My dad always made his camper shells for step side short beds, slight bow top frames cut from 2X4 noched into 2X2's rounded on the ends and extended a bit to match the bed sides and 5 2X2's connecting the 2 end pieces,the 2 top 2x2's notched to extend out to meet flush with bed side, The bottom 2X2's were set at the top edge of the bed sides and notched to set flush with the edge of the bed as well, the 5th 2x2 was the top center and was just cut to fit.
Covered with usually mobile home siding (because it was flat,and cheap at a salvage yard)and extended past the bottom 2X2's to cover the bed sides on the outside for the angled beds by 1" for water protection, then the canopy was framed in for windows and a door, door was put on with a piano hinge windows were hand made with plexy glass and framed in with aluminum channel or taken from a junk camper shell, the back door was aluminum covered thin plywood glued together and support screws at the corners to keep it from peeling and a door lock from a junk canopy as well,The tailgate end was framed in with more 2x2's and a 2x4 for the door to screw to and coverd with aluminum, depending on what time and detail you take on it they do look like factory made, best way to assemble it is to make the cab side first with it pretty much finished then put it in the front steak holes and put in the rear section also, true it up and install the runner 2X2's then put on the siding and finish up with the door, thats how he did it anyway.
Last edited by todjob2000; 02/06/2010 10:09 PM.
