Since my metal bed floor is shot can I...

[RestoreAmerica]

Hello,
Since my metal floor is in bad condition and I am going to have to replace it, I was wondering if it was possible and maybe even more cost effective to replace with a wood bed instead. Would the sides be the same and still work? Would I only need to purchase the wood flooring, and metal slats or whatever they are called to hold the wood in place and a front panel? Can I use the same cross members under the steel floor? If I had the front panel that accommodates the wood floor and my good sides, would I be any worse off financially than a person with a wooden bed that needs replaced? How much do you think a new wood bed would cost for the wood, slats, and accessories? A new steel one piece floor including cross members seems to cost around $1000 plus shipping. I think the steel flooring alone is available in 2 pieces a front and rear both costing around $225 each. Has anyone successfully welded those together? How did it come out? Was it hard/time consuming to weld and finish?