Woodworkers, HELP! Wood For Truck Bed Divider,,,

CADplans · Apr 26, 2019

I have had a divider in my older 1999 Silverado for about 3/4 of the 20 years I have owned it.
The divider is perfect for keeping fuel cans, or similar size partial loads from sliding around,,

So,, Woodworkers,, if I buy some treated wood, is there a "trick" to drying the wood so it will not twist?

I just cut a treated 2X4 and put it in the 1999,, but, I am positive I was lucky,,
the wood I see at the Big Box stores is twisted on the shelf,, let alone when I bring it home and leave it set for 2 weeks,,,

Is there plastic wood, like Trex,, that comes in 2X4 type dimensions??

Is there any tricks?

Pickup Owners,, have you made one of these barriers? Have you done anything special to it?
I saw one that had dividers built in so stuff can not slide sideways,, but, that thing looked like it was getting heavy,,,

I saw this one on line, since I have not taken a pic of the one in my truck,,,

Thanks for any help for this non-woodworker,,, :laughing:

timswi · Apr 26, 2019

Why not just get an adjustable cross bar? I have one in my truck and it works perfectly for gas cans and the like. I can still slide wood and stuff like that under it if needed. Plus it's light and quick to R&R. I think around $30 at Autozone.

downsizingnow48 · Apr 26, 2019

I just got a plain 2x4 and cut it to fit behind the wheel wells. 7 years old. Not fancy but works perfect. If you want wood that is not pre-warped best to go to a real lumberyard rather than the bargain basement. That is what I do, I spent some time locating reliable old school lumberyards for dimensional lumber and plywood.

s219 · Apr 26, 2019

If you buy treated wood soaking wet and then keep it restrained (straps, weights, nails, etc) it should dry straight. I have a piece drying in my garage right now, for trim work, and have it stacked under some cement blocks.

Whenever I buy a lot of treated lumber for a project, I buy it wet and immediately stack and strap it until it gets used. Loose in a pile is a recipe for twisting and warping.

You can also look for KDAT -- kiln dried after treatment -- but it's more expensive and overkill for this type of project.

Ford850 · Apr 26, 2019

I would skip the treated wood and use plain kiln dried lumber. You could add a coat of semi transparent deck stain if you want.
If you must use treated, you can try to clamp it straight and flat with stickers to separate, allowing to dry in a shed or barn for weeks. I've had good luck doing that but there will still be some boards that will do their own thing.

deezler · Apr 26, 2019

Yeah, don't use treated. No need to. Then you oughtta wear gloves or wash your hands each time you touch it (when wet, anyway).

I have a plain old piece of standard kiln dried 2x6 for my truck. It dried out nicely and probably only weighs ~2 or 3 lbs now. It bowed a bit, edge-wise, but hasn't twisted or warped on me. If it did, I'd just find another scrap of wood that was reasonably straight, and use that one. No problemo - you're over-thinking it.

P.S. that initial image you posted is kinda ridiculous. Looks like a failure waiting to happen to me, with all those toe-screwed connections.

dieselcrawler · Apr 26, 2019

Old piece of plain pine 2x6 worked fine for me for years. Showing some signs of deterioration now, but years of weather will do that. Rot starts when it stays wet... on edge in the truck bed, it drys well enough.

Slowpoke Slim · Apr 26, 2019

I too just have a couple of old 2x6's that were originally used for concrete forms. Not treated wood, and not pretty, but they get the job done. I use them mostly for when I have the 5th wheel hitch in, one in front of and one in back of the hitch. Keeps stuff like firewood from migrating around when we're underway to the campsites.

CADplans · Apr 26, 2019

Hmmm,, I may have to switch to plain,, I agree it will probably be lighter,,

I have some left over oil based deck stain,, I guess that would keep it looking nice,,
I hate gray wood,,, :confused2: