Bed cover- hard shell or soft

moparbob71 · Post by **moparbob71** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:59 am

Hey all, I'm starting to look for a bed cover for the 67- 8' bed.Anyone have one on right now and how do you like it/ any problems.
I don't want a drill and install snap cover, prefer a inside rail mount. Let me know what you have and any pics would be sweet.
Thanks, Bob in Md.

Post by **CSS-Registry** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:41 pm

i am tagging on to this thread to see if anyone links up anything - i am interested in something similar but not quite ready yet.

FatSlick70 · Post by **FatSlick70** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:33 pm

After I get back from Sherman and Trey's this weekend I will take a few pics of my one-off custom, cheap, easy to make bed cover. I love the thing.

moparbob71 · Post by **moparbob71** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:39 pm

thanks, like Ben I'm in no hurry but want to find one this summer

DB69 · Post by **DB69** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:51 am

I am interested in this thread as well.
I am buying a 1983 D150 Royal with a utiline bed and was wondering if there is a source for a hard lid for it?
I realize that this bed hasn't been made since 1985 but my understanding from what I have read in various Dodge truck books I have is that the dimensions were unchanged from 1939 through the end of production at the end of the 1985 model year, at least for the lwb bed which the truck is, maybe Hobcobble would know for sure

DB69

Post by **Hobcobble** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:03 pm

DB69 wrote:I am interested in this thread as well.
I am buying a 1983 D150 Royal with a utiline bed and was wondering if there is a source for a hard lid for it?
I realize that this bed hasn't been made since 1985 but my understanding from what I have read in various Dodge truck books I have is that the dimensions were unchanged from 1939 through the end of production at the end of the 1985 model year, at least for the lwb bed which the truck is, maybe Hobcobble would know for sure
DB69

Tom,
I believe your '83 Utiline box dimensions would date back until mid '65? Maybe
Robin can put a tape measure on his '83 for you and post the length of the
bed rail. I can compare that to a long wheel base Utiline box I have on my
'67 W200.

John

surfnuke9 · Post by **surfnuke9** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:26 pm

My long bed utiline measures just shy of 55" inside of rail to inside of rail and a full 97" from the very front of the side rail to the very rear of the side rail.

F6866 · Post by **F6866** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:37 am

Look at Checkerpro.com it's a hardshell that sets inside the rails, they will custom make them to your measurements.

meangreen · Post by **meangreen** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:01 am

make one to fit. 3/4 inch square tubing, w/ a piano hing in the front. covered in wood, wraped in vinyl. then anlge iron inside the bed rails for the tubing to sit on. would look really classy, and sit flush w/ the top of the bed. you'll need a welder, and or somone to weld for you though. thats the only downside. hope my 2 cents helps

soopernaut · Post by **soopernaut** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:07 pm

moparbob71 wrote:Hey all, I'm starting to look for a bed cover for the 67- 8' bed.Anyone have one on right now and how do you like it/ any problems.
I don't want a drill and install snap cover, prefer a inside rail mount. Let me know what you have and any pics would be sweet.
Thanks, Bob in Md.

You'll have to make one or have one made. Remember the bed isn't 8', it's 8'6". Somebody had a marine place make a soft cover for them. I don't think a hard one would be difficult and I plan on making one but mine will sit on top of the bed rails. That way I don't have to weld or drill into the bed for a mounting surface.

cudaboy · Post by **cudaboy** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:56 pm

C'mon Fatslick70, I keep coming back to this post to see that pic of you're bedcover. You're killin' me with anticipation here. !! LOL

FatSlick70 · Post by **FatSlick70** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:19 pm

All right, settle down there Cudaboy, I will take off early tomorrow and grab some pics.

moparbob71 · Post by **moparbob71** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:22 am

Ok, thanks for all the info/ input. I know most of you don't know me but you've heard of " measure twice, cut once" ? Well, I am Joe measure, and check, and measure, that can't be right, and measure..............

Guys, I have literally 50 hours relocating my gastank and fuel pump

I'm guessing to do a bed cover that I could live with would take at least that

I called Extang yesterday and ofcourse they don't list for a Dodge but have em for forg and cheby. Anyone know the measurements on one of those brands? Well this is why they call it a forum- keep the ideas and reality coming, and there are no wrong answers ( well, other than " why don't you just use some plastic sheeting and ducttape"

PS- check my avatar- that's me when I figured out that I would have to fabricate the fuel cell filler to get my clearance

FatSlick70 · Post by **FatSlick70** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:25 pm

Here is the cover. It sits flush with the top of the bed.

The rear is held down by a spring on each side. There is a loop on top and a hole in the bed for the ends of the spring.

The front is held in by a pin welded to the front of the frame that goes into a hole in the front of the bed.

The frame is made of 1 inch square tubing. The cross bars are from a boat or upholstery shop. They are trimmed to fit the width of the frame minus the plastic inserts.

Inside each bed side I have a piece of 1 inch angle iron mounted with countersunk screws. (To prevent rubbing a hole in the vinyl)

Here is the corner. The frame has velcro riveted along the inside edges.

This is a closer look at the cross bars. The plastic pieces allow the bar to slip out if needed. They are screwed to the frame.

Hope this helps everyone. It's an inexpensive alternative to fiberglass and also you don't have holes all over the outside for the other types of covers.
It is made to be removable if I get somewhere and need to pick up something that won't fit under it. I just peel the velcro off and roll up the cover, the cross bars pop out of the sockets and I can use about 99.5% of the bed! I'm guessing on one of our Swepties one would need three or four cross bars.

All pics can be view VERY large here http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatslick70 ... 512874337/

moparbob71 · Post by **moparbob71** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:23 pm

Hey that's a nice job

I can see that on mine though I'm leaning toward a hard shell type. Thanks again for the great idea

OregonDodgeboy · Post by **OregonDodgeboy** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:58 am

Hey Robert, is that something you made or what? Because I'd like to make one, but I'm wondering about the hardware pieces that the pipes slip into.

Also, I like how light it would be and the ability to take it apart without tools in short order.

Very cool!

cudaboy · Post by **cudaboy** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:25 pm

That looks nice ! I just found out from one of my upholstery supply jobbers that they have available now a bed cover vinyl that looks like diamond plate. That would be cool too.

FatSlick70 · Post by **FatSlick70** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:38 pm

OregonDodgeboy wrote:Hey Robert, is that something you made or what? Because I'd like to make one, but I'm wondering about the hardware pieces that the pipes slip into. Also, I like how light it would be and the ability to take it apart without tools in short order. Very cool!

I bought the truck from a buddy that owned an upholstery shop. Just called him and he said an upholstery supply shop can get the aluminum tubes and end pieces. yes he did make it from scratch.

FatSlick70 · Post by **FatSlick70** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:45 pm

cudaboy wrote:That looks nice ! I just found out from one of my upholstery supply jobbers that they have available now a bed cover vinyl that looks like diamond plate. That would be cool too.

My buddy owed me this last cover and he tried to talk me into that diamond plate, it comes in silver and black. He just now told me they make a camouflage tonneau material now!

AJwestcoast · Post by **AJwestcoast** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:40 am

moparbob71 wrote:Ok, thanks for all the info/ input. I know most of you don't know me but you've heard of " measure twice, cut once" ? Well, I am Joe measure, and check, and measure, that can't be right, and measure.............. Guys, I have literally 50 hours relocating my gastank and fuel pump I'm guessing to do a bed cover that I could live with would take at least that I called Extang yesterday and ofcourse they don't list for a Dodge but have em for forg and cheby. Anyone know the measurements on one of those brands? Well this is why they call it a forum- keep the ideas and reality coming, and there are no wrong answers ( well, other than " why don't you just use some plastic sheeting and ducttape"
PS- check my avatar- that's me when I figured out that I would have to fabricate the fuel cell filler to get my clearance

hey guys, i know this was a while ago but i still need to figure out for how to get a soft cover on mine.
@moparbob

i was wondering the same about extang or any of those other manufacturers, however, my question is: do the dimensions for a longbed sweptline box match up to any modern-day long bed trucks??

That is, match up closely enough to where i could buy one of those nice new snap ones and install it on my 1970 truck?? this is killing me..

and if not ill build one like that rangers cause that things eff'in bad @#%!!!!

Sweptline.ORG

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