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Old 01-22-2025, 11:17 PM   #1
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Moreland , Georgia
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Is Your Fiberglass Bed Cap or Topper Spread or Just needing to Stay In Place?

In THIS recent thread on bed caps and covers, I made a comment about having bought a LEER topper that was spread in the rear from having been off a truck for a period of time. This caused the back window to not meet the seals and it did not fit the bed properly either.

I thought about this for a long time before I came up with a solution. At work, I was able to get some scraps of UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly) that were, oddly, the exact width I needed, and about a half inch thick. I cut these and sanded the corners round so they were a nice smooth drop fit in the stake pockets at the rear of the bed of my Dodge/RAM 2500 (a 2003 third generation model). What I did was to drill the blocks with two holes and deeply countersink them. Being an aircraft mechanic, I had a air powered right angle drill that accepted threaded bits. I ran a couple of layers of 2 inch blue painters tape across the top side of the blocks (countersinks go down) and put the blocks in the stake pockets with the tape holding them in place.

I then installed the top and clamped it in place, which took some effort to get it to stay, as it wanted to spread open. I didn't think to at the time but I have and could have used a furniture clamp on a long section of water pipe, and some old T shirts for padding, to squeeze the top together. I was working by myself.

I was able to finagle the drill thru the oval hole in the front side of the rear bed post and drill the fiberglass top thru the predrilled holes in the blocks.

Now, if the top is not spread, and it sits naturally in place, you could use some 3M Very High Bond double sided foam tape (Office Depot) applied to the blocks and suspend them in some fashion with tape, to allow you to position and clamp the top and then firmly push up on the blocks thru the oval holes in the posts, using a pry bar or better, a broomstick so as to not damage the paint.

After doing that, the top can be lifted and drilled thru the blocks. The back window now fits nicely on the bulb seal and does not leak nor is the gap too wide. Leer made this top in 2014 (five years after the end of the 3rd generation trucks) and I'm not sure if it spread because it was off the truck so long, the seller sold the truck and kept the cap, or if LEER didn't get it right to start with. Oddly, the last time I had the cap off, it fit without any pushing or forcing to get the blocks in the stake pockets, it just fell right in place.

I realize that you can easily drill the top and the bed and bolt it down but I value my truck and won't go drilling holes in the bed. My Ford Ranger has an aluminum top that is drilled and bolted in place, it was done before I bought the truck so no choice there.

The blocks can be made from a variety of materials, very hard, dense wood, or solid nylon, such as a thick cutting board, or any one of several other materials you might have access to. This is a case of using your imagination to locate a suitable material and method to drill the cap.

You want to use countersunk screws so you don't scratch up the truck when installing the cap, and you will also want to take a razor blade and remove the bulb portion of the seal that is on the bottom of the cap. I left the base rubber, and just cut the bulb portion off in the spot where the block sits.

For some reason, I did not take pics of the work when I was doing it, but I made a second set of blocks that I was able to take a pic of.

I also lined the stake hole with 3M teflon tape so the block would not eat up the paint, however the UHMW is about as slick as teflon and probably didn't need any. I also applied the teflon tape across the tailgate where the rubber flap of the back window sits to prevent erosion of the paint from grit getting under the flap. On my Ranger the paint is worn all the way thru due to dirt and grit under the flap.

I think the pics will tell the story. Two pics are included that show how I made larger, thicker rub blocks for the latches of the back window to bear on.

Charles
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'03 Ram 2500 CTD, 5.9L HO PacBrake six speed std cab long bed Leer top and 2008 BigfootRV 21RB trailer.. Previously, 2008 Thor Freedom Spirit 180, SOLD! 2007 Winnebago View 23H Motorhome, SOLD!
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Old 01-23-2025, 09:27 AM   #2
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Thanks for the good writeup and pictures.
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