I'm replacing the bed wood, strips, and wheel tubs. What Wood do you guys think is better? One is almost half the price!

Pine is a soft wood and oak is a hard wood. The pine is going to dent when you put anything on it. You can make an imprint in it with your fingernail! If you want a soft floor it is fine.

Depends what you are using the truck for Show,Driver,or dump hauler,
and what finish you are going to use Paint or clear finish.
Oak is very durable and looks great with a clear finish.

Oak no question.

Mike

Depends on how you store your truck too. Indoors and rarely, if ever caught in the rain, oak. Outdoors often, in the rain and snow, pine. Pine is good for 20+ years.

The bad about oak is it's being an open pored wood. Getting wet often will cause oak to wick moisture under the finish and it will turn black and rot. It will start at the end grain of each board and work it's way in. It will happen no matter what unless you pull it apart and varish each board about every 3rd year.

A better oak would be white oak which can remain out doors, unfinished, and last for decades. Other rot resistant tropical woods would lastand look good for ever too.

clear mahogany is my favorite wood if i was buildin a sub that's what i'd use

I would go with Ironwood, Also known as Ipe. It is a very hard wood that you will not have to put any finish on, It ages like teak and has great outdoor qualities. You can put a stain, Clear finish or just oil it every few months.

My dad is building a '57 Rat Rod Pic-um-up and installed a cedar floor in his bed. It is a soft wood but the only thing he is going to haul in it is A$$.
186197

Hello. I manufacture bed wood sets for GM trucks. I would love to have a pattern for Suburbans. Any ideas on tweaking a truck pattern to fit? Any help would be appreciated! Robert.Noe@xrxgsn.com

Isn't Ironwood also known as Brazilian Cherry? That would be the wood I would go with, very water resistant and hard as a rock.

Isn't Ironwood also known as Brazilian Cherry? That would be the wood I would go with, very water resistant and hard as a rock.
Ironwood and brazilian cherry are both hardwoods but not the same,
The cherry is a much more beautiful wood with nice reddish tones. I have seen a lot of people install the cherry in the interior of their homes and the Ironwood used as exterior decking. Both would be nice in the back of your pickup with the cherry being more show than utilitarian.:gi:

Glad that I read this post, I almost forgot about Ironwood and braziliam cherry. Me I would go with pine (cost only) and put as many coats of lacquer(clear) on the wood as possible. Make sure that you let each coat cure properly before putting on the next coat. If you take your time this will make a great pine bed with a super hard finish, that won't scratch or ding up easy.

Hello. I manufacture bed wood sets for GM trucks. I would love to have a pattern for Suburbans. Any ideas on tweaking a truck pattern to fit? Any help would be appreciated! Robert.Noe@xrxgsn.com

burbs are just one big ol chunk of wood. no strips, and super tough to remove.
i think the fella that started this post just stuck it in the wrong area.

I cant tell if we're talkin bout trucks or burbs, but I have wondered for awhile how much strength the wood in the burb adds to the rigidity of the vehicle.
I'm restoring a 72 burb and want to do something other than wood all together, but dont know how much "sheer strength" would be required if you wanted to go to steel
anybody know?

Also, I'm a building contractor in Ca. and I know for a fact that a single piece of Ply, like stock, is far stronger than planks, just something to think about for us Burb guys ( Im aware there are actually multiple pieces of wood but not at the major connections to the body)

They are talking about 'Burbs. I just thru in the picture of my Dads truck bed to show how nice the cedar looks. That would be to soft to use in a bed used for work purposes.

Yeah- I figured they're talkin bout both but my question is more a structural integrity of the body kinda thing, maybe I ought to post it on its own

If we are making it and not buying it, I would use Epa. Color is like cedar, but hard as nails. Bugs won't even eat it. Good for 40+ years untreated. I put it in all of my trailers after the pressure treated stuff rots away.

Mike