Okay gang, I’m getting another pickup,, my jimmy bit the dust. The pickup I’m getting doesn’t have a topper,, I’ve got lots of plywood around, so I’m gonna make a topper for it… any suggestions on how I can make the topper were the tailgate locks with the topper door?
Sometimes I just like to leave my fishing stuff in,,, but an open bed would more than likely look irresistible to someone who has sticky fingers

Lots of creative minds on here,,, thought I’d pick a few brains

You can get used toppers for free to cheap, that would work much better.

Keith

screen door lock at Lowes with a key. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wright-...581769-_-1-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a Think was tad more then $ 20

Need something fairly heavy duty and that would work at a Right Angle, and that would lock the tailgate in place as well. I've seen it done with a hasp and hinge, but it looked kind of crappy.

Make the topper door entrap the lower gate.
My thoughts wood be good solid 1 x 4 along the bottom, inside and out of he upper gate.
Forms a basic two prong opening on the bottom of the upper gate.
Spacers along the bottom inside to the width needed.

Use a good 1/4 -20 carriage bolt to secure bottom rails and door together.
Now you have the upper and lower interlocking when closed.
Slide locks at the lower part of the upper door each side should contain all of it.
Just a quick thought on it.

Gazillions of styles if you google it.

But like stated lots of fiberglass toppers for sale trade / barter possibilities.
When you build you can make it as rugged as you want .

Send us some pics if you build .

Def a good idea,,
I’ve got lots of scrap plywood around, plenty enough to build a topper,, plus, I just like to make things.
Probably right as far as finding one for practically nothing.. but I’m going to customize!!! Hahaha

I got mine for free as said above. It was for an 8 foot bed and had sliding windows. I found another one with flip up windows a put them in, cut it shorter, It does not look nice but works for me. I went to the new car dealer near me and went to their shed where they clean up trucks that were traded in to resell. They had a junk pile and they pay people to haul the stuff away, I bought the place a big pizza for everything as they let me work there even. Oh I also got some tires on rims there that they have to pay to get rid of. Go check the dealership near yo first......jk

free toppers all over or 50 bucks maybe a 100 if it is nice

what truck is it I might have one shortly , I think I am letting my 04 GMC 1500 go aluminum topper with window all around all windows open and have their own locks.

a few options for locking the tail gate other than the locks on the topper , simplest is a bracket inside so that you drop a pin through at the corner that way you have to unlock the topper then reach in and pull up the pin

If you're going to cobble together a contraption like that on your truck, just as well bolt a hasp and a padlock on it.

This ^

Just put this on the back .....call it good

Works for me , or I should say has worked for me.

Ironically , one of the used caps I came across and had for a while , which came on a used truck I bought , I sold to a co-worker for just $25 delivered. It was an older aluminum cap in decent shape but the back window was missing. The co-worker just wanted to use it to carry his canoe , nothing else. He only had the cap on his truck when he went out in his canoe. Cheap canoe rack. Worked for him.

back window missing is common around here , break window , take topper off and sell it

a drill a few rivets and some plexiglass and you can replace it in many

If you ran across a deal for a used Diamondback tonneau you should take a look at it.

They're diamond pattern aluminum, usually with bedliner sprayed on. The HD versions are rated for 1,400 lbs on top of them. Quick to install or remove, lock securely, they come with tie down points to secure things on top, etc. I've hauled lumber, bagged concrete, eqiupment, and tractor attachments on top of mine and it still looks great.