Let's see some DIY Stake rails/wooden side rails

[Yamahauler]

Hey all,

I gotta haul about 2 cord of firewood in my 5' bed this weekend which is going to take a looot of trips. I'm gonna build some wooden bed rails so that a bit more volume. First instinct was to build some simple stake rails as seen below but then i remembered.. this truck doesn't have stake holes .

So i suppose I will make a simple plywood square that fits around the wheel wells and is held in place with gravity/geometry.. im only driving the wood a few miles.

Before I do though, I wanted to see if anyone has come up with a more elegant solution to the lack of stake rails... it would be nice to build somehting nice looking that I can remove and use later!

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[Grandaccess]

#1 you need a Trailer
for the amount of time and money and risk scratching your truck
I have a buddy that did that drop in sides to his Tacoma and they look like hell fast, he got one of two uses out of them before falling apart, and now his truck looks like Sanford and son
#2 I would just have it delivered, most guys that sell firewood will deliver it for an extra $25 and even save the back breaking labor
Im mid 50s I have a nice truck and want to keep it that way and past wanting to do stuff my self

 

[KJRR]

I'd venture to say if you are stacking wood above the bed rails, you may be exceeding the load limit.
You may be able to get a ladder rack and fab up some side rails, there a few people here who have added ladder racks.

 

[Friday yet?]

are stacking wood above the bed rails, you may be exceeding the load limit.

+1

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

You won’t need bed stakes and wooden side rails because………math.

You won’t be piling that wood any higher than 2’.

Wood weighs between 30-35 lbs per cubic ft, depending on how dry or green it is. At 4’x2’x5’ (Ranger bed), you’ll be at ~1,300 lbs. Now add your weight, gasoline, and anyone else or other stuff you have in the truck. You’re pretty much fully loaded.

Plan on three trips per cord, no higher than the bed rails.

 

[Friday yet?]

You won’t need bed stakes and wooden side rails because………math.

While you are making a perfect point, the delivery of that one line made me chuckle. Good one!

 

[KJRR]

You won’t need bed stakes and wooden side rails because………math.

You won’t be piling that wood any higher than 2’.

Wood weighs between 30-35 lbs per cubic ft, depending on how dry or green it is. At 4’x2’x5’ (Ranger bed), you’ll be at ~1,300 lbs. Now add your weight, gasoline, and anyone else or other stuff you have in the truck. You’re pretty much fully loaded.

Plan on three trips per cord, no higher than the bed rails.

Duke can add it up. All the fancy math stuff is nice, a little common sense helps too.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

While you are making a perfect point, the delivery of that one line made me chuckle. Good one!

I confess, it’s not original. Decades ago, I was buying 200+ block wall bricks and driving this…

The guy at the landscape material yard brought them to my truck with a forklift and said, “You can’t put all these in there - no more than 50 at a time - you’ll have to make a few more trips or have it delivered.”

I asked, “Why?”

He answered, “Math”.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

You won’t need bed stakes and wooden side rails because………math.

You won’t be piling that wood any higher than 2’.

Wood weighs between 30-35 lbs per cubic ft, depending on how dry or green it is. At 4’x2’x5’ (Ranger bed), you’ll be at ~1,300 lbs. Now add your weight, gasoline, and anyone else or other stuff you have in the truck. You’re pretty much fully loaded.

Plan on three trips per cord, no higher than the bed rails.

Contestant: “I can haul that load in 1 trip Tom.
Tom: “ Haul that load!”

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Duke can add it up. All the fancy math stuff is nice, a little common sense helps too.

In my previous life as a contractor, I was always calculating the weight of what I was putting in my truck.

1. Be safe
2. Don’t break your most important power tool

 

[Jason B]

 

[Grandaccess]

No sense trying to talk him out of it, I say remove the warning labels and watch from a far off....
We want pictures of before and after, I have had 1100 lbs "In The Bed" and I can say with my rough country lift it only squatted a 1/2 inch and have had untold weight behind me in a trailer, hasnt shuddered yet "yet" if there is a limit, I will find it LOL, and will let you know what that limit is
Pictures or it didnt happen! I drive it like its your truck!
in a few weeks I am getting a load of short steel I am guessing is 1500 to 1800 Lbs, you know I will get a picture of truck and load on the scale, wish me luck LOL

 

[Jason B]

You know it's not about how much weight you can carry or pull, but how much weight can you stop.

 

[34TL34D]

I think the trailer idea is a good one. For me it makes sense since mine is rated to tow a lot more weight than it can hold in its payload.

 

[ToddTheCanadian]

These are all good points about the firewood and overloading the truck, but I'm still interested to see any wood box extenders for lighter more voluminous loads (like brush).

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