DIY Aluminum Bed Cover

I wasn't thrilled with price of current aluminum bed covers or the lack of security with super cheap rolling/folding bed covers so I built my own.

I started out with a sheet of 3003 aluminum that is .09" thick and 59"x61.5" The frame is made from 1.5" by 1.5" 1/8" thick aluminum angle. All told I have just over $310 in materials and a few nights of time.

The 57" long front rail is screwed into the mount for the factory cover. The side mounts are bolted to the rails using 3/8" unistrut nuts.



I know the corners don't fit perfectly, I was trying to cover the holes in the header panel with this front edge to cut down on water intrusion.


I cut and notched the ends of the rails to account for the kick in the bed sides.


I think the rear rail was 55.5 or 56.5 inches long and the ends were notched to allow the angles to fit tighter together. Everything is riveted together with 3/16" aluminum rivets.




This alloy is supposed to have good corrosion resistance. So I am going to see how long a light brushed texture will last before it goes to crap. I scuffing it deeper and clear coating it or using a self etching primer and paint it to match the body. It isn't too bright and looks better than all black to me.

 

Nice work. Are you are going to install rubber seals? Can you open it and hold it open?

 

I have edged it with epdm foam for now .However, it will need thicker seals at some point. I don't use my bed for many large objects so having it hinged wasn't a priority. It would just be a bit more complicated.

 

Looks really good! Planning on doing something similar in the future. It's been interesting finding sheet aluminum wider than 4'. Where did you get yours?

 

It came from Metal Supermarkets. There are a bunch of locations in the states, but I don't think any in Canada. They didnt have any in stock over 4', but were able to order it in the next day and didn't screw me on the price.

A couple other places i called didnt want to even bother with me and tried to charge me an extra $150 for a thinner sheet of aluminum.

The dealership ran my truck through their car wash and this is not waterproof to high pressure sprays! I will add a thicker epdm seal this weekend.

 

Good stuff. I Like that you can always add more bracing underneath if you want to beef up the top load and shouldn't cost too much. Other options would be to put some diamond plate on top or RhinoLine or spray coat it. Well done!

 

Nice work! Thanks for the write up.

 

I know it doesn't sound thick, but .09" inches doesn't flex very much since it is supported at the back and front. I anticpated it being a bit floppier and have another crossmember I can run across it if needed.

Thanks for the compliments.