I'm about to the point of building the bed for my Autocar. This is what I have in mind and I have drawn up some of the structure, but am wondering how heavy the materials need to be. The bed will be about 135" long and 80" wide with the highest part of the side 48" tall then tapering down to 30". (that is actual side wall dimensions, not height off ground) How thick does the sidewall have to be? There will be a 120 gallon fuel tank mounted cross-ways in the front of the bed, but it will actually mount in a hole in the bed floor and be secured to the frame. (I worry about diesel fuel pooling in the bed) I've been trying to decide between aluminum diamond plate or steel diamond plate with bed liner for the floor. I know others have scratch built beds but this part of the HAMB does not seem to be searchable, so if others would give me links, I'd deeply appreciate it.
Steve , I did my bed out of 16ga with a 14ga Al. diamond plate floor . Used 1x1 and 2x1 tubing for the frame work . Used 2x2 heavy wall for outside of for and cross . I think there might be some photos somewhere on my site . Also there is another COE build here that made a great bed for his that is going to be a tow truck . Think it's 65 something . I'll look it up and check back in . Nice work on the sleeper top . Blue
After looking at the work of Sander, KS, 65Standard, and you, Blue, I have a pretty good idea of how to proceed. If anything I have over designed the framework, so I will look it over and maybe be able to save some lbs. I ordered 2-4x12 sheets of 1/8" for the bed sides. 12' sheets are special order, but the price wasn't too bad. ($150 each) I plan to weld a tube railing along the top edge. (thinking 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 diameter) I have a local company that specializes in tube bending, so I will take them a drawing and see what they can do for me. otherwise I would have to build a tubing roller and dies wouldn't be easy, or cheap.
Your truck is looking so good. Be careful when welding the tube on top of a flat bed side, the tube will try to bend on you since you are welding on only one side.. Also, you could buy just the tube bends and then piece the tube sections together.
Thanks Ks, Years ago I built a pretty standard stepside bed for a Stude pick-up. After welding the tube on the bedside, I ended up making a peen that fit in an air chisel and peened the welds for hours to get the tube to straighten out. I wonder if I could skip weld the tube on, then use semi-hardening seam sealer to make it look like a full weld. If I could find someone to roll me a 36" hoop out of 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" tubing it would be just like building headers. I got a **** ton of 1 1/4" tubing that I could use for practice, but I think it will look small on my longer than normal bed. I got lots of time to think right now, last week I got a major arthritis flair that put me in bed for a few days, I'm starting to feel better now, but I have to take it easy for awhile longer.
If you put the tube on top of side and put a small gap , the size of your wire , and weld in small amounts after tacking you should be able to control the warp and twist . Man I'm out of breath just reading that . May also clamp a piece of heavy angle down the side might help . Love the design and good luck . On exhaust can you put the muffler inside pipe . Blue
How would it look/work to skip weld as I mentioned earlier, putty it up with the seam sealer, then lay on bed liner over the tube and down maybe an inch on the outside and the whole inside. (or am I really over thinking this) I've thought about bed liner on the inside of the bed just because it's a truck. As for the muffler thing, there will be a 5" square tube about 60" long laying horizontal between the engine and the stacks (one will come up off each end) that I plan to put some sort of baffling in. Crash course in sound engineering coming up!
Hey Steve, I built mine for my truck. Mine is 12' long by 78" wide. For mine I used 2"X 3" 11ga. tubing with 7 cross braces and 4 running the length. It's upside down in the picture. For the top I used 11ga. plate. Over all I would say it's over built. Also below the outer rails are two 6' tool boxes. Rob
Hey thanks Rob, I appreciate the input. I will use 2"x 6" main stringers, because I need the height so the pusher axle doesn't hit the underside of the bed, then 2"x 2" cross stringers with various braces being either 1"x2" or 2"x2". (using up the s**** I have laying around) My tool boxes will be built into the bed about where yours are.
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