Flooring for Bed
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 45
From: Minnesota
Flooring for Bed
Anybody here ever see a truck with Tongue and Groove flooring ran side to side? I am pondering this just to be different. It will not be a work truck so I am not worried about scratching the bed up to much. I put down green treated 2x8's lumber for now. Maybe oak, maple, cherry or IPE?
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,682
Likes: 12
From: Saskatoon SK Canada
I've never seen a pickup with it but I have redid a grain truck box floor with it. It works fine but you may have to hand pick the boards your gonna use as several of the ones we got were slightly warped which made reassembly a little tough. Also they may need a little wood working to get the seams perfect. Also you probally could make your own with a router.
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 45
From: Minnesota
I have the tools for doing a wood floor so a small warp can be taken out with a floor nailer. I did a 1" wide maple floor in a spare bedroom I built. I would have to hand pick like you said because I would want each board to go from side to side no short pieces.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 2
From: Northwest Fl
Humidity will be your worst enemy, as it is with any hardwood flooring. Your floor will buckle or raise up at the joints as it collects moisture. The flooring system in these old trucks, is designed so that there is a gap between the boards for expansion and contraction. It would look good, but only practicle if there was a way to seal or encapsulate the floor.
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 45
From: Minnesota
Good point, maybe I could use boards like are used for decking. Heck I could use the same type of composite decking I used on my deck. It is still in good shape after 5 years and I have not had to do any maintenace. It is designed to be used outside.
Originally Posted by Huntsman
Humidity will be your worst enemy, as it is with any hardwood flooring. Your floor will buckle or raise up at the joints as it collects moisture. The flooring system in these old trucks, is designed so that there is a gap between the boards for expansion and contraction. It would look good, but only practicle if there was a way to seal or encapsulate the floor.
Trending Topics
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
I recall an old thread which addressed the tounge and groove design. It presented the same problem that Huntsman mentioned here. There is no room for expansion of the wet wood. If I recall correctly, someone actually had the expanded wood push out their bedsides.
Clarence
Clarence
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
Likes: 5
From: Valley Center, CA
I would think that the boards would raise and buckle unless they were afixed to a sheet of plywood underneth. Also, on past threads on this subject. the idea of water getting into the groove portion seemed like a deal breaker. You can't seal in the groove, or the tongue portion for that matter, and the water would get in and rot the wood in short order. John
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,328
Likes: 124
From: Iowa
Thats how my truck was when I first bought it. It was swolled enough to push the bedsides into the tires, and tore the seam out where the bedside meets the extensions. Wood is powerful when it decides to move.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 221
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
Chris, I concur with all about the potential problems. My bed has t&g from the previous owner and they are buckled like crazy. Since I keep a tonneau on it's not a priority of mine right now (plus I haul my chairs, my umbrella, my cooler, my grill, my tv, my swimming pool, etc. when I go to car shows). My plan is to one day cut one of the black cherries out back on the farm and have it milled for my bed and go with the stainless strips between. Seen a lot of oak and pine on trucks but never one done in cherry wood.
Norb
Norb
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
From: North Branch, MI
Hey Norb
There was a blue 54 F-100 in Marlette this summer with cherry used in the bed. It looked awsome....
Don't remember the guys name but I do recall he said he lived somewhere near by.
bob G
There was a blue 54 F-100 in Marlette this summer with cherry used in the bed. It looked awsome....
Don't remember the guys name but I do recall he said he lived somewhere near by.
bob G
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: Eagle Rock CA
I'm new to this Forum so the reply is late. I would use Ipe,Teak or if you want to get supper fancy a wood called Goncolo Alves available at Hardwood suppliers. Toungue and groove would cause problems unless you leave room for expansion. I'm thinking of using Ipe but is very heavy. I may run 3/8" deep grooves on underside space about 3/8" apart to see if it lightens it any and may help control warpage. The old timers used to do that on the landings at exterior stairs on the campus where we use tounge and groove Douglas Fir. I would also think about what you want to put on it. You may want to use a Marine Grade tung oil from Mohawk Finishing Supplies. I think scratches would be easier to repair. My backgroung is cabinetmaking not mechanics. If I can be of any help let me know.