1957 Chevy 3100, meet 1994 Dodge Ram 1500

[Rickysnickers]

How about using some of that Treks material? You know the stuff they use for decking.

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

How about using some of that Treks material? You know the stuff they use for decking.

I'd never thought of that. If they made it in a 1" thick board, I imagine it would work, but I'm guessing enough to do the bed would probably be more money than the plate steel will cost.

I wonder if the Trex would start to sag between the cross sills over time.

-Joe

[Rickysnickers]

I don't know about the sagging, but if this is what you can use, it doesn't look terribly expensive. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Enh...ES01/203140659

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

I don't know about the sagging, but if this is what you can use, it doesn't look terribly expensive. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Enh...ES01/203140659

I went with a piece of 10 gauge plate steel from the local supply store. I had to buy a 5'x12' sheet since they don't carry the 4'x10' sheet, but out the door, the entire sheet was $175. I clamped on a fence to keep things straight, and cut it down to the proper 49 1/2" x 97" for the floor, using a metal cutting blade on my 7 1/4" circular saw. Now i have plenty of plate metal left over for future projects and a floor that will out last the truck.

Once I got it cut to size, I tack welded five pieces of 1" angle stock to the bottom, between the location of the cross sills. Then I tacked on a length of 2" square tube down the middle, to act not only as a spine, but to use for lifting it in to place. It worked like a charm and I was able to use my engine crane to set the floor in to place on the upside down bed.

I have been drilling the holes in the bottom for the cross sills now and then I will add the holes needed for the bed strips and recessed D-rings. Once all my holes are drilled, I will cut the welds on the angle stock, weld in the D-rings, and clean the bottom of the bed floor for paint. After that, I can reinstall the cross sills and flip the bed back over so I can bed line the floor and install the bed strips.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Here is what I have in mind for the D-rings and bed strips. My OEM strips are trashed after all these years and a very good friend just gifted me a set of stainless strips to use for the build. They should arrive about the time I am ready to install them if all goes well. The one good strip is more or less installed, just to get a better idea of how it will look, before I drill a bunch of holes in the floor. Keep in mint, the picture isn't upside down, the bed is.

The addition of the D-rings will also give a little drainage for the bed as well so I don't have to worry about water being held in the box.

-Joe

[joedoh]

funny co-inky-dink, I just cut the steel floor OUT of my bed


looking good, probably last forever!

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by joedoh

funny co-inky-dink, I just cut the steel floor OUT of my bed


looking good, probably last forever!

Lol! I had considered re-purposing some square body bed floor last week when a long bed trailer popped up on Marketplace in OKC for $50, but since this truck may see some actual farm use, I figure to 10 gauge was a better choice, and yes, it should probably last forever.

I have the bed down off the sawhorses now, but it is still upside down at the moment. I need to get my recessed D-rings and then cut the holes for them. All of the holes have been drilled for the bed strips and aside from the D-rings, I only have the hole left to cut for the recessed gooseneck hitch.

I'm going to recheck my measurements for the location of that hole and mark the cut for tomorrow morning. After that, if the weather dries, I should be ready to paint the underside of the bed.

-Joe

[lower50's]

That is going to work great. Are you going to coat the steel with something?

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by lower50's

That is going to work great. Are you going to coat the steel with something?

Absolutely. Once I'm done with the cutting, drilling and welding, I'm going to cover the bottom side of the bed with gray industrial enamel. The inside of the bed will be Monstaliner, either "Turquila" or "All Nighter", whichever more closely matches the original color of my truck.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Well, I did get a bit more done before the rain settled in on us. To start with, I finished drilling all of the holes needed for the bed strips, then marked the floor for cutting the opening for the turn-over gooseneck ball hitch under the bed. I tacked the angle strips to the bottom side of the floor to guide my saw as I cut the new opening. Once the hole was done, I removed the angle strips again and ground down the welds, then cleaned, sanded, cleaned again and began to prime the floor.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Just as I was priming the bare metal, the rain came. I managed to get primer on the edges of the holes I had cut or drilled, and all the places I had ground welds off, with just enough time for it to be dry to the touch. Then it poured...3/4" of rain in 15 minutes.

After that wave of rain cleared out, I tipped the bed up to get water off of it, and hit it with compressed air to speed up the process. Once the floor was dry, I cleaned it again and let the sun finish the job. When all was good and dry, I got back to painting. The bottom side of the floor is now coated in oil-based enamel implement paint, to keep the rust monster at bay. It should be durable enough to stand up to any bits of road debris that may hit the bottom of the floor.

Last weekend, out of the blue, I got a message from a fellow Marine I served with in the 1980s. He's a car guy too and has been following along with the progress. He asked to buy something I needed for the project, with no worry for the cost. Looking at the twisted pile of 61 year old bed strips, I had an answer for Hugga. Thursday, a set of natural stainless steel bed strips arrived at the house while I was at work.

These will be a nice addition and complement whatever color bedliner is used on the inside of the box. Now, as soon as things dry back out, the next big task will be getting either Monstaliner or Herculiner down on the bed floor and getting those new strips installed so I can get the bed back on the truck. and out of the driveway. Thank you Hugga! Semper Fi brother!

Edit: I have the pocketed d-rings on order and expect they will be here this coming week. One for each corner, so four more holes to cut and sixteen more to drill on the bottom side of the floor. Then the inside of the box can be addressed.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

The d-rings arrived yesterday and I was able to get them installed today. it was messy work to cut 3" holes...metal shavings and AFT (for cutting oil) everywhere.

Rather than get crazy trying to simulate wood pattern with bedliner, Kim says Desert Sand Monstaliner would be a good, solid color for the floor. We all know, if Kim is happy...

Now I just need to clean and paint the cross sills. Then they can be reinstalled and I can flip the bed over to cot the inside, install the bed strips and mount the bed on the truck.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

With the D-rings installed, I worked on cleaning up the cross sills, stripping off the rust, paint and dirt from 60+ years of service. It took about an hour a piece to get them cleaned and ready for primer. Once the primer cured, I coated them with POR-15 to protect them against further rust issues. I used the bottom side of the new bed floor as a work table while I cleaned the cross sills. It is a pickup truck after all.

While I was waiting for the POR-15 to cure yesterday, I took some time to install a bit of plumbing for my air compressor. Until my shop is built, I'm working with a small roll-around compressor instead of my upright, since I don't have 220v in the car port. This is all well and good, but the smaller compressor is a bit more prone to condensation in the hoses and putting a filter/trap in-line means adding it in between hoses and finding a place to literally hang the filter near my work space.

The plumbing isn't completely done yet, but it is serviceable for now.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

It seems LMC offers a metal option that resembles a wood floor as well. The floor consists of "planks" of aluminum, with a wood finish on the top side. The planks mount in the same fashion as the wood floor, complete with bed strips and is supposed to be mar-resistant, about 3x tougher than a finished wood floor.

I almost wish I had known about this option before I started in to my steel floor, but cost-wise I am WAY ahead. It is a nice looking product, but for my intended use of my truck and the cost involved, the steel floor is a better option for me.

-Joe

[lower50's]

Originally Posted by Purcell69

It seems LMC offers a metal option that resembles a wood floor as well. The floor consists of "planks" of aluminum, with a wood finish on the top side. The planks mount in the same fashion as the wood floor, complete with bed strips and is supposed to be mar-resistant, about 3x tougher than a finished wood floor.

I almost wish I had known about this option before I started in to my steel floor, but cost-wise I am WAY ahead. It is a nice looking product, but for my intended use of my truck and the cost involved, the steel floor is a better option for me.

-Joe

Interesting

[joedoh]

I think you will be happier with your working floor than a fancy aluminum one, especially in the wallet!

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by joedoh

I think you will be happier with your working floor than a fancy aluminum one, especially in the wallet!

That’s no lie. All of that dirt, debris, and old paint on the underside of my new bed floor, from using my truck like a truck. Lol!

The aluminum is pretty, but not practical for someone who intends to use their bed for pickup truck stuff.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Time for an update...The excessively wet Oklahoma weather has really played havoc with trying to get the new bed floor coated. I welded in some 3' long pieces on 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/8" angle stock under the floor that will run parallel with the frame on either side of the well for the gooseneck, to give the floor a bit more rigidity where there are no cross sills due to the hitch plate. I also boxed in the opening for the gooseneck hitch with some 3/16" plate steel to make the opening a bit stronger and provide a lip for the cover when the hitch is not in use.

I flipped the bed upright and the D-rings came in very handy, in conjunction with the engine crane and some nylon straps. I also found I had goofed on one of the D-rings and had to open the hole up with a die grinder so the D-ring could drop back in the pocket.

I remounted the bed to check the fit and it seems good, but I can trim a little off the 3/4" ribs since they are in direct contact with the hitch plate. About 1/8" trimmed off should do it.

I finally got a few hours of warmish, dry weather and was able to sand and prime the bed floor. I still need to recheck the fit of the new bed strips, add a piece of base angle to the front of the box where the floor meets the front of the box, and then coat the floor with the Monstaliner. After that, I can reinstall the D-rings and bed strips and remount the bed. Once this is done, big steps will be on hold until next Spring, since Winter is coming on fast this year.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

The bed is off the truck one more time now. I did a little work underneath and on the truck frame since I was having issues with some of the mounting bolts.

I fixed the issue with the bowed panel at the front of the box, so no need to fit an angle strip there.

I laid out the new bed strips to help locate the holes to mount them. I will need to re-drill some of them, which I will be doing this afternoon, when I get home from work. Once all of the holes are done, I can mask the sides fo the box for the bedliner. I'll use the desert sand for the floor, up to the top of the angle strips and when the time comes, I'll use "one nighter" for the inside of the box walls and top of the bed rails, since it closely matches the original color of the truck, which I'm going back to.

I thought I had ordered my bed strips as a natural stainless finish, but these appear to be polished. Either way, I think they are going to look good. I am going to cut the center strip where it goes over the hidden gooseneck hitch. The piece of strip that I cut out will be attached to the cover plate for the hitch to continue the look.

-Joe

[joedoh]

looks like a real truck with the bed on! nice work JOE

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by joedoh

looks like a real truck with the bed on! nice work JOE

Thanks Joe. It's coming along. I finished marking all the holes for the bed strips this morning and I am in the process of drilling new holes now. I can't do the Monstaliner today. I realized it would be wise to have some extra rollers on hand after watching some videos about using the stuff. The rollers should be here tomorrow, so depending on the weather, the Monstaliner should be on later this week. Then I can reinstall the bed strips and mount the bed again.

Lots of little progress.

-Joe

[Old57]

Looking good, nice progress

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by Old57

Looking good, nice progress

Thank you sir! I was going to scuff and degrease the bed floor this morning and then apply a second coat of primer, but it seems I caught some sort of stomach bug. The second coat will have to wait until later this week, after the rain today and tomorrow. Once that is done, I can scuff and mask for the Monstaliner. If all goes as planned, the bed will be back on early next week. Right now, it is strapped down to my flatbed trailer.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

The stomach bug that has been going around Oklahoma hit me hard last week. Wednesday through Friday I was out of commission. I did manage to get the second coat of primer on over the weekend and yesterday, I scuffed out that coat, followed by a good wash down. Once that dried, I masked everything off and then tarped the bed to keep the barn cats and leaves off the prepped surface.

Today, after work, I got the Monstaliner rolled on in a coworker's shop. the bed is now curing in an enclosed environment and I can bring it home tomorrow afternoon. Weather and time permitting, I'll have the bed strips mounted and then the bed back on the truck.

In all, the floor only used about 1/2 gallon of Monstaliner for the two coats, not the 3 quarts they indicated. Had I known, I would have had the rear fenders cleaned and prepped for the bedliner to be spread on the insides for a protective coating. Lesson learned.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

I managed to get all the bed strips installed and got the bed back on the truck yesterday before the rain came back. I sectioned the center bed strip for the hitch cover, but the center piece has not been attached to the cover yet.

-Joe