finocchiaro: Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. My new duties over in the SUVs Conference are keeping me pretty busy. The truck is doing great! Thanks for asking.
Here is a tip for those who install a roof mount CB antenna. If you get wind noise or vibration, simply slip a tennis ball over the stinger. Adjust up or down as required.
Any F250 Superduty Diesel owners having transmission problems? I have 20,000 miles on mine and as I write this the truck is in the shop for the third tranny. Also had problems with the i,ntercooler hoses. They have blown off twice. At 3000 miles the power steering pulley fell off. Do I have a special truck or are other Ford owners having the same luck I am?
Earlier in the posts I read that spray in liners decrease value?? This is not what I have been reading. I read they actually help the value of the truck. The dropin liners cause massive scratching to the bed. Water/moisture also gets trapped under the bedliner and causes rust to spread like wildfire. I have a Line-x and it works wonderfully. Its is impervious to rock, dirt, sand, and wood that I have hauled. It is also non-slip. I would go spray in over dropin anyday.
When my 2000 Silverado 1500 LT short bed pickup come in I would like to install an under-the-rail bedliner. This liner will alway be covered with an A.R.E. fiberglass tonneau cover or cap, I have not decided which at this time.
I am not interested in the spray-on liners. I have been looking at the Duraliner & the Pendaliner SR brands. The Pendaliner SR, including tailpiece, can be purchased for $175 installed. Is this a good price?
Even the under-the-rail liners have a lip that rolls over the front edge of the bed. Will this have to be cut off to accommodate the tonneau cover or cap?
I would like to hear from others with drop-in liners. What brand did you choose? Why? Would you do it again? I would appreciate any input you could offer.
Tuck- I've heard Smitty built are some of the better ones. Westin look to be good also. Buy what YOU like, chrome, stainless, black. I guess stainless would be the way to go, if one can afford it, but then again too, on a 30K truck, whats another few hundred? Let me know what you decide on. I'm getting the Smitty's, chrome. My truck is a 2K, LS, 4x4 ext/cab, LB. Hope to get it in a few weeks. Gary-
soilworker: I have a Duraliner in my Ram right now. Paid around $220, installed. I don't like it as much as the OEM liner that was in my F150. That one I installed myself, and paid $175 for. The OEM liner was fitted better to the truck bed, and the slots for using boards to divide the bed were higher, giving more support. There were also cup holders impressed on the tailgate cover, which was screwed down, not stuck on with tape like my Duraliner. The Duraliner doesn't fit as snug, and the tailgate cover is already coming loose. I'm going to put up with it for another couple of years and maybe get a BedRug liner. I have a cap on the bed, so water isn't a problem, and the messiest thing I every carry back there is the annual Christmas tree.
tuckboy1: I have the Westin chrome nerf bars on my Ram. I really love them. They're strong and look beautiful. I have a quad cab, and there have been occassions when two people have stood on the steps at the same time, getting in and out of the truck.
Does anyone have Catch All floor mats from Nifty? I'm thinking of buying some for my new Silverado when it arrives. Do they fit well and stay in place? Any negatives?
Thanks for the responses. My truck will be pewter, and I've seen the chrome with the pewter and I like the combination. What I haven't seen is a side-by-side comparison of the chrome vs. stainless. How much different do they look? (I'm with grizzly1, why try to save $100-200 on a 30K truck?) Also, anyone have any experience with Betterbilt? They're one of the few who carries stainless.
tuckyboy- I,ve seen chrome on the pewter as well- looks good. I think with chrome wheels, the chrome nerfs are the way to go, & maybe with mag wheels, stainless would be the ticket. If you have'nt checked out this url yet, give it a try. You'll find Better Built, & all kind of goodies. http://www.pickuptruckaccessories.com
I recently found an excellent web site. It has links to many companies that make truck accessories. I am not sure if it has been mentioned before, so here it is:
Has any body got a lund visor [lighted] on the new style silverado? If so how does it look ,do you like it, and where is a good place to but it I looked at lund sight and 200.00 is just to much I feel hope to find a cheaper place that I can come up with that and also a step for same pu. Thank you
tuckyboy1, I prefer the SmittyBilt bars in SS. They are Polished stainless and hard to tell they aren't chrome...until they rust. Also, Smittybilt builds their steps to fit existing attachment points on your vehicle, while the Weston's and others require a couple of drilled holes for mounting support.
grizzly1, I use the Leer TS600 Hard Tonneau cover on my 3500/4x4/QC. It's so strong I can stand on top to wash the roof of my truck and it doesn't even flex. ( I'm 200# ) You also don't have the exposed area on the sides like a cap, so you'll find hard crosswinds have little effect on your vehicle. The downside to this is access. Leer has available a 37" long shock as they have had too many complaints with their 27". This will help, but getting to items in the front 3 - 4' will require the hands and knees approach every time. I too have had many compliments on the looks of the Hard Tonneau Cover. Due to the size of the vehicle I own, we selected this to de-emphasize its bulk. Seems to have worked.
Are you having rust problems with the stainless? I would not expect stainless to rust easily. How old are your nerfs? What kind of environment are they in?
rk, How is the cover attached to the truck? I have a slide in camper, & was wondering how difficult it is to take off. Maybe it's not practical to have one, with a camper. I have'nt had the opportunity to see one up close. I assume it has a lock? The ss Smitty built nerf's sound nice. At least you don't have to worry about rust. Thanx for the input.
Can anyone give me any input on a rear SWAY BAR for my 3/4, LB, extended cab, 4x4 LS, Silverado. I have a 10 1/2' cab over camper, & i've been told a sway bar would help in cornering & leaning. I will be getting the Firestone, or Air Lift air bags. Thanx for any help.
See topic 891, Campers. I put the air bag and bar numbers there. Also see topic 821, shocks, someone purchased the Hellwig bar and will report after installation.
By the way, the bar does really help. I'll be ordering the Hellwig any day now.
The site mentioned by soilworker(alltruckaccessories.com) is a good one. However, I wouldn't order a catalog from their webpage. It isn't protected by secure sockets layer, the industry standard for protecting sensitive information. If you want a catalog, call them instead.
tuckyboy1, I can understand your confusion with my reply, sorry. The SS version will not rust at all, the Chrome Ones will in a couple of years.
mfreeman, All the mfg's of the steps rate their capacity at 300# to my knowledge. I would not advise two adults trying to enter a Quad-Cab vehicle at the same time. This would exceed the rated capacity of most steps, and would certainly be awkward, to say the least. They do not flex at all when I stand on them. The Westons are also fine products, in fact, save for the outside mounting difference, you can't tell them apart. I have noticed that due to SmittyBilt's use of existing holes for mounting, at speeds of 75+, they seem to rattle in the holes that they use. The Westons would be tight regardless, but they're both nice.
grizzly1, The Leer Hard Tonneau Cover (HTC) is attached with 6 pressure clamps that keep the aluminum framework against the top of the bedrail with a heavy duty piece of foam tape to protect the painted surface. These clamps are used in most styles of caps nowadays. Regardless of Leers advertising, the top is not easily removable. They redesigned the hinge so that it lifts out at about 50deg of opening, but take my advise (and Leers), don't try it. To remove this top, close and Lock it, ( It does lock very securely ), then take a few of the clamps off and affix them between the top itself and the frame to keep it together. (Thats the way it's shipped) Now get 3 other guys besides yourself, and carefully lift the whole assembly off the truck and put on some 2x4's that are on a level surface, otherwise you risk creating cracks in the clearcoat finish. This sucker is heavy, but on the other hand you don't have to worry about snow-load. Leer is presently redesigning this hinge to facilitate easier removal, but for now they recommend the above procedure. The + side of the HTC is it's looks, style, and security. It's a georgeous lookin' thing installed. The downside is the issue of access, and removal to haul larger items. Caps are no less easier to remove, but they do have terrific access to all parts of the bed equally. For a compromise, try looking at a couple of the better quality multisegment fold-back-style covers. They have more available room, and are more easily removed for bulky items. They are also weatherproof and secure. You have to decide on how they look with your vehicle.
rk, Thanx again for the input. It sounds as if I might be better off on another type of cover, or none at all. I'll have to do some more research on this subject. I now think I'll go with the ss nerfs also. Rust I don't need. I plain on keeping my truck for some time. Does anyone else have a sway bar on there truck they could tell us about... Good or Bad? Thanx to all.
I'm a Fireman, and want to install a scanner in my new Silverado. Anyone found a model / source they have been happy with? Where is the best place to mount an additional speaker and antenna to improve reception?
Anyone used the Aerocover bed cover? It is made by Ruggedliner and can be viewed at http://www.ruggedliner.com/aerocov.html. It is one of the design mentioned by rlkreuger above. Seems like a neat idea. Three segments, made of fiber-reinforced plastic, black in color. Each segment is hinged and has a hold open. Each locks individually and the last one locks *over* the tailgate securing that. The neat thing about this is that it is one-person removable. The sections could all be stacked in part of the bed in case you needed the full bed--but did not discover that until you were where you could not remove a full bed hard tonneau.
My questions are: 1. Does it rattle. 2. How durable and what kind of plastic given that it will be fully exposed to UV for many years. 3. How neatly does it fit--I am looking at one for a new Silverado and would like to know how it looks with the lines of the truck. thanks Paul
Anyone have any suggestions on nerf bars? I just bought a new dodge quad cab 2wd, and would really like to put some chrome nerf bars on it. What are the best "brands"? Would it be wise to get polished stainless steel. Thanks in advance!
Lots of good brands out there, can't comment on any one over others, but I would definitely go stainless steel rather than chrome. The chrome will chip and the bar rust. Sure you can get it rechromed, but that isn't a sensible solution.
I am having stainless steel brush guards and nerf bars put on my new one, to me it is a little more now or an ongoing expense and a less impressive look later.
I have the soft tonneau on my 1990 chevy. Have had it for about 5 years and love it. It was cheap to buy-around $200, easy to put on and take off, can easily be removed from the bed if desired, you have access to the entire bed, you can roll it back to put in large items (tractor-mower), and if it rips (had a tree fall on my truck and tear it) it can be replaced. Disadvantages-- you can't stand on it and it can't be locked (no probelm since I have an extended cab. Hope this helps. Paul
They are quite nice in the winter and will not sear your skin in the summer. They are not slippery, which helps with "spirited" driving like in a BMW....
Motor Sheep (may be one word) is a brand advertised in the Roundel magazine for many years. www.motorsheep.com is under construction.
I am buying a new pickup and want to know the advantages or disadvantages of a spray-on bedliner. They are pretty expensive. I intend to keep the truck for a long time, it will be used for farm work and light hauling.
Anyone know anything about the Roll Top Cover from Pace Edwards.?? They also sell a thing called the Bed Rug....any info would be greatly appreciated. http://www.pace-edwards.com
I saw a sample of the Bed Rug and was told it cost 400 for a Ford SD. But then someone else told me it wasn't available for the 2000 Fords yet. Yet someone else told me it would cost 500 to get it.
From what I saw of it, it looked like a quality product and based on the description and the look of it, would be a great deal under $400.
Has anyone have a Chevy silverado LT with DF2 camper style mirrors? Dealer tells me they are not an option? Anyone else had trouble getting these as an option on 2000 model?
My dad has a 1992 F-250 and I am trying to replace the chrome trim rings around the headlights. Does anyone know if I can get some help online or is the Chilton manual the best option? Also if Chilton is the best way do they show those trimrings?
About the tonneau covers my dad has a ARE and it is great. The only problem is taking it off. It requires to have the whole assembly removed where as other brands have pins at the front that can be removed and the cover only has to come off not the whole assembly. By the way if you are ever towed with a hard tonneau make sure the idiot tow truck driver does not to it backward. We had the truck towed from a parking spot, our fault, and the towing company towed it backwards. They towed it at a speed of at least 70 mph and when we went to pick up the truck and get it out of the yard the whole cover had been blown over the top of the truck and did some serious damage. About $3500.00 luckly with a little help from the Police they paid for it. But as a word of caution do not tow your truck backward with a hard toneau cover.
At a truck accesseries store the other day looking at a few things. I currently have a Roll-N-Lock bed cover and see they are still the same, expensive. But now the dealer has a Specailties Covers electric bed cover thats about $100 more that the Roll-N-Lock. Does any body have one? How do you like it. ..... Also I looked a bed inserts. They have DuraLiner and Pentaliner. The salesman recommended the Pentaliner stating that the Duraliner has lost its quality lately. Any comments? .... Also I looked at a Nerf bar on display. It was a MAAP polished stainless steel. I told him I was happy with some chrome ones I had from them several years ago. I had them for three years and they didn't rust. He indicated chrome was more expensive. I had to leave by that time so I didn't get to compare the polished stainless steel to chrome. Any comments. Rich
Comments
ladyblue
Community Leader/SUV Conference
How's the truck I've been reading all about doing?
Scott
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. My new duties over in the SUVs Conference are keeping me pretty busy. The truck is doing great! Thanks for asking.
ladyblue
Community Leader/SUV Conference
I have a Line-x and it works wonderfully. Its is impervious to rock, dirt, sand, and wood that I have hauled. It is also non-slip. I would go spray in over dropin anyday.
I am not interested in the spray-on liners. I have been looking at the Duraliner & the Pendaliner SR brands. The Pendaliner SR, including tailpiece, can be purchased for $175 installed. Is this a good price?
Even the under-the-rail liners have a lip that rolls over the front edge of the bed. Will this have to be cut off to accommodate the tonneau cover or cap?
I would like to hear from others with drop-in liners. What brand did you choose? Why? Would you do it again? I would appreciate any input you could offer.
Thanks,
Gary
Gary-
Do they make real ones(not cosmetic steps) that bolt on to the frame for the new 2k GMC trucks?
My understanding of real nerf bars is to keep objects from coming in from the side and ripping out the rear axle?
Thanks,
Mike Freeman
I have a Duraliner in my Ram right now. Paid around $220, installed. I don't like it as much as the OEM liner that was in my F150. That one I installed myself, and paid $175 for. The OEM liner was fitted better to the truck bed, and the slots for using boards to divide the bed were higher, giving more support. There were also cup holders impressed on the tailgate cover, which was screwed down, not stuck on with tape like my Duraliner. The Duraliner doesn't fit as snug, and the tailgate cover is already coming loose. I'm going to put up with it for another couple of years and maybe get a BedRug liner. I have a cap on the bed, so water isn't a problem, and the messiest thing I every carry back there is the annual Christmas tree.
tuckboy1:
I have the Westin chrome nerf bars on my Ram. I really love them. They're strong and look beautiful. I have a quad cab, and there have been occassions when two people have stood on the steps at the same time, getting in and out of the truck.
ladyblue
Community Leader/SUV Conference
Thanks for the responses. My truck will be pewter, and I've seen the chrome with the pewter and I like the combination. What I haven't seen is a side-by-side comparison of the chrome vs. stainless. How much different do they look? (I'm with grizzly1, why try to save $100-200 on a 30K truck?) Also, anyone have any experience with Betterbilt? They're one of the few who carries stainless.
- tuckyboy
You'll find Better Built, & all kind of goodies.
http://www.pickuptruckaccessories.com
I recently found an excellent web site. It has links to many companies that make truck accessories. I am not sure if it has been mentioned before, so here it is:
www.alltruckaccessories.com
Gary
http://www.sema.org/hyperlinks/
I prefer the SmittyBilt bars in SS. They are Polished stainless and hard to tell they aren't chrome...until they rust. Also, Smittybilt builds their steps to fit existing attachment points on your vehicle, while the Weston's and others require a couple of drilled holes for mounting support.
grizzly1,
I use the Leer TS600 Hard Tonneau cover on my 3500/4x4/QC. It's so strong I can stand on top to wash the roof of my truck and it doesn't even flex. ( I'm 200# ) You also don't have the exposed area on the sides like a cap, so you'll find hard crosswinds have little effect on your vehicle.
The downside to this is access. Leer has available a 37" long shock as they have had too many complaints with their 27". This will help, but getting to items in the front 3 - 4' will require the hands and knees approach every time.
I too have had many compliments on the looks of the Hard Tonneau Cover. Due to the size of the vehicle I own, we selected this to de-emphasize its bulk. Seems to have worked.
rk
Are you having rust problems with the stainless? I would not expect stainless to rust easily. How old are your nerfs? What kind of environment are they in?
thanks,
tuckyboy1
I don't mind drilling holes if it is required to make the nerfs strong.
Thanks,
Mike Freeman
By the way, the bar does really help. I'll be ordering the Hellwig any day now.
The site mentioned by soilworker(alltruckaccessories.com) is a good one. However, I wouldn't order a catalog from their webpage. It isn't protected by secure sockets layer, the industry standard for protecting sensitive information. If you want a catalog, call them instead.
- tuckyboy1
I can understand your confusion with my reply, sorry. The SS version will not rust at all, the Chrome Ones will in a couple of years.
mfreeman,
All the mfg's of the steps rate their capacity at 300# to my knowledge. I would not advise two adults trying to enter a Quad-Cab vehicle at the same time. This would exceed the rated capacity of most steps, and would certainly be awkward, to say the least.
They do not flex at all when I stand on them. The Westons are also fine products, in fact, save for the outside mounting difference, you can't tell them apart. I have noticed that due to SmittyBilt's use of existing holes for mounting, at speeds of 75+, they seem to rattle in the holes that they use. The Westons would be tight regardless, but they're both nice.
grizzly1,
The Leer Hard Tonneau Cover (HTC) is attached with 6 pressure clamps that keep the aluminum framework against the top of the bedrail with a heavy duty piece of foam tape to protect the painted surface. These clamps are used in most styles of caps nowadays.
Regardless of Leers advertising, the top is not easily removable. They redesigned the hinge so that it lifts out at about 50deg of opening, but take my advise (and Leers), don't try it. To remove this top, close and Lock it, ( It does lock very securely ), then take a few of the clamps off and affix them between the top itself and the frame to keep it together. (Thats the way it's shipped) Now get 3 other guys besides yourself, and carefully lift the whole assembly off the truck and put on some 2x4's that are on a level surface, otherwise you risk creating cracks in the clearcoat finish. This sucker is heavy, but on the other hand you don't have to worry about snow-load. Leer is presently redesigning this hinge to facilitate easier removal, but for now they recommend the above procedure.
The + side of the HTC is it's looks, style, and security. It's a georgeous lookin' thing installed.
The downside is the issue of access, and removal to haul larger items.
Caps are no less easier to remove, but they do have terrific access to all parts of the bed equally.
For a compromise, try looking at a couple of the better quality multisegment fold-back-style covers. They have more available room, and are more easily removed for bulky items. They are also weatherproof and secure. You have to decide on how they look with your vehicle.
Good luck,
rk
Thanks in advance for your replies!
My questions are: 1. Does it rattle. 2. How durable and what kind of plastic given that it will be fully exposed to UV for many years. 3. How neatly does it fit--I am looking at one for a new Silverado and would like to know how it looks with the lines of the truck.
thanks
Paul
That looked so nice I saved the sight as a bookmark. I wonder what it's weight capacity is in the center? If you find out, let us know...
rk
Lots of good brands out there, can't comment on any one over others, but I would definitely go stainless steel rather than chrome. The chrome will chip and the bar rust. Sure you can get it rechromed, but that isn't a sensible solution.
I am having stainless steel brush guards and nerf bars put on my new one, to me it is a little more now or an ongoing expense and a less impressive look later.
Thanks for the response, I think I'm going to go look at the Westin Stainless Steel with the dual step they look pretty good! Thanks again!
teehee
Motor Sheep (may be one word) is a brand advertised in the Roundel magazine for many years.
www.motorsheep.com is under construction.
A search on [motorsheep "motor sheep" +"seat covers"] yielded a bunch of hits. A few that sounded promising are:
www.autoenhance.com
www.thedriverseat.com
www.infogrove.com/sheepskin_people
Should you choose to accept this assignment...
Good luck.
If they have four wheels and the wings are omitted during assembly, they fly low, "spiritedly."
If they imported pick 'em up trucks... ver-r-ry in-teresting...
Yeah, I like dots......... ;-)
http://www.pace-edwards.com
From what I saw of it, it looked like a quality product and based on the description and the look of it, would be a great deal under $400.
About the tonneau covers my dad has a ARE and it is great. The only problem is taking it off. It requires to have the whole assembly removed where as other brands have pins at the front that can be removed and the cover only has to come off not the whole assembly. By the way if you are ever towed with a hard tonneau make sure the idiot tow truck driver does not to it backward. We had the truck towed from a parking spot, our fault, and the towing company towed it backwards. They towed it at a speed of at least 70 mph and when we went to pick up the truck and get it out of the yard the whole cover had been blown over the top of the truck and did some serious damage. About $3500.00 luckly with a little help from the Police they paid for it. But as a word of caution do not tow your truck backward with a hard toneau cover.