[slorio]

A couple of questions that you need to consider are what are you going to use your truck for? What kind of wood will you use in the bed?

My truck sees some hauling duties. I used untreated No. 2 pine for the boards which is similar to the originals. Treated lumber, although good for exterior decks is bad for our trucks. The reason is that lumber is now treated with borates that will cause rust on anything that contacts them (i.e. rails, cross members, etc.) Hardware for treated lumber is now either hot dipped galvanized or stainless. Although my boards are untreated, I applied copper napthanate (sp?) to them. It is an exterior preservative that is sold in hardware stores under a number of brands, but the one I found was Jasco. I had the hardware store apply black tint to the product from their paint mixing rack. The good thing about this product is that it soaks into the boards. The folks that apply varnishes risk peeling and scraping the finish if the truck sees any action. Using the Jasco, the boards have a black stained look that has held up well with moderate use.

I hope the above is helpful.
regards,
Steve
New Orleans