what lumber should be used on a flatbed

[henryj10]

building a flatbed on my pickup, really simple one, just yur basic wood bed with angle iron incasing the 2x8 boards on top of 4x4's. What type lumber would you use and whats most common for this application its gonna be used alot and this is washington state so I'd like to use the best boards for the cheapest price. cedar is expensive but I pretty sure a 2$ fir board won't last very long in the elements. ALso what would bedliner do to lumber

 

[Shran]

Treated lumber is probably going to be your best bet. I have untreated, stained pine on mine and it's not in very good shape after just a year. I will go treated next time.

 

[maroon ranger]

yep...for sure use pressure treated! It would last you the longest with the elements!

 

[Will]

Use Yellow Pine if you need strength. I want to be able to carry my 2,000# skidsteer on mine when I build it and the rear tires are 700# each. I've had YP on trailers and it's decently rot resistant. Don't bolt it down, weld 1/8" strips across it to hold it on. It makes it easier to replace and the bolt holes would be the first to rot. I would soak the boards in epoxy resin if I never wanted to replace it again--viable on a little Ranger bed, though not on a 30'x8' trailer deck. And bedliner works great on wood. I used it (Gorilla Grip) on the interior of a boat I built earlier this year and it's great.

 

[strvger]

i vote for oak. little more expensive, but worth it imho.

 

[chvlfrk]

I've got painted rough cut 2X6's on my tow pig:
Before>

After>

 

[cr_the_machinist]

We always used cedar to build docks. That stuff holds up for years.

 

[skippy]

I vote for composite material,but it is slick,cargo will slide easily.

 

[Jason]

Black Locust if you can find it. Nothing better.

 

[kennykenny]

Just use treated lumber otherwise it's going to cost you a fortune. It will outlast the truck.

 

[Will]

Just use treated lumber otherwise it's going to cost you a fortune. It will outlast the truck.

Yep, if you aren't going to put something unusually heavy on it--like a vehicle.

Yellow Piine is just the construction stuff that is at Home Depot etc in sizes 2x8 and above. It's nearly equivalent to white oak in strength--at the same grade. White oak is more rot resistant, but Yellow Pine (SYP) will last a long, long time and can be sealed with Thompsons. Yellow Pine is what is on 99% of trailers with wood decks. Treated lumber that I have seen is Spruce Pine Fir (SPF), same as 2x4 and 2x6 lumber, and not structural. It's heavy and dense because it's treated, but it's not strong as strong as SYP.

 

[oatmealman]

get a shipment of ironwood in from africa,shit is so dense that stain doesn't penetrate it,and the name should give you an idea of how strong it in.

 

[AllanD]

Black Locust if you can find it. Nothing better.

Black locust was the wood traditionally used for the bottom
logs in a log cabin build, even after people started to use
stone foundations they's use Locust wood against the stone,
the stuff simply doesn't rot...

There are cabins built 200years ago that through various restorations
have have had every log EXCEPT those locust "sleepers" replaced several times....

If you have a chainsaw and can find a locust tree you can cut down
it shouldn't be too hard to get someone to mill it into 2x6" planks for you...

shit'll last forever.

Failing that the ubiquitous "Poison Pine" Pressure treated lumber will work fine.

that composite stuff is EXPEN$IVE

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[Tony Raine]

keep in mind you can't get traditional "pressure treated" lumber anymore. pretty sure that stuff's illegal now.

its replacement is an enviro-friendly liquid that is "dipped."

i've used both. the new stuff warps as it dries, and becomes brittle. my "dipped" fence pickets look just like my untreated 2x4's after a year.

whatever type of wood you get, make sure to treat it yourself

 

[AllanD]

keep in mind you can't get traditional "pressure treated" lumber anymore. pretty sure that stuff's illegal now.

its replacement is an enviro-friendly liquid that is "dipped."

i've used both. the new stuff warps as it dries, and becomes brittle. my "dipped" fence pickets look just like my untreated 2x4's after a year.

whatever type of wood you get, make sure to treat it yourself

Just because your state outlawed it doesn't mean it's illegal everywhere else.

I'm obligated to remind you that your state is right next door to the
world nut capitol... Kalifornia.

I'm In Pennsylvania and I can still buy old fashioned (and effective) CCA treated lumber.

I'm not sure how available it is elsewhere, but it would be wise to check

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