Flatbed synthetic bed boards
 

I have acquired a 68 Chevy C30 Flatbed with rotten planks on the bed. Any reason not to replace them with those synthetic wood resin planks that 'can be worked just like wood'? I figure they will be more durable, never rot, and make loading easier because they are probably more slippery. What about breaking strength? Anybody tried this? Yes, it's heresy to a restorer, but it's practical for someone needing a long term working truck.

I was going to do this on my sons short bed but they dont make any boards wide enough to match the stock ones. I think it would be great on a flat bed. A carpenter buddy said it does work just like real wood as far as cutting ansd such sooo why not

I've talked with the trailer experts around here, and while they think it's a good idea, they recommend tighter spacing on the crossmembers since the synthetic boards aren't as stiff.

But, I still plan to do the change on my 16ft flatbed trailer when I need it refloored for the 3rd time. A few more pieces of angle iron will be a drop in the bucket compared to the price of the synthetic boards.

SSOW :bowtie:

Sounds like a good idea to me, you will need to document everything with pleanty of pics for the rest of the gang ;)

i used spruce 1x6 for the planking on my flatbed. I haven't put any weather protectant on it yet because I want it to weather before I seal it. I need the wood to be the right color before the stain goes into it. The synthetic boards are the way to go for longevity and show looks. If I was building one for show, it's what I would use

I will document with pix as I go. Thanks for the comments!

LOWE'S SELLS SYNTHETIC DECK BOARDS FOR OUTDOOR DECKS :confused:

I inserted pix into my first post (my first edit!) to show what I am starting with ... one of the pictures shows a metal plate tack welded along the bed frame. I wish I had an oxy-acetylene torch to remove those .... I'll have to use a cold chisel and hand sledge.

I believe I would scrape up the money for a torch before I did that much manual labor! :D Besides, a torch will always come in handy on down the line!

I have a few samples of this AZEK trimboard stuff. It is a cellular PVC material. Comes in a smooth finish and a textured (grained) finish, boards(4,5,6,8,10,12" widths) and sheets (4x8 to 4x20 sizes). Heres a link:

http://www.azek.com/productinfo/

Sounds like an interesting idea, and who knows maybe you've started something.

http://www.rumber.com/home.html

I remembered this link from an old topic on this board (I had to dust off the "brain search" function). Looks like a winner to me, but no idea of what it costs?

The only problem with the boards that Lowe's and HD sell, is that they can't stand up to the Texas sun and heat. They warp and crack easily after a good hot summer.

Really! :( That's bad news. So they can't use them for decks in Texas or Arizona? It got up to 106 here in Oregon this summer, and this big truck will never see the inside of my garage. Maybe I can get white ones to reflect the light ... :eek: Anyway, temps over 90 are relatively rare in Portland. We get no more than a dozen a year. On those rare days, I could park it in the shade.

http://epsplasticlumber.com has 'seconds' in synthetic lumber for a discount: $19.07 for a 2X6X12 in white. My bed is a little over 7 feet wide, so I would need 14 of them. That works out to $266.98, before shipping.

It's a little more expensive, but there is a wood out there called Ipe (Brazilian Walnut). Guaranteed to last 40 years and some of the most beautiful dark grain you have ever seen. This stuff is so dense it will not float in water. A wood working buddy just finished a deck finished with this wood. Absolutely the best outdoor wood on the planet!!

http://www.hannawoodworks.com/deckoverpool1.jpg

One thing I didn't know,until I tore it out are my crossmembers were rusted on top from contact with the wood.I cut off the top of the C-members and welded on 1 1/2" angle iron. You might check your board thickness mine a 1 1/2" I am using 2x6 tounge&groove I have about $180 in lumber+hardware.
My bed is 8'x12'
Deckboards might be too thick yours look 3/4" deckboards are about 1"
Good luck! :)