Old school wooden bed rails

[staying_tuned]

Has anyone attempted, or seen, wooden bed rails on a gladiator? I found a one-off on pinterest here:

I was hoping to see something more old school looking like this:

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[kevman65]

With no stake pockets, you'd have to come up with a different mounting process.

 

[Alans17]

It would be easy enough to mount something to trail rails (or DIY trail rails).

FWIW, the pic in the first post appears to be an approximation of original Scrambler boards.

I briefly entertained the idea of doing something similar myself, but will ultimately be opting for a newer version... Molle panels like these.

 

[staying_tuned]

I briefly entertained the idea of doing something similar myself, but will ultimately be opting for a newer version... Molle panels like these.

Yeah I was thinking the other day that leveraging a bed rack as the mount for and array of wooden planks with a nice routed & beveled cutout for a rotopax.

 

[RacerX00]

Yeah I was thinking the other day that leveraging a bed rack as the mount for and array of wooden planks with a nice routed & beveled cutout for a rotopax.

If I were to go through the process of making really cool looking wooden bed rails I'd probably either go with some kind of retro roto or hide them.

I don't know, I really want to go nostalgic when I pick up my JT but it both lends itself to it and doesn't. The aftermarket parts want to go angular and mean and that's not retro so you're kind of limited to what you can fabricate yourself and decal/paint on.

In my head right now I have a JT with a Scrambler scheme and wooden bed rails and deleted fender flares. If money weren't an object I'd paint the hard top brown. The bumpers are where I get lost in, "hmm what looks like it's from 1980" and it falls apart.

 

[IamAlan]

Someone posted about a Woody themed Gladiator. I've seen a few Woody treatments on modern cars and trucks and, in my opinion, they go overboard. Leave the fenders, as is, do the doors, and tailgate, add bed rails and a fat roll bar. The bedrails would set off the back end, and you could get a couple pair of tube doors, panel them yourself or turn a woodworker loose on them!
ADD sells a set of tube bumpers that harken back to "the day." It's doable, but it'll cost!

 

[RacerX00]

Someone posted about a Woody themed Gladiator. I've seen a few Woody treatments on modern cars and trucks and, in my opinion, they go overboard. Leave the fenders, as is, do the doors, and tailgate, add bed rails and a fat roll bar. The bedrails would set off the back end, and you could get a couple pair of tube doors, panel them yourself or turn a woodworker loose on them!
ADD sells a set of tube bumpers that harken back to "the day." It's doable, but it'll cost!

But this is what I'm talking about, forget for a second the woody bumpers and junk, I don't think that's an '80s style anyways and that's what I would personally be going for. The tubes, without a doubt, are obviously 80s-friendly but the angles of said tubes, are not. Also the LED strip destroys it.

You almost need a custom tubed front bumper with wider gaps/shapes and a shop for a winch based on how it looks exposed. The rear I'm a bit less concerned about.

 

[IamAlan]

You almost need a custom tubed front bumper with wider gaps/shapes and a shop for a winch based on how it looks exposed. The rear I'm a bit less concerned about.

The light bar and winch are add on's anyway. That would increase the gap. I would love to see a pic without all that. They're stupid expensive, (like $2500 the pair) without the lights/winch.
If you're looking for front only, this is $175 in black, $255 chrome, from Quadratec.

 

[869 KPH]

I think it's all about the vehicle's beltline - like the rails only look good here because they line up with the top of the doors. The JT's bed is just too tall to add rails to and have look as good, IMO.

 

[Slojo]

Most modern designs do not directly imitate 'old school'. Look at the nods to history on the Jeep Wagoneer as an example.
My son said the JT reminded him of a 50s truck when he first saw it. Very upright and big fenders. I have been looking at them to get some inspiration. What I want is something subtle but when Jeep/Truck fanatics see it they will get the inspiration. The initial scrambler stripes that people put out was good but I want to be a little different. Now just to find a creative mind.

 

[Tornado_6]

I felt the same about it looking like a 1950's truck, and was inspired by the photos on this thread. Here's a photo of my recently completed walnut bed rails attached to unistrut trail rails. I used a CNC machine to carve the Gladiator logo into the side.

 

[Trekkor2020]

I really like the look. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Buggzilla]

I felt the same about it looking like a 1950's truck, and was inspired by the photos on this thread. Here's a photo of my recently completed walnut bed rails attached to unistrut trail rails. I used a CNC machine to carve the Gladiator logo into the side.

Love this. Do you have any other close-up detail shots. For example, how you attached to the inside of the bed, etc..?

 

[Tornado_6]

Love this. Do you have any other close-up detail shots. For example, how you attached to the inside of the bed, etc..?

Thanks. Have been getting nothing but positive feedback after I built these.

Here's a closer view of the vertical rail. All the wood is actual 1" by 4" walnut. I used a dado set to cut some grooves that matched my unistrut, and glued some cutoff scraps onto the bottom for support in case of any "inward" flex. Rails attached with 3/8" bolts and channel nuts.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Thanks. Have been getting nothing but positive feedback after I built these.

Here's a closer view of the vertical rail. All the wood is actual 1" by 4" walnut. I used a dado set to cut some grooves that matched my unistrut, and glued some cutoff scraps onto the bottom for support in case of any "inward" flex. Rails attached with 3/8" bolts and channel nuts.

Well thought out and very well done.

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