Securing your bed with a tonneau cover

[plantone]

Currently my truck has a traditional topper on it. and its really (#$*%&(#*$&% getting on my nerves.

have been chasing leaks since i got it - the drivers side window frame is a hot mess and i had to caulk the outside to stop all the leaks there, then chased more around the light bar / wind deflector above the back window - two of the gaskets were gone there and the bar was loose - caulked all those, only to find that the damn wire for the light was leaking around its grommet too (totally my bad for not just caulking it while the bar was off in the first place) and i still have another leak up near the front - either at the slider window or between the topper and the bedliner. All this water is not being kind to my tools

needless to say, i'm really getting frustrated with dealing with it and am about ready to take a damn sledgehammer to it.



i've been looking at tonneau covers, but all the "hard" tonneaus are primo $$, most i'm seeing are in the >$750 price range.


so i'm wondering, how do the rest of ya'll who dont use a hard topper secure stuff in the bed of your trucks? or do you just not keep anything in the bed on a day-to-day basis? i can garage store at night, so my concern is like when i'm on job sites, etc and being able to secure my tools in the back. I'd rather not have to haul them around in the back seat to secure them inside the cab if i dont have to.


i really dont want to go the route of a truck box as there's limited enough bed space back there, and would love to be able to use my truck to haul my quad around (among other things) so a multi fold is probably on my target list, but i'm always willing to consider other options.

or do i just need to bite the bullet and invest in a good hard tonneau and be done with it.

thanks!

[_STUCKY]

Don't smash your topper haha. They are too rare to just smash them. I had a leer topper on mine until a tire exploded in the bed and mangled some things. But anyways, I'm not sure how many tools you are carrying around but I mounted some big ammo cans in the back corners. You can probably find my pics with a search. I have been biting the bullet and putting my tools in the back floor board, but it's just a roll o wrenches and a socket set and usually a few cordless dewalt gizmos. I did put a pair of pliers on a magnet attached to the bed side. Hasn't moved yet, kinda surprised really.

Let us know what you do

[plantone]

short term - i've just decided to keep my work tools in the back seat. winter has already taught me that topper locks like to freeze up at inconvenient times - so my bed is officially as secure as a soft tonneau at this time.

still haven't dumped the topper, but the stuff i keep in the bed now, other than my box with the jack and some basic roadside stuff (flares, tow strap, etc) in it im willing to risk. a meth head probably isnt going to steal a couple towels, an aquarium test kit, some PH buffer, an algae magnet and a couple of scrubbie pads.

planning to get a hunk o cable to secure said roadside basics box to the bed tie down and box via a padlock to prevent a smash and grab opportunity crime type thing.


with winter fully here, leaks arent so much of an issue so i'm not as stressed about it and at this point will likely wait till spring to make any changes. and what i'm keeping back there now is either in a waterproof box, or wont hurt if it get some water on it as its my fish tank cleaning buckets (so all wet tools anyway). I used to keep those in the back seat for convenience.



as for tools, i do general repair - so i've got probably about $1000 of stuff that i tote around on the daily. its a couple of overflowing tool bags and a milk crate of stuff. It wouldnt break me if they got stolen, but it would be painful and id probably be more pissed that some meth head just sold them to the local pawn shop for a fraction of what the insurance deductible to replace them is gonna run me. if i was dragging around a couple grand worth of speciality tools, worrying about a couple hundred bucks in security features wouldnt even be on the consideration list.

again, just trying to head off the stress of dealing with a potential theft and wanting to kill the little sh!t that stole my crap.

[Built2Bend]

I haul a few thousand worth of tools in my truck on a daily basis. I do a lot of farm work which ranges from carpentry to mechanical work to machining and so on. I also build derby cars so I carry a s### load of tools and spare parts for that to.

I use a diamond plate tool box in the bed to hold all my tools and just use a trailer to haul any thing that won't fit in the bed(it's to small for me even with out the tool box any how). I actually have been trying to find a cap for my truck for a decent price. So defenatly don't smash yours!! I can't even find one. Hell depending on how close you are to ohio I'll buy yours lol.

But what you were saying about the tri fold I've been thinking about if a Colorado crew cab bed cover would fit are s10s because I tend to find them a lot more often. Maybe that could be an option for you?

[plantone]

so i've finally gotten to the point that i'm pulling the trigger on the tonneau cover. it'll be installed this Thursday. Going with a Trucksport Truxedo.

can ya'll help me put a value on my fiberglass topper, with sliding side windows might be worth on the private market?

thanks!