Wooden flatbed...anybody built one?

[Badfish740]

I've been wanting to build a flatbed for my '91 Toyota woodhauler forever. I've beefed up the brakes (T-100 1 ton discs in the front/T-100 master cylinder) and the rear springs so that the truck can safely carry heavy loads, but the beds on these trucks are small. I have a bunch of steel laying around, but I don't have a welder, don't have a way to cut the steel, and can't really weld that well. However...I have plenty of woodworking tools. I'm trying to think beyond the simple hack jobs I've seen on different forums/Youtube (ie: a couple of 2x4s and plywood bolted to a truck frame) and come up with something that will last a long time and not look "Bubba'ed."

Here's what I'm thinking. I have two nice, solid, straight 6x6x8 PT posts. They would bolt nicely on top of the stock bed mounts to provide two nice 8' rails (I'm planning on taking the bed out a full 8') right over top of the frame rails. I'd then bolt 4x4 PT posts perpendicular to the 6x6 rails. These would then provide support to the bed planks (still trying to figure that out)-the combined height of the 6x6s and 4x4s (9") will also be perfect for clearance over the rear tires. As for the bed planks themselves I'm trying to decide what would be best. I could just screw down pressure treated 2x6s and call it a day, but it would be nice to use something more durable than pine. I think I'm going to call some sawmills to see if I can find some rough sawn oak or some other hardwood. The other thing I'm still trying to figure out is edging because I don't want the edges getting all banged up. Finally, there's the issue of the finish. I could slop it up really good with black paint, or try to use some kind of wood finish. Either way I want to use something that will really seal it from the elements. If anyone has built one (or has some good pictures) post up some ideas!

 

[Dune]

I've been wanting to build a flatbed for my '91 Toyota woodhauler forever. I've beefed up the brakes (T-100 1 ton discs in the front/T-100 master cylinder) and the rear springs so that the truck can safely carry heavy loads, but the beds on these trucks are small. I have a bunch of steel laying around, but I don't have a welder, don't have a way to cut the steel, and can't really weld that well. However...I have plenty of woodworking tools. I'm trying to think beyond the simple hack jobs I've seen on different forums/Youtube (ie: a couple of 2x4s and plywood bolted to a truck frame) and come up with something that will last a long time and not look "Bubba'ed."

Here's what I'm thinking. I have two nice, solid, straight 6x6x8 PT posts. They would bolt nicely on top of the stock bed mounts to provide two nice 8' rails (I'm planning on taking the bed out a full 8') right over top of the frame rails. I'd then bolt 4x4 PT posts perpendicular to the 6x6 rails. These would then provide support to the bed planks (still trying to figure that out)-the combined height of the 6x6s and 4x4s (9") will also be perfect for clearance over the rear tires. As for the bed planks themselves I'm trying to decide what would be best. I could just screw down pressure treated 2x6s and call it a day, but it would be nice to use something more durable than pine. I think I'm going to call some sawmills to see if I can find some rough sawn oak or some other hardwood. The other thing I'm still trying to figure out is edging because I don't want the edges getting all banged up. Finally, there's the issue of the finish. I could slop it up really good with black paint, or try to use some kind of wood finish. Either way I want to use something that will really seal it from the elements. If anyone has built one (or has some good pictures) post up some ideas!

I built a ton of wood beds over the years. Your plan (so far) actually sounds pretty good. I stopped building them after the last one, when I realized I could have bought steel for less than the P.T. Often a mix of steel and wood works well, for example, the edges you are worried about can likely be protected very well by a suitably sized angle iron (if it is for edge protection alone, 1.5x1.5x .125 would be more than enough.

Hint, arc welding goes pretty fast. Light steel can be cut with a metal blade in a sawzall.
If you have it all clamped together you can get a lot of welding done in an hour.

 

[ironpony]

sounds like a good plan, with the suggestions from Dune. Just remember if something was to happen the weight on the door sticker is going to apply. not trying to be a downer, just reality these days. We all run overloaded at times it is easy to do in a pick up truck. I am guilty, I run 2 tons of pellets on mine.

 

[homebrewz]

Here's a pic of a wood bed my mechanic built for his '85? Toyota. Its simple, but functional. I took some pics as I was thinking of building one for my '94.

 

[Badfish740]

Here's a pic of a wood bed my mechanic built for his '85? Toyota. Its simple, but functional. I took some pics as I was thinking of building one for my '94.

Nice! Keep the pics coming! I especially like the skirts on the side. Nothing looks worse than a well constructed flatbed with all of the mounts exposed so that you can see through to the other side.

 

[hossthehermit]

Keep in mind, all that PT is heavy ............... that weight is gonna figger into yer gross weight ............. jes' sayin' ........ that bed is gonna weigh up fast, you'll be 1000# over a stock body real fast ..............

 

[Badfish740]

Keep in mind, all that PT is heavy ............... that weight is gonna figger into yer gross weight ............. jes' sayin' ........ that bed is gonna weigh up fast, you'll be 1000# over a stock body real fast ..............

I did some searching around and found that green pressure treated wood weighs around 40lbs per cubic foot vs. about 35lbs per cubic foot for regular pine lumber. Given that, I figure the bed (with stake sides) will weigh between 550 and 600lbs when the lumber is green vs. about 480 to 520lbs once it fully dries out. A stock Toyota bed with tailgate and a bedliner weighs about 350lbs, so even on the heavy side, once the wood dries out, I'm only about 170lbs over stock.

 

[hossthehermit]

Woulda thought it was heavier than that, but I been wrong before, prob'ly will be again ........