Removing bed and cab plastics for a custom bed cover

[Ranko Kohime]

I am curious who has removed these (long-term), and what they’ve done about water, which to my understanding, gets under the roof rail, then behind the cab rail, and finally leaks into the bed near the front?

This is something I am in the planning stages for: a custom wood bed cover. Why wood? Because it’s within my skill set, fiberglass and aluminum are not.

I am planning on the idea of removing the siderail plastics so that the cover rests directly on steel (with perhaps a rubber pad in between). Part of the idea is to address the water ingress issue, and the other is purely looks. I prefer the old bed styles before plastics were added.

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[caa60126]

Zero issues with water intrusion. Jason Trek topper installed by S. Cargo Loveland CO.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I am curious who has removed these (long-term), and what they’ve done about water, which to my understanding, gets under the roof rail, then behind the cab rail, and finally leaks into the bed near the front?

This is something I am in the planning stages for: a custom wood bed cover. Why wood? Because it’s within my skill set, fiberglass and aluminum are not.

I am planning on the idea of removing the siderail plastics so that the cover rests directly on steel (with perhaps a rubber pad in between). Part of the idea is to address the water ingress issue, and the other is purely looks. I prefer the old bed styles before plastics were added.

Good reference thread.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/home-made-bifold-firm-cover.81515/

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I am curious who has removed these (long-term), and what they’ve done about water, which to my understanding, gets under the roof rail, then behind the cab rail, and finally leaks into the bed near the front?

This is something I am in the planning stages for: a custom wood bed cover. Why wood? Because it’s within my skill set, fiberglass and aluminum are not.

I am planning on the idea of removing the siderail plastics so that the cover rests directly on steel (with perhaps a rubber pad in between). Part of the idea is to address the water ingress issue, and the other is purely looks. I prefer the old bed styles before plastics were added.

Ranko, @Ranko Kohime
Take a look at this thread it shows the cab of the truck with the Plastics removed.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...ing-long-and-lots-of-pics.83938/#post-1389971

 

[chiko]

Suggestion that PVC would be more durable and work similarly to wood.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/home-made-bifold-firm-cover.81515/
Mine sags a bit but I expect plywood act similarly. It was way more expensive than plywood @$100/sheet of PVC.

 

[Ranko Kohime]

Suggestion that PVC would be more durable and work similarly to wood.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/home-made-bifold-firm-cover.81515/
Mine sags a bit but I expect plywood act similarly. It was way more expensive than plywood @$100/sheet of PVC.

It may well, but I am both more familiar with wood, and dislike plastic, wherever I can avoid it I do.

Though, I see an opportunity to fix the sag in your design, with a pair of 1x2 screwed into each half.

 

[MavStangVa]

It may well, but I am both more familiar with wood, and dislike plastic, wherever I can avoid it I do.

Though, I see an opportunity to fix the sag in your design, with a pair of 1x2 screwed into each half.

I love the smell of plastic. Especially used to love the smell of burning plastic in the molding plant. That was the smell of money to be made. 47 years in plastics processing machinery. Only plastic I hate the smell of is Delrin that has sat in the barrel too long .

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