Custom tonneau cover for the tow rig

Background: I have an 05 f250 crew cab long box. I have an over-sized toolbox in it and I was wanting a tonneau cover while keeping my toolbox. I also wanted a hard top style that couldn't be cut with a knife.

I lucked out an picked up a LEER fiberglass hard top tonneau cover for a shortbox superduty for free that also came with a bedslide. I decided to section part of it out to get the length I needed to keep my toolbox (10.5 inches in this case) while keeping the "factory" cover look. Then fiberglass it back together. I am still undecided on painting to match or bed linering it.

Pardon the cell phone quality pictures.

Mock up stage

First cut-

Test fit after first cut-

Sectioned chunk -

Second mock up temporarily screwed together with plywood -

Fiberglassing -

I've since flipped the cover over and expanding foamed the "crack" before fiberglassing over the top.

 

[kert0307]

More Fiberglassing -

Fiberglassed top-

 

[FROADER]

It's looking good! Are you able to keep the weatherproof seal up front when you mount it?

 

[kert0307]

Yes, It will still have the weather seal in the front. That is the reason I chose to section it instead of just cut it shorter.

 

[FROADER]

Will it seal up good enough against the diamond plate, or do you have another plan for that?

 

[kert0307]

I was thinking about sandwiching the rubber to the toolbox with another piece of aluminum. If it doesn't look like it will seal good enough I'll put a layer of weather stripping between the rubber and toolbox to fill in the "gaps" of the diamond plate.

 

[kert0307]

Fit up after fiberglassing -

Now for Body work. I've got color matched single stage paint at the auto parts store waiting for me...

 

[FROADER]

Looks like the perfect fit. Nice work!

 

[kert0307]

Sanded primer. Not too bad for being my 2nd project using fiberglass...

 

[kert0307]

Painted up. All I have left is to finalize how I'm going to seal it up!

I'm no body man, but it didn't turn out too bad where the section was.

 

[FROADER]

Excellent work. Like it's factory!