Vincent
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2024
- Messages
- 229
- Reaction score
- 24
- Rivian
- R1T
I thought about replacing my tonneau cover. One I could make use of for a couple days a year so I couldn’t justify spending $800 - $1,500 on an aftermarket or OEM cover. I made some research and took it upon myself to build one. So I designed 3D printed adapters that slide along the sides of the truck bed, and house the boards that run across the width of the bed. Total cost including hardware and filament came out to $229.58. A much cheaper and affordable option compared to the aftermarket
The build was pretty simple once I got the adapter design just right. The process I followed:
1. Cut n=9 3/4” boards into size 51x6” (Lowes did this for me)
2. Drill holes into each end of the boards
3. Sand boards down a bit, get rid of sharp edges
4. Apply 3 coats of truck bed liner on each side of the boards
5. Attach adapters to each end of the boards with nuts + bolts
Pros:
1. Easy on the wallet in comparison to OEM and aftermarket alternatives
2. Looks pretty decent. Up close and with a keen eye you can see the wood grain and my non-linear drill holes making the adapters not perfectly in line with the bed, but otherwise not bad.
3. Not many tools required to build. Only need a drill, sander, and a saw (can omit the saw like me If you get the wood cut at local lumber store)
4. Stronger than soft covers
Cons:
1. Not waterproof. I'm not sure how good they are at keeping water out but I wouldn’t count on them to keep gear too dry
2. You can smell the truck bed liner if the cover is kept in the gear tunnel too long. Might be better if you use a different material to treat the wood boards. Plastidip maybe?
3. Thickness. They all still fit in the gear tunnel when stacked up, but there's not a lot of room left over.
4. Weaker than metal covers. 1” thick boards would be a great upgrade if this is a concern.
The build was pretty simple once I got the adapter design just right. The process I followed:
1. Cut n=9 3/4” boards into size 51x6” (Lowes did this for me)
2. Drill holes into each end of the boards
3. Sand boards down a bit, get rid of sharp edges
4. Apply 3 coats of truck bed liner on each side of the boards
5. Attach adapters to each end of the boards with nuts + bolts
Pros:
1. Easy on the wallet in comparison to OEM and aftermarket alternatives
2. Looks pretty decent. Up close and with a keen eye you can see the wood grain and my non-linear drill holes making the adapters not perfectly in line with the bed, but otherwise not bad.
3. Not many tools required to build. Only need a drill, sander, and a saw (can omit the saw like me If you get the wood cut at local lumber store)
4. Stronger than soft covers
Cons:
1. Not waterproof. I'm not sure how good they are at keeping water out but I wouldn’t count on them to keep gear too dry
2. You can smell the truck bed liner if the cover is kept in the gear tunnel too long. Might be better if you use a different material to treat the wood boards. Plastidip maybe?
3. Thickness. They all still fit in the gear tunnel when stacked up, but there's not a lot of room left over.
4. Weaker than metal covers. 1” thick boards would be a great upgrade if this is a concern.
