Looking for bed pictures, bed ideas ect. please leave you 2 cents!!!

[Dm1pfoy1]

Hey
Got short bed and looking for pics of bed ideas. I want to put hinge floor in truck to access fuel tank and underside without having to get jack out ect. This idea gets tricky because i am torn between a floating floor idea or maybe a faux wood paint on metal floor. If i do trap door it will be between wheel wells. I dont know wether to go length of bed or just over tank. So anyone thats done some custom work on your bed please share pics or plans.Also anyone with wood look paint.

[hugger6933]

One main problem I see in this idea is that the bed is held on to the truck by the center of the floor. Of course if you can fab up something to make the bed floor look right in there I guess you could fab up some sort of square tube frame to hold the bed to the frame in its original position. That is the place to start, with the floor supports, holding the bed into its place one you have that done the flip floor should be the easy part.

[Dm1pfoy1]

Yeah thats mainly what i was curious about is seeing how people fabbed it up i saw the bolts your talking about thats why big flip flop on wether to do fab or just do small area.

[Tinkermc]

Your ride and your decession enjoy the work and remember there's 1 person this haqs to make happy-------YOU

[Dm1pfoy1]

I appreciate the input. I would still love to see some ideas and what people have done i can't be the only one that has ever wanted to do this.There anything out there? Even faux wood paint so i can see what it would look like.

[Z10]

Subscribed, I trying to make a decision which way to go also. Let's see em.

[bbcmudtruck]

On the old fishing truck I had (84 lwb) I had some fuel sending unit problems. I took a cut off wheel and cut a patch over the top of the fuel tank inlet and put it back in the bed with hinges. I welded a bolt on the under side and just trapped it with a bolt. It wasn't pretty enough for a show truck, however it made maintenance a breeze after that and it looked good enough to go fishing!

[Dm1pfoy1]

Originally Posted by bbcmudtruck

On the old fishing truck I had (84 lwb) I had some fuel sending unit problems. I took a cut off wheel and cut a patch over the top of the fuel tank inlet and put it back in the bed with hinges. I welded a bolt on the under side and just trapped it with a bolt. It wasn't pretty enough for a show truck, however it made maintenance a breeze after that and it looked good enough to go fishing!

Thats almost exactly what im looking to see just pretty ugly what ever. Preffer pretty but dont want to be too picky.
Lol

[bbcmudtruck]

I'd sure help you out with a picture bud, but that ole truck went to the scrapper sometime around 2004! Its really no more than what I described. I simply cut a patch out of the bed big enough to access the top of the gas tank. Kept the piece I cut out and smoothed it out with the grinder. Welded some small hinges I had out in the shop to the plate. Set the plate in place and welded the other side of the hinges to the bed. On the top side of the lid I welded a piece of flat stock that over lapped to the bed. I drilled a hole through the flat stock and also down through the bed. I stuck a bolt through the hole and screwed a nut tight up to the bolt through the underside of the bed and tacked it into place. I didn't put a washer under the nut, but looking back I should have I guess. Just be careful before you start cutting that all of your fuel lines are out of the way as well as any fuel sending wires!

[Lou Boffa]

Not sure if this is a help, but I used Trex decking for the bed. Stuff is easy to mill, stable and weather does not affect it at all.

[Dm1pfoy1]

Originally Posted by Lou Boffa

Not sure if this is a help, but I used Trex decking for the bed. Stuff is easy to mill, stable and weather does not affect it at all.

That looks damn good. I got to look it up but is it stain/paintable? Or more of a pick your color? I like the idea of decking wood smart man.

[Dm1pfoy1]

Originally Posted by bbcmudtruck

I'd sure help you out with a picture bud, but that ole truck went to the scrapper sometime around 2004! Its really no more than what I described. I simply cut a patch out of the bed big enough to access the top of the gas tank. Kept the piece I cut out and smoothed it out with the grinder. Welded some small hinges I had out in the shop to the plate. Set the plate in place and welded the other side of the hinges to the bed. On the top side of the lid I welded a piece of flat stock that over lapped to the bed. I drilled a hole through the flat stock and also down through the bed. I stuck a bolt through the hole and screwed a nut tight up to the bolt through the underside of the bed and tacked it into place. I didn't put a washer under the nut, but looking back I should have I guess. Just be careful before you start cutting that all of your fuel lines are out of the way as well as any fuel sending wires!

Appreciate it. I know you said it was fishing truck but structurely.. did anything change? Sorry again to keep picking your brain just don't want to cut it and have hole cause bedsides to flex or some stupid other problem start. The bed is not best feature on my truck and want to fix up and make it good looking but slightly different from everyone else. So thank you for input so far.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Don't know what you have, or how big the area is you want to actually access.

But if you have a steel floor and have a specific location in mind that isn't the *whole* floor....meaning cutting where you want to see/feel/wrench,
you could use this hardwood floor material over a weather-efficient plywood and hinge the whole thing. Pick it up, prop it up, open your "peep" holes
in the floor, and do whatever you're going to do.

This look isn't for everyone. I fabbed it out of extra floor wood from a home project and put it right over the steel. It was really easy and cheap.

As far as getting under there to look at the fuel tank and "etc.", it probably makes more sense to you than I can figure.

If I had the budget, I would'a put in a wood floor kit and make it look pretty and stock. But that's just me.

[Dm1pfoy1]

Originally Posted by magwakeenercew2jh

Don't know what you have, or how big the area is you want to actually trying to access.

But if you have a steel floor and have a specific location in mind that isn't the *whole* floor....meaning cutting where you want to see/feel/wrench,
you could use this hardwood floor material over a weather-efficient plywood and hinge the whole thing. Pick it up, prop it up, open your "peep" holes
in the floor, and do whatever you're going to do.

This look isn't for everyone. I fabbed it out of extra floor wood from a home project and put it right over the steel. It was really easy and cheap.

As far as getting under there to look at the fuel tank and "etc.", it probably makes more sense to you than I can figure.

If I had the budget, I would'a put in a wood floor kit and make it look pretty and stock. But that's just me.

That is perfect. Yeah just looking to make like acess panels like that you would see on a aircraft. I want to hide my fuel acess totally. I want to be able to acess tank if need be and maybe a few other "hand" slots. Your bed is perfect example of what i was trying to see so thank you. Your idea may not be hugely appealing to you though i think it looks great but for my jokingly named rust bucket that would be spot on. Some of the more heavily weathered looks would be fantastic. Thank you again.

[74baggedbug]

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...28143FB0C6.jpg

[bbcmudtruck]

Wow that last bed looks better than my new kitchen floor!

Anyways, I did mine out of nessesity because I would be damned if I was going to drop the dam tank to replace the sending unit again! It didn't look bad, however there was always a bunch of crap in the back of it. Empty beer cans, tackle boxes, etc etc. I beat the hell out of that truck and it served me well. I'm sure if you took your time and did it carefully like I described, you could have it looking nice. The thinner the cut off wheel, the tighter it will go back together.

[Pro Performance]

Very nice! I really like that wood floor in your truck.

[hayhauler71]

here is a pic of my custom bed hope this helps

[Dm1pfoy1]

Originally Posted by hayhauler71

here is a pic of my custom bed hope this helps

Wow. Im afraid if i did my bed up to match yours i would have to redo the rest of the truck lol. Damn nice work.