Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Today I decided to look for the replacement plywood floor for my panel truck. It has become a kind of a hassle to find because of the fact that it needs to be 9 foot long marine plywood. The way the floor is constructed, you would need two of these pieces to complete the project. Finally I found a lumber yard that would try to order it for me if still available. Marine trees or whatever kind of golden trees it takes to make the plywood must be really rare. $ 190 per sheet!!! I only paid $600 for the whole truck! I think I need a cold beer!

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Read this link about marine grade plywood. It is pretty informative.

If you google marine plywood, you will find numerous links to places that sell it.

http://www.boulterplywood.com/sailmag.boatworks.html

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

is marine plywood original or is that just the look you want to go with?

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Yeah, Kev2809 marine plywood is the original product on panel truck floors and it does stand the test of time very well.

Hey, olblue60 are you going to use marine ply or have you thought of anything else as a substitute? Just curious 'cause I'm looking for ideas for my floor. I can't get the 9 ft length around here and the shipping would be killer although Arad68's link was informative.

Marine trees.............funny stuff:lol:

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Anyone thought about using planks, like truck beds. It really looks nice with some good wood, but I don't know if it would work. I have never looked much at the bed of my panel. Maybe you could do a thinner layer of plywood with planks on top.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Yeah, I guess I'll suck up and pay the bucks! It was just a shocker. As far as putting any kind of planking, The way the panel truck floor is conconstructed, It has got to have a 3/4 plywood base unless you were to put support at the ends of each of the bed supoorts to keep them at elevation. It sounds confusing but its not, You just kinda gotta take one apart to understand how GM constructs these things. The Google link shows choices of hardwood veenered plywood as well, for a nicer finish.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I know this is probably a moot point,but why not look into buying a parts burb for the floor?Then you have all those extra parts to sell or use. Just my thougths.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Well, I would think most of the original stuff would be pretty degraded by now. Since in my burbs case, a SoCal truck all it's life to boot the floor was just plain rotted out.
Not only that, but the years of oil slingin up on it from the axle just eroded the wood away. Plus, the smell of hypoid oil had permiated its way through to the interior. So on hot summer drives it stunk up the whole truck, to the point of everyone getting a headache from it.
So if one is able and willing to swap out the wood floor, I think it is time and money well spent.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

you could buy sea baord for a little more than the cost of your truck

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/2,762.html

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Another thing, too-'Burbs have shorter wood, the step is farther back.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I have a couple of parts burbs. The problem is because of the rear seating, the cargo area is 6' in a Suburban. The panel truck is about 9', and it takes two sheets. 8' sheets are $95, 10' sheets are $190. It hurt when I had to shell out $402 for two sheets counting sales Tax. I'm sandblsating and trying to get the truck ready for the new wood when it arrives!

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

hey olblue, it's a shame how much that cost but since i can't find that length 'round here would you mind posting the vendor name from where you got your wood? I'm thinking I'll have to make mine a 4 piece floor because i can only find the 8 ft length but i might want to consider shipping the proper length.

thanks.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Picts, we need picts I tell ya!!

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

OlBlue,please do share where you got the marine plywood from. I may get some for the panel truck.
it's on my bucket list.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I went to the top of any page of this site and googled Marine plywood and my state. You will need to find a local lumber yard that can special order it for you. I found it a little cheaper than $190, but the $125 for shipping killed the deal.

P.S. 8 foot sheets will not work without some floor support restructiring. Good luck guys!

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

You aren't that far from Baltimore and Annapolis and there should be yards in both that deal in material for boats.

I've got sailboat friends in both places who may know where the deals are.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I put out an inquire but won't have any feedback until morning at the earliest.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I did check down by the shore as well as everywhere else I could think of. What it all boiled down to,the plywood sourse in the area (delaware)is a huge complex that only sell plywood to companies not the public. If you can find anyone to bother with the order, its gonna come from there. It just depends on the markup that any of the outlets add. 10 foot long sheets of marine plywood are such a low demand item that lumber yards would rather special order the wood than waste the space stocking it. I found it cheaper in Chicago, but the shipping that it would cost was the deal breaker.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I posted in this thread a while back but had an epiphony while rereading it this am.Why not look into having a cabinet shop mill planks to the correct size.You could use any variety of wood desired and the cost should be less than for the 10ft sheets of ply with shipping.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

I've been trying to think of a reason planks wouldn't work, and can't come up with one. I think that's what I'll look into when the time comes. I wonder if one would offer more noise dampening that the other? Planks V. plywood, that is, or one type of wood over another for planks.

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

Well, My marine plywood finally arrived after 4 weeks and is mostly installed. I wish that I wasnt so tech challenged so that I could post some pictures. Speaking of which, Pritch, do you have any other progress pictures of your project that you can post?


John

Re: Marine trees must be really rare!
 

The extra cost is in the length.I installed cedar T-11 on a house in`07.The first floor required 9' and it was nearly double the cost of the standard 8'.Not much marine plywood being used these days.And what is it used in?...boat$.Would it be cheaper if we called it water resistant plywood?:cool: It`s all about the non-standard length.I think marine trees are really short!
Talk to me about your technical deficiency.I can help.:lol: