Flareside bed floor
 

I can't decide what I want to do with the floor of my bed. Right now I have a couple of cut up sheets of OSB just to have a floor. It's just the bare metal frame under that. What have you guys done that is a cheap way of putting in a bed floor?

On a couple of flaresides I've had in the past I have always used rough sawn lumber from local sawmills. I'm a lifetime professional woodworker so the work is second nature. Buying the strips is the hardest part. I have recently built 2 steel flatbeds and I prefer a wood deck so I used 3/4" pressure treated plywood. One is about 5 years old and still looks new. Unfortunately you will need 2 sheets or you will be doing a lot of piecing together at the fenders. If I was doing it for a driver on a budget, that's what I would do. If you have a shop and woodworking tools you can go the traditional route. There are a few companys that make the whole kits, but can get real expensive. Any of these beats what you now have.

3/16 steel deck plate would be a good option too. Probably about $125 for a 4x8 sheet. You might get a 5' wide sheet.

Mar-K (mar-K.com) located in OKC reproduces SHORT Flareside pickup beds and all the bed parts including tailgate, wood and steel bed slats, all the mounting hardware.

Wood bed kits also available from Carpenter in pine (original) and oak. Bed slat kit sold separately.

Y'all know, of course...that the wood was painted body color originally.

Just a little backup for Bill's comment about bedwood being body color. Mine has original wood and although a PO painted it blue, there is plenty of meadow green still showing. I save the varnish for table tops....Everyone says they like pictures so here's a couple.

Gary, I still can't believe how great condition that box is!