DIY Rack Version 2.0 -- this time with integrated bed cover

[Phranc68]

The market is providing a ton of choices for cross bars and tonneau covers. You can get cross bars at many heights, even some that are adjustable. You can get tonneau covers in a wide range of prices from value to insane. Even with all those choices, after a year plus with my Maverick my challenge was that none of the options available did what I wanted.

I posted about version 1.0 of a DIY rack system. It performed perfectly over a year and 20k of adventures. It did not however provide cover for gear, luggage or groceries from NW winters full of rain and snow. I decided to try and improve my first version and include an integrated cover for the bed with my cross bars.

My goal was to have a mostly water tight bed cover with cross bars for my gear. My bottom line was not having to roll up a cover, around bars, to painstakingly access my bed. One of the advantages of the Maverick is that you can actually reach into the bed. I didn’t want to have to roll or fold a cover around bars to access the front or middle of the bed.

I also didn’t want to spend at least $1k to have bars and tonneau that fit together, but still did not do what I wanted.

In order to keep it cheap I kept it pretty basic. I wanted hatches, but wish I had put in a slide opening cover for the front hatch instead of a hinge so you could always slide open access to the that zone. The total materials (I already had the bars) was around $90.

I still have lights to install lights (which will be rechargeable, using the power in the bed on drives to charge but can be used without the truck power on). I also have to do something about general security, likely installing locking slides but it is not a crisis.

The bars can carry my skis/bikes or my gear box or a gear basket so I think it’s pretty flexible. I am trying to keep my toys below/equal to the roof line.

I put a couple of 2X6s across the bed to create a bit of a trunk like space in back ¼ of the bed using the indentations as designed. Great for groceries

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[PCnative]

Very Nice.

 

[hungliketictacs]

Well done and great design! You have my mind turning on how to make that lighter and lower profile. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Hardening2753]

The market is providing a ton of choices for cross bars and tonneau covers. You can get cross bars at many heights, even some that are adjustable. You can get tonneau covers in a wide range of prices from value to insane. Even with all those choices, after a year plus with my Maverick my challenge was that none of the options available did what I wanted.

I posted about version 1.0 of a DIY rack system. It performed perfectly over a year and 20k of adventures. It did not however provide cover for gear, luggage or groceries from NW winters full of rain and snow. I decided to try and improve my first version and include an integrated cover for the bed with my cross bars.

My goal was to have a mostly water tight bed cover with cross bars for my gear. My bottom line was not having to roll up a cover, around bars, to painstakingly access my bed. One of the advantages of the Maverick is that you can actually reach into the bed. I didn’t want to have to roll or fold a cover around bars to access the front or middle of the bed.

I also didn’t want to spend at least $1k to have bars and tonneau that fit together, but still did not do what I wanted.

In order to keep it cheap I kept it pretty basic. I wanted hatches, but wish I had put in a slide opening cover for the front hatch instead of a hinge so you could always slide open access to the that zone. The total materials (I already had the bars) was around $90.

I still have lights to install lights (which will be rechargeable, using the power in the bed on drives to charge but can be used without the truck power on). I also have to do something about general security, likely installing locking slides but it is not a crisis.

The bars can carry my skis/bikes or my gear box or a gear basket so I think it’s pretty flexible. I am trying to keep my toys below/equal to the roof line.

I put a couple of 2X6s across the bed to create a bit of a trunk like space in back ¼ of the bed using the indentations as designed. Great for groceries

Awesome!!!!

 

[DTett]

That’s some ingenuity right there.
Nice job

 

[Eklipse]

That is awesome

 

[2thGAP]

The market is providing a ton of choices for cross bars and tonneau covers. You can get cross bars at many heights, even some that are adjustable. You can get tonneau covers in a wide range of prices from value to insane. Even with all those choices, after a year plus with my Maverick my challenge was that none of the options available did what I wanted.

I posted about version 1.0 of a DIY rack system. It performed perfectly over a year and 20k of adventures. It did not however provide cover for gear, luggage or groceries from NW winters full of rain and snow. I decided to try and improve my first version and include an integrated cover for the bed with my cross bars.

My goal was to have a mostly water tight bed cover with cross bars for my gear. My bottom line was not having to roll up a cover, around bars, to painstakingly access my bed. One of the advantages of the Maverick is that you can actually reach into the bed. I didn’t want to have to roll or fold a cover around bars to access the front or middle of the bed.

I also didn’t want to spend at least $1k to have bars and tonneau that fit together, but still did not do what I wanted.

In order to keep it cheap I kept it pretty basic. I wanted hatches, but wish I had put in a slide opening cover for the front hatch instead of a hinge so you could always slide open access to the that zone. The total materials (I already had the bars) was around $90.

I still have lights to install lights (which will be rechargeable, using the power in the bed on drives to charge but can be used without the truck power on). I also have to do something about general security, likely installing locking slides but it is not a crisis.

The bars can carry my skis/bikes or my gear box or a gear basket so I think it’s pretty flexible. I am trying to keep my toys below/equal to the roof line.

I put a couple of 2X6s across the bed to create a bit of a trunk like space in back ¼ of the bed using the indentations as designed. Great for groceries

what a great idea.

 

[TexasHybrid]

Impressive. I've been thinking about the rear end access for general day use like groceries and commute work items. This idea may fit the bill.

 

[wax87]

How well does it seal up from rain? What did you do to seal the hinges and edges?

 

[Phranc68]

How well does it seal up from rain? What did you do to seal the hinges and edges?

Great question. I went back and forth about this. I have a friend who is a Shipwright and he always says "water will find a way".

We had our first heavy rain this week and indeed water drips around the seams and edges. Not a lot, but more than you would want carrying groceries lol. I have some 2in rubber strip and exterior weather strip I'm going to try. I'm heading to the mountains this weekend, with likely constant rain on the drive both ways so we will see how that works.

I thought about scoring some thin channels on the cross bar supports which are the lowest surface to help drain water off. That might be version 2.1.

 

[Phranc68]

How well does it seal up from rain? What did you do to seal the hinges and edges?

Quick update on what the approach to sealing hinges. I ultimately settled on using 3 layers of waterproof fabric (silicone rubber backed Cordura) that spans the hinges for each of the hatches. I used pieces of trim I had laying around to hold the fabric on each side of hinges and edges.

It's working very well. I would not put my Toilet Paper stash at risk in a hurricane or anything. But In some serious Northwest Rain events recently the approach is allowing only a trickle in on the edges here and there.

I have the lighting installed too, which is close to the last step. Ready for a spring and summer of adventure.

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