LWB Stepside Bedsides

[82gmc3/4ton]

Has anyone here ever try to build their own besides? I've seen it done and it looked really close to stock except they used steel tubing for the top and the stake tubes. <--funny. Anyways if someone has tried it can you give some info on what is needed to do the job. i.e. what size tubing etc.. I have the fenders, front panel, crossmembers and a tailgate.

[fitz]

 I take it you can't find good 8' bedsides. You could section/splice 6' sides together but that could get costly. There are a few alternatives.
 There is a 79'ish ford 4x4 stepside around here with aluminum bedsides. It uses the stock fenders in it and it looks killer.
 My beater stepside has a homemade wooden bed on it. Someone made the sides out of wood and used 1950's something fenders on it. I'm not crazy about it but it does grow on you. Someday I'll replace it with a stock bed I have for it.
 You could build a frame from square stock then cover it with cosmetic grade (thin) aluminum diamond plate. A 4' x 8' sheet sells for about $90.