Hey guys,

A few years back, I moved from Oregon to St Louis, loaded up the back of my truck, tossed a tarp over my cargo (terrible idea) and drove straight through with a buddy.

This time I'm moving from St. Louis to southern California. I would like to break up this trip and do some sight seeing along the way. Also thinking of towing a small trailer or my fiance's suv. This means I'll have some overnight stays.

I am considering all forms of tonneau covers and tops. But because I will be carrying my life in my vehicle, I need to figure out how to secure it. This decision would be easier if I wasn't moving to southern California where I won't be needing this cover once I'm there... If I were moving to a rainy state, this investment would make more sense.

I have been looking for used tops, but haven't had much luck. What do you guys suggest? I'm thinking inexpensive and secure but these two things probably don't go together. Also, if anyone has experience moving like this, please share your advice on how to best protect what's in my bed.

Thanks!

 

you're gonna need a cover if you don't want something stolen best part though there is some awesome things to see along the way depending on which way you go. the worse part is Kansas. watch out for winter storms... had a blizzard come thru in april a few years back

 

We'll actually just miss Kansas, heading a bit more south thru Oklahoma, New Mexico, etc.

I'll have to give this some more thought. I don't think I will want the cover once I am there. So while there seems to be some nice options, it seems like a waste.

It would be nice to just to get a used soft cover for light weather purposes during the move, that way I could easily get rid of it again or eat the cost. But it seems anyone with a knife would just open that thing up.

Also looking for advice on not getting my uhaul trailer broken into if that's the route I take. Maybe suggestions on staying near or further from larger cities, parking away from the freeway? (just guessing) Really any advice is welcome.

 

stay away from albuquerque lol. get a good lock and locking trailer hitch. i've traveled cross country and moved cross country several times. i've never had anyone mess with me or my stuff personally though, and i've stayed in hole in the wall motels and on the side of the road.

the route itself is nothing hard. in between albuquerque and california, there really isn't much. if you want to sight see, the have some meteor craters and other stuff along the way

 

Thanks for your replys!

I almost had a deal on a matching camper shell, but called an hour too late... Would have been an easy buy, re-sell option I think. I'm still looking at bed covers. Will probably start a new thread asking for specific help on that decision.

 

Or maybe I'll just post here.

If I were going to invest in a new cover, I've been liking the looks of the Peragon and Undercover Flex. But both have pros and cons for me.

The Peragon looks awesome. And seems super functional. However in my situation of "moving", it appears I can't fill the bed without blocking functionality of the cover. I also can't tell if there is any device that keeps the cover from sliding around in the open position.

The Flex still looks good, just not as good. A little more money. The no drilling is nice only because I might decide to just flip it after being in Cali. My only questions is whether the bed seals hold up (as in not get warped) after being folded or left folded for periods of time. And how does that plastic clip in the front hold up after time in direct sun light? Is that piece replaceable I wonder?

And finally, which cover will interfere less with the eventual surfboard I end up buying

 

Oh I guess add fold-a-cover (FAC) to this list. I like that you can open it (both sides) without opening the tail gate.

 

I drove to colorado and back recently in my G8 and Kansas is freaking awful. I took 70 the whole time and on the way back I got stuck in that massive snow storm a few weeks ago. Added 7 hours to my trip. Driving across the country on the interstate is actually kind of boring.

 

Don't forget about the forum member discount if you decide to go with a Fold-a-Cover. Use F150Online25 for an extra $25 off your order!

 

If you really don't think that you will want a cover once you are moved (or even if you want to postpone the expense of a cover until after the move), you can do what I did when my mini-van died on the day we were to head out on a 1000 mile trip in the middle of a blizzard and build a temporary cover.
Using 2x2 lumber I built a frame that dropped inside the bed rails. I used 2 6.5 foot long boards along the sides (5.5 if you have the short bed) and then 4 boards going side to side, cut to fit. I used long screws driven through the side boards into the ends of the cross rails to join everything. Basically end up with something that looks like a large ladder. To make this easier to drop in and out, the total width of the frame needs to be about 1/4" less than the full width of the bed.
You will also need 2 sheets of OSB or similar plywood type material. You want to cut the first sheet to length so that it over hangs the frame by about 3/4" on each end and the edge. Secure it to the frame with screws. Now cut the second sheet to the same length as the first, and then measure to determine how wide it needs to fill the remaining width, including the 3/4" overhang. Again secure it to the frame with screws.
Now you have an assembly that will drop into the bed and completely cover it. To make it waterproof, drape a tarp over the top and tuck it under the sides.

In my case, since I was in a hurry, and doing much of the construction in the parking lot of HomeDepot in the middle of the storm, I used a couple ratcheting tie down clamps going front to back. I hooked them into the cleats at the front of the bed, up and over the top, and then again hooked them into the cleats at the back. Since you need security, take a look at the hardware section and find some type of bracket you can attach to the under side of the frame and hold it down from the bottom.

Even with the inflated prices on plywood, you should be able to build it for well under $100, even if you have to purchase everything.

 

This is great and something I'll definitely consider.

With help, I could knock this out fairly quickly. I knew that there must be some other options out there. Thanks for the suggestion.