Leer built this bitchen Mega Cab Dodge Ram to showcase the company's new 800-series tonneau cover. Read on to find out how it installs and see a little behind the scenes during the construction.
As all grease monkeys know, the trucks we spend hours shaving, slamming, and customizing were originally intended to haul cargo. We are sure some of you reading this will still fill the bed up with tools and equipment and go straight to the job site, rather than clean your truck and take it to a show. No matter what group you fall into, you can still benefit from covering up your bed and protecting whatever is in it from the elements and sticky-fingered scumbags.
Leer, one of the originators of caps and tonneaus, has been cranking out parts since the late-'60s and just announced the release of the company's new 800-series tonneau. This tonneau was born from years of experience combined with a keen understanding of the custom market. Leer listened to the customers and built a tonneau that is totally smooth and doesn't feature any body lines for a very sleek look. Putting the design behind, let's talk about the features and how this bad boy is made.
The tonneaus start out as a mold that the technicians lay in a combination of chopped and mat fiberglass. Then, 1-inch-thick reinforcement material is dropped in the middle, and a few more layers of the chopped/mat glass seals it in, producing a lid that is a 0.25-inch thick on the edges and 1.25 inches thick in the structure area. The tonneau is then popped out of the mold and finished with DuPont automotive basecoat/clearcoat paint in any factory color on the top and a nice carpeted bottom.
The 800-series features Leer's 4-Bar Hinge setup that lets the tonneau open up and away from truck. This allows Leer to design its tonneaus with closer fits than traditional fixed-hinge systems. The 4-Bar Hinge works in conjunction with the Leer Super-Lift gas prop system to provide the right balance between open and closing efforts. New to these tonneaus is the quick-release design that allows easy removal and reinstallation. Specially designed features make removal as simple as twisting a few screws and installation as easy as closing, which will guide the tonneau back into the correct position.
We went to our local Leer retailer, American Camper Shells in Stanton, California, to have the pros there install this sucker. American has a fork lift on site that really makes the installs a snap. However, the install can be done at home with minimal tools, but you will need the help of some buddies to maneuver it around.