homemade toneau cover?

[jwn1975]

has anyone made their own toneau cover? I was thinking of making something from thin sheet wood covered in black vynal that would sit inside the bed rails at the bed rail height. It would be a one or two piece and would not be easily removed. No visible screws or brackets except for maybe a couble dzuse type fastners. Any ideas/ Pics?
Thanks

[slednD1]

check el-jays thread"i had to go home and get my camera again"

[69halfton]

you can try...but if you make it flush and sit inside the bedrails, you will go through hell trying to make it fit tight enough to keep water from seeping through the edges... if it went over the bed rails like manufacturer's, you wouldn't have this problem..

[70 Suburban]

I did one but inside the bed rails. I fiberglassed it painted body color. I used 34 square to make the frame

[FourOhToo]

I could build one fairly easy, I thought about it a few times for a couple drag trucks.

You should be able to get some big sheets of plywood to fit over the entire back. Cut out a nice cardboard template and trace it out.
Cut the plywood and then carefully with a beltsander shape it to fit inside.

Formica or Pionite makes some really nice laminate colours these days.
I would go to a kitchen/countertop place and order a nice couple sheets of that new stainless or aluminum stuff. cover the plywood on that and it will look like a million bucks. Ofcourse, the samples they have are endless...you can find basically anything in any colour you want these days.

Im a cabinet maker so I have experience with the stuff but I would say its a really easy project for a DIY'r

Good luck!

[slednD1]

mine is out of wood and not intended for rain,but it got covered and parked in the rain for a while and it sagged in quite a bit, even with the inner braces.this was a temp only deal that will be done as 70 suburban said w/steel frame but it will be allumn top and agian not for rain.sorry i dont have pics in this comp yet.and remember that a sheet of plywood fits with room to spare in a step side,so you will need to use 2 pieces.ive seen guys use rear half lift only.good luck!

[BarryB]

I've made a couple, and do upholstery work on the side.
FYI, regular vinyl isn't wide enough, it's only 54" wide by how ever long you need.
They make tonneau cover vinyl which is 78" wide by how ever long.. And of course its more durable for with standing the elements and, the wind effect as you drive.

[kristoferlarson]

Originally Posted by 70 Suburban

I did one but inside the bed rails. I fiberglassed it painted body color. I used 34 square to make the frame

how did this turnout for you did you have to do any cross bracing for flexing? how thick of fiberglass?

[jwn1975]

My truck doesnt sit outdied anyway and I dont drive it in the rain. I was thinking along the lines of aluminum chanel rivited to the sheet, then covered with black vynal and hinged up front. maybe a support half way down the bed rail (from front to rear) to prevent sagging. Some kind of gas strut to hold partially open and a couple little latches on the rear on the inside.
THANK YOU guys for your input.

[big_al_71]

I made one in the 80's for an older truck I had. I used two pieces of plywood and attched them to each other in the middle. Under the plywood I traced the inside of the bed and out of 1x1 wood strips and bolted them to the plywood creating like an inner frame that would fit against the inside of the bed not allowing the cover to slide side to side or front to back. As far as how to cover it I used vinyl in two colors black and gray. First I glued 1/2 inch thick foam across the plywood then I upholstered it by using the gray in the middle like a stripe about 18 inches wide then I used the black on both sides of the gray. I think I might have a pict of it but I have to go searching in my garage and if I find it I will scan it and post it. It probably weighted like 30 pounds and it just rested on top of the bed. It lasted the whole time I owned the truck for about four years till I sold the truck with it on.

[70 Suburban]

if you bevel the edges you can use 3m epoxy to glue the plywood together. then a layer or two of fiber glass. you can sand it down and look as smooth as you like.if you want to get fancy you can use saran (dont know how to spell it) wrap on your bed sides and set the wood inside the bed frame. and let the glass go over the edge on to the bed. that way it till be thin and low profile and water proof

[FourOhToo]

You can actually get 6' and 8' wide sheets of plywood, just order it from a lumberyard.

[jhwkns]

There are pictures of mine in this thread.

[mr48chev]

I've seen a couple of the aluminum ones that guys have made and if you can work the aluuminum I don't think that they would be that hard to do. I think one was covered with vinyl top material and the other was bare aluminum for a competition look.

[jwn1975]

Nice!