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Thread: Tonneau Cover and Bikini Top

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  1. #1

    Default Tonneau Cover and Bikini Top

    Working in a business manufacturing canvas products has it's advantages -
    I have been going to make a tonneau cover for over 12 months and a bikini top for maybe 6 months. Last week I finally got in and made a start.

    The tonneau cover isn't a huge job. Maybe 4 hours from scratch if you have all the gear ready to go.

    First I needed a couple of support bars and a way of mounting them. Usually we use a plastic "bar bracket" like this



    They get riveted to the inside edge of the bed.
    I didn't really want to use them because I don't think they suit the jeep and they hang into the bed a little bit.

    Because the m715 has wide gunnel rails I chose to weld a piece of heavy wall tube about 1 1/4" long into the top rail like this




    The plastic bar bracket would take a 3/8" rod but the tube I welded in needs a 1/2" rod to fit snug. The little bit heavier rod worked better anyway.

  2. #2

    Default

    To make the support bars take a piece of 1/2" rod, measure across the bed from outside to outside, add 3" and cut them off.

    Mark 1.5" on each end, heat and bend the ends not quite 90 degrees. You need to bend a gradual curve in the bar, chocking the ends and flexing the middle by hand worked for me.

    It takes a bit of feel but when the curve is right the bars should slip straight into the welded tubes- if you didn't bend the ends around too far to start with. Sometimes they may need bending back out a little.

    You want the bars to slip in and out easily because it makes it a lot easier to remove the bars from one side of the jeep, otherwise you will be walking from side to side to do each end individually.

    I made a canvas sleeve for my bars so that I didn't have to see a chafe pad on my tonneau.

    They should look something like this:





  3. #3

    Default

    I think part of the reason it took so long to make a start on this project is because I couldn't decide what canvas to use.
    Australian Canvas at around $65/yard and 80" wide
    Or American Canvas, (the same canvas all your stuff over there is made of) - $90/yard and 60" wide.
    Your canvas has a coarser weave and is a bit greasier (for want of a better word) than our Australian stuff.
    For jobs on old Jeep stuff the American canvas looks and feels better.
    For the job it is doing however, I chose Australian canvas. I can just get the tonneau out of the width of a roll and therefore I don't have to join it at all.

    I made the tonneau along the same lines as the 1/4 ton trailer cover...





    My jeep doesn't have the hooks on the tailgate, I might get around to welding some on one day but this works for now.



    I used turn buttons across the front, they're simple to use, provided you don't fit one dead centre in the middle.



    I made an opening around the lug, it sits nice this way, I don't think I will get too much water leaking in, and it's pretty well right over the stake pocket anyway.


  4. #4

    Default

    Tonneau cover looks awesome...nice work!

  5. #5

    Default

    Thanks guys.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by goodo85 View Post
    Thanks guys.
    Oops... Thanks Lizzie.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Saginaw Michigan
    Posts
    425

    Default

    Very nice. I have been kicking the idea around to make a cover for the last few years. I like the clean look.

  8. #8

    Default

    Looks great! How are the turn buttons installed to the bed?
    Come and take it
    Go work at joann fabrics if you can't shoot a gun

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Palestine TEXAS
    Posts
    1,120

    Default

    Bump.

    Great Idea.
    Looks really good.
    The Bikini Top I really want to see also.

    Nice thing about these trucks....
    the different looks they can transform into quickly.

    Thumbs Up Goodo85

  10. #10

    Default

    I really like that look. May do my truck that way once I finish all the other work it needs.
    1969 M715

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