My buddy actually made one for his Chevy and is almost done. It just needs to be hinged and then locked in place. Right now he just has it over the bed and held down with bungee cords. It actually looks pretty dang good.
Has anyone ever done anything like this? If so could you share how you made it (mat'l, cost, time, steps)? If not then I may be the first to try it and do a write up. Won't be anytime soon as classes just started back up--but maybe over the summer. Seems like a good alternative for me being in college. Saves money and still gets the job done. Of course it's not as secure as ones you buy and lock down, but it would work for my purposes. Going to Florida this summer and need something to help give extra space for our luggage.
From the site:
Quote:
Custom Hard/Soft Tonneau Cover, Custom made!
This is a Tonneau cover my Father and I devised up one weekend, it's a Hard cover with a soft covering. It is very duarble and watertight, and after installing my tailgate lock, secure. The tonneau can be built any way you like, this is just an exaple of how I built mine.
First off i wanted to say that i am not respondsable in anyway for anything you do this is merly a guide of what i did to create a cover for my truck. I spent about $70 total on my cover, and i also made on for my Mother's Ford Supercrew, costing about $150.
Things you need:
3/8" CDC or CDX (outdoor) Plywood
2x2 8' boards
1 1/4" galvanized deck screws
3" galvanized deck screws
outdoor paint (optional)
1/2" foam
Outdoor/Marine grade vinyl in a color to match/compliment your truck
Leather Sewing thread in the color of your vinyl
Spray glue
3/8" Galvinized staples
Weather stripping
Seam Sealer
A ways of fastening your cover (hinge and struts, eyes and hooks, bunjee, etc)
Tools:
Scissors
Sewing Machine (needle and thread could work)
Staple Gun
Saw
Drill
Screw Gun
Hammer
Sawhorses
A friend
Possibly other tools!
PATIENTS!!!!!
First measure your bed, inside the rails and outside. Determine how many pieces of 2x2 you will need (2 sides, 2 ends, 2 or more middle braces plus smaller pieces between the main 2x2's). The 2x2's will be a frame on the inside of the bed rails. Secure these together with 3" galvanized deck screws (predrill the holes or they will split the boards!!!!). I suggest to brace the corners of the frame with the scrap plywood for added rigidity. Then buy the approprite amount of plywood to cover the area over your bed rails (Usually 2 sheets). Note: newer bed have more curved sides and such, and making the plywood cut right takes time, and also covering this with vinyl can be more complex. You will want this piece to be the shape of the outline of your bed rails, but make shure to leave a 1/2" or so around the edges for the foam's thickness. Next secure the plywood to the frame, for best results do this while it is on the truck so everything can be lined up correctly. Secure the plywood to the 2x2's with 1 1/4" galvinized deck screws. Now if you want paint your wood assembly (this protects moisture from going into the wood).
Next you will need enough foam and vinyl to cover this structure and go under the edges (where is rests on the rails) When i measured mine i added 2" for the edge and about 6" for under the rail portion, this is added to EACH end. The foam usually comes in 24" wide rolls. Use spray glue and glue the vinyl down, over the whole top, sides and under the edges of where it will sit on the rails. Unless you have it speacially made/ordered, you will need to sew your vinyl. Mine has a seam in the center going left to right. My mom's has 2 seams (cosmetics) that run with the gap of her tailgate to the front of the box. Make the piece cover the plywood. Next line it up in the foam/plywood structure, and wrap the vinyl around and glue it (if wanted) to the foam. I have not tried this on either of my covers so you are on your own. Trim the vinyl so it comes to the frame of the cover (under the rails). Staple it down (corners are TRICKY, i suggest if you are new make a few practice trys). Now fasten the cover however you like. My cover uses four "L" hooks that slide into my canopy brackets. My Mother's ford uses round eyes and bunjee's that hook to the cleats in her bed. With a tailgate lock, the bed is locked and shut tight. ENJOY!
Hey I saw this once. I may start doing this because I can't get a roll-up tonneau shipped to me! I think its practical for fuel mileage, but to take it of then put it back on looks kinda time-consuming.
I have made a couple for my old trucks when I was younger. I used L-metel running inside the bed rail, covered a sheet of plywood with a thin layer of foam and then vinyl of truck colors. Use marine grade vinyl it will stand up better and a good glue. They were all long bed trucks so I had a split half way down the bed lengh. I also installed L-metel there and hindged both the front and back. On one truck I even got power window mech and made it go up with a push of the button. On my wifes ranger we made a alum frame and used a sheet of fiberglass (often used for bathrooms in local business for easy clean up of walls) and painted it. That was the best looking one that I have made. The last truck I bought a leer 700 and not sure what to put on this one but likely go with the leer 700 or 800.
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