Anyone Else Home Build a Tonneau?

[toolmaann]

Here's mine. 1. Finding the angle. Rangers have an approximately 20 degree drop off to the outside of the top rail. I used kiln dried douglas fir for the outside rails. I used my table saw to rip this 2"x4" stock down for a slimmer look. I also angle cut the 20 degrees into this outside rail. 2. This is with the forward section semi-built, checking for fit. At this point I haven't skinned the panel, or bevel cut the top of the rail. This piece measured out at 60 1/4" x 28" 3. This pic shows the rearward panel built, but again not skinned. Forward section is skinned. I used 3/8" CDX plywood to do this. 4. This pic shows both pieces skinned

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[toolmaann]

5. Starting to cover. Being the cheap bastard I am, I used some Pergo padding that I had left over from a floor install... These are the tools I used for this process.



6. Shows my setup during covering, and the Pergo padding installed. I tossed an old blanket on the ground.



7. Showing forward section covered and installed. I permanently attached this section, so as to keep the overall weight of this build down.



8. Rear section covered, just checking fit. Hinge and hardware have not been installed yet.

[toolmaann]

9. Installed! Hinge shot.



10. How it looks while open. Still a bit of underside trimming to do.





11. Kind of an Eddie Bauer look, don't ya' think?




Total cost?.... Well let's add it up.

Pine stretchers: free
2 8 ft. pieces of KD DF: $6
Aluminum L stock: $5
Aluminum hinge: $5
1 sheet of 3/8" CDX: $12
4 yards of tan marine grade vinyl: $1.23 (my lovely wife is a super shopper)
Misc. hardware: free (I never throw hardware away)

Under $30

All in all, a great project. Fun to do over the course of about 12 hours.

I did this build about a 1 1/2 years ago, and it has held up really, really well. It's been through one winter and has not warped a bit. Not 100% water proof, but I knew that going in.

I realize it's a Ranger build but perhaps you all can get some ideas, and use them for your own build.

[texasmusic]

niiiiice

[toolmaann]

Thanks... and BTW, I further built some gear boxes to hold all my crap. They slide in and out on some hard pine rails I built.

[Patman03SprCrw]

heh i thought about putting in some small rails flush to the bed height then taking some cardboard or something light weight and rapping them in duct tape then affixing it to the rails. I bet if i used a 8' 2x4 cut in half and then ripped in half, i could be under 10 bucks for the project cost.

but then i was like ehhh its duct tape...

I like yours tho, when i was in elementary school my friends dad made a camper shell for his ranger. out of wood and he put windows in it...
-Patrick

[SAtownTX]

looks good! something i might consider doing.

[Duffman0286]

Thats some good old Redneck engineering at its finest looks great i love it

[FX4Firefighter]

NIce job there a lot of figuring out what angles on them rails

[TonkaTruck33]

how long do u think it will last?? cuz i want to make one too...