DIYAndy
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- #1
DIY Hillbilly Truck Bed Cover (Tonneau) for 2019/20 Ford Ranger.
Due to the high cost of commercial Tonneau (In Ohio, we call them truck bed covers - no french spoken here) and a bet from the local bar room Ford Ranger owners, I decided to do a DIY design and build my own Ford Ranger truck bed cover for ~ 1/5 the cost and about less than a day's work (6 hours)! Needless to say, I collected on all my bets which paid for my hillbilly engineered truck bed cover design. One disgruntled person, who lost the bet, said "if you ever break down with your Ranger, out in Timbuktu, at least you can stay warm at night by burning your wood truck bed cover (Tonneau) for heat" - great idea but my Ford Ranger will never break down - Built Ford Tough!
My DIY Hillbilly truck bed cover had to meet only six design criteria:
1. Security - protects truck contents from being seen, removed or walking away.(They can't steal it if they can't see it)
2. Panel covers just "lift off" completely from the truck bed rails after releasing the security ratchets tiedowns. (Cover panels are stored when needed)
3. Prevents snow/ice accumulation, in truck bed, in the winter.
4. Does not need to be 100% leakproof - I already have a blown-in Polyurethane truck bed.
5. Truck bed panel covers are easy to install, to remove and low cost to repair/replace.
6. Very low overall cost - compared to commercial Tonneau covers.
Truck Bed Cover (Tonneau) facts:
I like to point out two misconceptions about truck bed covers. (Tonneau)
1. All covers with seams/hinges will not leak. Wrong - most Tonneau manufacturers, in fine print, even include a disclaimer that they do leak!
2. Truck covers are well secure and cannot be broken into. Wrong - with a battery powered heavy duty DeWalt angle grinder, within a few seconds/minutes, I can break into any Tonneau ever sold.
DIY Hillbilly truck bed cover IS NOT:
1. 100% leakproof/waterproof - just use a tarp over critical "internal" truck bed contents.
Better yet, for 100% waterproof protection use a well secured tarp over "all" the panel covers using tarp clips snap buttons and D rings. Since I have an already installed Polyurethane liner, then a little water leakage won't bother me.
For 100% "Hillbilly" quick water protection just use ~ 2" wide duct tape over the two panel cover seams. (Gorilla "all weather" duct tape) Applying the proper automotive/building weather stripping to the seams will help in reducing water leakage.
2. DIY panel cover(s) are neither sleek nor artistic and does not use any high tech, shiny, expensive materials.
3. Expensive. Tonneaus cost $900 - $1500. My Hillbilly truck cover cost about ~ $175 for the basic, no frills, version.
DIY Truck Bed Cover Design Features:
1. Very low cost. ~ $175 basic version (non painted/waterproof sealed), ~ $225 weatherproof version and ~ $275 enhanced, fancy, version with diamond tread rubber mat.
2. No truck bed drilling required for cover installation. If fact, no rails and hardware was added the Ranger truck bed.
3. Secure blow-off protection. 3 pairs of ratchet, adjustable rope clip hangers attaches to each panel section (eyebolts) for blow-off protection and security.
4. Three light weight, panel covers that just lift off by a single person. Approximate weight per panel ~ 16 pounds.
5. Uses an exterior 1/4" plywood sheathing with pine furring strip ladder frame design. Sealed and protected, from weathering, with a special black weatherproof paint.
6. Tailgate, for security, has to be unlocked and lowered to removed the cover panels.
7. Tailgate can be opened and closed with the truck bed cover installed.
8. Cover panels can be installed "individually" for quick and easy bed loading/unloading.
9. This low cost truck bed covers uses only "off the shelf", big box store low tech "wood" materials.
10. Takes less than 3 minutes to install or remove all the cover panels completely.
11. Uses the two truck bed tiedowns (2 on each side) with a chain and quick links for a secure, adjustable, tiedown connection(s) for each cover panel eyebolt(s) and rope ratchet.
12. Use of industrial adhesive (Fuse-IT), waterproof wood glue (Gorilla), T and L corner brackets w/screws gives each cover panel with ladder frame, heavy duty strength.
Parts:
(Due to different vehicle truck bed sizes ( 5' or 6' truck beds) parts will vary greatly.)
1. 1/4" exterior "non pressure treated" plywood - Home Depot or Lowes will cut 4' x 8' plywood sheets to size.
2. 2" x 2" x 8' (nominal) pine furring lumber strips (finish/actual size 1.5" x 1.5") (they must be straight!)
3. T and L corner brackets w/screws for ladder frame.
4. 1/4" eye bolts for blow-off and security protection.
5. Chain and quick links for truck bed tie points.
6. 6 ratchet, adjustable rope clip hangers for blow-off and security protection.
7. Waterproof wood glue, industrial adhesive, wood preservative (optional), exterior porch and floor paint (optional).
Construction:
Choosing the proper quality and straight wood materials from the lumber stores took some time.
Proper cover panel design sizing is needed to prevent material waste. Since a standard plywood sheet is 4' x 8' then 2 sheets were needed for my 6' bed.
With the proper tools e.g. miter saw w/laser, gluing clamps, power screwdriver, all three ~ 59" x ~ 2' panels took about 6 hours to build and the wait times for the glue to cure and industrial adhesive to dry just took overnight.
To save on materials always "measure twice and cut only once". Being an Ohio hillbilly, I measured 5 times and cut only once!
The hardest part, in this DIY truck cover design/construction, was finding the proper adhesives, tapes, glues, wood preservatives and paint but building it was a snap.
For those don't like working with wood change into your plumber's hat and use PVC furniture piping, PVC glue and HDPE sheets as a more expensive, sleek design alternative.
Possible future upgrades:
1. Add 0.025 highly polished, "cosmetic", aluminum, diamond tread, sheet metal. Aluminum prices are still too high but for ~ $200 extra it can be done.
2. Use an automotive/building weather stripping between the seams for superior water leakage seam protection.
3. For a different cover panel skins just add a 1/8" diamond tread rubber mats with proper polyurethane adhesive.
4. Add "all weather" Gorilla duct tape around all edges to prevent wood splinters when handling the cover panels.
(Ouch! - will definitely do this)
5. Add a quality wood preservative to prevent rot, decay, mildew, fungus, from de-grading the wood cover panels. (Will do this) (Woodlife CreoCoat Black Water-Based Wood Preservative will do but try to stay away from nasty asphalt paint or Creosote)
6. Paint the cover panels flat black with porch or deck paint.
Author: DIYAndy
End of completed project - 12-28-2019.
BTW … Pictures are forthcoming but waiting for better weather conditions.
Due to the high cost of commercial Tonneau (In Ohio, we call them truck bed covers - no french spoken here) and a bet from the local bar room Ford Ranger owners, I decided to do a DIY design and build my own Ford Ranger truck bed cover for ~ 1/5 the cost and about less than a day's work (6 hours)! Needless to say, I collected on all my bets which paid for my hillbilly engineered truck bed cover design. One disgruntled person, who lost the bet, said "if you ever break down with your Ranger, out in Timbuktu, at least you can stay warm at night by burning your wood truck bed cover (Tonneau) for heat" - great idea but my Ford Ranger will never break down - Built Ford Tough!
My DIY Hillbilly truck bed cover had to meet only six design criteria:
1. Security - protects truck contents from being seen, removed or walking away.(They can't steal it if they can't see it)
2. Panel covers just "lift off" completely from the truck bed rails after releasing the security ratchets tiedowns. (Cover panels are stored when needed)
3. Prevents snow/ice accumulation, in truck bed, in the winter.
4. Does not need to be 100% leakproof - I already have a blown-in Polyurethane truck bed.
5. Truck bed panel covers are easy to install, to remove and low cost to repair/replace.
6. Very low overall cost - compared to commercial Tonneau covers.
Truck Bed Cover (Tonneau) facts:
I like to point out two misconceptions about truck bed covers. (Tonneau)
1. All covers with seams/hinges will not leak. Wrong - most Tonneau manufacturers, in fine print, even include a disclaimer that they do leak!
2. Truck covers are well secure and cannot be broken into. Wrong - with a battery powered heavy duty DeWalt angle grinder, within a few seconds/minutes, I can break into any Tonneau ever sold.
DIY Hillbilly truck bed cover IS NOT:
1. 100% leakproof/waterproof - just use a tarp over critical "internal" truck bed contents.
Better yet, for 100% waterproof protection use a well secured tarp over "all" the panel covers using tarp clips snap buttons and D rings. Since I have an already installed Polyurethane liner, then a little water leakage won't bother me.
For 100% "Hillbilly" quick water protection just use ~ 2" wide duct tape over the two panel cover seams. (Gorilla "all weather" duct tape) Applying the proper automotive/building weather stripping to the seams will help in reducing water leakage.
2. DIY panel cover(s) are neither sleek nor artistic and does not use any high tech, shiny, expensive materials.
3. Expensive. Tonneaus cost $900 - $1500. My Hillbilly truck cover cost about ~ $175 for the basic, no frills, version.
DIY Truck Bed Cover Design Features:
1. Very low cost. ~ $175 basic version (non painted/waterproof sealed), ~ $225 weatherproof version and ~ $275 enhanced, fancy, version with diamond tread rubber mat.
2. No truck bed drilling required for cover installation. If fact, no rails and hardware was added the Ranger truck bed.
3. Secure blow-off protection. 3 pairs of ratchet, adjustable rope clip hangers attaches to each panel section (eyebolts) for blow-off protection and security.
4. Three light weight, panel covers that just lift off by a single person. Approximate weight per panel ~ 16 pounds.
5. Uses an exterior 1/4" plywood sheathing with pine furring strip ladder frame design. Sealed and protected, from weathering, with a special black weatherproof paint.
6. Tailgate, for security, has to be unlocked and lowered to removed the cover panels.
7. Tailgate can be opened and closed with the truck bed cover installed.
8. Cover panels can be installed "individually" for quick and easy bed loading/unloading.
9. This low cost truck bed covers uses only "off the shelf", big box store low tech "wood" materials.
10. Takes less than 3 minutes to install or remove all the cover panels completely.
11. Uses the two truck bed tiedowns (2 on each side) with a chain and quick links for a secure, adjustable, tiedown connection(s) for each cover panel eyebolt(s) and rope ratchet.
12. Use of industrial adhesive (Fuse-IT), waterproof wood glue (Gorilla), T and L corner brackets w/screws gives each cover panel with ladder frame, heavy duty strength.
Parts:
(Due to different vehicle truck bed sizes ( 5' or 6' truck beds) parts will vary greatly.)
1. 1/4" exterior "non pressure treated" plywood - Home Depot or Lowes will cut 4' x 8' plywood sheets to size.
2. 2" x 2" x 8' (nominal) pine furring lumber strips (finish/actual size 1.5" x 1.5") (they must be straight!)
3. T and L corner brackets w/screws for ladder frame.
4. 1/4" eye bolts for blow-off and security protection.
5. Chain and quick links for truck bed tie points.
6. 6 ratchet, adjustable rope clip hangers for blow-off and security protection.
7. Waterproof wood glue, industrial adhesive, wood preservative (optional), exterior porch and floor paint (optional).
Construction:
Choosing the proper quality and straight wood materials from the lumber stores took some time.
Proper cover panel design sizing is needed to prevent material waste. Since a standard plywood sheet is 4' x 8' then 2 sheets were needed for my 6' bed.
With the proper tools e.g. miter saw w/laser, gluing clamps, power screwdriver, all three ~ 59" x ~ 2' panels took about 6 hours to build and the wait times for the glue to cure and industrial adhesive to dry just took overnight.
To save on materials always "measure twice and cut only once". Being an Ohio hillbilly, I measured 5 times and cut only once!
The hardest part, in this DIY truck cover design/construction, was finding the proper adhesives, tapes, glues, wood preservatives and paint but building it was a snap.
For those don't like working with wood change into your plumber's hat and use PVC furniture piping, PVC glue and HDPE sheets as a more expensive, sleek design alternative.
Possible future upgrades:
1. Add 0.025 highly polished, "cosmetic", aluminum, diamond tread, sheet metal. Aluminum prices are still too high but for ~ $200 extra it can be done.
2. Use an automotive/building weather stripping between the seams for superior water leakage seam protection.
3. For a different cover panel skins just add a 1/8" diamond tread rubber mats with proper polyurethane adhesive.
4. Add "all weather" Gorilla duct tape around all edges to prevent wood splinters when handling the cover panels.
(Ouch! - will definitely do this)
5. Add a quality wood preservative to prevent rot, decay, mildew, fungus, from de-grading the wood cover panels. (Will do this) (Woodlife CreoCoat Black Water-Based Wood Preservative will do but try to stay away from nasty asphalt paint or Creosote)
6. Paint the cover panels flat black with porch or deck paint.
Author: DIYAndy
End of completed project - 12-28-2019.
BTW … Pictures are forthcoming but waiting for better weather conditions.
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