Anyone here use a truck cover outside? I'm thinking after a recent hail storm it might be a good idea. I have one of these for our Mercury, but I have thinner "dust covers" for several that sit under roofs. Wife suggested another car port, but I'm not sure I want another. I might would add a "lean-to" 8-10 foot wide like wing on the side of the 21 foot long one I have though.

I'm thinking something like this 5 layer one. Gold Shield 5L Car Cover | 1977 Ford F-150 Car Covers | CarCover.com
I have one of the same for that Mercury, it keeps it clean and dry and it's well padded, said to be safe under hail even.

I have a cover for my '07 SCAB ... but I'm lazy and it has a place under roof too. It also has a bed cover, so if it were covered outside, the cover would be supported. The '77 has no bed cover, so no support.

Just mostly curious here.

Edit 02-27-2025; Can skip to post #s 20 and 26.

Edit 08-02-2025; Post #31 AND #32 is the result .

 

I have 2 truck covers and they sit in the garage. Truck stays out on the driveway 99% of the time. We had a tornado on Thursday that passed by our house about 300 yards away. Fortunately no wind or damage at our house but it got me thinking I should probably throw a cover on it. Can’t hurt I guess.

 

I have a cover for my car. I only put it on when I'm not going to be driving it for a while.
I doubt that mine would protect the car from a sever hail storm, but we never see them here.

How bad is the hail in your area??
And how do you keep it from puddling in the bed?

 

Not basketball ... or even baseball size hail ... but more like quarter size or smaller. Had damage to a '85 T-bird once, but not the '77 truck sitting right beside it. Was a time I'd drive the old truck daily, but now .... bi-weekly maybe ... or less. Just what happens as we get older, retired, and 6 vehicles. I have two under the house attached carport, two under a separate carport, one that is a good driver but whose paint is gone that I use to go to UVA and parking garage, and then this '77.

"How to keep it from puddling in the bed?" .... maybe a few 2x4s cross ways under it, and/or cut a few holes for water to fall into the bed liner where it'd run out at the back like if was no cover? Maybe just use a cab portion? Cab roof, and hood and w-shield maybe, all that is really vulnerable to hail.

Last year, the Merc sat out under that 5 layer cover, which itself was covered by a single layer extra cover mostly to keep bird poop, etc off the thicker 5 layer one. The 5 layer one was bought just for use outside, and it has a fleece liner ... same link, just different application. Good chance I do it again as my Wife and I can easily put the covers on / off the Merc ... way easier than on a taller truck. It's actually faily easy by myself, if not too windy. Then, like last year, the '77 can go inside the separate carport with the '07 truck.


Was last year ... and now this year too.
The 5 layer one is under the snugger single layer blue cover, and tied down. "Merc" stayed drier under two covers than if in a carport, no blowing rain ... and no cat tracks.

I was mostly just fishing for maybe better ideas. If I added another carport now, it'd likely not be near the house but rather, a couple hundred feet out away in a near level former garden? I sometimes wish I had built the attached carport 3 or 4 veh. wide, and made part of it a garage ... but I was tickled just having a carport at all.

Electric utility trimmed my overgrown pines. Might pay to totally remove them, plant something, Leland Cypress, etc that doesn't get quite so tall.

 

I have two from carcovers.com. I had to buy a bigger one when I put the bed topper on. Looks like you're in VA? I'm also in VA and the regular one is yours if you want it. Its just been taking up space in my bed, and I was just thinking about tossing it yesterday. Shoot me a message if you're interested.

 

PM sent ....

 

I bought one for my 77 years ago.. yes the problem is the bed and supporting the cover, I had 2x4's but it was still a pita, and if you have kattens, they like to either lay on top of it, or climb under it, I ended up making a car port for the truck... so personally, I would get another car port if it was up to me.. and then maybe cover it under the cover

 

None that I have, but neighbors have two mousers. I was just thinking about this post today, waiting on the eye exam. If I placed two 2x4s crossways ... one at the mid bed tie downs and one at the rear tie downs, then run a few lengthwise across them, up to the tool box, such would support a cover.


Just a quick draw of an idea, 5 or 6 2x4s, a few pins or small bolts, and two legs. Looks a bit over-done huh? I have left over 2x4s. Would be at least as easy to remove if the cover is removed.

 

I’ve had one of these covers on an extended cab, short bed pickup for the last two years. The first year it was an absolute pain dealing with the open bed issue. No matter what you do, water will find a way to pool in the cover. If you don’t keep that water cleared out, algae starts to grows and it is just a mess. At least that has been my experience.

I ended up installing one of the bed covers that roll up to the cab if access is needed, but latch at the back and velcro to side mounted support rails when you want the bed covered. The type that have a few integrated support rails that keep things nice and sturdy. That solved the problem of constant swimming pools in the sagging car cover.

I’ve always thought the cover does a great job at protecting the truck, but the open bed creates a unique problem. Like you, I thought about using 2x4’s, or even making a PVC framework of sorts, but in the end, I didn’t want to mess around with that scenario every time I used the truck.

 

Do a quick search on boat cover supports. You might get some easier ideas on some light weight bows that will support the cover and shed the water .

 

I have a roll up Truxedo LoPro QT bed cover, but it fits my '07 Flare-side (on it when bought) that I bought a Undercover hard cover for ... but it's too narrow for my '77 ... but they are handy.

I can see how simple cross or lengthwise supports would lead to pooling and putting in place and removing might get old too. A while ago out at the shed gassing the mower, I saw the floor portion of an old drop in bed liner. Light, and it would lay on fewer 2x4s and keep the pooling away .... maybe. Then ... I suddenly recalled something I saw done in the '70s, was on my '70 CST-10 long bed 2wd 402 when I bought it from a guy. I ended up putting a shell on the truck instead, then I sold it to a guy wanted it to tow his drag race bike trailer and stuff. That cover was in two pieces, and covered in a marine grade vinyl.

I do have a few sheets plywood left over from jobs, and if you recall those interlocking cardboard dividers in some product boxes, cookies, etc .... might know what I'm thinking in larger scale. Two across with slots coming up, and two more length wise with slots going down, interlocking, and then set the plywood on top. The plywood could be two pieces, even hinged or just interlocking too. If the dividers were made 18" tall (16" would let me get three from a sheet of plywood, then the reaining two sheets would give me 8 feet long x 8 feet wide material for the remaining needed 16" wide divider, plus 96" x 80" for my top cover needs). would be almost, not quite, flush with the top of the bed side, could add 1-1/2" bottom spacers. Paint the top cover black ... or coat with brush on bed liner ... a fellow could even just leave it on unless wanting it open? Be simple to secure in place. The drop in bedliner in the truck now has a place for a "two by" to go 18" forwards from the closed tailgate, and it'd be easy to place one there to support the rear most divider against groceries, or gas cans or other items put in place through the tailgate under braking, etc?



No doubt, many tire of my drawings, but it helps me refine or explain my ideas.

Thoughts added: My several 4x8 sheets of left over plywood is 5/8" thick and I do have enough to do both interlocking dividers and the "lid" ... (can join them either way ... opening is 76-1/2" from tool box to tail gate inside, and 65" wide bed rail to bed rail inside) and let them meet in the center, and them and the several notched interlocking supports would all lay neatly in the floor if I was somewhere and I suddenly needed the bed. Unless I parked the truck pointing down hill, any rain water or snow melt running in if I didn't have a cover on the truck would run out the tailgate in the grooves between the ribs of my bed liner. If I have a good cover on it, water will run off. I've used some HF Iron Armor on wood, it seems to hold on well. Not a water proof tonneau as it would not seal to the truck, but it would smooth air flow and be hidden to some extent. I'd cut reliefs for the toolbox latch handles ... and my hand holds at the back. A soft pick up truck cover would be well supported too. If I keep that near center section at least 34 or 35" square, a full size spare would lay in there.

I have put a lot of thought into an additional carport, but I really do not have a place I want another one up near the house and I wouldn't want one way off yonder across the yard 200 or 300 feet away from the house. This sort of tonneau cover above gives me "options" ... and I like that. I feel a plan growing.

 

Well, I've been drawing in my extra time as I drink coffee. I've come up with a couple "cut plans" using the 3 sheets 5/8 plywood, and the intent will be to have my cover meet several criteria.

• Easy to set up & to take down
• Easy to store sections in the bed (like if I take it down to haul something home "unplanned")
• When set up, strong enough to walk on
• Top surfaces impervious to water / snow, & sun
• Flush with bed rail tops
• Doesnot have to be water proof (water can run out at the tailgate), just not damaged by water.
• No large heavy sections of plywood

I'll generally have the truck parked pointed up slight grade, and if not in a carport, it'll likely be covered. I am torn between two top ideas, kind of gonna use both..

• Long center section maybe in two pieces, near 48" wide, and a narrower filler along each side to fill out to 65" Width "bed rail to bed rail" @ inside edges
• Mutiple pieces oriented across the bed, the 65" way ... but the length in 4 or even 5 or 6 sections fitting within the 76-1/2" Length from tool box to tail gate.

I can hinge them like a "folding hard cover" ... but favor lighter removable sections.
I would either DIM ... or get Line-X ... to top coat the lids upper surfaces .... black.

On the lid or "top", I'll use a 76.5" long 40" wide center, in three sections (24", 24", and 28.5") .... and a single long 76.5" long 12.5" wide filler outwards to the bed rail on either side. Together they will fill the 76.5" long 65" wide bed opening from tool box to tail gate.

 

I'll never cover mine because I'm going for the "advanced" patina look.

My paint is soo trashed its sad.
My friend Geof is going to help me clear coat the entire truck to try and save it. 🙏

 

If your '77 F-150 doesn't have a bed cover, you should think about getting one that's strong enough to handle water or snow build-up. Some covers come with support beams or poles that create a slope, so water or snow slides off instead of pooling and causing damage

 

Well, where I'm at with this is maybe just three 2x4s across the bed from side to side, resting on my black rubber like "Rail Guard", then a cover laid / secured to them made of a few pieces of the plywood with some sort of top coat, like Iron Armor maybe, and essentially aa sectional, easy to put in place or remove tonneau type cover. My cross pieces could be secured to the bed rail with a "J" bolt like a tool box, and the flat top pieces with a few through bolts, like button head socket screws into threaded insert in the cross pieces. Such a set up would leave the entire inner bed floor open from the tailgate, and support a soft truck cover when parked, and could be left in place when driving. My open bed is 76-1/2" from the tool box rear side to inside tailgate, and 65" from side to side.

In other things, I have had my '77 in the shed beside my '07, but this year I've been fighting birds pooping on both. I've eliminated some roosting opportunities, like electrical conduit for lights by using thick pool noodles that fill the space from conduit to ceiling, and I've hung a few eyeball / reflecting "dangles" with bells to deter birds, as well as added speaker magnets to my owl to mess with them. I've considered bird netting up high, but that doesn't appeal to me. Thought about bird spike strips, but some birds just use spike sections to build secure nests on.