Cracked Chevy Bed

[CAJW]

Anyone experienced this? I found two cracks about 4" forward of the tailgate about 6" in from the sides. The picture is the Passenger side with the Driver side crack about an 1" long, but in the same place. The TC combination in my sig line has been carried about 2/3 of the current 39,000 miles on our 2013 LWB Chevy. I've asked my local Chevy dealer to contact the factory for comment and how it can be fixed. I was in the process of measuring for a piece of plywood to shore up the front/rear of the TC as I just recently learned that Chevy puts a crown in the middle of their pickup boxes. Guess I'll be looking for steel plate instead!

[Bill_T]

My 2007.5 2500HD sb cracked at the same spots. Noticed it when the mileage was in the high 50's.

[deltabravo]

mkirsch wrote:
I gotta ask: Do you have the right "after" picture? It doesn't look like the same spot at all. Your before picture shows a very prevalent weave weld pattern but the after picture shows a smooth seam.

That line of stuff is actually seam sealer, not a "weld"

CAJW wrote:

Same spot, different type seam filler which was finished smooth vs. "bead style" as it was originally.

Yep. Different type of seam sealer.

My truck bed cracked in the same spot.

[CAJW]

mkirsch wrote:
I gotta ask: Do you have the right "after" picture? It doesn't look like the same spot at all. Your before picture shows a very prevalent weave weld pattern but the after picture shows a smooth seam.

Same spot, different type seam filler which was finished smooth vs. "bead style" as it was originally.

[mkirsch]

I gotta ask: Do you have the right "after" picture? It doesn't look like the same spot at all. Your before picture shows a very prevalent weave weld pattern but the after picture shows a smooth seam.

[CAJW]

To resolve this issue, Chevy stepped up to the plate and fixed my truck! Here are pics of the completed project that look to me to be a good fix, but time will tell. Kudos to my local dealer, Steves in Chowchilla, Ca., for going to bat for me and getting this done.

Before:


After:




They reinforced the underside with a steel plate welded to the bed crossmember (coated with Linex) that is about 4"x4".

[Grodyman]

Wasn't it GM that had the tow mirrors that stuck up at a funny angle before they shortened the lower arm and straightened them out? Crowned bed doesn't surprise me at all. Very dumb.

[mkirsch]

1. Yes, that's body sealant, not weld.

2. A topper/cap and air mattress is not the same thing as a 3000+lb truck camper!

Plain and simple, the bed was not designed for a heavy point load in that spot, so it tore. It's pretty much not possible to design a truck bed for every possible type, size, or position of load. Unless, you make the whole thing out of 1/2" plate steel, and even then somebody would manage to tear it.

[free_radical]

Johnny G1 wrote:

CAJW wrote:
Anyone experienced this? I found two cracks about 4" forward of the tailgate about 6" in from the sides. The picture is the Passenger side with the Driver side crack about an 1" long, but in the same place. The TC combination in my sig line has been carried about 2/3 of the current 39,000 miles on our 2013 LWB Chevy. I've asked my local Chevy dealer to contact the factory for comment and how it can be fixed. I was in the process of measuring for a piece of plywood to shore up the front/rear of the TC as I just recently learned that Chevy puts a crown in the middle of their pickup boxes. Guess I'll be looking for steel plate instead!

Really a very nice bead of weld, Just my thought's.

I dont think thats welded,its somekind of plastic adhesive,I have 2008 Silverado and no cracks anywhere..few dents from tossing logs and stuff in,but otherwise solid..
When I use my camper it sits only on the sides of the box,bolted down so it doesnt even touch the floor

[kerry4951]

I carry an AF 1140 on my 2009 Silverado. I just lifted the rubber mat and checked my bed. I have slight indentions in the metal on both sides but no cracks......yet.

[Johnny_G1]

CAJW wrote:
Anyone experienced this? I found two cracks about 4" forward of the tailgate about 6" in from the sides. The picture is the Passenger side with the Driver side crack about an 1" long, but in the same place. The TC combination in my sig line has been carried about 2/3 of the current 39,000 miles on our 2013 LWB Chevy. I've asked my local Chevy dealer to contact the factory for comment and how it can be fixed. I was in the process of measuring for a piece of plywood to shore up the front/rear of the TC as I just recently learned that Chevy puts a crown in the middle of their pickup boxes. Guess I'll be looking for steel plate instead!

Really a very nice bead of weld, Just my thought's.

[mkirsch]

Your Bronco 1200's floor flexes enough to conform to the crown. Don't worry about it.

This whole deal of the crown causing porpoising and rocking of the camper is a tough concept for me to swallow. The campers are not THAT rigid, plain and simple.

These beds have apparently had a crown since at least the 2007 NBS, yet this is the first anyone has noticed! If it was such a critical issue, surely someone would have figured it out before now.

[blueglide]

Wow...that really sucks!! I hope GM steps up to the plate and fixes it for you. Like others here I can't believe GM would design something stupid like that. Its not like truck owners would ever lay heavy flat items in the bed of their trucks :R (sarcasm intended) Good luck

[jimh406]

Deb and Ed M wrote:
I'm just sitting here taking notes - we pick up our (slightly-used) 2015 Chevy 2500HD diesel tomorrow 🙂 .... but since it sounds like it will be sitting on plywood to flatten the rocker, it should be fine?

At least, you'll be going after it with eyes open although I'd reconsider knowing what's been posted here.

[silversand]

The corrective measures talked about here to "level out" the 2015 GM pick-up bed crown sound worrying to me. Think about it: your 3000, 4000+ LB camper will be sitting acutely (severely) on just 3 support points in the sheet metal bed (even using high or low-density XPS foam).

Those with the cracked sheet metal: what is directly under those cracks (what if anything is under the cracked sheet metal, underneath your trucks at precisely the crack) ? Any photos of the under-bed structure under the cracks ?

Further to this bed "crown" issue, I cannot find anything published by GM on it (also, nothing mentioned in the GM Upfitter's manual).

I'm putting this on my "follow" list...