bill-e
Member
- May 2, 2015
- 82
- 40
- Truck Year
- 2015
I wanted to show you a one person install of the Gatortrax/Retrax cover. I'm 62, 5'4 and full figured and also have a bad disk so if I can do this just about anyone can.
My total install time was 30 minutes excluding the drains and the unboxing. I just had to take a break before doing the drains which I am going to put through the front of the box. I will add pics in awhile when I finish that.
My idea was to lay the cannister on the bed of the truck on some boxes I had which would allow me to attach the rails while the canister is in the bed. Instructions and videos all have you doing this work on the ground tna then with two people, lifting the assembly on the truck.
This first pic is of the canister sitting on the boxes (you only need it sticking up over the bed rails couple of inches) with the rails laying on either side awaiting install. You can click on all these pics to make them bigger.
This pic is of all the mounting hardware...that's utm just 6 screws and the 4 clamps. Allen tools are included.
Here you see the rails attached per instructions. My step stool was too wobbly for me to do the initial insertion of the cover into the rails from the ground so I did that from in the bed but then I stood on the ground and attached the rails to the canister with two screws each side.
Just a shot of the rails attached to the canister.
This is a pic of the front cover attached. The assembly is still sitting on the boxes at this point.
Next I simply slid the boxes out from under the canister one at a time and lowered it to the bed. Clamped it...no adjustments necessary.
I ran the drains out the front plugs even though it caused me to drill through my liner and bed plug but I did not want the water draining into the wheel well above the plastic fender wells, which is where it would have gone if I shoved the drains into the eye holes.
Here you can see the clear drain hose draining between the cab and the bed.
This is the cover installed, I bought the matt finish and I'm glad I did, looks great!
It really was an easy install for one person...the most difficult part was bringing the canister box out from my barn where I had Fedex drop it off to the truck. I did that with a hand truck and just flipped it onto the bed. I did all unpacking on the bed.
My total install time was 30 minutes excluding the drains and the unboxing. I just had to take a break before doing the drains which I am going to put through the front of the box. I will add pics in awhile when I finish that.
My idea was to lay the cannister on the bed of the truck on some boxes I had which would allow me to attach the rails while the canister is in the bed. Instructions and videos all have you doing this work on the ground tna then with two people, lifting the assembly on the truck.
This first pic is of the canister sitting on the boxes (you only need it sticking up over the bed rails couple of inches) with the rails laying on either side awaiting install. You can click on all these pics to make them bigger.
This pic is of all the mounting hardware...that's utm just 6 screws and the 4 clamps. Allen tools are included.
Here you see the rails attached per instructions. My step stool was too wobbly for me to do the initial insertion of the cover into the rails from the ground so I did that from in the bed but then I stood on the ground and attached the rails to the canister with two screws each side.
Just a shot of the rails attached to the canister.
This is a pic of the front cover attached. The assembly is still sitting on the boxes at this point.
Next I simply slid the boxes out from under the canister one at a time and lowered it to the bed. Clamped it...no adjustments necessary.
I ran the drains out the front plugs even though it caused me to drill through my liner and bed plug but I did not want the water draining into the wheel well above the plastic fender wells, which is where it would have gone if I shoved the drains into the eye holes.
Here you can see the clear drain hose draining between the cab and the bed.
This is the cover installed, I bought the matt finish and I'm glad I did, looks great!
It really was an easy install for one person...the most difficult part was bringing the canister box out from my barn where I had Fedex drop it off to the truck. I did that with a hand truck and just flipped it onto the bed. I did all unpacking on the bed.
