Stepside Bed

[luke-ao]

I don't really like the look of wood and don't like the idea of having to maintain it. So I'm looking for ideas to replace the wood bed with something else.

I was thinking along the lines of extruded aluminum, something like what bleachers are made out of.

Has anyone come up with cool alternatives?

[Canonman67]

I still have the wood in mine and I'm probably going to keep it. But, I used to have a '49 Dodge that had a sheet of heavy gauge stainless in the back that didn't look bad and served it's purpose. Good luck in your search and share some photos of what you end up with.

[luke-ao]

Kind of looking for something a little more custom than a sheet of steel.

[Canonman67]

I hear ya. I love the look of the wood but I'm with you on not wanting to deal with it over the long haul. I'm checking into using composite material instead. Wouldn't the bleacher material be too thick? Or is there a thinner type that I haven't seen yet? What about wrapping the boards in the metal of your choice?

[luke-ao]

I think bleacher material is fairly thin, I was more concerned I would have to be easy on it.

I think wrapping the wood would be a lot of work and it would still go bad.

I've looked into composite but have not found anything suitable, plus the stuff I looked at (decking material) was heavy and had like a laminate skin on it, I just didn't like it.

I'm building a complete custom step side bed, just cut it apart yesterday so I'll have to figure out something soon.

[bluemoose]

Diamond plate?

[Fordyarddog]

Hi luke-so. FYI. Stepside is Chevy. Ford is Flaredide. Refer to a Ford as a stepside to a Died Hard Ford man and he will set you straight real fast. That's how I found out the different between the two. I'm just saying.

[luke-ao]

Been driving Fords for more than 30 years and never knew that! I thought that "flairside" was a new term for modern trucks that only had a hint of a step and external fender.

[luke-ao]

I have decided to ditch the flairside and go with a standard bed. I'm picking up my long bed today to slice and dice to make a SB.

Not sure if I can sell the flairside bed or not, I listed it on CL. I sure hate to send it to the recycler to be crushed but I just don't have the space to keep it.

It just feels wrong to crush it.

[Fordyarddog]

Hi luke-ao. Let me see. So your truck is a short bed and you're going to cut down a standard (Styleside) LB to a standard (Styleside) SB ? And do away with the Flareside SB ? Correct ? Good luck with that project. I'm just saying.

[luke-ao]

Just saying what? I'm building the truck I desire, fab work is what I do.

[Fordyarddog]

Hi luke-ao. I'm just saying if that's what you want to do, than do it and I wish you the best of luck with your project. That's all I'm saying. If I offended you, I'm sorry. That wasn't my intentions at all.