Maybe success. It's been a few days since adding the dangles with eyes and those speaker magnets (most birds can see magnetic energy as light, it's one way they can migrate using earth's magnetic poles, and extra magnets disturb them so they will avoid those places) to the owl .... and I have seen no birds in the carport, no poops either. Before the added dangles and magnets .... I was finding fresh poops about every day.

I picked up a few of the 4" magnetic parts cups at HF to maybe hang. At $3 each, I figured ... can't hurt to add them. Might just leave them in the molded plastic packaging that has a nice hang-up hole. I searched through the display, picked out some with smooth non embossed bottoms for high reflectivity.

 

I'm still considering .... and drawing ... some DIY alternative tonneau cover ideas. I did pick up a can of Iron Armor yesterday to weather proof whatever I do so it can be left in place if desired. I've drawn up a few ideas, and I keep coming back to a certain idea. Basically pretty much as shown above in post 11, a center square about 35" x 35" will handle any spare I'll carry. I'm pretty sure I'll start cutting my pieces this coming week. We have plans the first full week of June, so if I get my pieces cut out this week and can coat what needs coating with the HF Iron Armor bed liner stuff ... it should be well cured by the time we return. I'm not buying any wood, I'm using accumulated "left over" from long past projects.

If the truck is covered, I want to be able to just remove the soft cover and it be presentable so I can just leave it (the tonneau) in place ... and go. If it rains, any water leaking in will wind up in the drop in bed liner floor and run out the tail gate if parked on a grade. If I find I need to remove it at Lowe's, etc .... for a large item, it'll be easy to take down and simply lay the pieces in the bed. Like a "house of cards with boundaries".

Still no more bird poops on either truck so maybe the added dangles and those speaker magnets on the fake owl are working.
I was watching a bird yesterday evening .... It looked like it was going in, but it suddenly turned and flew around and down along the side of that carport. That carport has metal on 3 sides. Later, it came back from behind and sat on the top of the awning I added .... but it never went in.

 

You Tube

Still no more bird poops on either truck

 

Poor bird. Poor cat. That car is possessed.

 

No pics yet, but today I did decide on a plan for my bed cover support that ...

1. will be easy to both set in place & to remove
2. will be easy to store sections in the bed (like if I take it down to haul something home "unplanned" before leaving home)
3. will be strong enough to walk on (at >70 is unlikely I would do so, too easy to loose balance these days)
4. will be impervious to water / snow, & sun on top surfaces. (bed liner coating) ... but it will not be damaged by water.
5. will not be water "proof" (but water collected in the bed liner can run out at the tailgate)
6. will span / rest on the "rail guard" on my bed rail tops (only an option because of plastic-rubber like "Rail Guard")
7. will have no large heavy sections of plywood ... (two heaviest pieces are 20.5 pounds, and two lighter pieces 12.9 pounds each ... for a total of about 67 with coating)

I've decided to run 4 pieces across the bed rail tops, all together they'll cover the open bed from tool box to tailgate, overlapping the bed side tops (that are already protected with Pace's "Rail Guard"), and on top of the tailgate protector. I'll build a light weight but sturdy center support when the 4 top pieces are final fitted. I cut the 4 top or lid pieces from some left over unused sheets of 5/8" thick T-111 plywood, and after checking fit I'll coat with that Iron Armor bed liner. I figure the rough texture will provide good bite for the Iron Armor.

I have also come up with a secure way to clamp under the bed rails with one at each end of each piece. Dealing with 8 screw hold downs (maybe) and simply lay pieces in the bed floor ... or stand them up in the carport ... should be pretty easy even for an old fart. So far, my 4 pieces are each 68" long, two are 14+" wide, two are 23+" wide. I have enough from what's been cut to fab a light weight, narrow, lengthwise "center support".

UPDATED 07-22-2024: I am still waiting on some good "not so hot draught weather" to pull around and do some fitting of my pieces that I've cut so far, but in the mean time I can do as outlined below. I do have a plan to proceed with, I'll revisit and post pics then when complete.

 

I can do something simpler. I will have a total of 8 bed rail tie downs (with two more inside the tool box that it sits over). I was going to install them anyway.
Today looking at putting wood on / off, etc ... it occurred to me that I might first try simply lacing a water resistant (non rotting) rope through the tie downs, tie tight (likely near driver side front for easiest access / monitoring). Easy on, light, and I suspect strong enough to support a full truck cover, even if I need add a center upright to slope the rope / cover to the sides.

I could add / or just use ...4 cam buckle tie downs across .... NOT ratchet straps .... . Four of those straps straight across would easily hold a old bed liner floor section up flush with bed rails under a soft full truck cover. Snow might be an issue, but then I could simply remove the rear portion, remove the 4 straps, let it all rest in the bed until thawed ... unless I had it in the carport.



I might still do the wood deal above, we'll see. I cut the wood, but still some work and decisions there. To smooth or eliminate pockets for pooling, I have some old bed liner floor that can lay on top the rope & under the soft whole truck cover. When taking the truck out, I would just remove the soft cover ... and I could even lay / stand bed liner floor piece off or lay it in the bed floor, use the truck with rope and / or the 4 cam buckle tie downs left in place. Likely the rope would be black, not a sexy red.

No, I would not walk on this.

UPDATED 07-22-2024: So far, no real changes as to this alternative method, this remains easily doable as I have now put 8 useable tie downs ... 4 each side ... behind the tool box, there are two poking up through the tool box too that were left in place to index the tool box if removed / reinstalled when needed.

 

I use seal skin car covers, on a mustang and a jeep.
https://my.sealskincovers.com/waterp...SAAEgJGxfD_BwE

 

Forgot my thought! ........

 

My stepfather bought a bedcover of sorts. It was plywood covered in what appeared to be a vinyl top material like a 70's GM car with a seam down the center. It was just C-clamped in the 4 corners. Very heavy but kept snow and leaves out.

 

Guys where I lived would sometimes make one probably much like that, but set it on two long aluminum extruded angles and once set in place, crawl in and slide sliding latches to catch under the lip. Some would make it like a table with legs, and they were heavy too. Was an upholstery shop there in town would cover them with padding and marine grade vinyl. Take a couple buddies to set them in the bed.

I knew one guy who was on a date one warm summer night, back row at the drive in movies, They often ran all night movies then like "dusk to dawn". I guess things got steamy laying on his cover with her, maybe a blanket, under the stars, a breeze maybe blowing .... he maybe got some bit too excited, fell off one side and bad broke a leg or hip. He limped for years. I think they maybe later got married, but he's long deceased now.

 

Well, I was staring at those 4 pieces cut in post #20 above, they never yet got used. They are each 68" long so they will rest on the "Rail Guard" on the bed rails. They are 3" longer than the 65" open between bed rails, so they'll rest 1-1/2" over on the tough black Rail Guard. I would include a single 2x6 center support running lengthwise, set on stout plastic milk crate bases. so that the cover pieces really only span 32" unsupported. Because I was using some left over wood, I have trued up a 14-5/8", a 14-1/8", a 23-19/32", and a 22-31/32" wide piece, none are really "heavy" (heaviest is about 20-1/4 pounds) , all are 5/8 exterior T1-11. I'll use a 2" hole saw to cut a round notch at each end that will precisely locate each end of each piece just by sitting them down in place over those tie downs. I'll number them 1 through 4 from the front, with #4 being the rear one, and fit them starting at the rear. There will likely be a clamp deal added underneath that will hold them down at the bed rail after fitment. They'll have a 3/8" gap between each, and at the front next to the tool box,1-7/16" to allow me to unlatch the tool box lid. At the very rear, the last piece will also rest on top of the tailgate. Should easily be sturdy enough to walk on. Each piece will get a good smooth coat of Iron Armor bed line brushed on .... as after testing I've done, I know this stuff works.

Not intended to keep water out (3/8" gaps to allow it in off the top), but it will support a soft cover, hide my spare, and cut down on leaves ... and be OK to leave in place driving as well.




I did get the pieces "fitted" today, but it got dark on me. Started at the tail gate end & worked my way forwards. Later on I'll bevel the edges, fashion a center support lengthwise, and round the far back corners and do the coating. Oddball sounding measures are actual numbers after truing the 4 pieces. Best pic under night skies, once it's black and etc, it'll look pretty fair I think. So far It is coming out according to plan. I did later incorporate hand hold slots, to make them easier to control as setting them in place without one hitting the truck.

 

Having a few uninterrupted minutes at work, so decided to log in and check the forum.
First year use of cover on my 1995 Ford F-150 Short Bed Eddie Bauer, had pooling puddle of water. Thought what to use to prevent pooling of the water. Had a truck (12:00 x 24) tire inter tube, an old car 15" inter tube and finally used a cheap beach ball sitting on top of the 15" car tube. Height of the inflated tubes and beach ball provided enough tension between the bed and vehicle cover to prevent water pooling in the bed, it shed water very nicely. Inflated inter-tubes and beach ball are light weight and easily removed, stowed deflated when not in use for long periods.

 

Air adjustable, and ...... you could almost put it all in a brief case.

 

Today I trimmed a little, and am currently letting a good coat of black seal the grain edges,





The red could be long pieces of under 7/8" OD pipe, tube, or conduit, etc and once inserted through the tie downs, the top pieces aren't gonna move. Easy to secure.

I did put them back in place one at a time, starting with the front most one this time, fairly easy from the side without banging anything, but I think it'll be a much easier task once the center support is in place. If sealed in black, they'll blend well enough and not detract in my view, and they would be reasonably easy to remove if a "need to haul xyz" arose. I don't expect water tight, but they would limit leaves and such trash falling into the bed, cover things like my spare if it is carried, and they do use up some "unlikely to be used otherwise" wood.

If not using a soft cover on the truck, I'd be easier just pointing the front up grade, leave these off, let rain drain. If we were to travel with luggage, maybe go to visit a spell, could come in handy to cover luggage, etc, and even provide weather protection with a water resistant black tarp on top, secured to those tie downs .... or wrap the soft luggage in water proof garbage bags and just put it in the bed and simply use these.

After I finish, after cover coats are cured, I'll revisit this and post some final pics but tests tell me it's a great fit. I made a simple center support too, a 2x4 set at height resting across two simple legs. Just to refresh .... If I had used 4 equal sized pieces, would have cut four pieces each @ 19-1/4" wide and 68" long, and each would have weighed under the same 16-3/4 pounds. The only other items besides the 4 tops are a 5 foot 2x4 to support the center. All very easy to handle alone, and even simply haul home with any load if need be.

07-23-2025 update here .....Been so hot and humid that I haven't gotten after it to finish, still need to run a "round over router bit" around the edges, seal, and let cure, then I'll put them on with center brace in place. I look at these pics & I think is gonna be OK.

 

I guess I will just "get after it" one cool morning before it gets sunny and hot, get these "already cut" pieces finished and coated ... and see how they look.