DIY pickup bed cover that will carry a load.

[czechsonofagun]

That cover could be used to hold M270 multiple launch rocket system

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[Midniteoyl]

How does Diamond Back do it?

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Rugged Heavy Duty Truck Bed Covers

DiamondBack covers are the toughest, strongest, most reliable truck bed covers ever built and come in a variety of configurations. Shop now.

diamondbackcovers.com

 

[p0diabl0]

How does Diamond Back do it?

Instructions here for their 1600lb rated version for a RAM 1500:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1571/5355/files/diamondback-HD-SE-installation-guide-all-new-ram.pdf?v=12787695257168311545

Doesn't look like anything other than resting on the bed rails. A pallet of bricks would be quite a bit over that 1,600lb limit (2,430) though.

 

[strantor]

I have no idea of the limits, but on the Diamondback website there are plenty of photos of covers with a SxS on top of them for various different trucks, and in some cases two.

I bet a pallet of bricks might be pushing it though.

I haven't seen the weight rating you're referring to but i think it's probably a safe bet that it applies to the diamondback cover itself and not the rails that it sits on.

 

[strantor]

This is so god damn cool. Great work, thanks for all the additional pics. Really impressive how you figured it all out. A video of the unlatching process and gas-shocks lifting it up would be neat to see.

Thanks. Will do, once I get the aluminum deck on and get the strut angles adjusted for the weight change, I'll record a video of it.

 

[strantor]

For your bed rail weight limits, looks like you’re using the internal rail and it’s also supported by the top of the box side?
I see guys with ‘Sled decks’ that carry 2 skidoo’s, they slide in and out somehow, maybe look into how those are built. But if it’s supported by the bed sides I’d think it’d carry all you’d every want, people have caps with roof top tents, boats, kayaks all supported by just the bed rails in some cases.

The guys with sled decks is where I'm getting this idea that putting a heavy load on the bed rails is a bad idea. I found the topic discussed on snowmobile forums and they said those decks are meant to used with support under them. Of the guys who ran without internal support, some had cracks develop in the bed, others didn't.

 

[strantor]

I have no idea of the limits, but on the Diamondback website there are plenty of photos of covers with a SxS on top of them for various different trucks, and in some cases two.

I bet a pallet of bricks might be pushing it though.

I thought hard about buying the diamondback cover but in the end I decided against it because it isn't compatible with the way I do things. I keep my tools and supplies organized in totes. For small jobs I leave the totes in the vehicle and just park as close as I can, walk back and forth for what I need. For large jobs I unload the totes at the jobsite and have everything I need right there. The diamondback cover with its system of lids would require a paradigm change for me. This truck is so tall that I can't comfortably reach over the bed rails to get stuff and I do a lot of rummaging through totes. I thought it would be more efficient to have a bed cover that lifts up vertically and with plenty of head room so I can jump up in the bed and do my rummaging without getting claustrophobic. Couldn't find anything like that. At least not any compliant with the a-la-diamondback "load stuff on top" idea. So here I am with this project.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I haven't seen the weight rating you're referring to but i think it's probably a safe bet that it applies to the diamondback cover itself and not the rails that it sits on.

The OP asked about the weight rating of the bed sides. That's all I was talking about.

The Diamondback SXS carriers are carrying the side by sides on top of the truck. It's not crushing them, so apparently whatever the bed side is rated for is enough. I don't know if they have any other support that extends down to the bottom of the bed.

On my old super duty I had a heavy pin weight fifth wheel fall off the hitch (I pulled forward but the jaws were not latched). It crashed down hard on the bed rails and there was just the slightest dent on both bed sides at the very top. That camper was in the neighborhood of 1500 lbs of pin weight, and that was compounded by it falling a few inches, AND the weight was concentrated in two small spots.

I've never seen a rating given for bed sides. I'm not surprised since they don't typically carry much/any weight.

 

[herm0016]

cant wait to see it finished. very clever.