Thinking About a Shelf Across my Canopy.. How to Secure to Area Above Bedrail?

[lazynorse]

If you have a truck canopy, you know there's that horizontal section that mates with your truck bed rails across the front and sides. I'm thinking about a lightweight shelf that spans the width of the truck bed, where the ends rest on that flat piece of canopy atop the bedrails. Shelf would probably be no greater than 2' wide and located up against the front bedrail.

This area is fiberglass, so I want to be mindful of undue weight or forces from the shelf and cargo damaging this area. It is lying flat, atop gasket and bedrail so hopefully not too delicate.

Thinking whatever piece makes contact with the canopy should be long and not focused points - like the ends of a 2" x 2" or similar - as to distribute the load and forces while underway.

First thing that came to mind was lightweight pine construction, maybe clamped to the combination canopy/bedrail area. Since its carpeted, maybe a long piece of velcro would keep the shelf from bouncing up/down or moving.

Probably over analyzing this.. anyone make something like this?

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[oldnslow]

I think there is usually a board embedded in the fiberglass over the bed rails. You could just put a couple small screws through the shelf into the fiberglass and call it good.

 

[paval3]

I think there is usually a board embedded in the fiberglass over the bed rails. You could just put a couple small screws through the shelf into the fiberglass and call it good.

I agree. OR sometimes the bedrail is made of a composite material encased in fiberglass.

The only downside we always felt about the board encased bedrails used in some fiberglass caps is if you were to drill into them to bolt to the truck (which most dealers don't do anymore, most are secured with cap clamps), is that once the hole is introduced it can draw moisture into the wood over the years. Remember the ole style wood frame caps? Usually it was the bed rails to rot out first and give way.

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