# 2002 Chevy 2500hd Flatbed Build



## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

Technically a rebuild...it had a flatbed that was rusting through pretty badly...I could almost fit my foot through a couple of the holes. Trying to get it done before winter.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

It's a steel bed with 1 5/8" oak as a decking material. Wood looks good, hope it holds up ok. It's red oak, which isn't as good as white oak for outdoor, but I had the logs and had it cut pretty cheap. I got a marine varnish that I hope will help.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

8' 6" long, the old bed was exactly 8', which was very annoying when trying to load plywood or sheetrock, and also get the tailgate on.


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

Sweet. Looks good and it's a dump!


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

this guy's gonna need your help... 



 turn your sound off if the kids are around.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

Mr.Markus;1667080 said:


> this guy's gonna need your help...
> 
> 
> 
> turn your sound off if the kids are around.


I think that guy might need more help than just a flatbed. Never would have thought to get a running start when loading a trailer


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

I grooved out the area where the flat stock joined so I could get decent penetration on the welds.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

When i cut trees, I move the pieces out in log length and cut it and split at my house. Those first pieces can be pretty heavy and roll into the sides hard when they come off the forks on the tractor. The old sides had bent from just being sheet metal-I don't want that to happen anymore, hence why the sides are built so heavy. 3" by 3" 1/4" thick angle with a full weld to 5" by 1/4" flat stock.


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## mossman381 (Nov 17, 2009)

Good build. That last pic looks like a heavy load.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

Got about everything done except for the headache rack. I welded in a couple of posts that i will weld the rack to later on. Spent the day yesterday sandblasting and cleaning it up. Got a coat of primer on it last night.


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## TMLGC (Sep 22, 2013)

Nice, especially since you supplied your own wood. How Many miles on that truck???


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

TMLGC;1672415 said:


> Nice, especially since you supplied your own wood. How Many miles on that truck???


Truck has 178,000. Bought it with 148,000, and been abusing it ever since. Holding up pretty well, and a lot less expensive to run than something brand new. Flatbed with 1000 lbs counterweight and my 8'6" V make pushing snow a lot of fun.


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## erkoehler (Sep 25, 2008)

I need to turn my 01 2500hd in to a flatbed!


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

Looks good. I built a dump bed for my Chevy and used wood like you did. Did not like the wood. The one I built for my Ford, I used diamond plate. The wood shrunk and bucked like crazy,plus I had to drill holes in the crossmembers for the deck screws which I did not like.
T.J.


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## Young Pup (Aug 13, 2004)

Looking good. 

Boy I should have bought back my 04 that was totaled out here recently and had someone do the same exact thing.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

TJS;1672441 said:


> Looks good. I built a dump bed for my Chevy and used wood like you did. Did not like the wood. The one I built for my Ford, I used diamond plate. The wood shrunk and bucked like crazy,plus I had to drill holes in the crossmembers for the deck screws which I did not like.
> T.J.


I'm hoping that using oak will help it hold up a bit better than pine/fir box store wood. I am using red oak, so the jury is out, but I think if I have a problem I can replace with white oak and be ok. I had trex on my old truck bed, which I really liked, but it is not cheap unless you have some extra lying around.

I will be bolting it down 2 spots per cross-member with carriage bolts, which I think will prevent it from warping.

The old floor rusted out starting from each crossmember, because of salt trapped between the diamond plate and the structural steel.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I did not like drilling in the cross members. I allows road chemicals to impinge in the drilled threaded hole. If you look at my build on youtube i show how i tried to prevent the rust from cross members to diamond plate floor. Youtube user name. Tjsnordic


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

Got a coat of black paint on. Will do another coat on the outside surfaces come spring, it's getting pretty cold to shoot paint. I have a torpedo heater in the shop, but it's not insulated and very drafty. Took a couple days, but seems to be hardening up ok.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

TJS;1672441 said:


> Looks good. I built a dump bed for my Chevy and used wood like you did. Did not like the wood. The one I built for my Ford, I used diamond plate. The wood shrunk and bucked like crazy,plus I had to drill holes in the crossmembers for the deck screws which I did not like.
> T.J.


After 6+ months with the wood, I concur. Even though I installed the wood in the winter, most boards have 1/4"-1/2" of gap now in the summer. I would have expected swelling with the humidity, but it shrunk. No more wood decking for future builds.

Built another bed for a friend with 3/16" diamond plate, looks real sharp. Will get pics when that bed gets installed. Going on a 2012 3500HD SRW.


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## PWW (Aug 25, 2012)

The wood will stop shrinking after about a year or two. I redecked a trailer with green oak and just put them in with no gap and real tight now a couple months latter it has nice gaps in between the boards it worked out great


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

PWW;1813320 said:


> The wood will stop shrinking after about a year or two. I redecked a trailer with green oak and just put them in with no gap and real tight now a couple months latter it has nice gaps in between the boards it worked out great


I hope it does stop-in a trailer application I really wouldn't mind the gaps, but when dumping a load of sand or something out of the truck it's very annoying having the material fall through onto the frame. I'm torn between redecking it with 3/16" diamond plate, or try sanding it down, silicone between the gaps, and keep running it.

Any beds I build from now on will use diamond plate though. Just picked up the materials for my neighbors truck- 2006 2500hd extended cab short bed. This bed will be 7 feet - 3/16" diamond plate decking.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I would use 1/8" diamond plate. 3/16" is a little heavy.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

TJS;1813390 said:


> I would use 1/8" diamond plate. 3/16" is a little heavy.


It adds 140 pounds on an assembly that is already north of 1k. Worth it IMO if you care about having a flat deck. If you don't care about a flat deck, then 1/8" will be more than sufficient.

Let me add, all the beds that I have built have been, and will be, loaded by a machine. If you're only tossing stuff in by hand you might not bend it, but dropping 9' by 24" diameter oak logs, or decent size rocks in there with a SS or tractor, you want all the strength you can get.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I have enough bracing to use 1/8"diamond without issue.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

TJS;1813398 said:


> I have enough bracing to use 1/8"diamond without issue.


The last bed I built was 12 3/4'' on center 3'' channel. I'm sure 1/8'' would be fine, but 3/16'' is extra insurance and worth the minor increase in weight imo.


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## 2006Sierra1500 (Dec 28, 2011)

I'd redeck yours with diamond plate...it'll just make it easier. Or make a sheet of diamond plate that bolts to the wood base decking.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

2006Sierra1500;1813406 said:


> I'd redeck yours with diamond plate...it'll just make it easier. Or make a sheet of diamond plate that bolts to the wood base decking.


Not. If it is pressure treated wood it will rust out metal in no time.


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## jb1390 (Sep 23, 2008)

2006Sierra1500;1813406 said:


> I'd redeck yours with diamond plate...it'll just make it easier. Or make a sheet of diamond plate that bolts to the wood base decking.


I'm very seriously considering it. Though at this point it's a ways down the list of priorities, since the bed works fine as is.


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