Bart57266
Active Member
- First Name
- Bart
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2023
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 79
- Location
- Sanford, Florida
- Vehicles
- 2023 Rivian R1T, 2018 Tesla Model S 100D
- Thread starter
- #1
EDIT: I would not use PVC fence planks, again. Read entire post.
This is far from perfect, but you can make your own DIY tonneau cover from old PVC fence planks for under $200 total. It just takes a lot of measuring, skilled cutting and fabrication, and patience.
A Rivian guide told me the new powered cover will be available next year for trucks shipped without them, but I don't know the price, and I wanted secure storage in the bed right now, so I built this as a temporary solution. I'm still working on making it more water-tight.
My goal was for it to look factory, and I think it's close. I just know where all of the defects are!
Here are the "after" photos. Keep scrolling down to see some build photos and details.
UPDATE #1: The panels are corrugating. See details at the bottom.
UPDATE #2: The panels are sagging. See details at the bottom.
UPDATE #3: Panel gaps are opening up, leaking more water. See details at the bottom.
This is how they were made to insert into Rivian's tonneau cover rails:
I purchased used PVC fence planks from someone on Facebook Marketplace. They were only $2 each:
They fit in the area just inside the actual tonneau cover rails, and rest on the top of the bed wall when testing the fit. You have to cut them slightly shorter than what is shown here, to allow for expansion in the sun.
I had to number them, because my tonneau rails are slightly farther apart at the back than they are at the front. And each truck is probably different. Lots of measuring and fitting at this stage, but they all slid in nicely when finished.
You could probably stop at this stage, if you don't mind them resting on the top of the bed wall. However, they'll fill up with rain water, and that water will most likely end up in the bed, so sliders that extend into the tonneau rails, and get sealed, will help prevent that.
I want to give full credit to @Bf3 for his creation of sliders on his very professionally-made aluminum tonneau cover. I flat-out copied his design to achieve what I needed, but I did have to start with 3/4" board to fit these thicker planks, and cut down a portion to fit in the 1/2" tonneau rails.
Notice the first plank (at the top of the photo below) had to be ripped narrower than the rest in order for the assembled cover to fit within the bed with the tailgate closed. This left an open PVC channel facing the cab, so some 3/4" thick PVC trim was cut at the appropriate width to fill the channel. That plank mates up to the existing weatherstripping under the slot where the powered tonneau cover retracts.
This is the part where I did my best to make it look factory-made. I used truck bed coating spray from Walmart:
They don't look good until the bed liner cures, and that can take several days. Tip: Bake them in the sun, and the cure time shortens considerably.
The sliders were painted with gloss black appliance paint (not bed liner, as I didn't want any texture on them). Also, I only painted the tops:
I joined the planks into pairs with PVC cement (the type you use for PVC plumbing pipes) before adding the sliders and sealing them in with expanding foam. This sealed half of the tongue and groove joints that could have leaked water into the bed.
Now you get to learn from my MAJOR mistake!
Because the planks filled with water one day when I left them in the truck in the rain, I decided to seal the sliders into the planks. That was fine, but I selected the WRONG TYPE of expanding foam. It expanded too much, and bulged the plank channels. The bulges are obvious if you look closely in some photos (and the second photo below). it was too late in the process to fix, so I'll just have to live with it.
If you use expanding foam on yours, though, DO NOT USE the one for Gaps and Cracks. Use the one for DOORS AND WINDOWS and make sure the label says it expands less and prevents bulging. You have been warned!
It was pretty easy to cut all of that excess off after it cured. I added caulking wherever it looked like the foam didn't quite seal.
And now, the bulges...
They kind of made me sick, but there was no way to correct them. I lived. I learned.
I ended up adding one more coat of bed liner after this stage, because of scuffs and some spots where the foam had fallen on the original finish and made marks.
I also added automotive weatherstripping to the last plank, where it mates up to the tailgate. It gets compressed slightly, and keeps most water from getting through that area.
The four pairs of panels that make up the tonneau cover were still just joined with the PVC tongues and grooves, and leaked plenty of water when it rained. I wanted to prevent that, so I am working on a way to seal them.
First attempt:
I added 3/8" foam caulking backer rod in the grooved side of the planks (like a pool noodle, but only 3/8" diameter). It was too thick and prevented the planks from being pushed together.
Second attempt:
I cut the 3/8" foam backer rod in half, lengthwise. This resulted in a half-circle rod, which was pushed down into the grooves flat-side up. As you will see in a photo below, it still drips some water into the bed.
Third attempt:
Still thinking, and looking for ideas.
One completed panel (two planks joined with PVC cement and a slider in each end):
All done:
After 24 hours of on-and-off light to medium rain:
I'm not providing measurements, because they are going to vary with each truck. Just take it one step at a time, and make each piece custom-fit the space as you build.
UPDATE #1: The panels are corrugating.
This started out at the ends, where expanding foam was used, but has now spread the entire length of each panel. It’s probably due to being painted black and baking in the sun, causing the outer wall of each channel to arch outward.
I don’t really mind. It’s purely aesthetics.
UPDATE #2: The panels started sagging.
Let’s face it: These are fence panels. They are intended to be mounted vertically and remain white. I mounted them horizontally, covered them with black bed liner, then baked them in Florida sunhine with temps in mid-80s. Sagging is not surprising, but it’s also not acceptable.
Temporary quick-solution:
I propped them up with PVC pipe, using wood blocks to prevent damage. It works, and it’s only ugly if the tailgate is open. If I need to haul something and they’re in the way, then one or more can simply be removed.
Permanent solution:
They need reinforcements that take up less bed space. I’m working on it. I initially ignored suggestions from my wife and others (when will I learn?) to insert some strips of aluminum angle in each plank before sealing the ends. That probably would have helped quite a bit, but it’s no longer possible on these because they’re sealed with foam. If you have ideas, post them in a reply.
UPDATE #3: Panel gaps are opening up, allowing more water to leak in. If I had to do this again, I would NOT use PVC fence planks. I did come up with a better "prop-up" solution, though. Keep scrolling...
Heat is the problem. When the truck bakes in the sun, that heat is really taking its toll on the planks. Their shapes change a little each time, and not in a good way.
So, while this does still provide a secure space to store things when out in public, whatever I put in there is going to get wet when it rains. That's a let-down, but I'm still using them because I do want the secure space.
Those two pics above show a better solution for bracing the middle. The PVC pipes worked, but they were difficult to install, took up more bed space, and required climbing up in the bed to set in place. This board with two legs can be easily installed from the back. I just place each leg bottom where it needs to be (with the horizontal board rocked toward the back), then push forward until it reaches the front of the bed. This is extremely quick and easy to accomplish.
Bottom line, after only two months:
You are going to be FAR better off purchasing an aluminum tonneau cover from @Bf3: https://interrobang.store/products/tonneau-tableau-deposit or waiting for Rivian's powered tonneau cover.
Yes, both are more money, but you'll be getting much better products and avoiding all of this frustration. Just bite the bullet and enjoy them!
This is far from perfect, but you can make your own DIY tonneau cover from old PVC fence planks for under $200 total. It just takes a lot of measuring, skilled cutting and fabrication, and patience.
A Rivian guide told me the new powered cover will be available next year for trucks shipped without them, but I don't know the price, and I wanted secure storage in the bed right now, so I built this as a temporary solution. I'm still working on making it more water-tight.
My goal was for it to look factory, and I think it's close. I just know where all of the defects are!
Here are the "after" photos. Keep scrolling down to see some build photos and details.
UPDATE #1: The panels are corrugating. See details at the bottom.
UPDATE #2: The panels are sagging. See details at the bottom.
UPDATE #3: Panel gaps are opening up, leaking more water. See details at the bottom.
This is how they were made to insert into Rivian's tonneau cover rails:
I purchased used PVC fence planks from someone on Facebook Marketplace. They were only $2 each:
They fit in the area just inside the actual tonneau cover rails, and rest on the top of the bed wall when testing the fit. You have to cut them slightly shorter than what is shown here, to allow for expansion in the sun.
I had to number them, because my tonneau rails are slightly farther apart at the back than they are at the front. And each truck is probably different. Lots of measuring and fitting at this stage, but they all slid in nicely when finished.
You could probably stop at this stage, if you don't mind them resting on the top of the bed wall. However, they'll fill up with rain water, and that water will most likely end up in the bed, so sliders that extend into the tonneau rails, and get sealed, will help prevent that.
I want to give full credit to @Bf3 for his creation of sliders on his very professionally-made aluminum tonneau cover. I flat-out copied his design to achieve what I needed, but I did have to start with 3/4" board to fit these thicker planks, and cut down a portion to fit in the 1/2" tonneau rails.
Notice the first plank (at the top of the photo below) had to be ripped narrower than the rest in order for the assembled cover to fit within the bed with the tailgate closed. This left an open PVC channel facing the cab, so some 3/4" thick PVC trim was cut at the appropriate width to fill the channel. That plank mates up to the existing weatherstripping under the slot where the powered tonneau cover retracts.
This is the part where I did my best to make it look factory-made. I used truck bed coating spray from Walmart:
They don't look good until the bed liner cures, and that can take several days. Tip: Bake them in the sun, and the cure time shortens considerably.
The sliders were painted with gloss black appliance paint (not bed liner, as I didn't want any texture on them). Also, I only painted the tops:
I joined the planks into pairs with PVC cement (the type you use for PVC plumbing pipes) before adding the sliders and sealing them in with expanding foam. This sealed half of the tongue and groove joints that could have leaked water into the bed.
Now you get to learn from my MAJOR mistake!
Because the planks filled with water one day when I left them in the truck in the rain, I decided to seal the sliders into the planks. That was fine, but I selected the WRONG TYPE of expanding foam. It expanded too much, and bulged the plank channels. The bulges are obvious if you look closely in some photos (and the second photo below). it was too late in the process to fix, so I'll just have to live with it.
If you use expanding foam on yours, though, DO NOT USE the one for Gaps and Cracks. Use the one for DOORS AND WINDOWS and make sure the label says it expands less and prevents bulging. You have been warned!
It was pretty easy to cut all of that excess off after it cured. I added caulking wherever it looked like the foam didn't quite seal.
And now, the bulges...
They kind of made me sick, but there was no way to correct them. I lived. I learned.
I ended up adding one more coat of bed liner after this stage, because of scuffs and some spots where the foam had fallen on the original finish and made marks.
I also added automotive weatherstripping to the last plank, where it mates up to the tailgate. It gets compressed slightly, and keeps most water from getting through that area.
The four pairs of panels that make up the tonneau cover were still just joined with the PVC tongues and grooves, and leaked plenty of water when it rained. I wanted to prevent that, so I am working on a way to seal them.
First attempt:
I added 3/8" foam caulking backer rod in the grooved side of the planks (like a pool noodle, but only 3/8" diameter). It was too thick and prevented the planks from being pushed together.
Second attempt:
I cut the 3/8" foam backer rod in half, lengthwise. This resulted in a half-circle rod, which was pushed down into the grooves flat-side up. As you will see in a photo below, it still drips some water into the bed.
Third attempt:
Still thinking, and looking for ideas.
One completed panel (two planks joined with PVC cement and a slider in each end):
All done:
After 24 hours of on-and-off light to medium rain:
I'm not providing measurements, because they are going to vary with each truck. Just take it one step at a time, and make each piece custom-fit the space as you build.
UPDATE #1: The panels are corrugating.
This started out at the ends, where expanding foam was used, but has now spread the entire length of each panel. It’s probably due to being painted black and baking in the sun, causing the outer wall of each channel to arch outward.
I don’t really mind. It’s purely aesthetics.
UPDATE #2: The panels started sagging.
Let’s face it: These are fence panels. They are intended to be mounted vertically and remain white. I mounted them horizontally, covered them with black bed liner, then baked them in Florida sunhine with temps in mid-80s. Sagging is not surprising, but it’s also not acceptable.
Temporary quick-solution:
I propped them up with PVC pipe, using wood blocks to prevent damage. It works, and it’s only ugly if the tailgate is open. If I need to haul something and they’re in the way, then one or more can simply be removed.
Permanent solution:
They need reinforcements that take up less bed space. I’m working on it. I initially ignored suggestions from my wife and others (when will I learn?) to insert some strips of aluminum angle in each plank before sealing the ends. That probably would have helped quite a bit, but it’s no longer possible on these because they’re sealed with foam. If you have ideas, post them in a reply.
UPDATE #3: Panel gaps are opening up, allowing more water to leak in. If I had to do this again, I would NOT use PVC fence planks. I did come up with a better "prop-up" solution, though. Keep scrolling...
Heat is the problem. When the truck bakes in the sun, that heat is really taking its toll on the planks. Their shapes change a little each time, and not in a good way.
So, while this does still provide a secure space to store things when out in public, whatever I put in there is going to get wet when it rains. That's a let-down, but I'm still using them because I do want the secure space.
Those two pics above show a better solution for bracing the middle. The PVC pipes worked, but they were difficult to install, took up more bed space, and required climbing up in the bed to set in place. This board with two legs can be easily installed from the back. I just place each leg bottom where it needs to be (with the horizontal board rocked toward the back), then push forward until it reaches the front of the bed. This is extremely quick and easy to accomplish.
Bottom line, after only two months:
You are going to be FAR better off purchasing an aluminum tonneau cover from @Bf3: https://interrobang.store/products/tonneau-tableau-deposit or waiting for Rivian's powered tonneau cover.
Yes, both are more money, but you'll be getting much better products and avoiding all of this frustration. Just bite the bullet and enjoy them!
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