My first real post - Building a fleet side box cover

[VTX-Black]

I've been sitting on the sidelines of this forum too long enjoying everyone else's contributions. I figured I should step up and add some value instead of just taking it.

My 59 needed a cover for the bed to protect it while it sat outside.

I googled and found a 2005 sierra cover while on a trip, and it just happened to be the same colour as my truck. Let the fabrication begin:

[VTX-Black]

Now that it is all glassed back together for width, it is time to shorten it.

[VTX-Black]

The cool thing is that the styling lines on the used 2005 cover that I bought matches (or at least balances) the styling lines on the 59 hood!

[VTX-Black]

finished

[AZ59apacheguy]

That is Sweeeeeeeeeet. It would be nice if there was an aftermarket company that made a bolt on bed cover like that for our style trucks

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by AZ59apacheguy

That is Sweeeeeeeeeet. It would be nice if there was an aftermarket company that made a bolt on bed cover like that for our style trucks

Gaylord does, start saving now.

VTX - I assume you repainted after glassing it???

[mr48chev]

That came out slick. It looks like it was designed for the truck too.

[Daze57]

v v nice !!!

[Dan in Pasadena]

It looks good for sure but I'll stand up and reveal my ignorance (I can't be the only one....can I? Lol)

I don't know SQUAT about fiberglass repair. Seems like you'd have to re glass both sides to get a truly strong-as-new tonneau.

Any in-process photos? Don't you have to roughen up the unfinished side to get a strong bond? What kind of resin is used? How wide cloth, or do you even use cloth? What did you cut the tonneau with?

What about mounting points for the struts? What will the latches "grab"?

Please fill us in!

[VTX-Black]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

What about mounting points for the struts? What will the latches "grab"?

Dan, I think this is the last question that I hadn't answered.

The modern covers come with a sub frame that the cover is hinged to.
The subframe uses removable bed rail clamps to secure it to the bed rail.

The struts attach to the sub frame about midway along the length of the box.
If you loo for any modern youtube tonneau cover install videos you will see what I mean.

Hope this helps.
Wayne

[Kim57]

Very nice.
Kim

[VTX-Black]

Thanks Kim!

Dan, here is the process:

1) I made the cut using a sawz all. With the right blade it will cut through fibreglass as well as any metal reinforcements that you might hit.

2)The cover was almost an inch thick, made up of corrugated cardboard sandwiched between the inner and outer shell. (Some have foam cores, this one was cardboard). I screwed a flat board to the painted side, protected by tinfoil. THis was to give a final finish as smooth as the board when the board is removed (see the first pic below - that is smooth. Any jaggedness is seen through the resin, but the resin surface is level with the painted surface).

3) I filled the gap with fibreglass matt. You can see it in white in one of the pictures above. I saturated it in polyester resin and added a few more layers while it was still wet. The later layers were a bit wider than the gap and folded up the sides of the gap to capture the core.

4) On my first cover on the 59 above, I just filled the gap with more matt, but I just finished a second one for my wife's 84 last week. THat time I let the first few layers harden, and then used spray foam since that cover was thicker.

5) Once filled I used a 7 inch grinder and sanded the filler level, and roughened the underside to give the next layer some bite, and then added another strip on top of that.

No need to add a strip to the painted side since the core is joined (the resin seeps into the core and then is covered in matt. If you are concerned, glass a wood or steel strap across the width of the underside of the cover for more strength.

I just ran outside and shot these pics. I won't be installing hers until spring.
(Pictures make the matt look like goop but it doesn't really look like that. You could also use a weave for the last layer. that would be even stronger.)
Wayne

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by VTX-Black

Thanks Kim!

Dan, here is the process:

1) I made the cut using a sawz all. With the right blade it will cut through fibreglass as well as any metal reinforcements that you might hit.

2)The cover was almost an inch thick, made up of corrugated cardboard sandwiched between the inner and outer shell. (Some have foam cores, this one was cardboard). I screwed a flat board to the painted side, protected by tinfoil. THis was to give a final finish as smooth as the board when the board is removed (see the first pic below - that is smooth. Any jaggedness is seen through the resin, but the resin surface is level with the painted surface).

3) I filled the gap with fibreglass matt. You can see it in white in one of the pictures above. I saturated it in polyester resin and added a few more layers while it was still wet. The later layers were a bit wider than the gap and folded up the sides of the gap to capture the core.

4) On my first cover on the 59 above, I just filled the gap with more matt, but I just finished a second one for my wife's 84 last week. THat time I let the first few layers harden, and then used spray foam since that cover was thicker.

5) Once filled I used a 7 inch grinder and sanded the filler level, and roughened the underside to give the next layer some bite, and then added another strip on top of that.

No need to add a strip to the painted side since the core is joined (the resin seeps into the core and then is covered in matt. If you are concerned, glass a wood or steel strap across the width of the underside of the cover for more strength.

Thanks Wayne for responding so fast.

I'm sorta thinking out loud here but if you made a straighter cut like with a Skil saw using an abrasive blade (I suppose) there wouldn't be any "gap" to be filled. Do you WANT a gap? With this straighter cut I suppose joining two pieces would just be on the surface, mostly the underside surface unless....

...the gap is for the purpose of bonding the inner layers(?)

If that's the case, couldn't you cut the painted side to your exact dimensions then cut the underside intentionally smaller to create a gap for bonding but minimize the "repair" of the finished side?

I also don't "get" screwing a board to the finished side. That leaves holes you then have to fill or patch, but I suppose you have to refinish the "finished" side anyway, so why worry about using the tinfoil?

I'm NOT trying to be critical, just thinking this through.

[_Ogre]

nice adaptation...
now tell us more about that fine looking apache

[VTX-Black]

Dan, the gap was intentional. If you look at my first picture you an see how the cover was not wide enough at the back, so I spread it in the second picture. Since I was spreading it and there were no surfaces to mate, I didn't care how straight the cut was.

What I did care about was how much time I would have to spend sanding the finished side. That is why I used the tinfoil. No levelling of the surface required after glassing it. It finds its own level flush with the painted surface. That is also why I used a finished board and not something rough cut.

As for screwing the boards to the cover, you need some way to hold it all together so that it is straight when it is done curing and not all wobbly anyway, and the material is not thick enough (other than the cardboard filler) to hold without going right through anyway, so from a fabrication standpoint it didn't matter which side I screwed the boards on to, so two birds with one stone.

[fabguy]

Great job.

Denee, needs to see this, wasn't she recently looking for a cover just like this for her truck?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Denee has taken on everything else and kicked ass, she may as well try fiberglassing!

[meter swinger]

I love that 84, and thanks for sharing the idea. I guess ill have to add this one to the wish list.

[VTX-Black]

Meter Swinger, here is another picture of my wife's 84 short box.

Ogre, I'll start another thread about the 59. I could use your advice on which direction to head.

[VTX-Black]

Ogre

Here is the thread that I started for you to introduce the 59 Apache
Wayne

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post6399319

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oh, ok thanks.

[VTX-Black]

Dan, I just followed your great thread. Nice truck!
(I chuckled when I read someone say that you paid too much for a solid truck at $5800, but yet people will spend a huge amount of hours making a truck as solid as your starting point. At that price I figure you literally saved many thousands of $$).

Regarding the tonneau cover mounting, on your step-side box, the side roll outwards to form the box rails. On the fleet side box they are folded to the inside like a modern truck, so I could use the clamps to hold the subframe.

I'd guess in your case that you would have to bolt the subframe to you box wall, or use a different hinge setup and bolt that on.

[VTX-Black]

Just a quick update.

People have still been asking me about the gap and why I couldn't have made the surfaces mate better if I took my time with the cut.

otto line is that it does't matter. It is preferable to leave a larger gap than one that is too small.

Instead of thinking that I am gluing the two sides together, imagine that I am putting it back inside the mild and making new material. Unlike welding, that's the way fibreglass works best. If the gap is too small there is not enough room to insert some material and the joint is weaker.

I could go into more detail, but as an example, when fixing a crack in fibreglass, even then the technique is to grind out a V groove so that more surface area is in contact with the new material.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by VTX-Black

Dan, I just followed your great thread. Nice truck!
(I chuckled when I read someone say that you paid too much for a solid truck at $5800....

Thanks so much for the compliment. I don't know how I missed your response for all these months, sorry.

I "only" paid $4800 for my truck and in hindsight looking at what it looked like then, I guess I see why some were critical of my purchase price. But what the hey? If I'm comfortable paying it and not asking anyone for money then its on me.

Just a week ago or so saw a FREE tonneau on Craigslist but it was gone by the time I called on it. Too damned bad because I could have experimented on it with your advice on this thread!