Keep cover from sagging over the bed

[barmanvarn]

I'm do a (very) slow resto on my Dad's old '69 C15.

When I'm not working on it, it sits next to the shop and it's only protection from the elements is a truck cover. While it's sat out like this, the bed has taken the brunt of the damage from the elements so the rust is getting pretty bad there.

The issue is mostly due to too much water getting into the bed because the cover sags and collects water.

So I'm looking for a cheap, simple way to keep the cover from sagging over in the bed. Any suggestions?

I've got a few ideas but wanted too see what you folks would do in this situation. Let's stay away from the "build some kind of shelter for the truck" ideas as that just isn't an option for me right now.

thanks

[Stocker]

Fab some bows from PVC pipe. Cheap, and easy to work with.

[barmanvarn]

Originally Posted by Stocker

Fab some bows from PVC pipe. Cheap, and easy to work with.

Great minds think alike.

That's actually an idea I kicked around but worried about it sagging between them if I, say, used three. Thought about either running some ribs front to back or attaching a 4x8 sheet of vinyl to them to make a sort of solid hump.

I hope to go down and work on a solution this weekend.

[Stocker]

Front to back ribs between the side to side bows makes sense. You can get 4-way PVC fittings to tie it all together. Not sure where to find a 4x8 vinyl sheet (or what it would cost) but that sounds like a great idea. Maybe substitute thin plywood or paneling? If you have any old stuff laying around, the price would be hard to beat!

[barmanvarn]

Originally Posted by Stocker

Front to back ribs between the side to side bows makes sense. You can get 4-way PVC fittings to tie it all together. Not sure where to find a 4x8 vinyl sheet (or what it would cost) but that sounds like a great idea. Maybe substitute thin plywood or paneling? If you have any old stuff laying around, the price would be hard to beat!

Yeah.

An alternate plan I've considered is 3 slats of pressure treated 1x4 running left to right evenly spaced, and then putting the vinyl sheet (if something like that exists, think whiteboard material?) on top of it so that the sheet sits flush with the top of the bed. Kinda like a poor mans tonneau cover.

[jabborabbo]

A big beach ball or whatever with a diameter that's a foot longer than the bed height.

[barmanvarn]

Originally Posted by jabborabbo

A big beach ball or whatever with a diameter that's a foot longer than the bed height.

I tried something sort of like that. Made a tall, padded "T" that stands in the middle of the bed is about the height you mentioned.

The problem is that the cover is all that tight so the slack allows it to droop into the bed when water collects.

I'm going to have to go w/ a solution that covers the entire bed most likely.

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by barmanvarn

I tried something sort of like that. Made a tall, padded "T" that stands in the middle of the bed is about the height you mentioned.

The problem is that the cover is all that tight so the slack allows it to droop into the bed when water collects.

I'm going to have to go w/ a solution that covers the entire bed most likely.

Hmm...maybe the ball needs to be 2 feet larger in diameter..

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by jabborabbo

Hmm...maybe the ball needs to be 2 feet larger in diameter..

Or.... more balls!


Or, air mattresses stacked on top of each other until the pile is higher than the bed rails.

[tcrist]

Sheet of plywood and some 2x4's. Nail together a frame out of the 2x4's and lay the plywood on top of it.

[71swb4x4]

Take the tailgate off, and let the rear of the cover sag enough so the water simply runs out the back of the bed.

[barmanvarn]

Don't laugh too hard at me here, but this is what we came up with....

A few pressure treated 2x4s, notched to sit on the tub and a few sheets for corrugated vinyl screwed down to the wood. And left gaps all the way around to allow air to circulate.



Also replaced the old cover with a new one from LMC (forgot to get a picture) which fits MUCH better than the old one.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by barmanvarn

Don't laugh too hard at me here, but this is what we came up with....

A few pressure treated 2x4s, notched to sit on the tub and a few sheets for corrugated vinyl screwed down to the wood. And left gaps all the way around to allow air to circulate.

Attachment 1335832

Also replaced the old cover with a new one from LMC (forgot to get a picture) which fits MUCH better than the old one.

Hope you made that center 2X4 into a 2X5.....or 3X4, for drainage off the ends... Really, I like it!
sam

[barmanvarn]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

Hope you made that center 2X4 into a 2X5.....or 3X4, for drainage off the ends... Really, I like it!
sam

Glad you like my poor man's tonneau cover. LOL

Actually, where it's parked right now it naturally drains towards the cab. That's probably why the rust in the best is worse near the front.

We're probably going to repark it so that rear is lower instead of the front when we get the chance.

[Stocker]

Looks like it oughta work just fine!