If any of yall have ever wanted to build a flatbed for your trail beater or firewood getter, but haven't gotten around to it because you figured it'd cost too much or you don't have the fabbing skills? Well my friends, fear no more. If you have $30, can use a wood saw and turn a wrench, you can do it!

Materials:
1 x piece of 4'x8' plywood ($10) You can use any thickness. I used 19/32" thick.
1 x piece of 16' long 2x4 ($5)
8 x hex bolts measuring 5/8"x3" ($5)
8 x 5/8" hex nuts ($1.50)
8 x 5/8"x1.5" washers ($1.50)
1 x 5/8" wood bore drill bit ($4)
Under $30 with tax.

At this point, I'll be assuming you already have the bed off. From here it's just 6 simple steps.

Steps:
1.) Cut down your 2x4 into 3 pieces that are 3'9.5" (45.5") long, and 1 piece that's 3'5.25" (41.25") long.
2a.) Lay the 2x4 down horizontally over the body mounts, and the shorter one 9" further back from your last body mount.
2b.) Mark the location of the of the pre-existing holes onto your 2x4s, and drill them out with the wood bore drill bit.
2c.) After you've drilled the 2x4s out, they should look something like this:



3.) Now cut your 4'x8' piece of plywood down to a length of 5'3.75" (63.75") and a width of 3'9.5" (45.5").
4a.) Next, lay your cut piece of plywood down onto your 4 pieces of 2x4s.
4b.) You'll want to make sure that all your edges and holes still line up. Do this by sticking a bolt through the bottom of the body mount into the 2x4 to keep it in place.
4c.) Mark the location of the holes with a pencil onto the bottom of the plywood by removing your bolt and sticking a pencil up through the body mount and 2x4s.
4d.) Take off your piece of plywood and drill out your holes with the wood bore drill bit.
5.) Place the plywood back on top of your 2x4s, drop your bolts down, and tighten up the nuts. You should be looking something like this by now:



6a.) At this point, you could be done, but I decided to trim a little off the rear corners to give it the illusion of being bob tailed (and so I wouldn't snag anything on the overhanging plywood).
6b.) To do this, draw a line from the end of the 2x4 at the bottom to the end of the 2x4 next up.



6c.) Now cut off the offending edge.

You're done! Go drink a beer, or hit the trails with your grainy new flatbed you built for under $30!

 

cool idea for the money....did you account for frame flex? just thinking the 2x4's might crack around the 5/8" holes...

 

lol do toyota frames even flex like more than 1/8 inch.

 

nice.

 

Hell, even if it does, it's just a 2x4 lol... Plus, if you wanted to go fancy, you could even go with treated wood! AND SPRAY PAINT!!!

 

Now Ford frames on the other hand, would flex so much they could crack/ tear split a rubber bed.

I was behind a ford on a trail once and the frame was moving a good 10" relative to the body.

 

Eh, I really aint too worried about frame flex. If it happens, then i'll figure something else out. Maybe rubber bushing in between.

And man, I swear chevys are the worst at crab walkin... I see them all the time! Gotta love boxed frames.

 

Damn you crazy redneck clint.. Honestly, that looks like .. I'm gonna take metal and make a frame and put stained and treated lumber in it like an old ford pickup or something for a floor eventually though..

 

What happens when it rains?

 

it gets wet

 

You know rusty, before I put on the plywood, I thought to myself "You know clint, this would look really sweet with some flooring or cedar post as a deck!" then was like "Oh screw it, this plywood just cost me a 12pack, let's not waste!"


Rain? Dude, can't you tell, this is my street queen. I wouldn't dare let rain drops touch this vehicle.


Honestly had I thought it through, I woulda got treated lumber, but then again I'm getting some nice 1/2" plate tomorrow

 

I figured I'd just throw up this quick how-to so if anyone wanted to make a flatbed, but had absolutely zero idea, they could get an idea from this thread and improve upon it.

But hell it's cheap, it works, and it's fast to make. What more could you ask for?

 

if it were me, I'd cover it in some cheesy look'n linoleum, lol

water resistant, and classy!

 

Dude.

You. Just. Blew. My. Mind.

 

lol, give ya an idea er sumpthin?

 

Tile!

 

lol

well then you're breaking your $30 limit

of coarse, I guess a lil bit of linoleum would put you over that $30 too



how bout wall-papper?

 

I do have some rather spiffy mossy oak wallpaper

 

I've seen some of that stuff before; could you imagine a whole house covered with that on the inside?

and maybe even outside!

lol, that would be AWESOME!!!




... now you see my house... now you don't!

OMG, where'd it go?

lmao

 

On a similar though, back in my wilder days as a hell raising youth (who am I trying to kid, I still do it), me and my friends would go mud up ft. sam houston at night making the MPs come out and chase us. We'd keep those camo close knit see threw covers that you use for making a deer blind rolled up in the back. After loosing sight of them we'd pull out the cover, cover up the truck or 4wheelers (depending what we were riding), and watch the MPs fly on by never seeing us. Man it's fun as hell...

Must say though, they finally caught us a couple months back when I was pulling my buddy's truck outta the creek... Uhg, it's not fun being held for a day by the government... Seems those MPs held grudges.