# Woodworking Question - Dog Platform - Truck



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

A teammate is building me a new platform out of wood and plywood with drawers underneath and the platform contoured to fit the truck bed. It will be just above the wheel wells in height. My truck is a tundra with a 6.5 foot long bed.

Of necessity, there will be a seam and it will run horizontal (wheel to wheel instead of length of bed) 

Looking for best options to cover the platform. I had it made lower than my current "bed frame on risers contraption" so I could easily pull the crates in and out and use the truck to do "truck things" so it may have dogs one weekend and leaf and limbs the next. Right now it is a real hassle because to clear the cap, I have to jack up the bed frame, remove the legs, and jack it back down and reverse the process to reload the crates.

I would also like to make it waterproof because who has not been at training and had a sudden rainstorm blow rain into the truck, plus I drive with the windoors wide open for ventilation (nope they have not gotten loose and I have done this since 2007 at highway speeds for long distances) and if it rains it rains.

Would really appreciate suggestions to keep water from puddling underneath this thing and have a durable surface I can keep clean and drag crates across. The seam presents a challenge. Not finding rubber mats wide enough to run up the walls and then there would be managing the corners near the cab. Some things I might do like caulk may not work due to flexing of the actual truck bed during driving (I think?)


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

bedliner, or a coupla nice thick coats of paint on epoxy would be my choices..


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Exterior plywood would be the best for wood but it still needs primer and paint. 
I agree with the bedliner idea and I also wouldn't "calk" anything in. Trucks with bed liners should have the ability to occasionally take them out to clean underneath. I't amazing how many trucks can rust out when the bed liner never comes out. 
A spray on bed liner could be an option to do both the truck bed AND the box...but it will be heavy. 
For the "seam" it would be nice if you had access to a biscuit jointer but a strong frame under it could work fine by itself.
You can get some serious heavy duty glides for the drawers underneath.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Exterior plywood would be the best for wood but it still needs primer and paint.
> I agree with the bedliner idea and I also wouldn't "calk" anything in. Trucks with bed liners should have the ability to occasionally take them out to clean underneath. I't amazing how many trucks can rust out when the bed liner never comes out.
> A spray on bed liner could be an option to do both the truck bed AND the box...but it will be heavy.
> For the "seam" it would be nice if you had access to a biscuit jointer but a strong frame under it could work fine by itself.
> You can get some serious heavy duty glides for the drawers underneath.


epoxy would be more slick for sure..


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Joby Becker said:


> epoxy would be more slick for sure..


Sprinkle with sand!


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Sprinkle with sand!











that is pretty funny, considering that I am epoxying a basement tomorrow


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Joby Becker said:


> that is pretty funny, considering that I am epoxying a basement tomorrow



Hopefully a very dry basement. Take a 12"x12" piece of plastic and tape all around it to the floor for a couple of days (if you have the time). If the concrete has moisture under it, it will be wet under the plastic. Good chance paint, epoxy, tile of any sort will pop off in time. 
Trust me! I'm having a french drain put in my basement this fall. ](*,)


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Hopefully a very dry basement. Take a 12"x12" piece of plastic and tape all around it to the floor for a couple of days (if you have the time). If the concrete has moisture under it, it will be wet under the plastic. Good chance paint, epoxy, tile of any sort will pop off in time.
> Trust me! I'm having a french drain put in my basement this fall. ](*,)


we did one half a couple weeks ago, moved everything over to that side and etched and cleaned it about a week ago, it has had a week with fans and de-humidifiers running, hopefully it is fine, cause its getting done tomorrow either way  not my call, just putting it on.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

[-o< [-o< [-o< ;-)


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Thanks. I am leaning towards the epoxy. I wish I had line-x'd the bed when I got the truck but at 6, it would involve removing the topper and it does add a lot of weight and expense I probably don't want to add to a 6 year old truck. The bed is not that bad since it is mainly covered..

It sounds like the epoxy/sand idea may be the best so far. The only mat I could find that I could run up the walls would be an EPDM roof or pond liner which would not have durability for rough use and would need to be covered. 

When you say "bedliner" are we talking the drop in thing? I have always heard they are bad to rub and cause rust. or the spray $$$$$. 

So I hear. Caulk between the platform and the truck walls probably would NOT be a good idea. Maybe I can caulk the wood seam though I know for the build, he does woodworking for a living (and is a dog handler planning on getting his own truck next go round) so I figure we are in good hands there.....I am mainly on my own for the surface finish....I wish I could find a large enough thin rubber mat.


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## David Winners (Apr 4, 2012)

I would drill drain holes in the bed and prime and paint them to prevent rust. Build the box out of regular plywood, then prime and paint it. You can buy 54x96 or 64x108 plywood to eliminate the seam if do desired. A template could be scribed with cardboard for a good fit. I would then install the box and cover it with rubber roofing, running it up the vertical on the edges a few inches and securing the top edge with termination bar and aluminum rivets. I would also tip the box to the rear a few degrees to promote drainage.

David Winners


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I had thought about EPDM rubber roofing because it comes in widths I could work with and run up the walls as you suggest but....does it have the strength to resist yard waste, and dog claws?


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> Thanks. I am leaning towards the epoxy. I wish I had line-x'd the bed when I got the truck but at 6, it would involve removing the topper and it does add a lot of weight and expense I probably don't want to add to a 6 year old truck. The bed is not that bad since it is mainly covered..
> 
> It sounds like the epoxy/sand idea may be the best so far. The only mat I could find that I could run up the walls would be an EPDM roof or pond liner which would not have durability for rough use and would need to be covered.
> 
> ...


6 year old *Toyota*. It's hardly broken in. 

Use marine grade plywood. Even if it gets wet it won't rot easily. 3M 5200 for the wood seam. It's rated for below the waterline on boats, and is the strongest stuff ever made. I've made aquarium wet/dry filters using it to hold together glass and acrylic panels.

Give me an hour and ill find a rubber mat place I got some from for my trailer stall floors. The stuff I got is tough as hell.

Between the wood and truck I'd just get some rubber tape a few inches wide and make a flashing the whole way around pointed up and against the truck to mostly seal the platform agains the truck but handle the bed flexing


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Thanks, Hunter. That sounds like a pretty good idea (the rubber tape). All i can find for mats is 4 feet wide and my truck bed is 6 feet. Yeah, I plan to get at least 10 more years on the truck. Since I telecommute it is not high mileage and most is highway miles with some offroad/dirt road at destinations.


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## David Winners (Apr 4, 2012)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> I had thought about EPDM rubber roofing because it comes in widths I could work with and run up the walls as you suggest but....does it have the strength to resist yard waste, and dog claws?


It's pretty tough stuff, and you can always double it up with rubber to rubber adhesive.

David Winners


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Got it back for the weekend (did not take pictures). And so far, I like what he did. The seam runs lengthwise. The platform is JUST above the wheel wells and the seam runs down the middle. The good thing is it will be not be that hard to dismantle and remove the whole thing....

FWIW truck width is 6 feet inside and the topper is narrower by a little than the truck bed. So it had to have two sheets anyway

Going to get him to put a lip around three sides (windows and cab) of the unit and I will lay down caulk. And the 'gap' being a small place where the units join....it is tight....the crates have about 3/4 inch of clearance for pulling out of truck so I think that 1/4 inch is about as thick as anything I will put on the platform itself. Flashing for the sides (I flashed my last one with vinyl siding - the nailing strip slid nicely under the metal track for the anchor system-) 

So it will really come down to sealing the seam but the main area of concern is the corners where the rain blows in or drips from the windoors though the seam could suffer a water bucket drip etc.


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## Karen M Wood (Jun 23, 2012)

http://www.jcwhitney.com/ready-to-u...-black-quart/p2026774.jcwx?filterid=b1314u0j2
Herculiner
Paint on bed liners would cover the inside of the truck and you could also paint the surface of the wood with this stuff. It's designed to be very tough yet offers a lot of "Grip" without adding sand.
You can throw lumber and rocks in it and it doesn't tear or scratch up. I'm thinking about getting some for my little mazda pickup because mine is a '94 and the bed is showing some wear and tear from the hard plastic bed liner. I'm getting some rust from where the bed liner wiggles. And for about $40 a can you can't lose.


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## Noel Long (Mar 13, 2013)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> All i can find for mats is 4 feet wide and my truck bed is 6 feet.


Have you looked at horse stall mats?


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