directly to chassis. Used a Forstner Bit to make shallow relief holes in bottom of boards to clear carriage bolt heads. Ocean is just 200' feet away with all its corrosive effects so wood and regular steel was not even a consideration.

Getting tough to do pushing 70 on a truck only 5 years younger.

Damn upside down again but you get the picture.

Really like this idea. Did you have to cut grooves into the deck board for the rails? Thinks I may go this route too.

[Dave0]

I did composite decking with stainless strips. Around 400 bucks for the decking...

[vintovka]

[QUOTE=J48chevy;8157123]Really like this idea. Did you have to cut grooves into the deck board for the rails? Thinks I may go this route too.[/QUOTE

No, sent you and email with details. I previously had a painted marine grade plywood bed in it that lasted almost 20 years.. It too was bolted directly to/thru bed without grooves. Attaching bed using carriage bolts UNDER bed was stolen from another poster. Did use a forstner bit to make shallow recesses for the heads of the carriage bolts and added a couple extra under bed supports due to flexible nature of this decking. THese are only bolted to sides and not thru the bed strips. Hardest part is putting nuts and washers in the bed strip bolts. Using Nuts with attached locking rings makes it much easier.

[J48chevy]

Awesome. Appreciate the info.

[b-mac]

Vintovka, I'm sure everyone reading this would love to see those details, if it's not too much to ask or too much to post. I know I would, as I've been considering composite wood as well.

(Although your marine-grade plywood idea is attractive as well.)

[vintovka]

Ocean storm has been bad here so tough to get more pics. Sorry. The pics in my signature link pretty much tell it all. I should add that nuts with attached lock washers make it much easier to install. May not be Stainless but doesn't show. I did fasten the bed to each main cross member but the extra cross members i added are only attached on the sides. They provide downward support only, Remember this is a 54 bed going on a 84 K10 chassis with 84 K10 cross members (And a 54 rail set) which wasn't easy. The new tank prevented me from add a row of bolts. That will have to wait until i drop the tank to do it. They are just hot glued in place as a temp fix. I spaced the rails to cover the full size board seams and split the difference on the sides. You can drive yourself nuts trying to come up with something else in the way of spacing -- simplest is best, Again no grooves were cut and i only rebated the edges as i needed to get them under the fixed side rails. Bed is very stout and hopefully very durable. It only has to out last me (which won't be too hard).

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

They make a synthetic (looks almost like the real wood) teak decking for boats http://www.flexiteek.com/ is one brand.

holy crap 40 bucks a sq ft , thats like 1300 bucks for a stepper


bet it looks good though

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by joedoh

holy crap 40 bucks a sq ft , thats like 1300 bucks for a stepper


bet it looks good though

Ditto on price Almost up there with the show trucks with clear plexiglass beds.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Ditto on price Almost up there with the show trucks with clear plexiglass beds.

I buy cedar at homer derpo, its like 80 bucks and a rabbiting bit for the router makes it fit!