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!

Full Size!

I drive a pickup truck and I don’t care about my carbon foot print, or how many natural resources it takes to make one. Just build it and people like me will come…. but I would like better gas mileage if it’s possible.

I drive a pickup because it is the only tool available for the job. There is no other vehicle that can tackle the demands that work and life bring to my doorstep. Sure, I could have several vehicles, one for moving people and groceries, one for hauling and towing, one for camping and fishing. Some of the small sport utilities, that so-called environmentalists despise, are close to the mark, but you can’t get much work out of them. They are just not big enough; life demands full size for me.

Most people can only afford one vehicle for all those tasks, and it remains and always has been a pickup truck. A large enough SUV or mid-size pickup can haul a small boat, a load of firewood, or all the ingredients for a football tailgate party. But only a full size can haul several atvs for the trail, or tow a 30 foot camper. And no, I am not interested in changing my lifestyle just to drive something that symbolically saves the planet while some how attracting all those bumper stickers.

The most environmentally friendly vehicle you can buy is anything “used.” A used pickup that gets 12 miles to the gallon is way more “green” than a new Prius. No energy went into building the truck; it was already built. Technically, that makes it 100 percent recycled. If you buy something with a big cab, you can car pool while towing the four atvs. Try doing that in a Volkswagen. Oops, well maybe now you can…

Electric vehicles? Those are a bad joke and they barely get out of their own way, much less haul a family of four to grandma’s house at Thanksgiving. And forget about carrying a cooler of food and the big turkey. At some point, all those batteries wear out and end up in a land fill, so the jury is still out on just how environmentally superior electric cars really are. By the way, electric power means coal or gas power.

Obviously, I am not alone in recognizing the value and near perfection of the full size pickup as a modern day horse and wagon. There is a reason that ½ ton trucks like the F-150 have been the best selling vehicles for over 30 years: they are what people NEED. If all you need is a 4 cylinder pavement pounder, then exercise your freedom and be happy. The rest of us will actually live life and move mountains… or at least get our hands dirty trying.