Float tuber's are pretty creative guys....right? Need some "mod" help

Ok guys after looking around for ever I found a tonneau cover for my truck. It's a "hard cover" but it's $500 used so I'm gonna take advantage of this deal. MY truck is black and this one is charcoal gray...not a perfect match but i can paint it later. Also, the trim on the truck is a very similar color so im pretty sure I'll just get used to the mismatched color....

Now my next problem....a rod rack underneath my tonneau cover. I could throw the rods in the bed but I wouldn't throw my girlfriend in the bed of my truck so there is NO WAY IN HELL I'd do that to my rods without some type of protection. Simple solution is some rod socks and reel covers. Even with those it's possible for the rods or guides to break though...

I was thinking about mounting the rods under the actual cover somehow. Do you guys see a way of screwing or attaching into the cover? Screwing into it is an absolute last resort but if i come up with a really cool design id probably do it.

All my rods are 7 feet and the bed is like 6.5 ft long...so the rods would have to be stored diagonally.

I came across this earlier but it looks like it goes with a soft cover:

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The idea I really like is this one:

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If I used this idea I'd have the 3-4 rod holders sitting next to each other horizontally close to the top of the cover. This way I'd have room for my beloved float tube. This was my original idea to start with, except I was thinking about using some type of bungee or rope to support the rods holders.

Any suggestions on mounting the rod holders to the tonneau or truck itself? I'm gonna get creative with this one and I'm not necessarily asking for your design ideas....just mounting options. I guess its hard to explain some stuff without giving me ideas...

I just don't want you guys to think I'm not creative enough to come up with my own ideas...but my ideas will most likely be really crappy to some of the ideas ya'll have. I say this based on my pvc rod rack....looks like crap next to the sweet mods ya'll have.

Ok im tired as heck now, i can barely type. Thanks for any help...I'll post pics on the cover tomorrow once i get it done.

Buy some of those rod racks for mounting your rods on ceilings or on walls and you can bolt or 3M outdoor-2-way tape them to your cover.

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Vagabond wrote:Buy some of those rod racks for mounting your rods on ceilings or on walls and you can bolt or 3M outdoor-2-way tape them to your cover.

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This is a great idea. I would move in this direction if it were me.

Perfect. Thats pretty much what i had in mind....simple and easy. My only concern is the tape part.....if i remember the inside of the tonneau has some type of material....like a padding i guess. I just dont want rods fallin while im driving lol. Either way ill post pics once im done with everything.

Construction grade Velcro might do it. Stuff is really strong and you can Epoxy to underside of Tanneau cover. Should you change your mind down the line you can remove racks and only the one side of Velcro will be left behind. Unobtrusively.

Cool. I'm pretty pumped to do this.

Finally I'll be FREE of the 5 rods in my cap and all my tackle in the back seats. My girlfriend has had it and to be honest it's getting old for me too.

Look forward to what you end up producing. Please keep us posted on your progress!!

Sounds cool I will be watching to see what you come up with good luck.

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Only bad part ia that even though i bought the cover knowing it wasn't gonna match the truck....its a bit off color than i wanted. Just picture gray on black...doesnt look too bad but a darker gray would have been a close second to black on black.


Either way im happy that my stuff will now be SAFE. Just bought some velcro, liquid nails, and the twist lock rod rack by Berkley (the best option as the rods wont be able to fall considering the rack will be mounted upside down).

The velcro isnt recommend for fabric so i will use the liquid nails for that. My question: should i use some of the adhesive backing of the velcro or just completely cover the back with the liquid nails?

Ill mount everything when i get home in an hour or two so I can make sure it will work with all of my rods.


The next step is to buy a flat and long container to better store my fins, neoprene booties, waders, net etc.

I do have a container that i bought at wal mart for $50 which worked fine because it was super tough and locked. Now it wont fit under the tonneau unless i open the lid.

If anybody wants it you can have it for $25 obo.....its in perfect condition.

Just noticed something!

Under the cover there is a strap screwed into the actual tonneau. So this pretty much means im safe to screw the rack system in as long as i dont use a screw that is too long. Before i wasnt sure if the cover was thick enough to hold a screw. Now i just need to buy a drill...not think an actual screw driver wilk do the job.

Send me a pic of the container. I would do a small test spot with the adhesive. Liquid Nails is pretty wicked in some cases. Definitely will hold a long time if it takes. I haven't come across any instance when it wouldn't bond. But there is always a first. I would do a small patch and give it time before gluing the whole thing up.

Clean the area of application both deck lid and racks before trying to make a bond.

MASSfisher wrote:Just noticed something!

Under the cover there is a strap screwed into the actual tonneau. So this pretty much means im safe to screw the rack system in as long as i dont use a screw that is too long. Before i wasnt sure if the cover was thick enough to hold a screw. Now i just need to buy a drill...not think an actual screw driver wilk do the job.

Well hey, there ya go!

Yup looks like ill be returning the velcro and liquid nails.

Any advice on drilling into fiberglass? Im hoping a screw will go in behind a power drill or do i need to drill a hole in it first with a drill bit.

BTW im mechanically challenged with this type of stuff.

For fiberglass, I would only drill a pilot hole, which will be smaller than the diameter of the screw. I would think that a "Tech" screw which is self tapping would work best. These are used to frame walls, ect from steel studs in most commercial buildings. You may want to add a small amount of epoxy glue to the screw as to get a solid mount.

This is a tech screw, they do make em with flatter heads, can be bought at home depot

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I would be real careful drilling into fiberglass, do not just hold the drill trigger down and try to drill, bump the trigger and drill in short bursts. If you hold the trigger down fiberglass thickness is not always consistant and sometimes contain fibers that the drill will grab and pull itself through with or crack the area around the hole. And before you know it your pilot hole will go all the way through the cover instead of part way. Drill with very slow speed or short bursts. I used to build import track and drift cars and have way more experience with fiberglass than I ever wanted to lol.

Just my personal preference I prefer GOOP over liquid nails for gluing everything except wood.

Velcro works or the carpet liner of shells and covers but eventually it does tear the fabric away from the shell/cover and you get bald spots.

Instead of painting your cover black maybe look into getting it bedliner sprayed black. Alot more durable and you can throw stuff on it and not worry so much about damaging the finish. And I think cost should be the same or less, or you could do it yourself with a kit from pepboys. It isn't that hard I did my entire Toyota bed and a couple aluminum tool boxes.

Good luck and post picts!

The pilot hole doesn't need to be any deeper than 1/16", just enough to get the screw started, and to keep it in place. The only reason for the pilot hole is to help prevent any possible cracking. When installing the screw, use a screw gun but go slow.

Vagabond makes a good point re: the thickness of fiberglass.

Try taking out the existing screw that's holding the strap in place to give you an idea on what length screw to use and how deep you can drill.
If you are screwing into solid fiberglass, the pilot hole will have to be as deep as the screw is long (the portion screwing in) because FG will not compress as wood does

What I may do is take the screw out that is holding the strap on. I'll use a similar sized screw for the rod rack...this way I won't go to deep. I want to do this right now but will buy the proper stuff first so i dont screw it up....also the inside of the cover has a liner...made out of some type of fabric. This makes it hard to see whats going on underneath.

Is it safe to take the strap screw out and put it back in again?

MASSfisher wrote:

Is it safe to take the strap screw out and put it back in again?

If you do take it out, smear some good glue on the screw before re installing it, any glue that bonds , metal, wood, concrete will work, No super glue though.

Should not be a problem reinstalling the screw since the threads have already been formed
Pay attention to the angle of the screw if it is not straight so when you reinstall, it goes back at that same angle.
Start it nice and easy and it should not take a lot of force to screw it in

So my only concerns are putting the screw too far into the cover and having the fiberglass crack. When we say crack are we talking about a minor crack that I won't care about (it wont be visible), and wont damage the cover itself. Or is it possible this thing will shatter or something?

The more i picture the bad outcome of this in my head the more i want an expert to do it for me..

Crack as in a a small crack, IF it happens. If you go slow screwing it in, chances are very slim that it would crack, I just stated that so you are aware of what could happen. Adding the glue ensures that the screw won't back out. Anytime you remove a screw from a solid substance a very small portion of material will come out with the screw, and it wont seat like it did when first installed, that's why I recommend adding a small dab of glue, to fill in any gap in there, and it also makes for a solid anchor if your screwing something that has any weight to it.

Oh, I would try to find out the thickness of the cover, unless your screwing into some sort of support beams that add rigidity to the cover.

Awesome! Thanks a lot Hammer. It's getting dark now...looks like I'm gonna run to home depot tonight or tomorrow morning and get this project done!

No problem...let me know if you need anything..Have fun.

Good advice given
We'll make a Macgyver out of you!


I was thinking, since the glued on carpeting will compress down when you screw on top of it, I would run a fender washer under and on top of the rod holder base so the screw won't tulip down and get distorted.