| I constructed the
first Truck Bed Tonneau Cover for my F 250 15 years ago. Although the wood
was still in good condition, the Burgundy vinyl cover had faded to a washed-out
purple, and some enthusiastic birds had pecked numerous holes into the
surface. The original one can be seen in pics of the truck in the Truck
Pics section.
So, time for a new one. The reason I build my own is that hard Tonneau Covers were never made for pre 1973 Ford long bed pickups. They are available aftermarket for pretty much any late model P/U. |
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The Tonneau Cover is constructed of 3 panels hinged together at the seams with stainless steel piano hinges. This allows the front and rear panels to lift up for access to the bed. The Cover is retained on the bed by 8 hood lock-down posts with pull pins. |
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This bottom view shows the construction of the 3 panels. The center panel is upper left, and has center braces fitted which retain 2 support panels that support the center section when on the bed. The panels are constructed from 1/4" plywood, 1X1" maple square stock and 3/8X1-1/8" radiused trim around the edges. All the parts are glued and nailed. The bottoms of the panels are coated with polyurethane for moisture protection. This allowed the first Cover to last 15 years outdoors on the truck with minimal deterioration of the wood. |
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Applying the vinyl cover. I use Weldwood Original Contact Cement. A heavy coat to the wood and 2 coats to the vinyl will bond the cover permanently and provide moisture protection to the top of the panels. 1/2 the panel is coated, the cover applied, then the other half is done. Care is taken to not creat a delineation between the 2 sections. |
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With the cover applied, the panel is flipped over, and gluing and trimming continues around the edges of the inside. |