G506 bed questions

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allegiant120
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G506 bed questions

Post by allegiant120 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:23 am

About to be the new owner of a g506, that is lacking the bed. From what I read, correct me if Im wrong some of these were built as a tractor, and some as just the cab and chassis? Were the cab and chassis outfitted with beds built by various manufactures? Has anybody fabricated their own bed as they seem hard to come by. My last question would be did the military ever build any beds themselves, such as in a depot rebuild etc? Thanks for all the help.


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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by signsup » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:03 am

The back story on my G506 is that the rolling chassis was obtained and then a bed had to be found and it was in a coal mine that a G506 was being used as a PTO for an elevator winch. They weren't using the bed, which was in the cave and protected by the elements so was a good donor bed. Composite wood/sheet metal bed.

So maybe obtaining an original bed by thinking outside the box may be an option for you rather than create your own bed. I know many repo parts like the tailgate, hinges, tandles, tarp hooks and stake beds are available. We haven't started the process yet, but we think the side panels of the bed unbolt from each other, so should be an easier way to straighten out and work on piece by piece rather than the weight and size of the entire bed.

What little I know about them is that the military did not build any beds from scratch, but ordered them from various suppliers. Or, there is always the wooden bed option.

Good luck with yours.
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allegiant120
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by allegiant120 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:06 am

Thanks for the reply! I have been looking a little for a bed, I think a wooden bed would be nice as well, however I've read that there are many metal hardware pieces which I would imagine would be difficult to obtain.

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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by D.R.H. » Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:34 pm

I know of 2 suppliers that built beds for the Chevy. Hercules made beds for Chevy with Dump in the earliest months of the war. Edward G. Budd Mfg. was responsible for almost all the rest of them. I do not know what manufacturer built the all wood beds, I have a composite bed that was built by Budd Mfg.
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newc
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by newc » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:10 pm

Hi; I have both a composite and an all steel, on two different G-506's.. I prefer the all steel. Also dump beds and cargo beds are different. A fellow in Salem, OR just got two nice all wood beds. Relax, and one will show up. Newc

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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by forestry4evr » Fri Jan 05, 2018 3:45 am

Hey new guy,

As others have stated, beds do exist. Yes they are pretty rare as there are certainly more trucks than beds, but with some time and effort you will find something. What year is your truck, and what bed do you think it was supposed to have originally?

Here is a little background on Chevy trucks and body configurations:
http://vehiclesofvictory.com/chevy-g506 ... ackground/
http://vehiclesofvictory.com/chevy-g506/specifications/

Dump beds were manufactured by Hercules and Heil. Steel and composite cargo beds were manufactured by Budd. I am not sure who made the mid war wood beds, but vaguely recall a piano company like Baldwin and others made them for the brief period. I don't recall any information on the fire truck, crash truck, or pole setting truck beds.

Paul
1941 G4112 Chevrolet with Hercules dump bed

gentrysgarage
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by gentrysgarage » Mon Jan 08, 2018 5:21 pm

allegiant120,
You should post your location, in the past month there have been 3 beds on Craigslist one in Oregon, Northern California and another in Washington before your post. Today I saw a modified one that pops up from time to time in Bakersfield...must be something more wrong with it than the pictures show than the high price otherwise it would have sold awhile ago.
I use searchtempest.com and type in military and see various things.... the good the bad and the ugly! LOL
Just suggestions...
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allegiant120
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by allegiant120 » Sun Jan 14, 2018 10:11 pm

Thanks guys, I am in Eastern Tn near Knoxville.

gentrysgarage
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by gentrysgarage » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:56 pm

OK I'll let you know if I see one within a couple of states of you.
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wwbackhoe
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by wwbackhoe » Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:15 pm

There are 2 g506 beds in Colorado, 500.00 for each one I think, the usual rust spots, hope this helps, if interested let me know- not mine but I have some pictures, I just found them the other day

forestry4evr
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Re: G506 bed questions

Post by forestry4evr » Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:16 am

See, they are out there...just have to shake some bushes.
1941 G4112 Chevrolet with Hercules dump bed


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