Hope the new year finds you well......

So I have a budget now to start upfitting my F350. I hate the tonneau cover I have (snaps suck in the cold) and want to move over to an access cover. I will also be doing a bunch of other items - KN filter, rain deflectors, bug shield, bumper and light guards, etc.

The Tonneau cover that is on my truck was installed as a dealer prep and they drilled holes around the edges and the snaps were riveted into place . The bed rail guard would cover most of the hole, but about 1/4 of it would still be showing below the bed rail cover.

An obvious solution would be to find a bed rail cover that would extend about 3/4" lower than the standard cover. I have yet to find one. Another option would be to remove the stainless stell snaps and replace with black rivets. Yet another suggested option is to do a little body work to the wholes, then do a rhino liner spray for the bed rail caps to cover them.

Do you have any other ideas? The guys at cap world are helpful, but I am betting someone out here has run into a similiar problem. Anyone find a rail cover that extends lower than a standard cover?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

I am not clear on where the holes are drilled but would a set of aftermarket bed rail covers cover them? Diamond plate might look cool.

 

Thanks for the reply.... I have a bed rail cap on, and the holes are drilled through the bed rail cap and through the side metal. I could replace the bed rail caps, but the standard ones will not come down far enough to cover all of the hole. 3/4 of the whole is covered, but the last 1/4" of the hole will be exposed. I need to take a photo and post.... will do today...

 

Here are the images

This photo shows the line of snaps on the side of the truck. I am trying to find a way to cover them, hopefully a rail cap that is longer than standard:



This is a close up of the hole that is left when a snap is removed:




Any ideas?

 

You might go to a local sheet metal shop and have some new covers made? Then you could have them made to your specs. Just a thought.


Fitter

 

jfalk: If you want to do it right, have those holes welded up and ground down flush and repainted. I have not seen that kind of installation in years because of the rust problem it creats. Whenever you drill holes in a painted surface and it is not sealed correctly, it will rust. I had this same problem many years ago with a SS El Camino, tried to plug the holes,rust would always return. Welded holes and repainted,sealed underneath and the problem never returned.

Just my thoughts,
Lenny

 

Thanks for that tip, never thought of that avenue.....


Would bringing it to a body shop for some bondo, sanding and repainting do the trick as well?

Body work is not my forte and something I don't want to fiddle with. Engines and electronics are my game.

 

jfalk: To me, that is the best route. I would take the truck to a reputable body shop and ask them the best route to take as far as filling in the holes. And by going this route, you will be done with it and the truck will look a whole lot better.

When only the best will do,
Lenny

 

Bondo will cover the holes for the short term (couple of years) in my limited experience. If you are going to keep the truck weld it, paint it and that would be the most permanant.

 

Excellent

Sounds like I will be going th welding and grinding route. I am probably going spray in bedliner, so if I get it welded and smoothed, I will have the rail cap spray go a bit further down to cover over the body work. It will all be black, so should work out okay...

Thanks for the help!