1 person p/u cover removal

[ib4classics]

I have an "undercover" 8' hard shell toneau cover on my F 250.
It weighs about 60 lbs.
I am wondering if anyone here has created a hoist type lift for one person removal of these covers.
Pictures would be great.
Thinking about lifting it off the truck and storing it in the garage or carport suspended from the rafters.
Then I could drive under to lift off and put back on.
Thanks

 

[BOONEY7750]

Just use pulleys. hang six of them on the rafters and pull it up tie it off. One man job.

 

[MrSnicks]

You can do a google/ebay search for Jeep Hard top lifts/hoists. They come in electric motor varieties and hand crank. The hard tops are way more than 60 lbs so should be plenty sufficient.

Patrick

 

[R6 Racer]

You can use the same system that I use for my ski carrier roof rack. I weighs way more than 60lbs.
I think it cost me around $20.00 for everything.

 

[kbs2244]

If you do not use a winch, securing the free end of the rope becomes important.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

The lifts I've seen made specifically for this purpose are light weight almost electrical conduit sized tubing welded in the shape of a large "H". There are straps that hang from the four corners that grab the four corners of the tonneau cover and an eyelet welded to the exact center of the cross bar in the H. Then that can be connected to a line that goes through a pulley or you could use a lightweight electric winch from Harbor Freight.

 

[R6 Racer]

8 pulleys, 8 "s" hooks & some rope... works perfect, keeps the load level & raises or lowers the weight with ease! Nottin fancy!

Steve

 

[787B]

I had an undercover I just sold. I never needed more than just me to get it on and off, and I'm definitely no Ahhnold Schwarzenegger!

I would just pull it about half way off the bed, then get directly underneath it leaning forward over the lowered gate and lift it on my back, grabbing some of the supporting structure on the underside to stabilize it. Then I'd deposit on a couple of sawhorses in the garage by just stooping down.

To hang it from the hooks that came with it (from holes inside the front edge), I'd tilt it back off the sawhorses onto a hand truck with a towel over it and roll it to where the hooks were. Then pull the truck out and just lift it up the wall to the hooks. The cover is made from very robust ABS plastic. I never managed to scuff it. I thought about pulleys and hooks, but once I figured out how to lift it myself I never bothered.

Loved that Undercover, but needed more room so I had to get a cap.