Bed Cover

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I’ll bet that thriftiness can give necessity a run for its money.   Not that I am a cheapskate, but sometimes I have to solve my own problems when there are no other ready-made solutions.

I needed a bed cover for my pickup, but I couldn’t find anything on the market that would work.  I wanted to keep my toolbox, create lockable storage, and be able to stack items on top of the bed cover.  And I thought it would be great if I could keep this project under $100. 

My pickup comes with a cargo system in the bed.  After a little thought, I came up with angle iron brackets held in place with threaded 1 inch blocks. 

I used ¾ inch plywood and painted it black to match the trim on the rest of the truck.  I also designed the brackets to mount the cover below the top of the bed.  I do not like how bed covers go over the bed, even though that is probably the only way to make them water proof.  In general, you cannot tie objects down on top of the fiberglass or plastic bed covers without damaging them.  Using painted plywood, I simply repaint as needed when bicycles and coolers scuff it up. 

 I used eyebolts to attach the plywood, which allows me to tie things down to the bed cover, such as coolers, luggage, or kayaks.  The tailgate locks, so I can lock things out of site in the bed.  I was unable to make it water tight, but a few $10 totes allow me to carry luggage and other items without fear of rain.  I also use the totes without the bed cover in place.

 As long as the load is evenly distributed, it will hold 400 pounds.  I have jumped on it (180 pounds) without breaking the brackets or plywood.  I built this 3 years ago now and it has more than lived up to my expectations.  The only improvement I could make to this design would be to hinge it so that I can lift the end.

I'll leave you with a picture of the pickup in serious "vacation mode." Believe it or not, tents, sleeping bags, coolers, and firewood are stuffed under the bed cover!