I have seen a few threads but no real pictures of home made tonneau covers. I am lookin to keep stuff secure with out cluttering my cab on my 40 GMC truck. Lets see whats on everyones truck for a bed cover. Thanks
Here is my thread covering this topic on my 1960 F100 project. It is worth a look... This sucker is weatherproof and has a lock. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=663175 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=366906 One pic attached here as an appertiser.
1 by 3s as a frame laying on 1x3 legs. 1/4" plywood wrapped in and stapled an Ebay tonneau cover over the frame and the whole thing was about 100 bucks. People don't know what is under it and we use it as a picnic table to eat off of. It works great for me. I cut a strip of the material to make a finger loop to open it up. No holes in the bed to rust. and it can be removed in seconds.
I had the old traditional one that went thought the slotted piece in the front and snapped around the sides and back on the 48 when I first built it but it always filled up with water when it rained and I'd have to back up and hit the brakes to empty it. This time around I want something solid that is covered so that it still looks like one that is snapped on complete with snaps.
I used some PVC pipe and a sheet of aluminum left over from my tear drop build. for our 49 PU. Just made up some pivots for the right side roll at the top of the bedside and some plugs and pins on the left. Light weight and easy to remove for the inevitable real purpose of a truck, hauling crap. Here's a link to a quick short write up http://bobsplayce.net/tcover1a.html
It's not hinged at all. I had planed to use barn door hinges. That is what the the 2 pieces of 2x3 are for at the front of the cover. It just lays there. I was scared at first but it's been fine for several years. I'm a one man gang with no help so RR is a consideration. Of course I have not had it off yet.
Not to hijack anything, but the term "tonneau cover", used to describe a bed cover or tarp, kinda bugs me. The covers that you often see on Austin Healeys, MGs and other sporty cars, that cover the seating area are tonneau covers. I know it is useless to complain, much like trying to convince people that wheels are not rims or that they didn't "seen" something today. Sigh........... ton·neau noun \ˈtä-ˌnō, tə-ˈnō\ plural tonneaus Definition of TONNEAU 1 : the rear seating compartment of an automobile; also : the entire seating compartment 2 : a shape of watch case or dialect resembling a barrel in profile
Tagman... Where did you get yours at or did you make it? I probably could get away with an S10 size? Saxman.... Is it water proof? or hows it hold up in the rain? Carl La Fong..... FYI.... Tonneau cover (US /tʌˈnoʊ/ or UK /ˈtɒnoʊ/), describes a hard or soft cover used to protect unoccupied passenger seats in a convertible, roadster, or for a pickup truck bed. Hard tonneau covers open by a hinging or folding mechanism while soft covers open by rolling up. The tonneau cover is used to conceal cargo. When the cover is pulled out, it keeps items out of the sun and provides extra security by keeping personal items out of sight,[1] as well as shielding the driver from view.
Not trying to piss on the thread here just something to think about. Having used one on a daily they can make use of your bed a pain in the ass. Loading bigger stuff it always seems to be just in the way enough. You cant really sit in the back with one of those (drag races etc..) Also hows all the trash gonna blow out with one of those on ?
I went old school and did the vinyl and snaps......I have since added 2 wooden cross bows. When I want to use the bed I just roll it up to the front, no biggie.
The term may have morphed into a cover for a pickup bed, but a tonneau is still defined as the seating area of an automobile and, probably, a carriage but not the cargo area of a truck so, to call a truck bed cover a tonneau cover is, linguistically, incorrect. None of the online dictionaries, of any repute, such as Oxford, etc. refer to trucks. I know it's a silly point. A hat covers one's head, so are rocker covers hats? They cover heads. Wheels are now rims, rolled pans are roll pans, channeling is a body drop. Everyone thinks they're so traditional but the old terms, the traditional terms, are being corrupted. Now, I think I'll go over to the Jockey Journal and rant about suicide shifts and bobbers
The truck in the pics belongs to Tagman. I like the look and was inquiring about the details of how it was done.
I had a cover similar to the one Tagman has on my Ranger a few years ago. It's an aluminum frame that clamps to the top of the box. The snaps slide in a channel and the rear bar can be removed for full use of the bed. I'll see if I can't remember where I picked it up.
I'm pretty sure my old one was a Tekstyle. Here is a video of one very similar to the one I had. www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6HhBmfyZ7k
Vinyl and snaps...4 bars made from electrical conduit Made it about 15 years ago, so its getting a little shabby
"Tagman... Where did you get yours at or did you make it? I probably could get away with an S10 size?" I got mine through a local upholstery shop. The company that makes them didn't have one to fit my '63 C10 (bed was too wide), but for an extra $50 they took the measurements and made one for me. It fits great and the vinyl can be unsnapped and removed without disturbing the frame. The company is out of Syracuse, NY and, if you're interested, I'll look through my records and get the name & info - nshoot me a PM. -Bob
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