Beechkid's Bed Cover

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Sep 11, 2009 | 04:36 PM

Beechkid

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From: Southern California

Beechkid's Bed Cover

Finally got around to taking some pics. Every bed cover I looked at either had quality issues, hinges were crap or they just didn't fit worth a "hoot". It's constructed out of aircraft grade aluminum, stainless steel fasteners and fabricated spring loaded quick release latches (all fabricated by me & help from the wife!). The top is padded with a 1/2" hard/solid pad (same type used on limos. It's a 2 piece design with each section light enough that even the wife can unlatch and lift it off.

Latch assembly

Sep 23, 2009 | 05:27 PM

schefner

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Nice cover. I have been thinking about doing my own too. Do you have any pics of your latch and hinge setups?

Steve

Sep 24, 2009 | 04:13 PM

Beechkid

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Quote:

Originally Posted by schefner

Nice cover. I have been thinking about doing my own too. Do you have any pics of your latch and hinge setups?

Steve

Do I don't, but what I did was run a piece of 1/8" x 3" aluminum the length of the bed on each side. I attached the al to the backside of the upper bed lip, drilling 3 holes on each side, using stainless steel screws that were countersunk below the surface of the side plastic bed covers. To secur the front, I notched 2 L-shaped openings on the cover that would in essence drop straight down onto a 1/4' ss bolt attached to the al on each side. By sliding the cover forward (against the cab), this locked the front. To secur the rear, I built a spring loaded pin type latch that slides into a hole drilled into the al.

The back 1/2 bed cover, attaches into the front bed cover using 2 pieces of 1" x 1/8" al bar, bent on a slight curve that acts as an integrated hinge, allowing the rear cover to be lifted about 80 degrees from the front. The back of the rear cover is attached with the spring loaded pins- same as the front.

The entire frame of the bed cover is "brazed" using a oxy/acet torch.