Mar K Wood Conversion

[Gmcfolife]

Does anyone know if GMCPAULS wood bed instructions work with MAR K steel to wood bed conversion kits?

[Lou Boffa]

not exact answer you are looking for but I used Mar K bed steel with Trex decking that I milled to GMC Pauls wood bed specs. Fit like a glove.

[Gmcfolife]

Did you use Mar K's conversion kit?

[SS Tim]

What exactly is your question?
Any conversion basically changes the front bed panel, rear sill and all the the cross sills to allow for the much thicker wood floor (0.81" vs 0.052-0.066" for metal).
Mar-K's kit uses their stock replacement wood. So if you are asking if GMC Paul's wood cutting directions will work with a Mar-K conversion kit/instructions, then the answer is yes.
http://www.mar-k.com/steel_floor_to_wood_bed.aspx
http://www.mar-k.com/Catalog/PDF/Ins.../67-72conv.pdf
http://www.gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm

[Gmcfolife]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

What exactly is your question?
Any conversion basically changes the front bed panel, rear sill and all the the cross sills to allow for the much thicker wood floor (0.81" vs 0.052-0.066" for metal).
Mar-K's kit uses their stock replacement wood. So if you are asking if GMC Paul's wood cutting directions will work with a Mar-K conversion kit/instructions, then the answer is yes.
http://www.mar-k.com/steel_floor_to_wood_bed.aspx
http://www.mar-k.com/Catalog/PDF/Ins.../67-72conv.pdf
http://www.gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm

I noticed that Mar K's wood cutting dimensions for notching is slightly different from GMC Paul's. Looks like GMC Paul's will work just fine. Thanks for the info.

[SS Tim]

Go to Wes' page too at Classic Hearbeat, his published cutting dimensions are there with GMC Paul's and specific.
http://www.classicheartbeat.com/bed_wood.htm

While the Mar-K's is more a rather generic "how to size wood". Note it does not specify the wood plank widths but instead is baed on direct measurements from the cross sill holes.

In any event the two important things to remember are the strips project above the wood to provide a skid surface. Plus clamp the wood into a load deck but allow movement, as wood will with temperature and humidity changes.