Although the original plywood rear floor in my '48 Panel is pretty solid I want to replace it since the truck is getting a total body off frame rebuild. I have a new sheet of good quality plywood to start with and the old floor for a pattern. Originally I was thinking about covering it with a sheet of black & white checkerboard linoleum with about 6" squares so I could use it for swap meets and not have to be super careful about messing up a nicely finished wood floor. BUT, the more I look at wood pickup beds with stainless strips the more I like them and figure I'd just have to be a little more careful tossing old greasy Ford parts in the back. What have you Panel Truck Owners used for the rear floors in your Panels? Pictures Please. Thanks.

Lee

 

I used a sheet of 3/4" birch plywood, coated with 5 coats of poly and capped off with stainless steel rubbing strips. I then installed button snaps into the wood and made a carpet cover that I can put over the floor when I want to throw junk on top of the floor. McMaster sells the snaps for cheap, just make sure you buy the kind that screw into the floor. For the cover I bought a piece of carpet with the pad already attached at Menards and put snaps on that also. I guess someone could use velcro to fasten it but I like the feel of snaps. Either way, use the wood, you'll be happy you did.

 

I'm planning a camping interior in my panel and have decided to lay 1x1's where the metal strips are now and install another floor on top of that. I'll fill the 1" void with insulation, a lot of noise comes through that piece of ply. I;ll check out that birch plywood, sound like it would look good.

 

Let us know how the insulation trick works out, I find that my panel is on the noisy side too. I have a metal floor in mine covered with sound deadener and 1/2" oak plywood on mine.
I would have shown a picture but it appears the site has lost my galleries as I can't access them anyway.

 

Thanks for your feedback guys. Anybody else?


Lee

 

I like that insulation idea. That should help out a bunch. Glad you didn't go with that checkered floor. The idea with the insulation, a decent wood floor above it and some removable carpet should do the trick. You could always spray foam it.

 

I used a 4 x 8 sheet of aluminum diamond plate in my 52 panel. It will get covered with carpet. I prefer working with metal than wood and didn't want to replace the bad wood with more wood.