Reduced height pickup truck bed support and method of manufacturing

A pick-up truck bed support structure comprising:

• a pair of frame rails extending in the longitudinal vehicle direction that are inboard of a pair of sides of a bed portion;
• a truck bed box having a plurality of beams that extend transversely across the bed portion and that are assembled to a bottom side of the bed portion;
• and
• wherein the beams each define a plurality of openings that receive the frame rails with the beams being partially disposed below a top surface of the frame rails.

A method of manufacturing a pick-up truck support structure that is supported by two frame rails that extend longitudinally in a vehicle, the method comprising:

• forming a hole in an outer sidewall of a outer C-channel of an outer rail of each of the frame rails;
• forming a notch extending through an upper wall and partially through an inner sidewall of an inner C-channel of an inner rail of each of the frame rails;
• assembling the inner rail into the outer rail with the hole and the notch of each of the frame rails being aligned;
• inserting a beam in a transverse direction through the hole and the notch of each of the frame rails;
• welding the beam to of each of the frame rails where the beam is disposed adjacent the hole and the notch;
• and
• assembling a pick-up truck bed to the beam after the beam is inserted in and welded to the frame rails.

A method of manufacturing a pick-up truck support structure that is supported by two frame rails that extend longitudinally in a vehicle, the method comprising:

• forming a first notch extending through an outer upper wall and partially through an inner sidewall and an outer C-channel of an outer rail of each of the frame rails;
• forming a second notch extending through an inner upper wall and partially through an inner sidewall of an inner C-channel of an inner rail of each of the frame rails;
• assembling the inner rail into the outer rail with the notches of each of the frame rails being aligned;
• inserting a beam into the notch of each of the frame rails;
• welding the beam to of each of the frame rails where the beam is disposed adjacent the notch;
• and
• assembling a pick-up truck bed to the beam.