Wooden Truck Bed Sides When You Don't Have Stake Pocket Holes

I'm in this dilemma currently: I want to make wooden sides for the bed of my s10, however, the truck lacks stake pocket holes in the bedrails where they would traditionally drop in and mount. One of the guys who works at my go-to yard also has an s10 and he told me that he puts the vertical posts for his sides in between the inner edge of the bedrail and the notch-out in his bedliner near the cargo tie-downs. I was kinda thinking this: So they would be easily removable, and since I notched out the bedliner near my cargo tie-downs a little more (my heavy duty straps have bigger hooks that can be a pain to catch on the tie-down eyelets, and I have a cap that I use periodically), if I drop the vertical supports into the notched out area and they sit between the bedliner and the inner edge of the rails, and then get lumber brackets and run them into the inner edge of the rails to go around the vertical stakes to brace them, would this work? When I want to take the sides off, I just gotta loosen those brackets and then slip them up and out. I really don't feel like cutting holes into the bedrails (kinda skinny) so this seems like the best possible option unless somebody knows an alternative way that will work...

I don't have an S-10 and can't help you with those details, but I have been thinking of building walls with scrap metal, such as chicken wire or grillwork, so I can see through it and not need huge mirrors. That would be much lighter than wood and could be bolted or welded or however you want to attach it, with or without stakes.

Think I'd go the metalwork route myself too, it wouldn't be too difficult if you had even the lightest welder. It would require a front cross member at the top, but that'll be necessary for a grill or window protector anyway. The four corner posts could simply be attached to a short piece, say maybe 2", of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" angle, for the four corner pads, and 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" angle for the corner posts, with a full length angle along each side at the top, and one across the front. Everything could be either welded or simply bolted, excepting for the four corner pads at the bottom of each post, which will sit on the sides of the bed (which would need to be welded to the bottom of each corner post), and either be bolted or screwed through the side flange inside the bed. (if you have a hard time picturing these 4 corner pads simply take a short piece of angle and set it to the inside top of your bed and imagine it being two inches long with a post on top, two on each side, one front, and one in back, on each side, which would hold the side boards.) You could even make a quick attach rear crossmember and have yourself a ladder rack. This could all be easily made with the right tools and knowhow with very little trouble, and as easily removed as your topper is, for easily switching the two. Not sure how much fluff your bedliner adds to the equation, if it's too much you might should take it out anyway, and just go with the metal sides, instead of winding up with a 2 foot wide cargo bay.

There is a scrapper by me who stopped and talked to me one night when I was throwing a folding chair in my truck out front. He showed me his "Bed Box". He welded futon bed frames to the top of the bed and used angle iron welded across the top on the front and back for support and allowed him to also use it as a headache rack for long pipes and such. So later on i found a futon and I checked it out on my smaller truck and it fit like a glove. I didnt put them on the truck but it would have worked. But i like my wood goat box better.

metal bed angle rails make excellent hobby material for sure! ( i especially like the price, usually free ; ) It's a little wider and usually thinner material, but it usually does the job just about as well. All those short pieces going across ways usually have feet adjusters or something riveted to them, just take a sharp cold chisel ( i like to hold that with a pair of vice grips and wear a glove lol ; ) and they'll pop right off with a couple of good swings of a hammer

welding that one on the back will certainly give you a "headache" ; ) i prefer to make the back one an easy on/off bolted or something in case you need to load a fridge or something tall in there

If you don't want to drill into your bed rails, go get some camper clamps (or C clamps).

If I were building something, I would probably build it so that it has the 2 sides and front, all welded together, then fasten mesh or chain link to it.

I would just get a trailer personally. Then put non-ferrous in the bed.

I have an s10 myself. I did not want permanent Tijuana rails on mine. Since aquirring my trailer I don't even use temp sides anymore.

What I used to do was use c-clamps. I used 12"x1" planks cut to size. I screwed a pc of 2 " by1/2" to the bottom of the 1x12. The extra inch was set towards the edge of the bed. This gave somewhere for the c clamp to grab onto. I finished it off with eye hooks on top to use straps and bungees for tie downs. 3 clamps on each side made for a pretty sturdy wall. I kept the boards and clamps latest flat in the bed when I didn't need them.

Hope I was clear and you understand. I also used tin gather door PCs with good results as well...

Buy a ladder rack that bolts to the rails.. bolt 5/4 deck boards up the sides and the front.. if you need to load something tall most of them have the removable rear cross member..