72 steel bed vs wood bed - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

irishmil · 01-15-2012, 01:31 AM

Hi everyone,
Very new to this site and the truck world. I am looking at 72 c10 that has a steel bed...any good or bad to having steel vs. a wood bed

Thank you

sanford66 · 01-15-2012, 01:38 AM

Steel doesn't rot and wood doesn't rust. There are good and bad points with both beds. The wood bed will require more maintanence than the steel bed. But there is nothing nicer that a beautifully restored wood bed. If its a show truck that sits in a garage and never see's bad weather i would say go with the wood bed floor. If its more of a driver or work truck i would vote steel bed floor. Just some thoughts. Joseph

irishmil · 01-15-2012, 01:39 AM

Hi Joseph...Daily driver...would sit outside too, but in California...so not so bad

**special-K** · 01-15-2012, 12:12 PM

The sun can cook the heck out of a wood floor inside four steel walls and really dry it out. It isn't just wet that can hurt them. I have a had quite a few wood floors and my '67 project will have one. Steel is pretty much maintenance-free,especially in California. I like to put a tonneau cover on trucks w/wood floor,personally.

Vintage Windmills · 01-15-2012, 12:24 PM

Wood has a cool factor and if you haul stuff, it doesn't slide around as much. Steel bends and is hard to straighten. Wood scuffs easily though if you have a restored truck and still want to haul you need to be really careful.

BuiltwithIvy · 01-15-2012, 12:29 PM

personally I love the look and function of wood, and for hauling stuff around, I just cut a lexan sheet and put it on top of the wood, helps with the scuffing at least

irishmil · 01-15-2012, 12:41 PM

what if it has a steel bed, hard to convert over to wood?

cdowns · 01-15-2012, 01:08 PM

termites and carpenter ants love wood

GRX · 01-15-2012, 05:36 PM

Two people can easily replace the planks and mounting hardware in a wood bed in a day. One reason wood bed step sides are popular as farm trucks. We all know what replacing a steel bed entails.

PDomes7277 · 02-08-2012, 03:08 PM

Irish,
I'm in the same delima with the bed work.
There are some areas...mainly the front and around the wheel wells where I have metal/rust problems.

I'm having a hell of a time try to find a used bed assembly to find to replace from the local salvage yards. I hate to pay full price in a catalog just when I plan to spray bedliner over it once the bad areas are replaced.

- Paul

JWall · 02-08-2012, 04:22 PM

Either one is cool if they are done right... so its more of your preference.

Wood is cool for a wow factor but then again so is a super straight steel bed floor.

JWall · 02-08-2012, 04:24 PM

And there is always the showdeck option for a lay-in wood bed over steel.

http://www.horkeyswoodandparts.com/page2.html

01-15-2012, 01:31 AM	#1
irishmil Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Redwood City, Ca Posts: 30	72 steel bed vs wood bed Hi everyone, Very new to this site and the truck world. I am looking at 72 c10 that has a steel bed...any good or bad to having steel vs. a wood bed Thank you

01-15-2012, 01:38 AM	#2
sanford66 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Everest Ks Posts: 749	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Steel doesn't rot and wood doesn't rust. There are good and bad points with both beds. The wood bed will require more maintanence than the steel bed. But there is nothing nicer that a beautifully restored wood bed. If its a show truck that sits in a garage and never see's bad weather i would say go with the wood bed floor. If its more of a driver or work truck i would vote steel bed floor. Just some thoughts. Joseph __________________ 1970 Chevelle Nomad station wagon 1966 C-10 lwb,250-six,granny 4speed 1966 C-10 lwb,factory A/C,Custom Cab 1954 Delray 2-door sedan [rat rod project]

01-15-2012, 01:39 AM	#3
irishmil Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Redwood City, Ca Posts: 30	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Hi Joseph...Daily driver...would sit outside too, but in California...so not so bad

01-15-2012, 12:12 PM	#4
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,851	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed The sun can cook the heck out of a wood floor inside four steel walls and really dry it out. It isn't just wet that can hurt them. I have a had quite a few wood floors and my '67 project will have one. Steel is pretty much maintenance-free,especially in California. I like to put a tonneau cover on trucks w/wood floor,personally. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

01-15-2012, 12:24 PM	#5
Vintage Windmills Vintage 4x4s Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Prior Lake, MN Posts: 4,305	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Wood has a cool factor and if you haul stuff, it doesn't slide around as much. Steel bends and is hard to straighten. Wood scuffs easily though if you have a restored truck and still want to haul you need to be really careful. __________________ 67 GMC K1500 Custom- 305V6 SM420, PTO, Ram Assist, yellow (the outcast) (project period correct upgrades) 67 GMC C2500 351V6 TH400, AC, PS, PB (can't decide what to do with. Update, decided to keep and will restore ) 86 CHV K30 502 th400, apple red NEW 71 CHV K20 350 SM465, ochre (saved work truck) 71 CHV K20 292 SM465, white, tach, PTO, (future project) 72 CHV K20 350 350th, medium blue (project stocker) 01 CHV K2500hd crew, indigo blue ^3 dont run and the others don't see winter either '86 K30 Cummins "Fireside" thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=649649 '71 K20 "get driveable" thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=590642 '72 K20 Build Thread: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=493477&page=6

01-15-2012, 12:29 PM	#6
BuiltwithIvy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ithaca NY Posts: 251	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed personally I love the look and function of wood, and for hauling stuff around, I just cut a lexan sheet and put it on top of the wood, helps with the scuffing at least __________________ "To speak of the art of one loom, the art of one river, the art of one tractor, or the art of one automobile is not preposterous; it is to point to the size and importance of the gap between general knowledge and situated knowledge" - James C. Scott 1969 C10 - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=492064 1930 Tudor Sedan

01-15-2012, 12:41 PM	#7
irishmil Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Redwood City, Ca Posts: 30	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed what if it has a steel bed, hard to convert over to wood?

01-15-2012, 01:08 PM	#8
cdowns Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: daytonabeach Posts: 22,956	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed termites and carpenter ants love wood __________________ 71c-10 350/2004r/4:11 lowered3/4 longbed/dead by hurricane MEANING OF DEATH::::: SOMEBODY ELSE GETS YOUR STUFF DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK TAKE MY ADVISE;I DON'T USE IT ANYWAY

01-15-2012, 05:36 PM	#9
GRX Registered User Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: MD Posts: 1,937	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Two people can easily replace the planks and mounting hardware in a wood bed in a day. One reason wood bed step sides are popular as farm trucks. We all know what replacing a steel bed entails. __________________ 1969 c-10 Step Side Long Bed. I-6 250cid = = 1969 Pontiac GTO hard top. 400, 4-speed.

02-08-2012, 03:08 PM	#10
PDomes7277 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 45	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Irish, I'm in the same delima with the bed work. There are some areas...mainly the front and around the wheel wells where I have metal/rust problems. I'm having a hell of a time try to find a used bed assembly to find to replace from the local salvage yards. I hate to pay full price in a catalog just when I plan to spray bedliner over it once the bad areas are replaced. - Paul __________________ 1972 Chevy C-10 SWB - 5.7/4L60E 2011 GMC Sierra - Daily 1977 Harley Super Glide FXE Shovelhead

02-08-2012, 04:22 PM	#11
JWall Frequent Flyer Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 2,258	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed Either one is cool if they are done right... so its more of your preference. Wood is cool for a wow factor but then again so is a super straight steel bed floor. __________________ - Justin 76 SWB C-10 - 98 SWB C1500 (x2) 1 Owner 1976 SWB

02-08-2012, 04:24 PM	#12
JWall Frequent Flyer Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 2,258	Re: 72 steel bed vs wood bed And there is always the showdeck option for a lay-in wood bed over steel. http://www.horkeyswoodandparts.com/page2.html __________________ - Justin 76 SWB C-10 - 98 SWB C1500 (x2) 1 Owner 1976 SWB

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