Vehicle bed edge construction and manufacturing process therefor

A vehicle bed construction comprising a bed member which comprises a monolithic one-piece bed member constructed of thin sheet-like metal, said bed member having a plurality of elongate, upwardly projecting full-height ribs formed therein in sidewardly spaced relation so as to be separated by valleys therebetween, said ribs and said valleys alternating one next to the other and extending longitudinally of the bed member in generally parallel relation so as to terminate adjacent transversely extending front and rear end edges of said bed member, said ribs and valleys being generally uniform along the length thereof wherein said ribs are each defined by spaced first rib side walls which extend upwardly and are joined together by a top rib wall extending sidewardly therebetween and said valleys are each defined by a bottom valley wall extending sidewardly between the spaced side walls of a sidewardly adjacent pair of said ribs, said ribs having a full first height extending along the length of said bed member wherein said ribs at least one end of said bed member include end channels formed therein, each said channel being formed centrally within a respective said rib and extending longitudinally toward said one bed end, said channel comprising a sloped channel wall extending downwardly from said top rib wall and transitioning into a bottom channel wall extending longitudinally to said one bed end, said channel being defined on opposite sides by channel side ribs which form longitudinal extensions of said rib side walls and have a second height which is a portion of said full first height, said channel bottom walls and said valley bottom walls being disposed substantially coplanar with said each other in a bottom plane of said bed member so as to each be supported on a cross sill used in a vehicle to support said bed member.