Merry Christmas everyone! When I bought my '37 1/2 ton it had a bunch of junk in the bed. One of the things is what appears to be a canvas topper for the bed. It has curved aluminum frames front and back and a plywood front panel. It was covered in canvas but the mice had been working on that for 50 years. The aluminum frames are arched u-channel and don't appear to be something an amateur would be able to make. Anybody ever see anything like that or know if it was something that was available as an option? Thanks John
Wayne 1938 1-Ton Farm Truck Stovebolt Gallery Forums 1989 Silverado 1996 Mustang GT convertible When I die, I hope she doesn't sell everything for what I told her I paid for it!
It would be fun to have a new source for those bed covers.
Craig
My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
Hey Wayne- I think you nailed it! There was an assortment of junk in the bed that went in the trash and I'm glad I didn't toss this. The curved frames are in good condition and I think I have the metal top pieces that run front to back on the top. I thought they were aluminum rocker panels from who knows what but I'll bet they are those top pieces. The truck is in storage for the winter But I think I'll work on rebuilding this topper before summer comes. There were 7 or 8 old hub caps also that I didn't toss because I'm hoping to find people that can use them Thanks for the help John
So I was doing more research on these Caravan covers and found an original sales brochure on ebay so I bought it. What are the odds of that? I'm going to have a local boat cover business make new canvass for it and this should help him. I checked and I do have the three correct top pieces.
Last edited by '37 barn find; 12/28/20209:17 AM. Reason: added info
Any automotive upholstery shop should be able to fabricate a new cover, but have the shop use something like the heavy vinyl material that big rig truckers use for tarps, not canvas. It will last a lot longer and be less susceptible to rot and tearing from wind at highway speed. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Thanks Jerry I'm not worried about it ripping at highway speeds right now. So far I've managed to get it up to about 30 mph. Hopefully some day I'll get it up to speed so I'll consider your advice. Just some follow up on my posting a while back about the hub cap clips riveted to the wheels. I've been advised that the rivets they used for the cutters on old hay mowers are almost the perfect size and are made to be hammered on cold.
Another source for rivets is Hanson Rivet & Supply in SoCal. I just bought some Tubular rivets from them. Very wide selection & reasonable prices
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
So today I tried fitting the frame to the truck. The bows fit the stake pockets but the side rails are about four inches too long. It wouldn't be very hard to shorten them but I'm a little reluctant to cut them. Would you guys cut them or should I find someone who has a truck they would fit as original.
If you really want a camper top for your bed, go for it. You may want to contact a shop that does boat canvas tops and upholstery to get the top made. They are used to working with large canvas/naughahyde sheets and can show you a variety of waterproof/wind resistant materials.
Last edited by Phak1; 12/30/20203:00 AM.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
Wayne 1938 1-Ton Farm Truck Stovebolt Gallery Forums 1989 Silverado 1996 Mustang GT convertible When I die, I hope she doesn't sell everything for what I told her I paid for it!
Where I live in Indiana we have lots of boat companies here. People with shore stations have to replace their covers every few years. It's not that expensive to have one made. If you have the old cover for a pattern that might help. Also they change their colors every year. If you can live with a color from a previous year(s) they almost give the material away. I have seen people buy rolls of it just to use for tarps.
I'm not going to cut it. If I do, it won't be original and I'm a big fan of keeping things original. I'll set it aside until I can find someone who can use it. I think it probably fits the 79" Studebaker bed. Somebody with that would be really happy to have it.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
Hi, It's me again. I have discovered that this topper frame is correct for my truck. Now I have to figure out how it gets mounted on the truck then I'll have the canvas made for it. The bows do not go into the stake pockets as I originally thought.- it appears there is a piece that goes between the bows front to rear rand that is attached to the top of the bed sides. It sounds like these things are pretty rare. There is a guy on the forum for Studebakers who had a shop fabricate one for him. If I can figure out how to post a photo of the frame I will do so.
Photo instructions are in the left margin of every page.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
A metal adapter wouldn't be the only option available to you. When I fitted a non-standard topper to the bed on my 04 Ram 1500, I used pressure lumber to make a framework that slipped into the stake pockets and attached the topper to the wood. When painted the same color as the black bed liner, the adapter virtually disappeared. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I read your posts on the Studebaker forum. Good luck with your project. I remember seeing some canvas pickup bed covers/ campers like that when I was a boy.
Griggs on these forums built a simple canopy/enclosure for a 1-ton pickup from PVC pipe and plastic tarpaulins. Worked pretty good.
Jerry, There are four 3/16th holes in the top of each bed rail and I think that's how it was originally attached. I adapted your suggestion and bolted a 1x3 cedar board to the top of each rail through those existing holes then I'm going to attach aluminum angle to that. I can then bolt the frame to that. I used camper sealer tape between the rail and cedar. I'm thinking I can attach snap hardware to the cedar and to the canvas top. That's the plan for now anyhow.
I...Grigg on these forums built a simple canopy/enclosure for a 1-ton pickup from PVC pipe and plastic tarpaulins. Worked pretty good.
It was only just OK.. it was also about 17 years ago, I had a lot to learn and hadn't seen anything like the ones discussed here or I would have done a better job back then. Mine was just 4 pieces of EMT conduit (metal) bent into U shapes that fit in the stake pockets, shimmed with little blocks of wood to take up the extra space in the stake pocket. The cover was a tan vinyl truck tarp custom made to my dimensions and with D rings appropriately placed for bungy cord use. The cover/tarp could also be folded in and cover the bed level with the top, no hoops in place. I never tried but didn't feel like it would travel well assembled. Did use the tarp/cover flat over the bed when it was going to rain on a drive.
Dug up a few old pictures, it really wasn't very fancy.. It also wasn't very tall, should have been taller and with more square corners. Don't have a good picture with it all assembled but you can get the idea. One picture of the tarp with no hoops after driving in the darkest thunderstorm I can remember, that picture driving down the road is mid afternoon, looks like night.
Used that cover for a month driving around the country coast to coast sleeping in the bed of the truck several days at a time then a hotel occasionally for shower and such. Then only used it a few more times for camping trips. Now I still use the tarp as a tarp with other vehicles.
I've enjoyed seeing these production made canvas bed covers/frames. Thanks for sharing.
So now I stopped at a local boat canvas shop and they will make me a new cover. They can order the correct olive drab #10 cotton duck. I have to wait until the spring when we get a good rain to wash the salt off the roads then I'll have it done. I'll post a picture when it's done.
