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Anybody build a wood flatbed for their pickup?

F

Fred Werring

Well-known Member
After my musings last week, decided to repair my F350, and run it. I was having a weak moment, getting tired of fixing things.

The bed is shot. Crossmembers and floor, not worth repairing it.

Getting a new takeoff bed, about $2000 plus either paint the cab or the bed so it matches.

New aluminum flatbeds are around $3000, steel $2300.

While I've got some time, folks on craigslist are pretty proud of their used flatbeds, and it's hard to find one for a single rear wheel.

So have any of you guys built a wood one? 4x6 down the frame, blocked to allow for the frame hump, 4x4 cross pieces, 2x10 deck?

So far figured about $400 in materials, which means it'll wind up at $550 time I get done with the stuff that didn't get figured.

Thoughts?

Thanks

Fred
 
Yep, done it 3 times. Once on a 75 GMC 1 ton and once on a 39 Ford 95 HP and once on a 50 Chevy 3/4 ton. Always put heavy angle around the bed to weld stake pockets to.
Richard in NW SC
 
Aluma beds are cheap. I put one on my GMC and had a young guy paint the truck and put cab corners fenders a door and rockers on it. Total cost was 4250. Paint is not perfect but a lot better then it was.
 
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Built a lot of them. 4X4 down the frame blocked up to allow for the frame hump. 3x3 cross pieces one in front one in back of the wheels. Measure from the top of the axle to the rubber bumper on the frame to make sure when it's loaded the tires won't rub on the floor.
4 upright 2x4 across the front 2 in the center bolted to the sides of the bed pieces and to the cross pieces tall enough so you can put a board across the top two center ones to keep the ladder you transport off the roof the two outside can be shorter usually just under the window. you probably need a 3x3 crosspiece between the wheels and some more full width evenly spaced so the floor won't have to span more than 16". Then a 2x6 down each side and 1" thick for the main floor . I always used oak for everything. Make sure it's good and dry so you won't have cracks when dries out. 4x4 and 3x3 and 1" floor is more than enough. Never built one on a Ford, just Chevys. I built one on a 72 Chevy C30 Longhorn once that was 10 ft long so we could haul a Farmall super A to tractor pulls
 
I have built several, last one just last summer. I start with a perimeter(front and both sides) .The sides are 8 feet, the front the width of the cab. Weld these together at the front corners. Then use 2" square tube the proper length. The sides and front are "C" channel bent from 1/8 " pieces with a 2" flange on top and a 1" flange on the bottom.The 2"" cross pieces are spaced one about 4"" from the front ,one at the very back, the rest spaced between. If you are using treated yellow pine for the floor space the cross members 1 1/2" below the flange. The boards are fitted under the front flange and the side flanges resting on the cross members. On the front and rear corners I used vertical 2x2 angle irons welded directly to the perimeter. A piece of angle bolted to the rear 2x2 holds the boards in place. The perimeter was bent at a local steel shop, cost was about $120 Total cost was about $200 plus my labor.
 
To secure them to the frame, do you

Clamp them down...angle iron on top and across of the 4x6 and bottom of the frame, with threaded rod to tighten it up

or

angle bolted to the truck frame, up along side and bolted through the 4x6?

Don't know that I am going to do this, maybe a steel bed will show up for sale, figuring out the how-to's ahead of time

Thanks

Fred
 
To secure them to the frame, do you

Clamp them down...angle iron on top and across of the 4x6 and bottom of the frame, with threaded rod to tighten it up.

You don't need 4X6 unless you are using soft wood

As far as lights go check your state laws for requirements usually if it is over a certain width you need marker lights build it just under that width.
 
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