Tent Mounting platform progress!
Finally some progress!
As usual, finding quality products to support our beloved hobby in Eastern Canada prooved to be a challenge. For the last month I had been in a holding patter, waiting for the tool box to come in so I took the time to clean up a few things. I had an older molded plastic type bedliner that I had never been too fond about but it came with the rig when I purchased it so I endured. The tailgate piece really bothered me because it kept warping over time and causing a "catch spot" when trying to slide things out of the bed of the truck. I had enough and took it out. I purchased some DIY spray in/roll on type Bedliner to cover the tent platform once it was built. The product I picked up was made by
Duplicolor and found it at my local
Canadian Tire store. After seeing the result of the aluminium bed side rails, my wife suggested that I do the box with the stuff. So I though to myself what the heck I've got way more than I need...
They key to a durable finish with these products is all in the preparation. I did the following to get ready for the bedliner:
- wiping excessive grease/Rust Check with rags
- used pressure washer to remove the majority of grime and dirt
- use spray nine to wipe up and remove most of the grease
- let it dry overnight
- cleaned it again using the degreaser provided with the DIY kit
- scuffed up the paint using 3M pads and sand paper.
- wiped everything down again using Acetone
Once the surface was properly prepped, I taped and tarped everthying then went to town on application. I'm very happy with the results. A pile of work and I can now appreciate the cost of Line-X. Pictures to follow.
The missing piece of the puzzle was the tool box. Now after exactly one month, the aftermaket dealer still did not have the nice black box available. Every week I spoke to the owner with no luck. So like everything else with our vehicles we came to a compromize and settled for a regular aluminium box not the nice black one as originally planned. In three days, I had a quality
PCI Stellar box. Fear not my chromophobic friends, it will get a treatment of DIY bedliner as well! :sombrero:
The box has arrived!
Where possible I try and avoid made in China so this made my day.
The High-Lift fits nicely inside. Temporary solution as this time.
A small gap that will be closed/sealed up using some of diamond plate aluminium sheet left over pieces.
Now, when I get some time off from work I can prgress with building the platform a la Expeditions West! :sombrero:
Cheers,
P
