Tonneau covers for short bed stepsides?

[greenweenie]

Does anyone make a good tonneau for the short bed stepsides? What kinds of products do you guys have and how have you liked them? I have a '78 I'm building a walnut bed floor for, and I'd like something to keep it out of the sun/snow. I see LMC sells a velcro-on bed cover, is this as cheap and low-quality as it sounds? This isn't a show truck and the bed will see some light use, so I don't mind drilling holes in the bed and I'd like to be able to roll up the cover for things that wouldn't fit under a hinged bed lid/truck topper. Alternatively, have you guys found any other good ways to protect your bed so it doesn't rot out within a few years? I don't have a garage and where I live it's not really an option, so I'm looking to see what I can do to make the bed floor last. Thanks all!

 

[bucket]

It really takes a long long time for the floor to rot out.

For many years I have had a plan to fabricate my own cover, but I've never followed through yet. The plan is to make the cover out of a marine grade plywood and put a bit of a bevel on the edges. Then wrap the top and edges with a padded vinyl of some kind. The front would be hinged, with quick release pins. I'd incorporate gas lift struts, the lower ball studs would use existing fender mounting holes. If the geometry for the upper mounts (on the cover's underside) is correct, the gas struts won't try to lift the cover until it has been manually lifted a few inches. At the rear, there could just be a simple buckle on each side.

Oh, and none of the hardware would be mounted to the wood with simple screws. There would be machine thread hardware with backing washers and countersunk hardware as needed, to sandwich the wood. Minor differences in the outer surface would be masked by the padded vinyl.

 

[greenweenie]

That sounds like a pretty slick design. I’d almost be interested in doing an accordion-style top with piano hinges like you see on a lot of commercially available beds - that way I can move tall furniture and that sort of thing without having to take the cover off. I am plenty handy and can get creative, I’m just up to my eyeballs in DIY auto and home projects and I’m trying to see if I can’t get one off the list. Keep talking about cool ideas like that though, and I might get sucked into a project pretty easily…

 

[1STLS1]

I bought a Craftec one for my '87 GMC . It's never been on the truck because it's a work in progress but it's assembled and looks good and sturdy.

I bought one because of another boards suggestion for the same question.

1955-87 Chevy Stepside 6' SWB | Craftec Covers

www.crafteccovers.com

 

[Bassman53]

I am building a 76 stepside and i put walnut in mine. The wood i got had been laying out in the weather for many years and was in good condition. i cut and planed it and put clear on it, I think it will last for many years. Bobby